Weeks #5-ish to #7-ish...because I can't even remember what weeks we're on!!!

So the photo posts that you will see below are as follows...

Kitchen / Dining Area: crown molding, dining room closet completely re-built, wood flooring, and cement on the kitchen floor

We decided to go with radiant heat under the tile floor in the kitchen b/c it seemed like a wise choice considering there isn't a great source of heat in that area. Also, my mom grew up in the house and knew how cold it gets without a rug...so that's why they put a carpet in that kitchen!!!!!!! Couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why in the world anyone would put carpet in their kitchen! Apparently, their toes were turning black and falling off from severe frost bite in the winter from their kitchen floor...who knew????? We are found a great company right in York, PA that specializes in reclaimed barn wood. So, our flooring is right from the heart of historic PA. It is antique distressed oak and is apparently the same exact flooring Ralph Lauren uses in his stores. You can check it out next time your in the KOP mall...crazy, huh? We got it on web special so don't be too impressed. Be impressed by how eco-friendly it is! Yay!

3rd Floor Bathroom: Basically, we have a shower and walls that are spackled. That's about it...but I'm not complaining! That's progress baby!

2nd Floor Bathroom: We actually have a coat of paint, our floor's installed and the fixtures are in! I think it looks great! That is actually real marble tile in the bathroom! I happened to see it at Lowe's and thought it was beautiful but didn't give it another thought b/c I assumed that it would be WAY out of our price range. Well, Jay looked at the price and it was only $1.98/ sq ft! We've it some great deals along the way and this is one of them!

I think that about covers it for now. Until next time...

Kitchen and Dining Area - Weeks 5-ish to 7-ish

3rd Floor Bathroom - Weeks 5-ish to 7-ish

2nd Floor Bathroom - Weeks 5-ish to 7-ish

Week #4

So, this post is just me rambling. The next 2 directly below are all pictures. So, if you skip to the other 2 I COMPLETELY understand! This is my space to "shout shout let it all out" as my sister Tara and I like to say...

This is week #4 and we've settled at my parents house as some of you may or may not know. Yes, all 4 of us...that would be Samson and Roland too. A lot of people ask me if I'm sick of being out of my house and the short answer is "yes". However, the real answer is we're ok. Max is living with his "Mimi and Bop-Bop" and is livin' the dream! He's healthy, we're healthy and we're all together...that's all that matters.

I have to say though, I've taken a lot of lessons from the parents I work with at my job. I never understood how they didn't go absolutely crazy having no control over their environment and never being able to go home. Now, my situation is NOWHERE near theirs but I think I understand what keeps them sane...acceptance. It's amazing what our minds or psyche or whatever you want to call does to keep us intact. There was a point where I just felt so unsettled about not going home to the point where I couldn't sleep and felt sick to my stomach for most of the day and it just went away. Just like that. I've seen it happen with those parents at the hospital. I go home for the weekend feeling guilty and wondering how they'll make it through the weekend and then I come back on Monday and they're completely different. They've accepted what is and what is present. They seem peaceful and I admire that. I actually felt ashamed that I was crying over a few weeks away from home and my routine because I see what could be. But the the acceptance brought peace in like the fog and it settled over me. Maybe the fog is blurring my vision of the things that would otherwise make me unsettled. Who knows? What I do know is...I'll take it!

This has been a great experience for me personally and I've seen how resilient I can be and how strong my family is. It is quite a bonding experience and we're in this together. Everyday I pray that God draws us closer together as a family as he draws us closer to him. What better time then in chaos and upheaval? I'm thankful for this time, and as we come closer to the finished product, I am trying to stay in the present, in "what is" so I don't miss the process that has been so valuable. So, I'm just going to keep breathing...

If you read through all of that you deserve to see the pictures (which is probably what you logged on for anyway). The first set is the kitchen/ dining area and the second set is the 2nd floor bathroom. It's amazing the difference in one week! The handsome gentlemen that are featured in the pics are none other than my little gladiator Maximus (he was making sure things were getting done to his liking), Contractor Jay, Bill (another contractor) and Dave the electrician. They're all great and talented. They're pretty much equivalent to surgeons but with wood and wires and the like...

Enjoy!

Week #4 - kitchen/ dining area progress

Week #4 - 2nd floor bathroom progress