to-do list.

it's been quiet around here. we are loving our kitchen. loving it. i spent most of sunday cooking and baking, and it was just wonderful. returning to our normal routine for grocery shopping felt great. it was my turn to lead bible study on monday night, which means i got to bring treats. i had a request for some raspberry/white chocolate/almond bars, so i just had to bring those (i was dying to make them - they are one of my few favorite non-chocolate desserts). my mom also has a killer sweet chex mix-type recipe, so i tried that out, too. turns out ben thinks pretty highly of it, so i think we've found a keeper.

i think having each piece of this kitchen come together so slowly has made us so grateful for it all. i mean, when the windows went in, it was jump-up-and-down exciting. then the cabinets, countertops, appliances...wow. what a blessing to have this kitchen. ben and i pray that we will use it for God's glory and not our own...so Lord willing, lots of people over for meals and fellowship and time spent making treats to bless others!

we've taken a little breather from any intense house projects and we're just enjoying the space. it isn't done yet, so i haven't posted many pictures. i'm realizing there is a big difference between "done" and "functional." it is currently in the latter state. here's our to-do list for the kitchen, mudroom, and half bath:

*choose, paint, and install casing, base, and trim (half round, too)
*install trim above cabinets
*paint door to garage
*paint closet doors
*paint door to basement
*paint pocket doors
*install doorknob to garage (we FINALLY picked one out...this whole time, we've just had a hole!)

and that doesn't even include decorating (the best part, of course). we'll just use an old table with a tablecloth and some chairs we're borrowing from my parents until we find some suitable furniture. we're like-minded in the thought that we'd like to live in the space and see how we'll use it before we buy anything.

currently on our plate is the exterior of the house. right now, the exterior is cracked and peeling all over and it looks terrible. the pitch on one part of the roof is causing some strange runoff and potential water damage. so new siding and a new roof are in order.

(the sad current state of affairs)

we've narrowed down siding choices and roof colors. we're ordering new windows for the entire house. i'm actually looking forward to taking the siding off ourselves (to save money). i'm learning that i really enjoy the satisfaction of finishing a job involving manual labor.

i've also got some small projects to complete. i showed some friends at work house pictures, and one friend was surprised that we haven't painted over the upstairs rooms yet. it's funny - we still have this old wallpaper up around the front door! we've been so focused on big projects that there are many smaller things that we just haven't gotten to yet.

(can you see the wallpaper around the door? it's gotta go.)

it'll get done. for now, we're gonna work hard, but enjoy some summer while it lasts.

ahhh...vacation

we just got home from a lovely extended weekend up north. we were at a cabin on gull lake with my family.

the great news is that on friday, the day before we left, we got to bake in our kitchen! ben and i made homemade pizza and brownies. then i baked some blueberry muffins and made some bean dip to take up north. it was fabulous.



thanks to everyone for the encouraging e-mails and facebook messages! i'm glad to know people are reading this and enjoying the pictures. i recently looked at some old pics and was amazed to remember what the house used to look like. we have a lot of work ahead, but we have a functioning kitchen. praise God!

the perp

i'm busy unpacking the kitchen today, but i'm taking a quick lunch and blog break to share a funny story from the week.

our plumber came to install a sink and toilet in the half bath outside the kitchen on tuesday night. we had him take a look at our pink bathroom upstairs because the toilet has been really slow. it was clogging every time!

he went up to take a look, and a few minutes later, he came down with some news. apparently, a pencil was in the pipes, which was causing all the problems. a pencil is weird, but it wasn't just any pencil. it was one of our huge carpenter's pencils, like this one. one of us must have knocked it in!



strange things happen during construction.

visual update

we've been hard at work. the tile in the mudroom/half bath is grouted and ready to be sealed. paint is on the walls. and perhaps most exciting of all, our appliances are here and (mostly) installed. here are a few pictures. it is still a construction zone, but i am looking forward to moving into the kitchen later this week (and giving it a thorough cleaning!). tools out, dishes in!


we hope to have the fridge for a long time, so we bought the biggest one we could afford.


klaas stayed over late last wednesday night to help us install our sink, faucet, garbage disposal, range, and fridge. and of course he shed blood.


the dishwasher went in tonight. it was relatively painless, except for a quick trip to menards/home depot. but that is typical.


ben did the honors of the first load. we got a bosch because of good reviews on consumer reports. man that thing is quiet!



yes, that is a toilet in the garage. it will (Lord willing!) be installed tomorrow night in the half bath. we also have to install the microwave. close to having a working bathroom AND a fully-functional kitchen!

tile style

here we are on sunday night, 8pm. by the grace of God we finished tiling with a little time to relax before the week starts. here is a rundown of the tiling project:

monday night: we cut and drilled plywood over the subfloor. i helped ben after i got back from bible study, so we probably spent two hours doing that.


tuesday night: finished laying and drilling the plywood. worked from 7-10ish.
wednesday night: cut the cement backerboard, and mixed the mortar to stick it down. we drilled it in, too. worked from 7-about midnight.
friday: a friend came over to help me get started with the tiling. worked from 11-4:30.


saturday: ben and i tiled a little more. worked from 11:30-5:45 (and then showered at lightning speed to get to a wedding at 7!)


sunday: finished laying the tile. worked from 5-8. throughout the weekend, i pretty much cut the tile on the wet saw and dana/ben placed it on the floor.



so we have almost 25 hours logged for this project, which is exactly what our home depot book estimates it would take a beginner. however, we haven't even grouted yet. oh well! :)