… who read my blog, I apologize for not being more consistent lately.
We have been REALLY busy over here.
The construction that we started back in November is nearing completion now, which means all the work that we personally get to do is now in full swing.
Like this:
Or this:
and even this:
(and if someone had been pointing the camera my way, you’d see me painting trim!)
So I hope you’ll be patient with me (and not give up on me!!) as we finish up here.
I do have to add this as a side note, though — and I have to type fast because Grace seems to insist on waking up repeatedly this evening…
My kids did an AMAZING job painting. Really.
I thought I was doing them a favor by allowing them to get up (past their bedtime!) to just try a little bit of painting. They had been begging to help all day, and now that I was ready to roll paint on the walls, I thought I’d give them a quick try.
They blew me away.
They attacked the job with such enthusiasm (and great care, I might add!) that I let them stay up and keep going… and they painted the whole room! (well, the parts that they could reach, but still!) It was rather humbling. I went in feeling like I was doing something nice for them, when in actuality they wound up blessing me greatly and saving me HOURS of work.
Ah, the joys of a big family!
[hmmm. She seems to have put herself back to sleep, so perhaps I can write a bit more!]
I am so incredibly thankful that God has allowed us to do this addition. We’ve been needing extra space for a mighty long time, and this is such a huge blessing. We are actually getting (gasp!) a coat closet! And a room that will eventually allow us to have our bedroom back again!
AND A SECOND BATHROOM!!!
Oh, be still my heart!
It is very exciting for us.
However, it does require a heck of a lot of work (and thought) to do something like this. I see now why my parents were stressed whenever they were building a new house (we moved around a lot when I was growing up, so I think they built 5 or 6 houses in 18 years). It requires so many decisions about the smallest details, and truthfully, I felt rather silly about it all.
I mean seriously, in the grand scheme of things, does it matter what sort of lights we hang in the bathroom? Or what sort of toilet paper holder/shower rod/faucet/whatever we use?
No, not really. But I have to make these decisions just the same.
So, the Lord and I have made many a trip to various home improvement stores, as I tell Him I feel really stupid spending so much mental energy on something that means nothing in the eternal realm, but I really need His help and could He please help me pick out a light fixture… or color of paint… that would look good?
I think He’s led me to some pretty good choices! *grin*
In the end, my hope is that this addition will provide the “cascade effect” that I think it will to free up a lot of bottlenecks we have here in this house. I could be fooling myself completely, but I feel like I’ve done all that I can to whittle down toys and clothes and everything that it takes to keep a family going to a minimum. I’ve tried to be creative, and find interesting solutions to various storage problems, but for years I’ve been at my wit’s end. Perhaps it was just a failure on my part, but I really couldn’t make a family of 9 fit in a home our size with grace and simplicity. Some things (like coats, for example) simply didn’t have a home, so we had to go for awful solutions like leaving a huge rubbermaid tote in the middle of the floor to store all them during winter months.
It would bring me to tears. Often.
So here’s hoping and praying that this room is truly God’s answer to my prayers!
Beautiful! I love the color and the wood flooring! Lots to enjoy!
God Bless,
Jane
I think the colour on your walls is very similar to the paint we have in our bedroom.
I so understand about asking God to guide you in choosing. I really prayed a lot about what I wanted when we renovated our bedroom. I love the colours and the look so much I feel more motivated to clean it. So I think it is important to be guided to some good choices.
I think it’s so cool that your kids all got to help paint and did such a great job. I’m sure they will always remember that they got to help and take pride in that fact!
And I’m SO happy you guys are getting some extra space!
PS. I think you will love the boy’s name. It’s not one that I had even thought of before last Sunday! I mean – I knew I liked it but never actually thought of using it. Now I know it’s perfect and I’m SO excited to meet him!
Me! I’m faithful! (at least to reading your blog, not so much my own!)
Glad to see the AWESOME progress on the increased square footage of the Ouiz & Slog Abode. (*that* sounded strange…..)
Thanks for taking time to send out an update and congratulations to the littles for all the help they gave! (Dontcha just *hate* it when you think that ‘help’ won’t be and it turns out to be? Me, too.) I’m starting to get inspired to think that we should get some painting done around here. (after all, we’ve lived in the Ranch for almost FOUR !?!?!? years!)
Dh has done a FANTASTIC job with the floor. Since we lost the carport, he has no place to set up his saw to cut the wood… so he had to rig up a “workshop” right outside the back door and hang a piece of plastic to keep out the rain (all day yesterday) and the snow (today).
Unbelievable what that man does!
Aussie Therese, I agree with you that having a room we love inspires us more to keep it clean! Otherwise, I tend to just give up.
Beth, can’t wait to see a picture of little “Six”! I bet you’ve picked out a great name for him!
SCG, I just want to see PICTURES of your place, painted or not! (grin) And four years? That’s too long for you to be away, my friend…
Hey Ouiz –
If we can get together on Skype or Windows Messenger, I could give you a “virtual” tour – just like the real estate websites! I did it for my Mom last year!
Wow, it is looking great! That’s wonderful that it is coming along so well. My kids have been helping paint at our house-in-progress and it has been a lot of fun. We had a slight roller mishap, but for the most part they have been really good with the paint and very helpful.
I am amazed that your parents went through the building process that many times. WOW! At this point in the process I can’t imagine ever, ever, ever doing it again.
And I totally understand what you mean about all the necessary but ultimately petty decisions. I’ve had to make way too many of them as I’ve been figuring out all the fixtures for the house. I also spend a lot of time thinking about all the people in the world who live in one room shacks, tents, and all sorts of rudimentary structures. Not that I think that’s what God wants for all of us (or any of us, for that matter) but it does make my decisions about the “necessaries” seem all that much more ridiculous. At least it helps me keep from agonizing too much about it all and helps me make decisions a lot faster.
Amber, what you and your husband are doing (building your own home) is just amazing. You and my in-laws (who are building their own log cabin by hand… no running water/power tools/any modern conveniences) just blow me away.
And your house is gorgeous, too!
My parents oversaw the work done, but never, EVER did what you are doing (I especially love the picture of you painting with your son on your back!) Still, the decisions had to be made, and it was time-consuming and stressful.
Speaking of stressful, I had to buy a toilet today. You would think that something as simple as that would be easy, right? I never realized how many different kinds of toilets there would be to choose from. It was really laughable…
You know, I think when you stop spending virtually any money –all purchases start getting overwhelming. I haven’t had a cup of Starbucks coffee in something like 7 years. A friend took me out to coffee a few months ago and I was overwhelmed by all the choices. Am I still a Latte girl? A gingerbread one? It was ridiculous. Yet I was so out of practice from ordering than my cheap Maxwell house blend, I was sort of paralyzed by all the options. This must be how the East Germans felt in the 1990s!
Happy New Home Size!
It’s so beautiful! What a great family team effort. I know what a struggle it can be to not have enough room for those you love. I’m so happy for you!