As you might recall, we have been remodeling this house of ours for 7 years.
It has been a L-O-N-G journey my friends. A journey filled with sheet rock dust, nails, air compressors, paint splatters, dust, MONEY, trim, windows, and mice.
Mice?
Yes. Mice.
About 50 mice, I would presume.
But that is a story for another day.
The planned closing date for our new home is coming soon, so we ( and when I say we, of course I mean, The Lumberjack) have been working hard to finish up this house.
Before:
After:
Could my life get any more exciting than it is at this very moment?
I submit that it cannot.
People! Do you know how many Y-E-A-R-S I have waited for that tile and lighting?
Can I just say I am miffed?
Yes.
Miffed.
You see, dear readers, about 5 years ago when we were only a little ways into the fun-filled-good-time-remodeling-journey-of-bliss, a little “convo” (can I say “convo?”) occurred between my husband and I.
Me: Dude! We need to get this house finished!
LJ (short for Lumberjack . . . keep up, people!): I am trying.
Me: By the time you finish it, we will have out grown it.
LJ: No, we won’t. We only have two kids.
Me: But we might have more.
LJ: No. I’m done.
Me: Nevertheless! I am tired of looking at this sub-floor and yellow insulation foam.
LJ: I’m working on it.
Me: I saw 4 more mice today.
LJ: I’m working on it.
And, dear readers, what I predicted is coming true.
The beautiful home my LJ is building for me is so close to being completed . . . and we are packing up to move.
Oh, the humanity!
I asked him if the new house in Ruralville had a tiled back splash.
Nope.
I asked him if the new house in Ruralville had under cabinet lighting.
Nope.
I asked him the laundry room in Ruralville had bead board.
Nope.
Oh, the humanity!
The laundry room is almost finished . . . here are some recent pictures of that nonsense:
Oh.Be.Still.My.Heart.
I want it for to be mine.
And, Look!
He even bead-i-ly board-ed the coat closet!
Holla!
He’s got mad skills.
Or is it skillz?
I went with skills.
You go with your gut.
Guess what else we have to leave behind?
The playhouse he built for the Lumbergirls.
So, even though I am excited for the new house and such, can I just be frank with you all?
Good.
Here are my true feelings on this rainy, dreary Wednesday morn:
Boo.
*Random-Topic-Quick-Change!*
I made a fresh strawberry pie.
Look at me with my big-girl baking pants on!
Perhaps if you are good little readers, I will share the recipe with you.
Lest any of you are confused, I did not come up with this recipe on my own. I leached it off of a friend.
*Random-Topic-Quick-Change*
Want to check out some new blogs?
I knew you did
Michelle at Scribbled with Light
Jake at Father Best
Christine at Christine’s Digital Scrapbooking Corner.
Go give them a holla!
*Random-Topic-Quick-Change!*
Little Dude’s hair is crunchy this morning and smells like pot roast and strawberry pie.
Perhaps a bath was in order last night?
*Random-Topic-Quick-Change!*
Daisy Mae asked me if I had a baby in my tummy.
Boo.
Alright! I am off to pack, clean, laundry-it-up, and contemplate either:
A) Actually doing some sit ups
B) Calling about financing options for a tummy tuck.
Toodles!
🙂 I can SO relate to your fix-er-up-before-I-move-out-story! I know that is the way it will be for us. Evidently, we can’t afford it unless we are doing it for someone else.
I’m praying you find tons of new joys in ruralville! I hope you won’t be too far from town.
I feel your pain about the kitchen. The same thing happened to me. Kitchen all lovely and then hubby takes a new job in another province. Boo! 🙁
laundry room looks amazing!! i love that he did the closet, too!! and the kitchen lighting – awesomeness! but your new home has some pretty sweet features as well!! =)
sounds like you are having a BOO-ti-ful day.
mwhahahah!
I say BOO and BOO again to having to leave behind the backsplash, under cabinet lighting, and beadboard… I also say BOO to having to leave behind the adorable play house!!!
You know though – you will have all those things again… just as soon as Lumberjack gets the time and materials! 😉
hmmm. The good thing is, you will sell the beautiful house quickly. It is looking beautiful! Can you move the playhouse? Looks like the manliness of LJ and his tool wielding family could move that little hut in a heartbeat! The strawberry pie looks yummym BTW!
oops! that would be…..yummy!
Your house is adorable!! Here’s to hoping that your new one in ruralville will be just as precious!
Oh and yes yes, we do want to know the strawberry pie recipe. And I’ll eat it and not feel guilty (because I dont have a Daisy Mae in my life who will tell me that I’m chubs although maybe I should….could be good pressure!) 🙂
Love this post as always!
I almost passed out from swooning over that beadboard.
You are going to have renters getting into brawls over the chance to live in this house, you know…
Good thing you have pictures, because before you know it, it’ll be “tiles? It takes forever to do tiles…” so you’ll need the proof!
Oh wow, that would make me sad. It DOES look amazing though. And once you had it all perfect and finished you’d be bored right? I thought so. 😉 So your next place can get all redone and beautiful too…. Right? ha. I put Gooner to bed with sun tan lotion on, oops no bath, and she got a rash. Brilliant move Mama…
HAHAHAHA i sooooo could use a tummy tuck!!! you, on the other hand, are PERFECT and shouldn’t even be thinking such things!!! the whole fix-the-house-just-in-time-to-move thing happened to me too, when we moved out to camp to be full-time “missionaries” and put our house up for sale…the new peeps are getting the gorgeous, newly renovated bathroom i wanted!!! =( i DID get to use it for a little while, though, so it’s all good =)
I’m with Dawn…move the play house at all costs.
Just keep a picture of the backsplash close to remind your husband of what he can do! 🙂 Also, I love the little playhouse. My brother and I had one several years ago and we both loved it!
