UPDATE!!! ~ Good for Great

Sorry all... being an 8th grade teacher and it being the last week of school and renovating a house, let's just say.. time is sparse!

However, WE ARE ALMOST READY TO MOVE IN!!!!!!

Matt getting ready to install the tile

The hardwood floors are in and looking good. We had a freak out of some sort when we decided two days after the hardwood to pull up the tile in the entire kitchen. When I say we, I mean the workings of me, Matt, Kyle, and Chris (contractor). I did not realize how much dust this would create and that my brand new hardwood floors were covered in dust. Rookie mistake.

We let the dust sit over night and thankfully Colleen came over with dust cloths and scoooted all around the house to clean up the dust. When I say scooted, I mean literally we had to scoot with our feet. I wish I had a picture to document this, but I do not.

Matt and I picked out our tile (topaz cypress) from Home Depot. We picked up our tile on Saturday and decided to spend Sunday laying the tile. I can say, without a doubt, I NEVER want to lay tile on our own again. Now, I'm not saying it was difficult. However, it is Tuesday and I can still not move. The constant getting up and back down, troweling, placing tile, rearranging tile, mudding, and such,...for eight hours took a toll on my body. I am walking like an old lady. This was not perfect timing for this to happen because I have not ran in 5 days and I have a half marathon on June 1st. Yuck.

I digress. Last night, Matt and Chris grouted the tile. OH THANK HEAVEN, Chris helped out. Matt and I are on our last leg before exhaustion sets in with work, school, and the house. Getting the grout done in 1 and 1/2 hours was a blessing.

We have painted our back family room Sterling grey with a Regatta Bay blue wall. Chris is done with the bar wall and will be creating concrete bar to go on top. The concrete will be Gunmetal color.

The yard is all cleaned up due to Matt, Kyle, and my dad triming things and getting rid of the crap that was in there. We had a couple of free Craigslist postings and got the brick dug up, some concrete blocks taken, and the patio door taken.

Let me just tell you, it has been exhausting. Matt and I have had no social life, watching our budget has been a new hobby, and working as a team has had its moments of difficulty.

However, working with my brother and my dad during this time has been rewarding. It has had its moments of yelling (me, mostly) and arguments... but.... I can't think back to a time when other "life" things didn't interrupt true family time. Many sweaty hours have been put over in that house and everyone is proud of their hand in it. It also echoes and resembles Matt and I's sense of home.. this weekend we hope to call it that. Also, if you notice I can't decide how to spell grey/gray. I'll keep changing until I decide, which I like the best.

I'll let you know how moving day is!