Something was missing

So many of you know the story of Rex. She was my dad's dog and when he passed away she became our dog. We loved her so much. She passed away in Feb of this year from spleen cancer. We moved into the new house and are pretty settled and the kids have been asking to rescue a dog. Well mommy has always wanted a yorkie. The other day after checking out the local shelters online and craigs list i posted that i was looking for a small breed dog. Well i got the most wonderful email from a rescue group about 60 miles away that had 2 lil girl yorkies. They really wanted them to be adopted together. So when Mike got home from work we went to meet them. The shelter had bathed them and gotten rid of the flees and ticks. The previous owner had shaved the girls coats (not a very good job either) because they were so matted they had no other choice. I think soon their skin will heal and their hair will grow back and they will be the cutest things. (not like they aren't already.lol) Let me not forget to tell ya'll their names. The one in the green shirt is Lillie and the one in the pink shirt is Gracie. The story that we got was their owner couldn't take care of them anymore. It doesn't matter to us. They will be loved and taken care of in our home.

Kat

Last week and weekend

So I didn't get really anything done. I feel like i've been driving everywhere. I drove all the way to newport news to get an antique vanity last week. I got lost and it was almost sold to someone else. But i'm happy to have gotten it. Plus it was only $18.WOOHOO!

Then i started painting Isabelle's room. Turned out to be more of a raspberry pink than a barbie/princess pink. She still likes it so we decided to put diamonds and hearts in a lighter shade of pink on top. We need to patch the plaster in a few places but over all it's in good condition. The ceiling on the other hand needs to be replace like almost every other room.

I also took a picture of her door i took off and stripped. I think all the door will be beautiful once i strip them, sand them and put a nice finish on them. We got new knobs for them in a cool black finish. At the top of the picture (behind the beems on the other saw horses) is the arch we found in the attic. I stripped that also and will look so nice in the downstairs hallway. We also picked out the colors to paint the outside of the house. We decided to match the light brown of the front door and a deep rich dark brown. Mike stripped the wood around the new front door and started painting it. But he didn't get to far because we wanted to go see Pirates 3 and took all the kids out to dinner for Marissa's bday. On sunday i drove to chesapeake to get supplies for the cook out we were having. On sunday we had a nice day with 2 of my sisters and their families and Mike's mom. We were disappointed Nana didn't make it but she works a lot. We planning another cookout in aug so everyone that didn't make it can come. We also surprised Marissa with a star wars cake. She loved it.

Tomorrow i get to drive to norfolk to get a sectional couch for the kids tv room. I got it from craigslist so it's not "new" but i think it will be big enough for all the kids. I'm not spending a whole lot to care if it doesn't last alot of years.

Ok the washer is done so i must go hang clothes....

Kat

Our Weekend

Our weekend was wonderful. I got to drive to chesapeake on saturday and take the girls shopping. We picked up 1 of Marissa's friend so she could stay over for Marissa's bday. She got plenty of Star Wars stuff. (she loves star wars) Daddy and the boys finished clearing out the final storage unit.

Sunday I made a big breakfast. The kids played upstairs while i did 2 loads of laundry. (have to hang them on the line since we don't have a dryer) And daddy was unloading the trailer and cleaning up his work room. Then about 2 we left to drive to chesapeake to take Marissa's friend home. (We hit a few stores while there to find Isabelle a pair of shoes. She has out grown almost every pair she has) Daddy decided to put the new door on. I painted it last week and it was certainly dry by now. I think the new door looks beautiful. The old door was painted red, wood and not much was holding it together. It also had a large window and everyone could see in, so now we have the window with the etched glass.

Last week i took Isabelle's bedroom door off and stripped the paint. There is a beautiful solid wood door under all the awful paint. I scrapped the paint but i think it needs a good sanding. So i picked up some sand paper for my sander and may hit that today. This week i'm going to paint the kids rooms. I am thinking of starting with Isabelle's. We decided to paint it "princess pink". (for those of you that don't know it's the barbie/disney princess color) I have material to make a curtain for her room too. (i got material for all the kids rooms to make them curtains and corrdinating paint.)

Ok I need to get the clothes hung on the line before i start painting.

Have a wonderful day!!

Kat

Knock at the door at 11:30pm

First this is the ceiling in what will be the kitchen. Mike has been taking down the pre-existing ceiling to reveil the beems. We think we are going to clean the beems and put a natural finish on them and have an open ceiling.

