Springtime craziness

Okay, okay - I haven't updated the blog lately. I have a list of excuses a mile long. It includes running around in circles every day. When I have been slaving away over at the house, I haven't remembered to take pictures. I think I have a few. But first here's the pics we had taken of the cousins Easter weekend. We had them taken at Portrait Innovations and they give you a CD of the pics. I see they give you the pics uncropped, but you get the idea of how beautiful they are. Jackie, 13, Cassie, 11, Josie, 9, and Harry, 9. I should just scan the good pics we bought in. In this picture is my mom w/ the grandbabies.

And here's a pic of me and the girls. Do they look like me?!?

Steve just called from the house. He went over to finish painting the basement stairs. He had to buy a plank from Lowe's, so he could reach the ceiling. Not one of my jobs. Looks like this weekend will be nice to put the clear coats on the trim. I'll check the camera for new pics and update later.

Spring Break

Spring break was nice, but I was too tired to blog. I painted from Sun. to Sat. and I think after this I won't ever want to paint again. This is the Easter get together at Butler Haynes Park on Sat. 04/04. Jackie's not too old to hunt for candy.

On Monday, we couldn't paint until the drywall guys were done and cleaned up. The girls got haircuts at Great Clips where my cousin Patrick works. Jackie got a trim and Josie got about 3 inches off. It looks cute though and doesn't tangle as much.On Tues. we started painting after my hair appt. Here's Josie taking a break in the tub. She didn't last long painting.Picnic in the dining room. On Wed. they brought over the DVD player and watched movies while I painted. Thurs. Dad, Jackie and I stained > 3/4 of the trim in the basement. There was stain everywhere. I think we might do the clear coating outside. Friday the Barretts got here around 12. The kids stayed w/ Grandma at my house, and Tami and I painted. Erik wasn't feeling well, so he bailed.

Here's Cassie and Jo painting Josie's room blue.

Harry is trimming the corners.

Jackie is a very hard worker! She has primed walls, stained trim and painted walls this week. I told her we should work on her Home Improvement badge for Girl Scouts. She also doesn't complain. Josie on the other hand is tired after about 15 minutes of painting.

We had the cousins pictures taken on Sat. morning. They turned out really good. I'll have to add them later after I scan them in. The kids are getting so big.

Sunday - Easter egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa's. Josie is searching.

Cassie and Jackie are dashing for eggs. Harry wasn't feeling well, so he didn't pick up much. Erik, Grandma and I went after they were done and found some candy too.

The concrete guys put the forms in on Thurs., but it has been too rainy to pour the driveway and sidwalks. Hopefully tomorrow. Derrick the electrician called on Mon. afternoon, and they are going to put in the can lights and some more outlets tomorrow, which will help alot.

All the walls are primed and ceilings painted (except the basement stairs). Jackie and Josie's rooms are done. Now we are working on the kitchen/greatroom/foyer/dining room.

Taping and Mudding

Jackie helped Dad and I plane the 500 linear ft of base. The 1X6 lumber had to go thru the planer twice. It only took us 2 hrs. and then we went to McDs for breakfast. She was a great help. It helped to have another pair of hands to move the lumber around.
They finished the drywall and cleaned up the garage. It is ready for the cabinets to be delivered. The taper guys set up their stuff on Thurs, but couldn't get started, because they needed a water faucet installed in the basement. Plumber installed the faucet on Fri., so they can start on Mon.

Look at all the "mud".

These are the stilts they use to do the ceilings. I should have went over during the week to see this process, but I'm swamped at work. Trying to wrap up 3 experiments, so I can take next week off. I may have to go in for a couple hours during spring break, but I will probably need a break from painting.

I'm still trying to imagine what the island is going to look like. We are also still discussing the dilemma of tile vs. wood in the kitchen. Wood will be the easiest, but not my first choice.

They are keeping the house at 70o. It is so toasty in there. Makes me want to stay. They are trying get the moisture out of the house. On Friday the dehumidifier in the basement said 83% and by Sunday it was 70%. I think we are going to have to purchase a dehumidifier, because I think the basement is always going to stay "wet".

We took our friends over on Sunday after pizza to check it out. The kids played hide and seek.

Dan called today while I was home with Josie. (She stayed home with a touch of the stomach bug.) There are some wall texture examples in the kitchen they want us to decide on. 1 called stomp for the ceiling of plain walls, 1 called orange peel (as seen above) and 1 called knock down. I think we are going to go with orange peel.

Everything looks good and smooth. Ready for painting. I'm ready to get started.

Saturday Dad and I are going shopping for a paint sprayer and stain sprayer, and the primer. I hope to get started on Sat. Steve has to work and the kids are going to a Easter get-together, so it will just be me. I love it!!