Moving....

{ I was debating to share this pic, because dandelions drive me batty!

Never mind that the roof is falling apart, and the paint is molded and chipping. It's those dang dandelions that I can't stand!}

So this has been the "story of our lives", and has taken up every last second of our time.

WE MOVED!

It was sort of a last minute decision, that I was extremely depressed about at first, but now,  I am absolutely in love with this sweet little country cottage! 

The price couldn't have been better, the space is way more than we were hoping for, and the YARD!?

 I could go on and on about the yard!

I used to play in the field behind this house when I was younger, and me and my little sister called it the Secret Garden House. I have always loved it, and now I am the proud owner!

We have been busy, busy, busy, remodeling, revamping, and refurnishing it! These are all before pictures that I am sharing, and I can't wait to share the after.

Just remember, "Good things come to those who wait." and wait patiently. 

{we still have a lot of work!} 

We bought it in July, and were moved in by December.

{That's right people, 5 months of remodeling and counting!}

We tore every existing wall down to the studs!

If you look closely, that is what true 2x4's are supposed to look like. They didn't skimp on these old houses.

This house was also built with the old lath and plaster, so it was messy, heavy, and extremely hard to remove! A process they used until the late 1950's, and was replaced with drywall.{Just FYI} 

Thanks to my father in-law, brother, and brothers in-law for all of the muscle that was donated! We really couldn't have done it without all of their help!

It's a shame we didn't save any of the beautiful wall paper that was up in every, single room!

I call this one a coral creation sensation!

We updated, and rewired everything!

We cleaned, gutted, and made hundreds of dump runs!

I learned to tile,

tape, mud, sand and texture,

and we became one with our hammers!

{Here is the beam we put in for the new archway.}

We ran into many O' problems!

 Including our water main bursting, our sewer leaking into the basement, cracked & leaking pipes, holes in the roof, and more. Just to name a few.

We were lucky, and had a friendly neighbor offer to dig out our water line for us!

{One of the many benefits to living in a small, tight knit community!}♥

We cried, laughed, barely slept, and got extremely dirty.

The poor kids were confined to a small/semi safe area most of the summer, and watched enough movies to last a lifetime! 

They also had more luncheables than any child should be allowed to consume! 

We are thankful for my sisters, mom and mother in law who watched them on occasion and gave them a break away from all the construction.

Somehow, we survived!

We have the majority of the middle and upstairs levels done, with the exception of  the new staircase, master bath, and a few small projects here and there, but still have a ton of work {inside and out} to do.

We have been so blessed with great neighbors and friends that brought us meals and offered so much help.

And I'm pretty sure we have the best family ever!

The work we did in 5 months should have taken us well over a year, and we are so thankful for all of the help!

We are so excited to start this new chapter of our lives, and just love our little home. 

{Finished projects and rooms to come!}