We are sorry for the two week pause in updates... we've been working our tails off to get ready for the move and literally haven't had a single minute to do anything but work and sleep. And a little bit too little of the latter. But with the move starting in earnest tomorrow (we're moving our beds, which in my book is about as serious as it gets), I wanted to take a moment to capture some highlights.
First, let me acknowledge how grateful we are for all the support and encouragement we've received over the past few weeks including many in person and online visitors and feedback. You guys are awesome and we appreciate all of your kindness. I don't think either of us have worked longer, more physically grueling hours in our lives and we're very much looking forward to our upcoming break once the move is complete. But it is your support and cheerleading that has made the enormous effort bearable and we sincerely appreciate it.
This must have been what caused one of our friends and neighbors, Dale Jenkins, to approach me one day and offer his help. "I have a friend with a stump grinder", he said, "and I'd be happy to come remove those stumps from your front yard". Knowing our hired hands spent at least 10 hours digging out the last trunk, not to mention the somewhat dangerous - albeit thrilling - aspect of dragging the trunk - roots and all - out onto the driveway, I accepted his offer. After all, we can use all the help we can get.
Dale is one of those men of character who you know, from the outset, you can trust. Always a smile in his eyes and a gentle, kind word on his lips he is a quintessential man of his generation. When Dale isn't busy helping others or beautifying his own neighborhood-famous yard, he and his wife Ann volunteer as missionaries for the LDS Addiction Recovery program, which helps members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have struggled with addictions find hope and recovery through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Dale showed up Thursday afternoon with trailer in tow and a giant tree eater parked on it, smiling and ready to work.
You might be tempted to think men his age are prone to take it easy, relax in the arm chair and sip lemonades on days like we had this week when the sun is out, the sky is blue and temperatures reaching the 80s. But you'd be wrong. He man-handled that beastly machine and made quick work of both the enormous tree trunks in our front yard, with bark chips and dirt flying every which way.
I asked - if he had time - would he mind chewing up a few extra trunks in the back. Even though it was getting late in the evening and I know he had a meeting to run to, he didn't hesitate to jump in and finish the job.
And when I asked: what do I owe you, can you guess what he said? Not a thing.
Men like Dale inspire me to be a better person and find ways to give more of myself to others.
As I mentioned, we've been hard at work getting ready for the move. I wanted to capture the state of the home pre-move as a checkpoint along the way. When we started this project, Shelly had a clear vision in mind, but we had no idea how long it would take and how far we would get before needing to move in. We hoped to have most of the 'infrastructure' complete - you know, walls, floors, ceilings, paint - and some kind of a kitchen to cook in. Well, we've learned a lot and one of the things we've learned is that it is going to take longer to get that kitchen. :) Who needs to cook anyway? We haven't partaken of anything that can't be eaten straight out of the fridge or microwave, or purchased from a restaurant, for weeks! And that despite the fact we had a perfectly fine kitchen! :)
On the infrastructure front, we do indeed have new walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows and paint, and even some new trim, along with electrical and plumbing that works, feats that we now understand take enormous effort before you can really begin to layer on the pretty stuff we're all used to doing with home improvement. We're proud to report that other than plumbing and electrical, and some support by Todd on the door installations, we've done 100% of the work ourselves. We've learned a TON and have enjoyed the work, sore muscles and tired spirits aside. So while you may see missing trim, unfinished light switches and plugs, protective coverings on the floors and no calk or touch-up paint applied yet, hopefully you can see the vision starting to come into reality as we begin the move.
Without further ado, here is our new entry:
I don't think I have a photo of this space before the renovation, you can kind of piece it together from these before and after shots:
And remember the dining room? Check out our new office with reclaimed wood ceiling, batten walls, recessed lighting and new hardwood floors:
Here are some before/after shots to help you remember the journey:
We're also excited to get our furniture moved and sleep in our new master bedroom:
The old master looked very much different:
Perhaps the biggest transformation took place in the newly combined living area next to the kitchen. We tore down the wall between the family and den, moved the fireplace and created an all new open format living space with ship-lap walls, a new dining chandlelier, new recessed lighting, and French doors to the patio.
The before and after shots show you the amazing change:
After10 years in our current home, we begin a new chapter. Tomorrow we say goodbye to the place where our kids grew up from grade school to adulthood, and begin a new life in our new home. In some ways we know it better than any other home we've lived in. Every square inch. It is bitter sweet, but the foreshadow of this new chapter has been long in the telling and we believe that home is - after all - what you make it. Do we wish our new home was more complete? Sure...but is a home ever really finished?
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