That strawberry pie looks SCRUMPTIOUS!!!! Yummy!
I know the woes of moving having done so only six months ago. It would be nice to have magical powers to twinkle your nose and it all be finished! Hopefully it won’t be too much trouble!
🙂
Laundry room looks great! Your Lumberjack does good, albeit untimely, work.
Here’s the thing…I double love you. You crack me up and this rain is bringing me down so it was just in the knick of time. Phew! Thanks.
The sweet husband & I just had the same talk. Why not do all the amazing things now while we live here and can love them ourselves instead of before we sell and let someone else love them. It just makes sense.
And I’m just sayin’, but can your sweet lumberjack build my bebes a playhouse? In fact you could have him build them & sell them and that would pay for the tummy tuck. (Not that I think you need one for I’ve never seen you in person, that I know of) 🙂 Or you could just do the crunches and take the money for a beachy vacation. Ahhh, sunshine.
Taylor?
Can we talk?
Um, have you ever had renters before?
Do you know what they DO to houses?
Why oh why is LJ doing all of this for people who will NOT appreciate it?
He needs to save his mad carpentry skilz for Ruralville.
YUM! The strawberry pie looks absolutely delicious! 🙂
Oh gosh. I would be miffed too. But think about all the money you’re making off the sale. And you’ll have a big yard where Mabel can be a dog and your boys can pee off the back porch. Life will be good in Ruralville. 🙂
Marla @ http://www.asthefarmturns.wordpress.com
I spent four less-than-wonderful years in remodeling purgatory. We finished the house just in time for the closing. I’m sorry to break this to you, but your husband is just like mine. You will never live in a completely remodeled and FINISHED house unless the closing is less than week away. Sorry.
That was a tough one to follow, but I think I did! I am AMAZING! ANd YOU are hilarious!
I’d be sad to leave that adorable playhouse too.
Does the new house need work or is it move in condition? Because if it’s move in condition you can always get LJ to add a lovely backsplash…he won’t have lots of other projects to distract him. And maybe this time round he’ll build a tree house for the dudes? That has potential. Moving is hard in every way…once you’re in the new place you’ll feel better ((hugs))
While you are checking prices on the tummy tuck could you also price out a, *ahem*, boob lift? I’m gonna need both, and one without the other might look awfully silly. I’m just thinking…. 🙂 A girl can dream, right??
And my oh my, that pie does look de-lish!
Yup, I relate to the baby-in-the tummy question. Recently I had a random stranger (while shopping) ask me if I knew if it was a boy or girl and touch my stomach. I’m adopting – so I just said “girl” and just kept-a-moving. Note – I’ve never touched a stranger’s stomach – when did this become okay to do?
Daisy Mae, Boo…
Covet.
Covet.
Covet.
That’s all I have to say about that. (100 meaningless points for naming that movie…)
Look at me with my big girl blogging pants on!
Okay, that’s it.
This is now my most favoritest blog to follow.
Way too funny to sneak a read at work… gotta do it at home lest my laughing seem suspiciously unlike productive work and get me in trouble with the Boss Man.
Keep going! 🙂
Oh I am in love with your backsplash and the bead board! Wow! Absolutely amazing!!!! I do have to agree with Mindee though, I hope you find some good renters that will love it…. and not destroy it!
As always so funny.
Oh, the humanity! I love it. I love that LJ was done at two and yet you have four.
Can I come rent your house?
such lovely improvements, indeed! oh and that strawberry pie! slice me a piece, please!!!
This, my friend, seems to be the perennial story of every dear wife who is blessed to be wed to a fixer-upper-carpenter-doityourselfer. I know all about it! We could start a support group if we lived in the same state 😉 Seriously though … are y’all really RENTING it??? Seriously??? If so, I hope y’all can find an older lady {as your renter} who never married and therefore doesn’t have any grandkids and runs a cleaning business or something else equally genteel 🙂
Oh, I share your moving woes. I’ve lived like that most of my life – paint to help it sell, after you’ve lived in it being ucky forever.
So have you even seen this house you are buying? or just the LJ?
Do you desire long comments? For I feel compelled to address each thing, and you have many “Random-Topic-Quick-Change”es…
Your tile and your bead board are indeed lovely. I would be very sad to leave those behind, but agree with someone else…he can do wonderful things in your new home, he will be taking his tools and skills (skillz?) to Ruralville.
Thank you for being frank. You know, I value honesty. 🙂
What is strawberry pie made of? What is under those strawberries? It is mysterious. What a tease!
I say, if the kids eat, they need a bath. 🙂
I think they need to figure out a way to take from the tummy and add to the boobs. Best of both worlds. (From the thighs would work, too.)
You are one of the best, you know?
The house looks great, kind of bitter sweet 🙁
I’m sure your lumberjack will retain his skills even in the new house. Don’t know how much work tile is but under cabinet lighting shouldn’t be too difficult for such a remodeling wizard. I hope you find a real neat, responsible family to rent to. Boy that playhouse is nicer than mine. Wow!
Beautiful playhouse and kitchen tiling/lighting. You’ll have to get LJ to redo that stuff in your new home. That pie looks delicious!
Better stop telling Daisy Mae that you are chubs, that you exercise for fun and health and strength. You are already ‘hot’ as LJ would say especially for being mother of four. If you put yourself down, your kids might repeat it and also look upon themselves as less than perfect in future.
Thanks for the blog mention!!!
Is there anyway LJ, could take the girls house? Either that or they are going to need a new one too in the midst of LJ of adding tile/lighting to the kitchen, getting the school room in order, and any other jobs you require of him. What is the point of him having all these “mad skills” of his if you don’t give him a nice honey doo list?