House Update: Week 9

These first few pictures might scare you. Especially you who believe we are supposed to be finished next week...

However, I am choosing to be optimistic. I am closing my eyes very tight and pretending that we are two weeks in the future, the house is completely finished on the inside and we have moved everything. Yes, I am just going to live right there in that happy thought. Before some of you start freaking out on me let me show you what changes can take place in 3 days and then you might join in my optimism.  

Laundry Room

Y'all I have a real laundry room. I've never had a real laundry room.  The thought of it makes me so giddy I can hardly contain myself.  Our laundry situation in our former homes typically interfered with our ability to hear the tv so the fact that we have a door to close is something that makes me feel like a princess. Speaking of doors, check this out….

We needed a few new interior doors in the new house because we sealed up doorways and added in new ones. Zoey's bedroom door was actually an exterior door. Weird, right? We had resigned to the fact that we would have to buy a new one that did not match the rest of the doors until a yard sale came to the rescue. A man was having a yard sale right around the corner and he had 6 matching interior doors. Both of our house were probably built around the same time and he was getting rid of them. We got 4 for about the same price as we would have paid new for one. I was pumped. This is the new laundry room door. It will be painted. 

Kid's Room

The kid's room are pretty much D-O-N-E. The carpets and tack strips were pulled up this week and for the most part they are soooooo purty. The only wonky spot was in Zoey's room.  You can see it in the picture above. We could sand all of these down but honestly we don't have the time and it would definitely help to save the money. 

Family Room

We are sooooo close to being finished with this room.  As you can tell almost everything got a coat of primer. It makes the room look so big and bright. I am dying to see what the fireplace will look like. Can we talk about those bookcases? We have a bunch of termites for those. 

Master Bathroom

I haven't done a master bathroom update in a long time because nothing has really happened in a LONG time. That all changed on Thursday. It really started to take shape. This will look very different tomorrow when they grout it but this room should be finished by Tuesday. Now if only the master bedroom looked this good. Patience, people. Rome wasn't built in a day. 

Here are some random shots of different things i.e. kitchen paint color and new back door. Maybe I will post a mid-week update but then again maybe I might not. This week has the potential to be CRAZY. We have two doctors appointments in Memphis and Bible Study. So I make no promises. 

Don't Pray for Patience

Don't you pray for patience. Don't do it. Patience doesn't come wrapped in pretty paper like a gift on Christmas morning. You don't get it by simply being good all year long. Patience is a tricky thing and God he doesn't hand it out like Christmas gifts. Patience is a slippery notion. Some people are blessed with it and some people, well they have to work for it. Patience can come and go as quickly as Lane Kiffin at Tennessee. Sometimes it's there when you need but most likely it's gone like the Cubs in the playoffs. That's why you should never pray for patience. Because God will send it to you in the messiest way possible.

Don't pray for patience because God can send it as a 7 year old girl whose sole purpose is to perfect her eye roll. Heaven help us all.

Don't pray for patience because he can send in the form of a 4 year old boy with a magic circle. That's enough right there.

Don't pray for patience because it might come as a husband who can not, for some unholy reason, read your mind.

Don't pray for patience because God might grant you the wish of flipping a house and let me tell you that one might drive you straight over the edge.

Instead, pray for peace and perseverance. Peace to accept the path God is allowing to be laid before you and perseverance to navigate it while glorifying him.

30 Day Home Cooking Challenge

I need some help. Please no jokes, but seriously. I really do. When I was growing up my Mom cooked supper almost every night. If she didn't cook we scrounged around the cabinets and fridge for leftovers and sandwiches.  Sunday lunch was at my aunt's house. Every. Sunday. Looking back now I took every bit of it for granted. Every single meal. Going out to dinner was a luxury. It wasn't what you did. It was what you got to do. Now that I'm married and have three bottomless pits mouths to feed, constantly, I realize how difficult it was for my Mom to do what she did.  I regret every time I muttered some unhelpful answer to the never ending question of "what do you want for dinner?" I hate myself for it. I'm sorry Mom. Please forgive me.

After 11 years of wedded bliss I realize I have allowed myself to slip into a nasty habit. I have abused the privilege of eating out. My kids think it is the normal. It is what we do. Now before you judge me, because yes I do cook, allow me to explain.  Our schedule is a little crazy. I am sure you can relate. I have allowed myself to fall back on the fast food crutch. Gone are the Sunday dinners that were so beautifully crafted at the hands of my female relatives. It has become too easy to just pick up lunch or swing through the drive through at then end of a long day. I know times have changed but that is not always for the better.

