Not that we didn’t have enough going on…

As D and I have been chipping away at the large “To do list” for 57 Willow, there have been lots of other things keeping us entangled (er, I mean, busy) when we’re not working on the house.  The biggest of which has been a job opportunity for me (B).  After a very quick process of being offered a new job, that was followed by much deliberation, prayer, more deliberation, nerves, and excitement, I have officially resigned from my job at Palm Beach State College.

In two weeks, I will begin a new chapter in my career at a law firm, working as an IT Specialist.  Having worked in the College environment for my entire career (over 6 years), I am moving to a less secure, more risky work environment.  A friend recently told me something along the lines of, “If you’re talented and hard-working, there will always be work.”  I guess we’re about to find out!  (whether or not I’m either one of those things, talented or hard-working)

Anyways, this is just a short blog to ask our reader(s) to pray for D and I has we transition away from working for the same place, incurring radical changes to schedules and free time, as well as the potential for a bit more stress.  Thanks!

We’re back in business!

Okay, so I know our blogland readers haven’t had much to read about the last few weeks.  Between vacations, work, side jobs, paralysis by disaster, etc, we’ve been sort of stuck in the mud for a couple weeks as it pertains to progress on the house.  We have at last jumped a major hurdle this past weekend, so I wanted to briefly share with you the details of that accomplishment.

Perhaps you have heard about the drain pipe situation.  Maybe you’ve even seen some pics on D’s facebook page.  (if not, click here)  This drain pipe really threw a wrench in my grand plans and really caused us a bit of paralysis not knowing what really to do.  Thankfully, the Lord has blessed us with great friends, including one generous plumber who lent us a couple of power tools needed.

Power tool #1 – HAMMER CHISEL!

Hammer chisel!

Chiseled up kitchen floor

This picture was actually taken after the pipe was replaced, but you get the idea.

Here’s a pic of the old pipe, which makes us wonder just how long it’s been since that drain actually worked???  Seriously, the deterioration is UNBELIEVABLE.

Old, broken, rusted, stupid drain pipe!

It was quite the victorious feeling to get the old pipe out of the ground, again go check out D’s facebook for that pic.  I didn’t get a good picture of the new pipe before we covered it back up, but here’s one I stole from the internet to help you get the idea!

The slightly difficult part in getting the pipe in place was properly measuring the “pitch” of the drain pipe, to ensure proper drainage.  You see, a “pitch” that’s too shallow will prevent things from actually draining, and a “pitch” too steep will allow liquid waste to flow too quickly past any solids and creating a clog.  We like to avoid either scenario… so, we did our best to create the “pitch” between 1/8th and 1/4th of an inch.

The next tool I needed, I rented from the HD.  It was a Hilti super-sized hammer drill, with a 3″ concrete hole making attachment.  This baby ripped through over a foot of concrete, including a big piece of steel rebar.  Awesome.

Hammer drill!

Now, I’m going to be honest.  I was pretty nervous at first about putting a hole in the exterior wall of our house.  But, I was assured by a couple of people that it was fine, and the only choice we had other than tearing out terrazzo in the rest of our house.  Okay, okay, you win.  I’ll drill the hole.

After some fun using this tool, the hole was made, and (thank the Lord) the pipe actually fit into the hole.  Here’s a sneek at the pipe exiting our house, in front of the kitchen.

New drain pipe!

After testing the draining capabilities of the above pipe (twice, using two separate methods), D and I decided we were confident enough to pour new concrete over the trenches in our kitchen.  She was an amazing help, and did the majority of the leveling and smoothing of the concrete while I mixed more batches.  In all, we used 10 bags of Sakrete in 9 trips (we attempted 2 bags in the first batch, but didn’t like that one bit!) using my newly acquired wheelbarrow.

