A little TLC for my poor yard.!

I've been wanting to "spruce" up this side of my yard for a couple years now. So I took my "mothers day" money and just DID IT.!

Before Brit and I put all the plants in here it was just an ugly length of gravel ...nothingness.!

I bought Barberry bushes, Boxwood bushes, and Stella De'Oro daylillies. We got them all planted and then put bark around them after we laid down weed mat. Then I found a bunch of rocks and drift wood that was just laying around waiting to be used someplace special. And and finally put the wagon wheel that my mom gave me in a special place. Keep in mind that when we get the Mansion finished, the wheel will be moving to its permanent home. It will be surrounded with clump birch and large rocks. But for now...it looks amazing in it's "temporary" new home.! Thanks mom.!! And voila' this is the amazing product.! I figured it was about time to pay some attention to my poor neglected yard. Thanks again for all your help Britt.!

New Stairs

Brittony built the frames and her and I poured the concrete today. If that wasn't exciting.!! lol

Then we put some cool little river rocks on each step. Notice the ones in the upper left corner....she did those.!! Bahahahaa...just kidding.! Those funky ones are mine.! It was a trial and error thing. I failed.! So that being said, I had her finish the rocks while I went to town for more concrete.

This is the final project. They look AMAZING.!! Can't wait to see what they look like after we spray the rocks off and get them shiny again.

Two thumbs up.!!

And this is the huge mess we had to create to MAKE the stairs.!! I love them. Can't wait to take the forms off and use them. Thanks again for all your help Britt.!

NEW WINDOWS.!!

I'm sooo excited.!! I went away for the weekend and look what the "window fairy" left me.! These are my new gorgeous living room windows. They are six feet wide and five feet tall. The lower window opens and is eighteen inches tall. I had never seen this style before.! Thanks for showing them to me Chris.!!

Out with the icky OLD and ......

IN WITH THE NEW.!! I absolutely LOVE the new windows. When you stood in front of the old windows it was hot hot hot inside the house. Now when you stand in front of the new ones, it's so nice and comfortable. I love the light tint on them as well. Dad says the house looked "not so bad" until we put these in. Now he says we "put a crystal chandelier in an outhouse" hahahaha.!! Siding has to wait tho. I want plumbing and electrical done first.

Thank you dear hubby for getting them in today. Thank you Brit for your help, and thank you Tim and Francis for your help as well. They're a super nice couple that live just up the street and stopped by today to help us out. And thank you dad for helping pay for this set.! :o)

Finished WINDOWS~!~

They're IN.!! Love love love my new windows.

Hard to believe we were able to scab together the siding and make it look decent. It will be a while before we can replace it, so we made it look as good as we could.

This is the window right over my kitchen sink. After we got the window in, I noticed some black spots on the right window pane. I tried to wipe them off, unfortunately they were BETWEEN the panes of glass. They were tiny, tiny, so I could have lived with them. But then on the left window pane I noticed what was either a scratch or a crack in the glass. I removed the screen and yup, it was a deep scratch. Chris from Clearwater Glass where we got the windows happened to stop by later that afternoon so I showed the window to her. She was very apologetic and told us not to remove the window. She said she would call first thing Monday morning and they would send new glass for both sides out and they would even replace the glass for us. Apparently the Low E that was sprayed on the window spotted. She also said that it would continue to spread so it's best to replace it right now. I love it when people are so helpful.! And it just so happens, Chris, who is doing the windows, is married to Paul, who is doing our plumbing.! Small towns....aren't they great.?

Best Plumber EVER.!

Lars, Pauls son, helping out with the plumbing. He just graduated the previous weekend. Such a terrific worker.!

Didn't get Pauls pic for the blog, but I did get his truck. Him and Lars got all the plumbing roughed in in just two short days. Now they are waiting on us to put back in the walls we tore out and moved so they can finish their plumbing job. Hopefully dad and I can get everything done this week that needs to be done so Blake and I can get the walls up this next weekend and the plumbing can continue.

First Piece of Sheet Rock

JUNE 7, 2012 ~ A really exciting day.!! Our plumber, Paul said he needed to have this wall sheetrocked before he finished his plumbing. If we did it now, it would be so much easier than if we waited.

We got both pieces put in woo hooo.!! But now it really makes me want to put up MORE rock.! Patience, I know....never was my strong suit.!

NEW WINDOWS

I'm soooo thrilled to have my new windows in the house. They aren't in yet, but at least I have them. Just the kitchen at this time.

I absolutely LOVE my new windows. We went with the white vinyl instead of a colored windows just because white goes with everything and right now, I'm undecided about the color of the house. Dad says "grey and white" and I have seen some gorgeous grey and white ones, but I was thinking something with more color. We have some time to decide on a color tho.

Deck Long Gone

Watch that first step.! It's a doozy. We finally got the rest of the master bedroom deck taken down last weekend.

I can't wait to get the new deck put up and be able to sit outside with a cup of coffee and enjoy the sound of the creek.

