Well, my floor is finished. This picture shows the tile before grout and before the carpeting was fixed around it. Trust me, it's done. Now I have to stain the french door. I know, I keep saying that. It'll happen eventually.

The upstairs, on the other hand, is not done. It's not close to being done. It's rather ugly right now. In fact, the plan has changed again. The plan to put the washer and dryer upstairs isn't really going to work. Something about pitch and not enough room and blah blah blah. So, the laundry will stay downstairs spread all over the family room. It's pretty disheartening considering that was the reason we started all of this in the first place.

We start gutting Isaac's room next week - just in time for the first day of school. Isaac will be staying at my mom's house (thanks mom) until the upstairs is livable. It's going to be hard to be separated from him during his first week.

Sorry guys. No witty remarks. I'm a little discouraged with the construction at this point. That is the update - such as it is.

All I Can Say is "Yuck"

Words cannot express the amount of mess that is coming from my old bedroom. It's kind of creepy to think that I slept in that spot with all that disgusting stuff. I will never look at old walls the same.

We've already filled one dumpster and had to order another one - this time twice the size. You never really think too much about dumpsters until you have a ton and a half of gross stuff to get rid of. Dumpsters are very useful - and very expensive. Really, if I could go out and buy a few and rent them out, I think I could get rid of the school books covering my kitchen table. I could make some money hauling away other people's gross stuff.

Anyway. The bedroom looks even worse currently, but I haven't ventured up there with my camera. I'm pretending I don't have a 2nd floor right now. Kind of like I don't have a basement either. They are both "icky". I avoid them.

On the good news front - my bathroom countertop is in!!!! Yeah!!!!! It only took about 5-6 weeks (boo). I will go pick that up today and hopefully my new bathroom with be totally done by the end of the day on Saturday. Just in time - they're ripping out the upstairs bathroom on Saturday.

I will post shots of the completed bathroom as soon as I can.

In the meantime, I'm going to get ready for more dust and ick. Keep checking in.

Diann

A Break from our regularly scheduled blogging...

I thought I'd share some pics from our trip to the zoo - in case you were tired of remodeling updates. I realize that I have only 1 picture of an animal after spending 4 hours at the zoo. That's because it was sooo hot that the animals were in some man-made air-conditioned den-like habitat while us stupid humans were walking around in the heat. The boys found a way to cool off though. Putting your hands in some gross animal water did the trick!

I know I've done a lot of complaining about this trip - the heat and all - but truth is, I had a great time. I had so much fun with Dee. It doesn't matter what we do she makes it fun. This summer is flying by with most of it spent dealing with the remodeling job. It was so good to leave it all behind for a little while.

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Thanks for checking in.

Diann

Once again, these pictures were uploaded in the wrong order. Sorry. These first pictures are the ones from upstairs. We moved everything out of our bedroom and Alex's room so they can start ripping and tearing today. Looking at our bedroom makes me embarrassed that we actually slept there for all these years. What an improvement is ahead!

I also have uploaded the same picture twice and cannot remove it. I think it's a little too early to be doing this. I am just avoiding the painting I guess. Anyway, you get the idea. You're smart people.

Okay, this wasn't the best update ever, but it's going to have to do. I have cleaning and painting and dumpster deliveries, and oil changing in my car and cooking and laundry and clearing out the bathroom to do today. First, I think I'll go back to bed. :)

Now scroll down further and read the beginning of the blog. Oh brother!

Our bathroom is 2/3 functional now. Isaac christianed it with the first shower a couple days ago. (Please don't tell him I posted this picture - he won't be too happy)

We are still waiting for the infamous countertop to arrive so they can hook up the sink. But it looks pretty much like a bathroom. The trim work is almost all done, the door is up, I have bought hooks and a toilet paper holder and a mirror. There is some painting to do around the door and some touch ups around the shower and shelves, but all in all, it's done.

Today, we start upstairs. Our bedroom has been moved to the play room. My he-man husband moved some furniture to the attic, some to the playroom, and some to the garage. He went up and down steps all day on Saturday. He didn't ask for help (!). He's a little sore now. The ripping and tearing will start today.