So, we’ve completed a major step to resuming our progress, and added additional notches on our “we re-built this house ourselves” belt.  I keep thinking of what it will be like when it’s finished, and I know D and I both will have an extra sense of pride in the work we’ve done… and the blood left spilt in the process (literally, you should see my arms).  I leave you with a parting shot of the new kitchen floor, and a promise of more pics and blogs to come.

Until then,

-B

New floor!

Matthew 7:24-27

Build Your House on the Rock

²⁴ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

A Long Awaited Update

This blog is a long time coming. A lot has happened at the house since the last time we posted. Enjoy the super long post, with too many pictures!

Over Thanksgiving Dad Piscopink came to “visit” and put all new electrical into the soon to be kitchen. He and Bob worked long days and did an awesome job. It is going to be beautiful!

What I am thankful for this year! These guys and a quite a few lights!

Once the lights and the plumbing were updated it was time to hang the drywall!

Bob started hanging it on his own and did an awesome job! He recruited several of our friends to come over and help hang the rest!

And now it looks more like a kitchen…

Ok and what has Dawn been up to? Well with the help of many awesome people, she has painted both the master and guest room…more pictures to come.

The drywall is in the middle of being mudded, the tile has arrived and the cabinets arrive this week. Things are moving along quickly now. Can’t wait to show you more soon!

b and d

My Grown Up Christmas List

If you’ve heard the song with this same title you know it is about peace and wonderful things like that. So please do not be deceived this list is the real deal. It really is my Christmas list. For about 28 years of my life I had to make a Christmas list and send it to my parents. I must be feeling nostalgic, but I miss making that list. So I decided to put one out there and see what happens !

1. First off some new artwork for the new house…if you haven’t seen this chicks photography you should check it out, I love her stuff http://www.francesstreetphotography.com/

   (check out her etsy shop). I want this photo in a 16 by 20 lobster trap frame!

   
   

2. I am a regular blog lurker of the Pioneer Women! Now I cannot wait to spend some quality time with her new cookbook! In case you are wondering both one and two are for the new Kitchen!

   

3. Now I enjoy a good calendar to keep me in check, in fact I usually have three running at a time…the one in our kitchen, the one at work and the one I carry in my purse. Well this year should be no different so I thought I should carry this one.

   

4. Ok so this one is a bit of a pricey item…but adorable! Imagine it with my monogram of course dVm

   

5. Then there is the baking need… Flour sifter can you believe I do not have one of these.   The knife is just not doing it for me.          I do not have a cookie sheet! I know shocker!          Every one needs a mini muffin pan!        I really want a set of stainless measuring cups and spoons. All courtesy of William – Sonoma, I love their Gold Touch brand bake ware.
6. Lastly, any gift card will be greatly appreciated as I know have a much larger house to decorate!

   Hope you enjoyed this list, If I were Oprah you would all be receiving one of each of these items. But I am not and you will not! Sorry

   Merry Christmas.

Unmet Expectations

Doesn’t that title sound very deep? Well don’t worry this post is not deep at all. Once a year I traditionally have one of these…A Caramel Apple Spice fromStarbucks. Now there are rules to this drink.The most important being that it must be at least cool outside and it must be the “Fall” season.  So far today is really the second cool day we have had. So as tradition would have it I woke up, felt the cool air and immediately craved one of these bad boys. About an hour ago I walk myself over to starbucks (Yes, there is a Starbucks in walking distance from my office, and yes it is dangerous). I proudly say “one caramel apple spice!” I expect to hear ”would you like a Venti?” but instead I hear “We are out of Apple Juice.” Now this is where it gets good, this is the second cool day so therefore the second time I have tried to have said drink, and the second time I have been told they are out of Apple Juice! Really, Apple Juice, for Pete’s sake…GO TO PUBLIX and BUY ME SOME APPLE JUICE!

Needless to say I have no warm caramel drink and Starbucks had not met my expectations.

PS: They told me they might have some on Saturday, are you kidding me!

d

Now You See It, Now You Don’t

Well we have owned the house or a little over a week now and this is what we have done.  Thanks to the help of many great friends.