I've Got A Window.!! Ok, ALMOST Have A Window.!!

Here's the nine miles of old, icky pipes that we took out of the kitchen and bathroom. Most of them were soooo plugged it's a wonder they had any water pressure or any drains emptied at all.

They're taking out the first window.!! Yeahhh.!!!

And here it goes.!!

This is what Jon and I worked on today. We had to remove the lower two feet of all four walls in the upstairs bathroom. We'll work on that room next weekend. We've got to cut out some dry rot there too. And the floor has to come out for Paul. And of course, I want to move the toilet to the other side of the room. Good thing dear hubby loves me....happy wife happy life. Right.??

And here's the new window hole.! I didn't take a picture of the finished product yet. But I will soon.!! I'm sooo thrilled. Tomorrow, I'm ordering the first of my windows. Yipppeee.!!

Dry Rot In The Kitchen

Here's whats left of our kitchen floor. There was quite a bit of dry rot where the washing machine sat as well as the kitchen sink. Why would you just let the washer overflow on the floor every time you did laundry.?? Can you say DRANOOOO.???

Here is the bathroom, or what's left of it. No dry rot, but there must have been 9 miles of old plumbing under that floor. As a way to help Paul the Plumber out, we took the floor out then cut out all the old plumbing. We laughed when we saw the sink drain. From where the drain went under the floor to where it emptied into the main sewer line it ran UP hill at least four inches.! No wonder it didn't drain very well.

Blake and Derek working on the kitchen. What a huge job.!!

Chimney Away.!!

It had to go.! Thats where I'm putting the fridge.

Here's Blake trying to get the 300 pounds of brick to fall out of the ceiling.

Whew, it finally came down. Now he can jackhammer it out.

Blake and Derek chiseling away at the leftovers.

Almost gone.!!

YEAH...it's GONE.!!!

WATER In the HOUSE.!!

What an EXCITING day.!! We've got WATER into the house. Yippeee.!!

Now we're just waiting on the plumber. :o)

Here's my amazing wonderful hubby.!! Anything I want, he's given me in the house. Honey, I want the chimney GONE....ok he says :o)

Worlds Biggest GOPHER Hole

Sooo I get home from work at the quilt shop one afternoon, and I find the worlds LARGEST gopher had been digging in the lower lot. Hahahaha.!

Here is my dad and his ever faithful companion Muffin. Everywhere he goes....she's close at hand. Anyway, he wanted to dig down and tap into this natural spring. He wanted to use the spring water as irrigation water to avoid the gritty stuff in the creek that kept plugging his sprinklers up.

Here are all the new pipes him and I had just buried a few days ago. When Beau was digging the hole for the concrete form, the bank sluffed away. Oops.!

He hit water, but unfortunately Beau dug the hole too wide and not deep enough.

So in the end, he buried a 50 gallon pickle barrel with a pipe stuck out the top. I'm really bummed for him that the well didn't pan out. I know in his mind it was going to work wonders. And I can only imagine how frustrated he must get not being able to jump right up and do things the way he wants them done. We do the best we can for you dad. :) A few posts back I mentioned the amazing help Blake and I have with the mansion. I didn't forget my dad. I just didn't know what to say. He's the most amazing, giving, caring person I know, next to my mom. It's because of him that we are able to work on the mansion. Him and I, we dont always agree or see eye to eye, and I'm sure he gets frustrated when I keep asking questions but he knows I love him and value his opinion above all else. Thank you for making this journey with Blake and I dad.!

Fallen Soldiers

Blake finally made me throw my old favorite work jeans in the trash.!

I mean jeez, they still had some good years still left in them...right.??

Ok so maybe not.!! Goodbye old friends. hahahaa.!!

Such Amazing Help

I just have to give a HUGE shout out to some pretty awesome people and helpers.!!

Brittony, one of my dads caregivers has rolled up her sleeves and jumped right in to help with the demo and remodel.! Thanks so much Brit.!!

Lovin the little cheesy grin.!

My amazing mother.!! You've done sooo much to help me out with the Mansion.! Every time I've asked something of you or your opinion you've been right there for me. Thank you thank you.!!

Laci...one of the most amazing daughters in the world. You'll be asking to borrow the tractor instead of the car one of these days. :o) I can't thank you enough for all you do. My son in law, Jon.! Although I didn't get a picture of him today, he totally finished the upstairs for me today. The sheetrock was horrible.! I mean who GLUES it up then NAILS it.??? Really.??? He tore out in one day what would have taken me DAYS.!! Thank you Jon.!

Derek, the young man across the street.! He's been here almost every day during the weekend working his tail off.! No matter what we ask of him, he does it without asking why, without complaining, and without getting upset. He's SUCH a hard worker.! His dad stopped by Saturday and said him and his other son were going fishing, did Derek want to go.? Derek said "nope, I'd rather make money" wow.! Not many 14 year olds would say that.

YEAHHH out goes the first OLD window.!! I'll post more pictures in a bit of the new window opening. I'm soooo excited.!!