Well, you can see that the siding is finished. It looks great. It makes the french doors look even better. Gary got my lights up, so we can see to come in the back door.

I've been painting the bathroom (and have the sore back to prove it). Paula came over with roller in hand to help me prime. She's great! I then did 2 coats on the ceiling the next day. Yesterday I did the first coat of green. It looks really good. I think I'll be happy with the color choice. Once the white wainscoting is up and the white vanity goes in I'm sure it will look great.

Today, Isaac and I are leaving the construction site behind to go to the Philly Zoo. It's something he's always wanted to do. Me, not so sure! It's going to be HOT and HUMID today. I'm trying to be positive about it though. At least I won't be making iced tea or folding laundry. I won't have to cook or let the dog in and out a hundred times. I won't have to think about paint colors and dust and such. I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun.

Thanks for checking in

Diann

OOO La La - French Doors!

Yeah! I have french doors. They are beautiful and leave in a ton of light. The family room looks totally different now.

It was touch and go for a little while. They put the doors in, leveled and shimmed everything and then couldn't get the doors opened. They thought maybe there were screws left in the top and bottom and that they would have to take the doors back out to remove the screws. Turns out that the doors were locked. Once the handles were on and they could be unlocked everything worked great. It's good to know that the lock works well!


Today they will be wiring for my new lights and putting the siding on the back of the house. What a difference that will make!

I realized that I will have to finish the doors. I thought they were already finished. It kind of freaked me out a little thinking about staining around all that glass. I'm okay now. I think I can handle it. I just have to pick the stain color and do it when Roy isn't around to make me a nervous wreck!

Yesterday was Friday, so it was supply day. We looked at tile and linoleum. We bought a toilet and paint for the bathroom. We were going to go to Lowes and get the trim for the bathroom so I could start painting, but we had a bad storm and the truck bed was soaked. That will have to wait until this afternoon I guess.

Next week I'll be painting the bathroom and going to the Philly Zoo with Dee and Garrett. The next week I will have to move everything out of my bedroom because they will be working upstairs soon. It's getting to crunch time. Now is when the fun really begins. Being displaced from your bedroom is a big deal.

Well, the crew will be arriving very soon. I better get going.

Thanks for checking in.

Diann

It's a Hole!

Ok. These pictures are backwards. I can't ever remember if they download top to bottom or bottom to top. You get the idea - we have a hole cut in the side of our house!

Right now, they hole is boarded up, but come Thursday afternoon we will have a french door. Yeah! We're very excited about the door. We really miss our back door. Pepper does too.

Before they boarded up the hole it was neat to see how much light we'll have in the family room. It makes the room look totally different.

So, Thursday they will put in the door and then work on siding. By the end of the weekend, we should be fully sided. It's back to the bathroom then - working on plumbing and tying into the septic system.

I just got another call from Lowe's. They are still having trouble drilling the hole for my bathroom faucet. They need specific measurements. I have to drive to Hazelton tomorrow so he can show me how to measure. How can I measure the vanity top if I don't have it? I'm not going to be too happy if I have a finished bathroom without a sink because Lowe's has messed up FIVE times.

Can't you just imagine a beautiful door there? Stay tuned for more pics.

Thanks for checking in

Diann

More Progress!

The drywall is finished and the shower is in! It's really coming along now. The best part was when they were putting in the drywall above the shower. It's special drywall that stands up to the moisture. Can you see the color? It's the exact same shade of green that I chose to paint the bathrooom. Isn't that cool? Now I'm sure that's the right color because I love the drywall!

By the end of the coming week I "should" have a french door and the plumbing should be tied in to the septic system. The spackler is coming on Monday, so painting can't be far behind.

I need to get on the ball and pick out a toilet and flooring.

Thanks for checking in.
Diann

SANTA'S HOME DESTROYED

Remember the Christmases of days past? Remember gazing at the Santas lining the mantle where our stockings were hung with care? Well, get over it. The fireplace, mantle, and Santa's temporary home is gone. Gone I say.

Tuesday was Roy's last day of vacation, so he took the opportunity to remove the fireplace in preparation for the French Door. Dad came by at the right time to help him carry some things out and disconnect the fan. Other than that, Roy removed the whole thing by himself.

