A home in progress

This was the #1 reason we bought this house. The backyard is awesome!

Our lot is almost 1/4 acre, which is a big deal in our parts.

Chris and I walked in with our realtor (it was a foreclosure and in obvious disrepair and uncleaning-blech!) stepped out onto the back deck and said, "Let's go back to the office and prepare an offer." We saw the potential in our little home.

It took 4 times to mow it before we could actually consider it mowed.

The kitchen before

No refridgerator, no dishwasher, no burners or pans for the stove. Also, this is the only picture I have of the dropped ceiling with fluorescent lighting. See how low the cupboards are to the counter?

It took many hours and a few strong hands (Mom, Roxana and Irene) to get this kitchen clean.

Every surface has been scoured, scrubbed 0r painted.

We were lucky in that the counters and floors in the kitchen and downstairs had been remodeled just a few years back. It's a very neutral slate black tile. I can definitely live with it.

This is the eating area, the light has been moved to the left a little more now to center over the table, rather than a death trap to walk into anytime you want to go outside. You can also barely see the dropped ceiling at the top right of the picture. Why was that ever in style?

Here are Chris and Larry installing the recessed lighting after ripping out the dropped ceiling. I wasn't able to get a picture of them standing shin-high in insulation.

The cupboards are out! Larry's happy about that.

Almost time to mud and tape after the drywall gets patched in.

Yours truly did all the mudding and taping btw. Backbreaking, really.

Halfway through, I said I'd really like the dropped ceiling put back in.

This is the best picture I have of the front of my house. Just to give you an idea. It's a split entry, split level house. If you've been in one, then you've seen ours.

The YW came over to help with yard work. I miss my Mia Maids.

This is the back right side of the house. The deck extends the length of the house. We filled 15 bags full of grass. The bags you see on the deck are full of insulation that were hauled up to the attic to be shaken over the ceiling of the kitchen.

This is what texturing looks like. Fun.

I didn't have a real part in this except that I taped plastic over every surface that wasn't a wall in the kitchen.

What my house looked like the day we moved in. Our family ate dinner in the living room and I cooked after digging through boxes and boxes of schtuff.

Still no cupboards in the kitchen, plus I hadn't decided on a paint color. (drama)

Here you can see some of the paint colors I went through. The dishwasher isn't installed yet and life is a maze.

Every child helped paint. They love it and I'm not going to deny them. This is the color I finally decided on (which was the original swatch I wanted). Isn't my Emma a doll?

Here you can see the front door, I can stand at my stove and cook and see the front door to my right.

Ladies and Gentlemen! We have cupboards!!!

Here is Chris installing the microwave.

I cleaned that sucker over 4 times in the course of a day. Larry told me that it would bleed because it could feel me cleaning it. He was right. Four times!

My Roxana should be living here since she has put so much work into this place. Here she is with her son, demolishing the hearth. I was so happy to see it go.

My children slept in the living room for about 2 weeks. We're still in boxes, but there is no more exposed tack strip, clean carpet on the stairs and the rock is off the ground.

Next, we have install bamboo flooring, update bathrooms and change out banisters.

All the while life is still going on.