Lines

Life. You take it day by day. Do what you can do. With resources. With time. With energy. And eventually there's a finish line. But as we know, with every finish line, there's another starting line.

Our latest checkered flag: A second bathroom. Paint, tile, floor, and a countertop (which if you recall an earlier post, was quite heavy to install). Grouted and sealed friends!

Doesn't this look beautiful?? Kade did an awesome job fitting this marble top.

Vanity, wall, tile...please ignore the price tag on the mirror. Not trying to be Minnie Pearl.

Tile on tub surround, by Kade and Galloway.

More tile views.

I love the wall design!!

In case you're wondering, our next starting line was the underbrush and limbs surrounding the driveway. We're under a caution flag because all of this brush is hanging out enjoying the rain in the front yard. Honestly it looks like we flipped a coin and decided to plant another small forest right smack dab in the font yard. Bright side--the driveway looks phenomenal! The yard now could use a little work. As I said before. Day by day. So, for now, the front yard is another day.

Putting on the dog

One Thanksgiving, we were all sitting around the table and I can't remember if it was my grandmother or grandfather that said, "Well, we've really put on the dog today!" Ashley looked up from her plate of tryptophans, ie. turkey, looking confused and asked what it meant. The explanation, basically just gussying yourself up and being fancier than you normally would be. Well, we've certainly been putting on the dog at our place recently.

For instance:

1. Trim & Windowsills-nice and bright white. Contrasts well with the blue, red, and brown walls. Who knew that the trim piece under the window was called an apron? I didn't until yesterday when Kade said it. I mean, when you're putting up aprons, you're putting on the dog.

2. Grouted & sealed tub tile in the master bathroom-it looks so wonderful! Kade & Galloway worked hard getting the tile design up. With a specific bathroom tile design, you're putting on the dog.

3. 2 huge cabinets in the living room that will eventually be utility storage. They are also blinding white and heavy. Massive amounts of storage-putting on the dog to hold items you'll eventually need to actually put on the dog.

4. A nicely painted DOOR (that's right, a DOOR) and trim piece that will be ready to go up any day now! Any door in 2009 is an automatic instance of putting on the dog.

5. And this list wouldn't be complete without mentioning the Christmas tree taking refuge in the living room, where it has been since July when we bought it. Pretty soon it will be up and all shiny & sparkly too! This just goes without saying that we're putting on the D-O-G.

Same time, different place

A little trip back in time for this first Thursday in September.

September 4, 2008

September 4, 2008

September 4, 2008


On this Thursday last year:

Kade and I were both nomads--living with friends and in hotels

We were only two days away from the CU vs. Citadel game.

There was nothing in the house but subfloor, tools, and dust.

My car was stuffed full of everything I needed to wear and get ready for work, the gym, and of course, football & tailgating. Kade told me he's still amazed that living from my car didn't send me over the edge given my Type A personality.

We hadn't had a homecooked meal in a LONG time. I think we were actually sick of eating out in restuarants.

At this point, drywall was the COOLEST item on the planet because it was going up in our house THAT day.

It wouldn't be until a few days later last year that we actually moved a little furniture into the house on carpet covering subfloor. But we were thankful for our walls, our floors, our own bed, and a bath tub. It is weird sometimes thinking back. Because it really feels like drywall going up happened yesterday. It is funny what you find you can live without. And it is funny what you find that you can't. I remember the beginning of last September with such clarity I have to look around at our painted walls and wood floors to remind me that it really is the same place, same time of year, just different. A good different, a wonderful different. And as this fall and football season begins, we're still in awe of the transition and we're still ever grateful for drywall.

Bermuda Triangle

It seems our living room has become the Bermuda Triangle. We bring large pieces of furniture and things into the house and for whatever reason, those things begin to take refuge, and never leave the room. We learned quickly to move gracefully around the two giant wood pieces destined to become our bathroom countertops. We tried to hide our new Christmas tree (now in 3 boxes) but to no avail. One of the branches still peeks over the edge of the box, as our constant reminder the holidays await. As fun as it is to live amongst these possessions hoping to reach their true potential, the Bermuda Triangle was getting too massive.