Now all that is left is an empty space and lots of dust. The family room looks so much bigger. Imagine how much light with come in those doors. The whole room will be changed. I am getting anxious to get the downstairs stuff done. I'm already feeling cramped and displaced by all the tools and materials. Oh well. I guess I better get used to it, right?

Walls!

We now have some walls and a ceiling! Saturday was exciting. It's beginning to look like a room now. I can almost smell the fresh paint being applied.

I'm getting a little ahead of myself, I know. They still have to do the third wall, spackle everything, and tie into the septic system. That involves cutting a trench in my sidewalk and a lot of digging. That will be quite a project.

Tomorrow Roy is going to start ripping out the fireplace in the family room so they can put the french door in. I'm not sure when they'll do that. They need a whole day to cut the hole and get the door in. It will have to be done on a Saturday.

My goals for this week are to find linoleum for the bathroom, pick out a toilet, and make a decision about whether to use tile or linoleum inside the french door. Maybe tomorrow's project?

Thanks for checking in

Diann

Can You Hear That?

If you listen very carefully, you'll be able to hear my exhaust fan running. Yes. We have electricity. We have a light and a fan and power to more lights that aren't on right now. Yay!

Today is Friday and they aren't working at all today. Roy had off last night, so we plan on doing some running around and relaxing - nothing to do with sawdust or, well I was going to say "cooking", but I promised the Roy and Isaac steak tonight.

Maybe I'll get the other side of the door painted. We'll see. The weather is perfect for painting right now - cool breeze and sunny. Keep watching for painted door pictures!

Diann

Plumbing

I know what you're thinking. "It looks the same. Why is she showing me pictures I've already seen? What have those guys been doing, anyway? This bathroom should be done. I'm tired of waiting around to paint and do the things that will make it look like a bathroom" Oh, maybe some of that is what I"VE been thinking. Sorry.

Actually, if you look very closely, you will see the pipes and valves and other plumbing stuff necessary for the sink and shower. I didn't show the toilet pipe. I didn't think you needed to see that! Gary spent most of yesterday laying under my kitchen sink doing plumbing and tying into the water. I think we have water in the bathroom. I'm not sure because I was playing Scrabble with the neighbor. After cooking supper with a man laying in the kitchen and 2 others watching me cook supper with a many laying in my kitchen I needed to be around another woman. Sorry I missed your visit, Dad. You're the one guy I would have liked to see about then!

Isaac and I made our, oh maybe twentieth, trip to Lowe's yesterday. The countertop color we had ordered was discontinued, so we had to pick something else. While there I found a display that had an awesome green paint on the wall. So, Isaac and I spent another half hour running back and forth with paint chips trying to match it. That boy must love me. He puts up with a lot. However, I don't know if I'll ever get him in another Lowes.

I bought paint to paint the bathroom door. I asked about 5 people their opinon on color (the side that will show in the family room). I settled on a brown to match the woodwork. I'm not sure I'll like it, but as Roy said - "What's the big deal, you can paint over it if you don't like it." He always puts things into perspective. It's just paint - even though it looks like the color of makeup when you look at it in the can. Maybe it would have been cheaper to buy Maybelline or Cover Girl.

Today is grocery day and maybe I'll get started on the painting. I've been anxious to paint. Stay tuned, I'll take a picture of the door with the makeup on it and you can all tell me what you think. And, I don't want to get your hopes up, but we might see some drywall this week. Keep checking in!

Diann

Lots of Sawdust

You will recognize this as my doorway that lead to the porch (now bathroom). However, did you notice that it's 4 inches to the left of where it used to be? Yes. They cut my wall. I had about 5 minutes warning, so I threw old sheets over furniture and computer. What a mess. I guess I better get used to it though.

They are working on the plumbing. They've been working hard, but you can't tell what they've been doing. It's all things that don't show (except the moved doorway, of course). They won't be back now until Monday. Gary has some things to do at his house to prepare for a family reunion. The timing worked well. I'm having a yard sale Saturday. It would have been hard for Scott and Gary to manuever around that mess.

