The Kids Paint!

The phrase "you just had to be there" could certainly apply to this experience! The kids were SO excited to finally be able to help mommy with something at the house site, that we decided to make a day of it. I showed them the process of hanging the drywall, then mudding and applying the texture. It seemed to help them understand why mommy and daddy have been so busy!

They helped me sand any rough areas of texture in their bedrooms. Then we primed at least one wall in each room. And then for the really great part! They each got to help open a gallon of paint (which they had picked out with minimal help from mommy) and paint part of a wall! We have a few minutes of video and the giggles and laughter and pride just ooze!






You will have to check back to find out what colors are in whose room, just as soon as mommy gets them completed. Then we get to set about adding the decorative touches to the walls!

Texture Time

After much debate, research and discussion...we settled on a texture we both think we will be happy with! We are using using heavy coverage with a "knockdown" technique to get a fairly smooth surface without the time-intensive process of a smooth wall!

Here are a few photos of the first room. Before. During. During. After!



Next up: the kids paint!

The Tile Story

Throughout this process, I've taken note of the times God has been evident to me. Alerting Ben to move us out of the house. Bringing us in contact with our builder, Steve. Crossing our paths with Tim, the cabinet guy. ...just to name a few! This has given me a peace and confidence that we are not alone, that God is indeed orchestrating this new chapter in our lives. We will be ok. We will make it through. We will not only survive, we will thrive!

So it might seem odd to more than a few of you to learn that I have been anxious. Not about finances. Not about timing. Not about contractors or finishing pieces or any of the dozens of details. No, I have been anxious about laying the tile in the bathrooms. It sounds so silly to say that, let alone type that for all of you to read. But the truth is, I don't think I can do a good enough job tiling the bathrooms. I don't think we will be happy with my work.

You see, I am confident that God can keep us safe, provide for our needs and bring together every detail of this house. I am not confident that I can tile the bathroom.

It should not surprise me that last week God saw fit to "be evident" to me again. A few tiles fell off the wall in the shower surround at the Rental last week, so I went into Lowe's to find the adhesive and caulk needed to fix them. The gal in flooring was helping someone, but he said she could answer my question. I told her the dilemma with the rental and asked for suggestions. The gentleman whom she had been helping interrupted her with an answer. She turned to me and said "He would be able to answer your question better than me. He does tiling for a living."

Ha! Of course he does. So he proceeded to walk me through the process of working with the adhesive, using the tools he picked out for me and then grouting, along with the tools for that. He confirmed what I did know and filled in what I didn't. Then he gave me his business card in case I had any more questions.

It was as if God was saying "You really don't think I can handle tile? I can do everything else, but you think YOU have to face the tile on your own? I've got this, Erica! Let me help you!"

And if that wasn't enough? Yesterday (in quilting class) one of that ladies just happened to mention that she had recently remodeled her bathroom and tiled it herself. She is willing to tutor me if needed!

This may seem trivial to some, but to me this is God in my everyday, real life. I still have to do the work, but I am confident I am not doing it alone!

Finishing drywall...

Of all the steps in this process, mudding drywall was one of the highest bids. When compared to the rest of the project and budget numbers it was a quick decision to do it ourselves. This project is not particularly difficult, in fact we've had five people without experience help with the first coat. It is, however, a time consuming job, at least if you want it to look nice! This is a finishing detail that will be seen...forever...until such a time as the walls are completely re-drywalled, etc...

Ben and I have lost count of the hours we've spent and the number of buckets of mud we have gone through! To date, we are about half way through the process, but have broken it up to work with drying times, so we have already textured and begun painting the kids' wing. We hope to be done with paint by Easter!

Below: Two of my sis-in-laws helping with mudding and cleanup.

Above: Ed helped us out a couple days, too.
Below: My pantry and office area in the kitchen.

Two views of the girls' room. Above is Little Miss's side and below is R's.

Coordinating details has been a part-time job! What supplies are needed for which project on what day. But wait, it's suppose to be cold that day, so maybe we should do this instead which requires this list of supplies. Of course, then I have to have that cleaned and ready, which I don't yet. Did I get that moved to the right vehicle? Which bag was that in? What store did we get that at? Are you sure we DID get that already?

Hehe...what on earth will we do when we don't have the house site occupying our time, thoughts and conversations? Oh, how I look forward to finding out!

Draywall, part 2

More than 180 sheets of drywall have been hung in the house...aching shoulders and sheer exhaustion accompanied them. Ben and my brother David hung most of them, with some help from a co-worker and us "girls."

Above: Ben rotozipping a cut out for an electrical box...one of many!
Below: Liz, my sis-in-law, taking her turn to help carry the 4.5 x 12 foot wall drywall.

Some views of the living room and kitchen ready to mud!

Now the time-intensive work of mudding all the seams, screw holes and corners...

Insulation...finally!

Oh, what fun it is to see the insulation go in! After debating many options...fiberglass, open cell foam, closed cell foam...we decided on a compromise. We really want the benefits of closed cell foam (vapor barrier, seals any openings from wind and varmints, high r value per inch) but the cost did not justify doing all 5 1/2 inches in the walls. We had a company come in and spray one inch in all the exterior walls (they will come back to do the floor when it is a bit warmer, since the cold can keep the foam from adhering and giving us the full benefit). We then added 3 1/2 inches of fiberglass for extra r value.

The foam forms around the pipes in the walls, providing protection against freezing. We also used canned spray foam on all of the plumbing and electrical entrances in the floor and ceiling that the green foam didn't cover.
The men were very cautious of our doors and windows, prepping everything and then cleaning it all up. There was very little evidence they had even been there! (aside from the green in the walls, of course!)
We decided to use blown-in insulation in the ceiling, which will be a little easier than crawling around trying to install fiberglass batts. We are saving that for a fun cool summer/fall day project.

A friend, my mother-in-law and two of my sis-in-laws helped with the fiberglass insulation...three days of itchy, stuffy, tiresome work. Masks, gloves, eye glasses, long sleeves to protect us from the glass and then up and down the ladder to put it in. We put the insulation over the top of all the green foam insulation, but also in all the interior walls to help with sound deadening.
A shout out to my sis-in-law's family and their masonry business in Iowa City, advertized in this photo! They helped us move to the rental, answered questions about the brick work our builder is doing on the house and have been prayer worriers for us many times. If you are in the Iowa City area, look them up for your next brick project! Rob Smith Masonry

And now...back to drywalling fun!