Up to my eye balls

Well, it's been a while since we've updated. Do you want to know why? Do you? Well, I'll tell you anyways. I've been UP TO MY EYE BALLS in paint. If you've seen me at all in the past two weeks sans paintbrush or roller then you've had quite the privilege. I'm trying to count the number of rooms I've painted...hold on. 8 rooms in total. This includes ceilings. NEW ceilings, so that means a primer and two coats of ceiling paint. Then the new drywall also needs two coats (seriously folks that new paint and primer stuff from Behr is phenom, it saved a drywall sealer coat). I also wallpapered a stairway (which I will have to post about in far more detail because it was ridiculous) and have been setting up house as well. Needless to say I feel like I don't even know my children anymore. How horrible is that?

I've been pretty convicted lately that I've let this renovation overtake my life. It has become like an idol to me. I need to take a step back and refocus my eyes to where they belong. Christ first, then my family. I feel like maybe going to a certain conference next weekend in a certain big city down South might just be what I/we need, but alas, we weren't on the ball/spent too much on our house. Isn't that just the way that we can let things come between our need for relationship with Jesus? Ugh, is this worth it? No. The jewels in my crown will be no different. I've decided that I am a Martha. Always busy, never letting myself just sit and be with God.

That's where I'm at this morning. No paint brush, even though the kitchen is calling my name for a fresh coat. I've spent the morning listening about Jesus, His love, His sacrifice and worshiping Him through song....and right now, all I'm thinking about is how I surrender all...all to Jesus I surrender, humbly at His feet I bow.

Bathroom: check.

This weekend we reached a major milestone in the reno-sched, as the upper bathroom received its finishing touches. Everything works, water comes out where it's supposed to and goes where it's needed and it's proven pretty liveable in the last few days we've been able to enjoy it. Two bumps on the road proved a tad annoying, but fixable, and we're now sitting at about 98% completion (the remaining 2% is not really noticeable, just some things that have to be done...sometime).
One of these headaches scared me to no end. My Dad was downstairs (oh, this is Nik for this post, btw) and I was having a shower in the new stall, quite enjoying being able to bathe in my own home standing up for the first time. I finish and head downstairs where my looks at me and says "Hate to say it, but your shower leaks." Now, a fully tiled custom shower is a bit of an undertaking, if you can imagine, and "leak" is the one word buzzing in the back of one's mind throughout the whole construction process like a mosquito in a one-man tent. My heart sank a little and I shuddered at the thought of pulling out new tile to TRY and find a leak. I had previously left the drywall off the back of the shower to ensure that once the water was on I could check for leaks in the plumbing and showerhead connections (none surfaced). I also was a bit puzzled because I knew I was careful throughout the whole process, and even ordered quite a big amount of special waterproofing membrane, installing it to the tee, to make sure I would never have this problem. I was counting on my shower lasting for about 50 years, and 15 minutes seemed a bit short on that goal. Anyways, before this gets out of hand, I'll just cut to the chase and say that after cutting a hole in the wall, I determined that the leak was from the main showerhead (there are also 4 body sprays, a bit excessive I know). I unscrewed the neck and found no teflon tape on the threads. A simple fix that woulda been nice to do without having to repair more drywall, but them's the breaks. I won't tell you who my helpful helper was who installed that showerhead, I'm far too kind...
The next blunder in the story was one entirely of my own doing. Maybe. I'm not sure if the instructions and diagrams written by what must have been a kindergarten focus group weren't entirely to blame, but I digress. Anyway, after the floor was laid and finished and I proceeded to install the bathtub, I was greeted with this nice little discrepancy:Yup, put the holes in the wrong spot. Meaning I had to do this:

And then move some pipes and drains down underneath as well. Again, not a huge deal, but definitely annoying. Here's the tile install almost finished (with holes lying unknowingly in the wrong spots):

AND, here's the finished room, with the always curious little monkey sneaking into a few:

Finally, I had a playoff-beard of sorts going on while I was working on the bathroom (1 part motivation, 1 part too lazy to shave without a proper shower/mirror/sink), so during one of my first showers, I was able to part with the muskrat that roamed my face the last few weeks. Chip forgot what I look like clean shaven, I think, as he was waiting when I got out and was pretty surprised at my smooth-as-his-bum appearance:

Next up: Laundry Room/Powder Room/ Back entrance.

Stains and the PO-lice

We had quite the adventure last night. I will attribute my misjudgment to it being the 5th night in a row of 3 am bedtimes. Let me explain:

So, we were just settling in to bed when we heard a banging upstairs. I wasn't feeling too worried about it, but then it happened again and again and again....and again. It sounded like someone trying to get in through a window. At least, that's what my imagination told me. My brave and valiant husband went upstairs to check things out and I heard the bang again and some very real sounding footsteps. So, because I live in a world full of drama and couldn't help but concoct a little 'criminal minds' type scenario I quickly grabbed the Chipster (who, yes was still awake) and swiftly dialed 9-1-1. The operator held me on the phone until the po po showed up. Upon his arrival he put some gloves on (I imagine it's to protect his soft hands from the gun residue should it need to go off), and up the stairs he went. Then two others showed up....they went up too. And you know what they found?

?

?

Nothing. However, I did over hear a convo between the three of them and Nik about renos and the great condition of our hardwood.

Which is a great segway into the next few paragraphs/pictures.

We refinished our floors this weekend!!! All in all it was pretty uneventful and despite a few little blips from the previous owners using a belt sander and grinding some of the boards until they resemble kindling, I think things turned out pretty good. Oh wait. I forgot to mention that as I was inspecting the colour of the stain (which Nik picked out as per instruction which went a little something like this, "I love walnut, but not too dark like our last place, but I like the blackness of the brown in walnut, nothing too orange but I like a little warmth too." Anyways, yes, he picked a colour called Special Walnut and so I was just reading the label and it slipped out of my hands and onto the floor where the top came off and I dumped 3/4 of the can onto my foot and my NEW SHOE (they were only $14.99). Nik wasn't impressed (these were the last four cans of the discontinued colour in the city) and I was standing there in tears for my stupidity so neither of us thought to take a picture even though, in hindsight, it was relatively easy to clean and didn't affect the end product. The only casualty was my left shoe and I think my right one is a little lonely. RIP grey flats that were oh so comfy.

Ok, now a few pictures. There is no real 'after' pic yet because they still need one or two coats of top-coat. But, rest assured, you'll see a final picture of these floors.

2:09 am Sunday morning.

Big day folks, big day.

I had a wedding to shoot (which was fabulous), so Nik was at home with the boys. Not too sure what all went down, all I know is that I came home to a hubby that smelled like a dog might have done his business on the floor and Nik had wiped it up with his shirt and then put said shirt back on.

Yes, Nik spent the day cutting through pipes full of poop. One hundred year old poop. But, at the end of the day, do you know what we did?


Bathed our children. Really bathed.

So, to those of you who think we're disgusting, we're not anymore. We can clean ourselves. Thoroughly.