In an effort to clear out some room and to accent the newly grouted bathroom tile, Kade decided to take the old vanity his brother had given us and get it ready for the double marble sink piece we bought last May. That's May 2008 folks. And this is no light piece. 174.6 lbs (net weight) to be exact. But I digress.

Kade gets his tools and his fluffy Eagles blanket and gets to work in the triangle. A few cuts later and the vanity was ready for the bathroom. After sliding the vanity and then the enormous marble slab through the house using the Eagles blanket, Kade set out to fit the marble piece. Five up and down lifts of 174.6 lbs later, it fit! And it is BEAUTIFUL!!!

Now if we can just get the Christmas tree out of the triangle...

*Harley approved*

New vanity, vanity top, and grout

My sea glass pieces

Vanity before the top pieces were placed, so you can still see the sink bowl

Isn't it pretty??

Harley Girl

She still looks like a kitten to me, but most people these days would say she's a cat. And she is!! Harley turns 1 tomorrow, her birthday was 8.08.08. Her paws are fast and her claws are sharp. She's a quirky alarm clock with four legs that purrs. She loves q-tips and her little flicker ball with legs. She'll chase her rattle toys and bring them back to you, in her own version of fetch. She'll eat just about anything, I think she's part goat. She loves sitting in any window and watching her fine feathered friends out the screen door. She'll love the first person home to death. The second person home gets leg scratches. She loves ice cream and sleeping on tall pieces of furniture.

I'm so glad Kade brought her home--I gave him grief about it for a bit, and I was constantly worried that she would hurt herself in our unfinished house. But she's such a sweet little cat and I just love her to pieces!! And Kade does too, but he'll never admit it!

Happy Birthday Queen Harley!!

Boy Toys

So this is Kade's Best.Week.Ever. Seriously.

I mean he already had a loaner Harley for the week. So, getting the chance to use construction equipment stored in our second driveway by the road crew yesterday was just icing on the cake. He was like a kid in an ice cream shop maneuvering that real life Tonka Toy, or trackhoe, up and down the driveway. Our neighbor, Kevin, came over immediately when he got home to see what "new" toy Kade was operating. In an excited voice, Kevin told Kade he was going to go eat his dinner and that he'd be right back out to check it out.


I have pics, but I don't want to post them and get the road crew guys in trouble. Email me know if you want to see em!

Amish Country, Ohio

Monumental Summer

It is certainly a monumental summer. For starters, this summer will mark the FIRST summer in the last 12 years that my parents have not helped my sister Ashley or myself move. Ash and I always commenced our moving exercises in the dead heat of summer. Ash and I ususally lived in places with no fewer than two flights of stairs. We've moved from dorms to home, from home to apartments, from apartments to apartments, from apartments to houses, and from apartments to San Diego. I would assume that our parents are tired of moving their daughters from place to place. I would also assume that this monumental summer, with its lack of movement, has not gone unnoticed by our parental units. So by assumption, you would generally think after all these moves and all this time that they would be tired. Monumentally tired would be my guess.

But that, in fact, is not the case. Our parents have an energy and a drive that escapes me. If you met our mother you would find that she really is the energizer bunny trapped in a human body wearing tennis shoes. If you met our father you would find that he really is a trooper despite his love of Sunday afternoon naps. They work all week long, have date night every Wednesday night with our second set of parents, travel on the weekends, stay up later than we do, and get up earlier than we do. Energy, my friends, energy.

Most SC visits by my parents over the last 12 years have involved some sort of heavy lifting, lots of stairs, lots of sweltering summer heat, and lots of hard work. Did they help us move because they had to? No, they did it because they wanted to. They came to join our experience, to spend some time with us, and to help ease our burden. I think Ashley would say "ditto" to my thoughts.