I'm in the process of going through everything I own and selling and throwing. There isn't going to be much keeping. I'm sick of everything! Everything I keep will need to be cleaned after construction - and you all know how much I hate to clean!

Well, thanks for checking in.
Diann

It's a room.

This is a picture from inside the bathroom. Yes. It's fully enclosed and the framing is done for the shower. Nice huh? I think they got the pipes run for the plumbing too.

Roy and I finished painting the window yesterday. We got all but one coat of paint done on the one side and discovered that they had given us interior paint instead of exterior. So, we just put one coat of exterior on the outside portion of the window. I hope that's enough. Lowes has made some pretty big errors with us during this project. I may have to turn into a Home Depot girl.

It was a beautiful weekend. Hot and sunny. We went swimming both days, I went to the cabin to visit my dad, spent some time with the neighbors, and we got some work done. All in all, perfect. I am loving summer!

Thanks for checking in
Diann

Enjoy the "View"

This is my kitchen window. It's the window I used to look through to watch Isaac swinging on his swingset. It's the window I looked out to see the squirrels eating my patio furniture cushions. It's the window through which I gazed while cooking healthy meals for my family.

Now it's the window that leads to nowhere. Do you think Scott and Gary could paint a little boy on a swing set on the back side of the plywood they'll be installing?

Thanks for checking in

Diann

Readers' Questions

To all my faithful readers (Mom), I've decided to do a weekly response to the comments I get here at Vera Family. Here goes...

can I put my car in the garage and dale;s car and maybe the swing set and my couch and sofa plus the kitchen table

Uh. no.


Keep those questions coming folks!

Progress!

Can you see them? The little holes? Look carefully. Use your imagination now. The hole to the left is where my shower will sit. The hole on the right is where the toilet will sit. There's another hole that you can't see where the sink will be. It helps if you squint when you look at it. I've done this and I can almost visualize a bathroom - almost!

They started on Monday at 3:30. They worked until about 8:30. They got a lot accomplished.

Do you see the holes? Nope. They are currently covered with insulation. The sub flooring is down.

Well, most of it. This set up really has Pepper confused. It's hard to maneuver those 2 by 4s when you have to pee! So, we are really making progress. They say it should be fully enclosed and the plumbing started by Saturday. We're waiting to see if it rains today. If it rains a lot, then they won't work. I want them to keep going, but Roy is getting about 5 hours of sleep each day. He would benefit from some catching up. We'll see.

I've been doing a lot of cooking and laundry and sorting through closets and such. It's been a really good start to summer vacation. Today, I plan on painting the window. It will be my first official contribution to the construction effort. (Other than writing the checks and cooking the food!)

Come back again. I promise more updates.

Thanks for checking in

Diann

Big Purchases

We finally ordered/purchased the items we will need in the downstairs bathroom. We went to do all of that yesterday, but our Lowes didn't have the things we saw at Hazelton Lowes' so we had to go there today (Sunday).

We ordered the vanity. We bought the shower door, sink, faucet, shower, and paint for the window. Tomorrow they will call us to order the countertop. Wow. It was a lot of decisions and a lot of money in a short amount of time. I guess I better get used to it.

We picked up the french door yesterday. That was interesting. It's a very big door and we took it home in Roy's pretty small truck. He tied it and I followed him home to make sure it didn't blow off the back of the truck. Like Isaac said, "What happens if it falls off? We lose a door and a car. Should we really be following him?" Luckily we didn't have to answer that question. We got it home and it is intact. Of course, it's in the garage with all of the other items for installation. The worth of our garage is really going up!

Scott and Gary are supposed to come tomorrow. They said that this week we should have the porch enclosed. That will be exciting. I will post pictures as we make progress.

Thanks for checking in
Diann

All Quiet on the Construction Site

There is no constructing happening here today. Gary isn't allowed to work after his catheterization. However, we are on our way to Lowes to order our sink, vanity, shower door, faucet and countertop. We're also picking up our french door from Home Depot. I'm trying to stay ahead of the construction so I don't hold them up. I have no idea how long it will take for these items to come in.

Roy is yelling "ok, let's go".... so I'm going to go! Update soon.

