Renovation Report: Week One

Jordan is working on patching a few areas, ripping out carpet and kitchen flooring, ordering new flooring for the downstairs and stairwell, and getting the house ready for painting.  We decided to take out the carpet on the stairwell as well, and run the new flooring all the way to the bedrooms.  It's exciting!

We have bought all the paint colors so painting should happen soon!  We decided to try out the paint in the kitchen, but I think we will need a couple of coats to hide the current wall color.

If you didn't get a chance to see our photos from when we first got into the house to look around, here is the link to that post.  Before Photos

This is the beautiful door they left behind (worth almost 400 dollars).  It will replace the old door near the front porch.

Guess what!  We tested it out.  Our big van Spencer fits in the garage!

This is the breezeway/mudroom.  Right now golf turf is covering the floor.  We plan on replacing the flooring with the laminate hardwood that we will use through the downstairs.

My inspiration for this area comes from Pottery Barn.  I remember babysitting for the nicest family in Michigan, and she was always so organized.  She also had great taste in decor.  I hope to find or have Jordan make an organizer for this area to hang coats, place shoes in baskets, etc.

This is the closet/storage area in the breezeway.

Stairs leading to the basement

This is the half finished basement.  The other half is for storage and the utilities.

We didn't get a chance to arrive during daylight, but I will post pictures of the outside the next time we are there.  There is a two tiered deck.  The upper part has a lock for the gate.

All the paint cans!

Welcome to my best friend!

I had a gas stove when I lived in California.  I can't remember what the advantages and disadvantages of a gas stove are, but I will learn quickly.  

Climbing stairs....I am not ready for this!

Testing out the new paint color for the kitchen.

Prairie sage....I hope it looks nice in the end.

Our front porch

The door from the outside that leads to the breezeway

View of our home

I am on the hunt to find more dining room chairs that will match the set left behind.  They are gorgeous!

Happy Anniversary of Tobias' Baptism!

Tobias was baptized in our chapel, St. Philomena Mission.  It was the feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patroness of immigrants.  Jordan and I met each other on a young adult retreat in Colorado.  After the gathering was over, there was a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.  I think that it is neat he was baptized on her feast day.  

What a beautiful baby!  

Happy Baptism Day, big brother!  

Unexpected Potty Training

Our little Philomena known as Mena, Bunzy, Buns, and Doughnut, has taken action and wants to be a big girl.  I was waiting until we had moved into the new house before potty training would take place.  I just wasn't ready for packing and moving while trying to potty train.  Philomena has other plans.....is she a choleric or what!

However, this has been the easiest experience of my life with training.  I don't even have to use treats to get her to sit down.  She just likes hearing the potty song when she's done.

Philomena, thank you.  You help Mommy and Daddy so much.

P.S.  The ladybug potty seat makes her feel extra special as well! 

Color Option for Kitchen

This is the color we are considering for above and between the cabinets and countertops in the kitchen and the wall near the sliding door.  I think it's neutral enough that I wouldn't be restricted in decorating.  Thoughts?

http://www.glidden.com/Color/Paint-Colors/Greens/90YY_52-138

Our New House: Before Photos

We were able to get into our new home for the first time tonight to see what work we need to do before we move in.  We have work to do, but then again, we are excited about it!   We prayed a special prayer for nine days to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and on the last day of the novena, Jordan's boss texted him about whether we were interested in his home.  We saw that as a sign from God that we needed to take this next step.  The home has plenty of space for our family, and we are excited to finally sit together around a table as a family.

The home definitely has character from the early 1920's.  The original bought a one acre plot of land in Nashua with views of a hayfield in front of the house and woods near a dry creek in the very backyard.  The original owners also poured a new foundation around 1999 with a double garage (breezeway attaches garage to house).

I forgot to take a picture of the garage and breezeway.  You go through the breezeway and enter into the area near the downstairs bathroom, kitchen, kitchen nook, and dining room.  Our plans are to take down the wallpaper, paint, and redo the flooring.  

I am so excited about the work space on the countertops!  There is also a dishwasher!!!!  It's amazing how much storage is in the kitchen.  

Brand new fridge!  Seriously folks....this thing will hold so much food!

Cute kitchen nook.
Jordan will take out the carpet since it's right near the deck sliding door. The sliding door leads to the two tiered deck overlooking the huge backyard.  It's a gorgeous view!
 We want hard flooring near a high traffic area with a dog and children running in and out from the outside.  I also plan on using that countertop to do some schooling and keep a desk in the corner with some school supplies.  

Our cute little bathroom downstairs.  Since the rest of the downstairs has white trim, we plan on painting the trim the same color.  

Our new dining room!  It flows well between the living room and kitchen.  They left their beautiful table for us as well.  We just need to get more chairs.  It can seat 12 people!  The door in the picture leads to the front porch.  

Here is our living room!  I think our family altar will go in the corner.  I hope to get a fake fireplace to draw the eyes to the area.  

This is the extra bedroom downstairs that we will use for a toy room/school area.  I plan on hanging school posters and keep things organized in this room, but schooling will happen pretty much anywhere in the house that learning could happen.  

By the way, those windows are gorgeous and beautiful!  The stairwell is safe for children and clumsy mothers who seem to fall down a lot.  :)  

We plan on taking out the carpet in this area.  I know it's a beautiful looking carpet, but it would not look so beautiful after children eat on a table near it.  We plan on getting a cherry laminate wooden plank flooring to match the colors upstairs in the house.  We do plan on keeping the carpet on the stairs though.  We think it might be safer to walk up and down on carpeted stairs.  

This is where most of the work will be done.  The original owners did not do very much to the upstairs.  Jordan already started pulling up carpet, and we will need to patch up cracks we see.  He will continue working this weekend on the prep work so painting can happen before flooring is changed.  

This will be the boys' room!  

I love closets.  You see in our current home....we have only one room with closets.  There is a closer in each room!!!!

The boys (and girls) will have so much in this little cove, cave, whatever you want to call it.  

This was their little girl's room, and she left some of her toys behind for the girls.  Isn't that sweet!  Magdalene has been working on thank you letters, coloring pages, posters...you name it.  

This used to be a small bathroom and a bedroom.  They tore apart the area and just made one big bathroom with washer and dryer access upstairs.  This is where they placed their washer and dryer.  

I like the colors enough to not change it.  It reminds me of my sister.  :)

Walk-in closet from bathroom to master bedroom.  

Master bedroom

Girls' room!

Magdalene wants a pink room so I think we found the shade that would last for years.  By the way, the ceilings in every room are so high.  The rooms feel so large!!

Jordan started ripping up carpet and discovered that all the bedroom upstairs had the beautiful original hardwood.  Our plan is to refinish or whatever you call it to the floors after we paint.  We think it will stay in character with the home.  We will try to find a laminate hard flooring for the downstairs  that will be close in color of the original.  It appears to be a cherry colored wood.


We hoped you enjoyed the before photos of the home!  We pray one day soon that the Alves side can come visit soon.  Oopsss...forget to take pictures of the half finished basement.  There isn't any work to be done there since it was recently done.  It even has a screen like a classroom.  I need to find an LCD projector to hook to our computer and have family move night.

It's Official.....We Own Two Houses Now

Our family on the day of signing the papers.

Our children were very well behaved during the paper signing.  Oh my, that took longer than expected.