I have had these conversations with myself and with Jon for a while now. Food is such a part of who we are, especially in the south.  It is time for a change.  This post may seem dumb to you but I don't like what I see in my children. It's almost a sense of entitlement. Like they deserve to eat what they want when they want. So I made a decision today. I want to try an experiment. I want to go back to the basics and this is where you come in. I need some accountability partners.  I want to try a 30 day eat only at home challenge. This means no eating out. Wowzers… I just said that and the scary thing is I mean it.  I have 3 main reasons for this experiment. These are in no particular order.

1. I want my kids to realize how blessed we are. Eating out is a luxury not a basic need. I know they are still young but the Bible tells us… " Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6. I know the writer was most definitely not talking about fast food in this verse but the principle still applies.  I want my children to be grateful for their blessings and if they are handed them on a constant basis that appreciation will never develop.

2. Dave Ramsey told me to. Jon and I have had the opportunity to take the Financial Peace course several times. Dave Ramsey does an amazing job teaching very applicable money principles. He stresses the importance of a budget and STICKING to a budget throughout the entire course. So let's just be honest here people, five people eating out a minimum of twice a week is NOT in the budget. We want to be better stewards of the financial blessings God has granted us. I don't want to misuse those blessings. I want to be able to shower more individuals across the globe with those blessings. I can't do that if I eat all my money. That was weird, I know.

3. It can only help my waistline. Let's face it. If you live anywhere remotely close to me you eat way too much Mexican. I mean way TOO much Mexican. Thad could say El Patio at 18 months. It can only help my waistline. Am I right?


I want to try this for 30 days starting September 1st. We will hopefully be in our new house in my nice new kitchen so I will hopefully be super motivated. I don't anticipate this being a permanent lifestyle change but I do hope we make some serious strides at the conclusion of the 30 days to implement real change. There are a few reasons we will break from this challenge.
1. Youth trips: I really can't do anything about these.
2. Date Nights: You better believe I'm going to sit in a restaurant for hours if I get Jon alone.

So who wants to join me? There is strength in numbers people. Join me. Let's bring back the intimate  Sunday dinners in homes where people bonded over fried chicken and banana pudding. Join me.

House Update: Week 8

I feel like this house is another pregnancy. The excitement in the beginning gives way to the mundane middle and then the anxiety of the end will drain you of what energy you have left.  Yep, that's us.  Hanging out in that third trimester of house flipping. I'm tired just thinking about it so let me just show you the pictures.

Kid's Bedrooms

This is the boys' room.  This room is about 90% done. We have to clean it up (duh) and remove the carpet.  We are still in the deciding phase about the floor. Originally, we had planned to sand and re-stain all of the hardwood throughout the house but, you know, sometimes you have to watch the budget so we are still talking it over. This is the darkest paint I have ever used in a house and I am obsessed with it. It's called slate tile from Sherwin Williams for those of you who are wondering/care. It is more blue than the picture looks and it makes my heart go pitter-patter.

Zoey's room got the same treatment as the boys except for the sealed up doorway. We painted our first pink room and it feels ginormous.  I hoping because my bedroom is smaller than the kids the trade off will be more room to put their toys. I really would love to keep only a few toys in the living spaces.  Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Hallway

I don't have a before picture of the hallway but I just love this picture because it makes the house look so much brighter. The hall has to have some work done to the floor but other than that it's good to go.

Kids' Bathroom

This room is the closest to being finished. This is what it needs:

1. Linen cabinet painted

2. Shower curtain bar installed

3. Light above vanity

4. Toilet placed

It should be finished today!!

Laundry Room

This room came a long way this week. Except for the big hole in the floor. Little details. They are finishing up some plumbing for those of you who are really worried.  It also should be finished by the end of the week. 

Family Room

This room is quickly becoming my favorite. I am picturing movie nights, bible studies and lots of Tennessee wins in this room. As of today, it only lacked lots of paint(fireplace and walls) trim and a new ceiling fan. I am soooooooooo excited to see those walls looking so fresh and so clean.  Initially, Jon wasn't too keen on keeping the knotty pine but I showed him this picture and he came right on over to the bright side. We will probably have paint on these walls by the end of the week. The kitchen is in the process of being painted!

Y'all say a little prayer for us. We go back to the pediatric ophthalmologist tomorrow and hopefully will get Seth's "magic circle" aka contact.  He is doing so well since his surgery and we are anxious to get this next phase started. 

Good night, y'all.