As If One Project Weren't Enough

We knew we had a major project on our hands with just the sewer alone. Since the kids and I were going to Utah for 16 days we decided to tackle another project or two. After all, the plumber told us he'd be done in 2-3 days, right? Trent could balance his home-study medical school with a few other house improvements, right? His plan was to remove the concrete, dig the trench, and then turn the project over to the plumber while Trent tended to our upstairs. But first, let me back up and explain some things:

When we moved into this house we knew there were a few things we needed to do to make the house safe for our kids. We also had a list of things we would like to do to improve our resale value. One of those safety, must-do projects was to replace the banister surrounding our entry way. The banister was short, had little decorations that doubled as ladder rungs, and would wobble back and forth about 18 inches. Every time I watched someone's toddler I sat by that banister because I didn't know what that child would do. But I knew full-well that when our own little one was mobile I would never be able to let him near the banister because it simply was not safe. 

This is a "before" picture we took when we looked at the house before buying it. The decorations on the wall were from the Sellers, NOT my personal preference! The salloon-style doors going into the kitchen were some of the first things to go after we moved in. The wobbly banister is there on the right at the top of the stairs.

Well, if the banister was going to be replaced then the flooring around it had to be replaced. And if we were going to replace flooring, that was the time to re-paint the house. Here was Trent's to-do list:

1. Get the sewer problem fixed

2. Re-paint the upstairs

3. Replace the upstairs flooring

4. Get the banister replaced and brought up to code

5. Move every one of our belongings into the kitchen and basement
6. Be done in 16 days so we could move into a newly remodeled house when we got back from Utah!

This is what your kitchen looks like when all your belongings are crammed into one place (plus the basement).

Trent told me he didn't do his dishes while we were gone because (A) who would know, (B) everything was dirty, (C) where was he supposed to put clean dishes, and (D) he didn't have time.

Once you cut up your living room carpet it is hard to go back. So when we saw that the sewer problem would take longer than anticipated we still had to move forward with the above list. While we were gone Trent managed to move the entire upstairs into the kitchen and the basement. He was so side-tracked by the sewer issues and set backs that we came home before he had painted, and for sure there was no new flooring. 

As it turns out the house wasn't ready for us to live in because of issues with the water heater and inspections, so we were able to stay at the house of some dear friends, the Francis's.
While we were in Utah Nathan knew he was missing out on a lot of work with Daddy. His only request on returning home was to work with Daddy. In fact, he asked Trent to wake him up if he was headed over to the house from the Francis's so they could go together. For the first few days Nathan was absolutely focused on working. He spent at least 8 hour days at Trent's side. Thankfully, Trent had projects perfectly suitable for a 4-year-old helper.

Heidi was a big help too.

When I came home this is what the kitchen looked like. The only food-preparation site was on the stove top. I am smiling here as I scrounge food together for my family but it may or may not be the most authentic smile. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

 

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I was surprised to see pictures of my little ones on this makeshift scaffolding Trent used to access the entryway vaulted ceiling: oh the fun that Daddy has up his sleeves!

Our house was the eye sore of the neighborhood during this process. Trent wasn't able to mow the lawn while we were gone. One of our neighbors who helped lay the new cement came over with his lawnmower and mowed down our jungle.

The problem. The reason. The mess. All in one picture.

The fan was the exhaust for dusty projects. Again, another tool we borrowed from Jehoshaphat (and still have as we are not yet done with our house as of the posting of this blog post).

We knew we wanted a nice, solid, wood banister that was higher and would prove safe for our little active brood. We were referred to a Siberian man who has some amazing carpentry skills and works on side projects on nights and weekends. He let us procure the materials, prep, sand, and finish and he just did the installation. The above picture also shows the beginnings of the floor being installed.

 

If there is one thing that our plethora of home projects has taught me, its that everything takes longer than you think it will. Sanding and prepping this wood for installation took awhile. I did the prep work and then Trent set up this handy dandy paint shop in the garage for spraying the oil-based paint on the risers and baluster posts. Each baluster had to be free-swinging so it wouldn't touch the next one. They turned out great but it was a lot of detail work.

After a week of staying at the Francis's we were able to move home. It was still complete chaos but it was home and above all else the toilets were flushing properly. The following weeks/months proved to be filled with many late nights...and to be honest they still are. After pictures soon to come!