When we first looked at the house we saw this “special” wall and I had to hold B back from knocking it down right then…

By the end of Day 2, it looked like this:

As if that wasn’t enough for one evening (yes this was all done after work) this started happening:

So what once looked like this:

Now looks like this:

Stay tuned for more…

d

We begin to be like Christ

We begin to be like Christ

(J. R. Miller, “The Life of Jesus”)

“I am among you as one who serves.” Luke 22:27

“He got up from supper, laid aside His robe, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him.” John 13:4-5

Serving is not an easy lesson to learn. But it is a lesson we must learn–if ever we would become like our Master. He did not come to be served–but to serve. He served to the uttermost, just as He loved to the uttermost. Anything that needed to be done for another, He did as naturally and as simply as He breathed. He loved people, and was interested in them, and was ready always to be helpful to them. It never mattered what the service was, whether it was the saving of a soul, the curing of a grievous sickness, or the giving of a cup of water–He did the least as graciously and as divinely, as the greatest.

The washing of feet was the lowliest service any man could do for another. It was the work of the lowliest slave. Yet Jesus without hesitation, did this service for His own disciples. Thus He taught them that nothing anyone may ever need to have done–is unfit for the whitest hands. We begin to be like Christ–only when we begin to love others enough to serve them.

There is no surer test of the genuineness of Christian life, than in this matter of serving others. When we see the Son of God washing His disciples’ feet–no service is too menial for us to do. A king may do the lowliest kindness to the poorest peasant in his realm, and his honor will only be enhanced by it.

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet–you also should wash one another’s feet.” John 13:14

How to Buy a House

So in my humble opinion this is how you buy a house step by step.

1. Wake up earlier than necessary because you are so nervous and weren’t really sleeping anyway.

2. Go to the bank and get a big check. You don’t have to show them any cash just tell them what you want and they print it for you, it is so nice of them.

3. Now, this is a very important step, do not skip this one whatever you do…GO TO STARBUCKS! Get a great big yummy Pumpkin Spice coffee, and a pumpkin scone!  And read the paper as if nothing is happening.

 

 

 

4. Go to office to sign some stuff and get keys to your new house! With special blue pens.

5. Go to new house and check it out!

6. Get Thai Food and Eat it in the new house!

And that is how you buy a house! Well there might be a few more steps than that but you get the idea!

Stay tuned for what happens next!

d

And so the adventure begins…

Well, after almost 15 months of wedded bliss, we decided to join the ranks of homeowners.  After what was a very smooth process for financing and approval (interrupted by a couple of weeks of waiting and wondering), our closing went WAY smoother than either D or I anticipated.  Praise the Lord.  Upon leaving the closing office, I experienced about 15 seconds of extreme jubilation, which I would later find out was not the same experience D would have.  She would end the day exhausted from emotion!  (another example of a husband and wife complementing each other, she makes up where I lack!)

After receiving the keys to our new house, we immediately setup the water service and made our first list for Home Depot.  You’re welcome, HD, for the high quantities of cash you’re about to recieve via my debit card.  Our first day of home-ownership finished with our first meal in our new house (Thai takeout) and some drywall prep for painting in a couple of rooms.

And so began the journey… keep a look out for updates and pics from our new house!

-B

A Different Kind of Birthday Present

Dad was here this weekend and we got the chance to get into the house, take some measurements and redesign the kitchen. It was very scary and very exciting at the same time. Needless to say there are lots of decisions to make and work to be done. But I guess we should close on the house first. We should be doing that very soon, I promise to keep you updated.
After spending hours at the house Dad took B and I to Lowe’s and bought us birthday presents. He was very excited. Can you guess what they are?

That’s right a ladder, scaffolding and a bucket full of tools! Now that is a different kind of present for me, but Dad and B loved every minute of it!

D