Diann

Status Update

As you can see, our window is now framed out. I'm starting to talk like a construction worker, aren't I? This was done yesterday. The guys won't be working until next week now. Gary had to have a heart catheterization done today. He's fine. Everything checked out okay. Thank God.

Looking at the picture, the vanity will be on the left, the toilet in the middle (right under the window) and then the shower in the back corner. It still seems so small to me, but I'm not good at visualizing. They say that by next week they'll have the pipes layed in the floor and then they can start enclosing everything. That will be exciting. I better get vanity shopping!

For this bathroom I'm thinking of going white bead board on the bottom and green paint on the top. The vanity will be white bead board. We'll have a green/frosted/glass vessel sink and a green frosted shower door. Green flooring with some accent color mixed in. Sounds cottage style, huh? My sister will be so proud.

I have 3 half days of school left and then I can really start to purge the upstairs. I'm planning a yard sale at the end of the month which should bring in some extra cash and help me get rid of some stuff. I'm so looking forward to starting fresh upstairs. Let's get this summer started!

Thanks for checking in
Diann

The Fun Begins

Well, this is what our porch/bathroom looks like today. They made a lot of progress. They had to pour cement in the bottom of the "pit" to put the tank in. They did that first and then started framing out the walls. Do you see the bigger gap in the studs? That's where my octagon window is going to go. We bought that last night. We shopped for tile and a vanity and paint colors. Roy loved it!

Isaac found a job to do. They had to tear off a lot of our aluminum siding. Once we explained to him that if he took the foam backing off the siding, he could recycle it and get some money. He loved that idea. He was all about scraping the foam - for three whole pieces. Then he got hot and went swimming! He has a lot of scraping to do.

It's hard to believe that we are actually under way. It will be so great when it's all done. Stay tuned - I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for checking in.

Diann

June 1 - So it Begins - Or Does It???

Today was supposed to be "C" day - Construction Day. I cooked, I planned, I cancelled a dentist appointment and then I got a text from Isaac on the way home saying Scott and Gary weren't coming. I don't know why as of yet. Roy is sleeping and he's the one who took the phone call.

I'm frustrated. I want to get started. However, I guess the mess can wait a day or two. In the meantime, I thought I'd show some pictures I took this weekend. We're enclosing the back porch first so that we can make it a bathroom. Roy needed to rip up the carpeting and remove the ceiling. The pictures show our "naked" porch just waiting for Scott and Gary to come and get started.

Tune in next time - hopefully we'll be making some dust!

It's been more than awhile...

Okay Okay. I'd apologize , but it would be to Megan and Bonnie - and maybe Dee. They know all about my updates anyway - I do them in person.

I think I'll be able to update consistently. My goal is to follow the remodeling project that begins tomorrow. I plan to take daily progress pictures. I will post them here - with all the stories that go with them. For right now, it's already bed time, so I'll give you a very brief update...

Family: Nothing has happened. We're all the same. No new jobs. No major medical crises. Well, unless you count an appendectomy for Isaac in September and pneumonia for Grammy Zoe in January (?).

Work: Rough. Very rough. Senior high is HARD. There is a lot of work involved. There is a lot of "who are you and why are you telling me what to do" looks going on. I've survived a full year (almost - 10 days left). Next year I will be tougher. I'll be ready for them. New principal. Wow. BIG adjustment. Call me - we'll talk.

Personal: Chris Shultz passed away in February. This is one of the hardest things I've faced in my adult life. Too sad to even write about it yet.

I'm in counseling. I know - you thought it was inevitable! It's great. Petra is great and is helping me see my life in totally new ways.

Isaac: appendectomy, middle school, band, taller, cuter, longer hair, affectionate, funny, NOT a morning person, out of control reader, witty, perceptive, THE BEST SON IN THE WORLD. Love him!

Neighbors: Great. So much fun. I wonder how we managed without them. They add so much to everything.

Ok. I have to go now. It's been a looong holiday weekend with lots of cooking and picnicing and staying up late.

Say a prayer for neighbor Paul - training for the army reserves - this is hard on mom and on him I'm sure. We're all proud of him.

Thanks for checking in - come back for updates with pictures!

Diann