So, it is also monumental that this summer, my mom journeyed down to SC, for the first time ever, without the accompaniment of my father. She came to use mandated vacation and my dad stayed home to work and watch after the cats. And for the first time that I can recall, Kade and I were able to get my mom to not work on her visit. That task in itself is monumental.

Instead we chose to climb mountains with her. Massive mountains. With lots of stairs. In the middle of summer. I guess the only difference between this visit and the last 12 years is that there was nothing to move. No furniture. No boxes. The only thing that required moving were her legs as she climbed to the top and then to the bottom of the mountain and the waterfalls. Dad better rest up. Next time we're taking him climbing!

Elevation of Chimney Rock

At the top with Mom

At the top with Kade

Hickory Nut Falls at Chimney Rock

At the bottom of Issaqueena Falls

Mom at the bottom of Hickory Nut Falls, sans tennis shoes

View of Chimney Rock

View of Lake Lure from Chimney Rock

Dancing

3 Items most people forget make their lives comfortable:

1. A front door that has the ability to be locked without hammering a piece of wood and two nails to it.
2. Kitchen Cabinet pulls
3. Kitchen Drawer pulls

To all of you who have these items, and have had them, you are blessed. Believe me, you are. Although the infamous piece of wood with two nails we used as a deadbolt was quite secure, I feel 164 times better knowing our front door can be now be locked, thanks to the wizardry of Kade and Galloway. The front door also has a repaired screen door so summer breezes can dance through the house.

As for the cabinet drawers, it broke my heart to watch Kade get so frustrated trying to open them. I could open them, but I had to position my fingers between the cabinets just right and apply enough force to actually OPEN the drawer without pinching my fingers to pieces. The precision it took to open them was like watching a ballet. Without the slippers, the tutu, or my hair in a bun, of course. Kade's hands were designed to wield a hammer, to throw a frisbee, to reach items on the top shelf that I can't. They were not designed to handle a delicate choreographed dance required to open cabinet drawers without handles. Thankfully, with the addition of our installed hardware, Kade no longer has to dance. In the kitchen. On the dance floor, well, that's another story.

A stripped and LOCKED front door with its new blind.

Our cabinet pulls

Our drawer pulls

4.3

For the most part I trust Kade. Sometimes he lies to me on purpose just to see if he can get a reaction. But I can normally spot those harmless lies after a few questions. Plus, these kinds of jokes provide him with great humor. And I'm okay with a little fun at my expense. So on most things, he's generally above board. The one thing, however, that I don't trust Kade about is his estimate of time. I know that evening events like $1 beer night at the ballpark and spur of the moment weekend events like 3 hour trips to Home Depot sometimes throw time estimates out the window. Normally, when he gives me a time estimate, I multiply by 4.3, to give me a more approximate number. This serves two purposes. One, it helps me get a more accurate time frame of completion. Second, it helps me not be frustrated when things aren't completed in his original time frame.
For instance, Kade told me earlier last week that he was going to sand and paint the master bathroom this past weekend. Using my 4.3 mulitiplier in days, I was pleased to know that I would have a painted bathroom by this coming Thursday (like in 3 days). Boy was I shocked when he proved me wrong and sanded and painted the bathroom this weekend!! Between me and you, I am POSITIVE he decided to go ahead and paint it just to throw a curve in my 4.3 calculation data.

On a more boring note than the 4.3 multiplier, I originally wanted a light cream for the bathroom walls. Kade wasn't so sure. He said he wanted a little darker hue than my boring selection. In the spirit of compromise, we actually made Robert (our Home Depot paint man) proud when we got the paint this last time. We chose one, agreed, matched it to the tile, and asked him to mix it. In some ways, Robert probably has his own 4.3 muliplier for us. We told him back in February we were coming back soon for bathroom paint. But haha!! Our last paint visit certainly threw a curve into Robert's 4.3 calculation data.