Ok on to the knock at the door at 11:30 last night. So we were all in bed but daddy. Isabelle had woke up a short time earlier saying her throat was hurting so i let her come in bed with me. Soon after she got settled a loong train came by. (yes there is a reason i'm telling you that) I had just gotten back to sleep when i heard someone knocking very loudly on the door. (if ya know our house my room is in the back) I didn't get up because i wasn't dressed and i was so tired. So i waited til Mike came to bed to ask who it was. Well it was the sheriff, when the train came by earlier there were 2 boys throwing rocks at the train and broke the wind sheild. The conductor said they ran to a 2 story white house on the north side of the tracks. We are the only 2 story on the north side. But all our kids have been in bed since 9.The sheriff said the train company will probably send out someone to do their own investigation. So i'm waiting on them. Mike stood out side talking to the sheriff about our "house". I guess with all the domestic calls the sheriffs department got to this place they dubbed it "hart break hotel". We used to joke before we moved in that it was the local crack house. That has been confirmed by neighbors and the sheriff, plus we have found some "stash holes".

Well i should get my butt moving this morning. We are celebrating Marissa's bday this weekend with her friend. Instead of a regular cake we are having a brownie cheesecake with fudge drizzled on top. And i get to take the girls shopping on saturday. I think we may go pick some strawberries too.

Later

Kat

The deconstruction of the kitchen

This is the deconstruction of the room we are going to use as the kitchen. Mike has been working on the ceiling and i have been working on the walls. I think we may paint the fire places white and leave them in the center of the room. The bathroom we gutted last week is behind this wall with the plumbing. As you can see in the pictures the floor as need to be taken up

and the subflooring and the beems need to be replaces. Ok off to get more things done before the kids get home. Kat

Other one bites the dust....

A wall comes down. Leave mommy home on a monday with a new sledge hammer and steel toed boots and this is what ya get..lol This the wall separating the kitchen. We decided to open 2 rooms and make a huge kitchen because we both love to cook. (i love to bake also) Right now we are using one of the other kitchens. (there are/were 4 of them) There are also 4 full bathroom but we only use 1. When we had the water turned on there were 4 meters. The water company took out 3 of the meters so we don't have to worry about them but we only have water in 1/4 of the house (1 of the apts)

I didn't find the before picture of the paneling i took off. Then the plaster was painted green. It was beautiful..lol Then i got all the trim off. I had to wait for today to work on getting the plaster off. I stood on the back side of the wall (i took the back wall off last week. i'll post those later) and just started hitting. That was fun for about 5 minutes til my arms started to give out.lol Where the fire places are i had to use the claw hammer and that the slats out.

Everyone that has seen the inside of our house says it will be a beautiful home but it is going to take ALOT of work. So far it has been enjoyable. Well i should go hang the second load of laundry out on the line since i don't have a dryer.

Have a wonderful day

Kat

Finish cutting the grass

Well as you can see i finally got the rest of the yard cut today. I started after 7 this morning but it was to wet. So i got it finish about 11:30. The back of the house is where we ar keeping all the debrie from inside the house til we can get a dumpster. Then the entire back porch is coming off plus that part of the roof. Right now we have about 10 birds nest just in that part alone. ok i need to get something done beside laundry..lol

Kat

Push mowing the grass

I know i should start at the begining but i will start from this week then catch up. Monday I had the bright idea of cutting the grass with the brand new push mower we got. This pic shows the back corner and a small part of what needed to be cut. I started around 8am after all the kids left for school. I didn't think it would take me long. Boy was i wrong. Because it was so long it was wet. So after going down and back i had to empty the mulch bag. That was so much fun. I know all our neighbors thought i was nuts. I finally quit about 3:30 when the kids came home from school plus i ran out of bags. I can honestly say we have the nicest neighbors. Since i was outside working hard all day she brought over a bunt cake. It was delicious. Since it has been raining on & off all week i haven't gotten to finish mowing yet...lol

Kat

Kids helping

Isabell, Brandon and mommy taking down the wall in the upstairs hallway. They each had crow bars and i was pulling nails with a hammer. Isabelle wearing daddy's hard hat. She went and got mine and daddy's and made us wear them. Mine is hot pink..lol

Gutted bathroom

Here's the bathroom when we got finished gutting it..It will be the pantry when it's finished.

Before...

Here's a pic of the bathroom before Kat got in there....

Working Hard!!

Here's Kat working on demo'ing one of the old bathrooms......

pic of our new house

getting started

Well...we have been in the house for about 3 weeks now. Since I am at work all day, Kat has been able to have most of the fun of tearing out wallls and such.