Bathroom walls in "Macchiato"

Harley, holding the ladder steady for Kade

A wall & tile close-up

Harley's window perch

p.s. In case you were curious, I did not sit around all weekend with my feet up with an umbrella drink in my hand. I was outside stripping. The.Front.Door.folks! Warning: getting stripper on your bare skin burns. A Lot! Let this be a lesson to you.

Clouds

Clouds are everywhere. Not the big fluffy white ones, but little ones, in the form of drywall dust, cover the master bathroom. The clouds make their way into the house, lightly dusting everything with a thin powder. Even outside the house, clouds have poured rain for days, putting off painting our new "Macchiato" color in the bathroom even longer. My vision is even cloudy. I came home last week to find this doorframe up. I was so excited. I came flying out of the house to ask Kade if it was for real. In an almost shriek/squeal voice I inquired if it was staying up for good. Because the frame staying up for good meant a door would certainly follow in my lifetime. Kade laughed and said, "No. I just wanted to see what it would look like." Looks like he was in the clouds day dreaming. And in that instant, I was too.

New bathroom tile

It is dusty, your eyes aren't cloudy.

The tile view from the opposite corner

What the door frames will eventually look like. Still have to paint them white (like clouds).

Peas look at our Garden!

Our garden is showing signs of great success-it is also showing signs that we are weed pulling slackers. Ignore the weeds, but take a look at our green pea pods, green tomatoes, and our bright green lettuce row. I doubt the Jolly Green Giant is green with envy, but we're peased. :o)

peas

maters

lettuce

A Year

How long is a year?? Some will tell you 12 months, 365 days, or 525,600 minutes. Others will tell you it was yesterday.

Exactly one year ago today (5/19), I signed the closing papers in the attorney's office. I had one terrifying, fleeting moment right before I signed them about changing my mind. You see, I'm worrier, someone who likes things to go according to plan, someone who rationalizes too much, and overthinks to the nth degree. But this time I didn't. And I'm glad I didn't. (I did still read every word as I signed--much like the loan papers, which still annoyed Kade. He will still deny that too.)

A year taught me to take one day at a time. I learned that not everyone's timetables were equal. I realized nothing went according to plan, but generally things turned out okay. I remembered how hot, humid, and unforgiving South Carolina summer heat can be. I understood the magnetism of a place like Home Depot. I appreciated vacation more than I ever had. I valued hard work and was shocked at how far human bodies can be pushed. I fell in love with Slushies again. I stood in awe at the talents of Kade and Aaron. I figured out which battles were worth fighting. I compromised. I didn't give in. I learned. I worked. I cried. I laughed. I loved.

This time last year I was sure the house would be finished by 2009. But I didn't add the simple fact that we'd need to actually celebrate life, so that we could actually enjoy our existence. We took time to enjoy weddings, birthdays, graduations, newborn babies of our friends, baseball & football games, cookouts, a new kitty, and holidays, and we paused to remember those no longer with us. Thank you to everyone who helped us along this roller coaster journey of a year-we couldn't have done it without you.

I'm excited for what the next 365 days hold. And I'm pleased to tell you that I am am content taking those days one day at a time.

Our heartfelt thanks for a great year-

Love,

Amy & Kade

Green-eyed Monster

Like a monster the pile kept growing. His legend grew about as fast as he did. At rare times you could see his green eyes glow underneath his brown exterior. Throughout the winter he hibernated, saving his energy for spring. In his heart he believed he would win the battle of as the keeper of the lat and beadboard. He was confident he would reign supreme, as his pile cried out for more. He certainly never thought that on a rainy Sunday morning in May he would meet his demise. But the warriors came prepared to attack. They attacked heavily from all sides, wounding him greatly. He is weak but his heart still beats, steady and slow. Can the warriors finish him off this week?? Or will his powers return??

The Monster, circa June 2008

His green eyes of beadboard

The Monster, circa May 2009

Wounded, circa May 2009

The Monster, weakened but alive

May 2009