Before and after During

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Second...I thought I'd post a few pics of before and after oops...during of house progress. 

Just cause I know y'all have been wondering what everything looks like.  :)

Remember...it's a work in progress.  :)

BUT

Before I show you the happy pics, I thought I'd take you on a trip down memory lane.

Old Love Shack living room:

Same crappy living room, different angle (right before demo)

Here's a pic of Dave and I on NYE. 

You can see the separating wall on the left. 

And the door that led to the Love Shack.

And later, that door led us RIGHT smack-dab into the new bathroom.

Now, below shows that separating wall is on the right (instead of the left- like above)

During (with ugly plastic curtain up)

And then, the big black curtain came down.

The walls are primed, but not painted.

That will happen after the trim work is done and lacquered.

The new hallway!

Blocked off so Ally doesn't mark any new territory.  :)

A before picture of the kitchen:

My new (BIGGER!) kitchen.

Once it's all done, the table will go under the chandelier (see the light-hole that's a little out of place?)

And THEN....we'll do a major overhaul of cabinetry.

This will include a snack bar/ peninsula where the cupboard ends currently.

View from the addition into the kitchen.

Another before pic of the kitchen:

Eventually, a deck will go out there.....

Below is the boy's new room.

Or a boy's new room.

We're thinking of separating them once their room is done.

Not sure yet.

(My next painting project is on the right...baby girl's dresser)

Baby Girl's room

Our room

With crib and doors

(Dave needed to make room in the garage to work on trim and siding)

Another view of our room (just the opposite direction)

BIG walk-in closet!

Woohoo!

Big big bathroom.  :)

Wanna see some outside shots?

WAY before:

(circa 1947)

During:

(front)

During:

(back)

Today:

Work in progress

(front)

(and back)



Here's a few questions I'm getting asked a lot lately:

1.  What's next?

Right now, we need to complete the siding and stone facing (front bottom half) in order to make it weather proof for our Michigan winter.

Then, Dave needs to work on trim.  We have a FANTASTIC painter who will stain and spray lacquer on the trim- then he'll paint.   Then floor coverings, and finish work (i.e. light switches, light fixtures, etc.).

2.  Will the house be done before baby girl gets here?

Probably not.  I'd love to say "yes, for sure!" and I know Dave would LOVE to say the same.  However, he has a day job that keeps food on the table and up-coming hospital bills paid.  So, all Love Shack work is done on nights and weekends- when he's not working late, doing paperwork, or doing estimates.  Yes, his plate is very, very full.  We've subcontracted out the drywall, and we'll sub out the painting and lacquering...but the jobs needing to be finished (siding and then trim work) are where he shines.  Especially the trim.  So, those are on him.  Unfortunately, those are the most time consuming (and expensive) jobs as well.  So, we'll go as we have money and he has time.

In the meantime, we're borrowing a bassinet from my friend, Sarah, and baby girl will be bunking in with us when she's born.  We've NEVER had a baby in our room before- I've always kept the babies away from Dave in the night- simply because he had to get up early the next day and work on ladders and power tools with sharp edges.  So, I have a feeling once Dave is hearing us up during the wee hours, he'll be more inclined to take a day or two off to finish up the extra labor.  :)  (At least, I'm hoping) In the meantime, I'll be patient.

3.  Are you still doing this debt free?  Why not just get a small mortgage to finish it out?

Yep...people are still asking this question.  Yes, we are still debt free. 

No, we won't go out and get a small mortgage.  At all.  God has blessed us with the ability to be debt free early in our marriage, and doing so has given us certain freedoms that we're not going to give up just so we can have comforts of this world.  Dave and I have never been "stuffitis" people, and never used our cars, clothing, or house as status symbols.  We're not about to start now.  If we want nice things, we'll save for them as we can.  If it takes awhile, it takes awhile.  If it never happens, then it just never happens.

4.  What will you do once the house is done?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!  Done?

I highly doubt we'll ever really be "done."  After the rooms are done, we have a kitchen overhaul to complete, landscaping front and back, a driveway to pave, etc, etc, etc.  By then, we'll be helping with college tuition...and by then, I'll be ready to tear down the play set in the back and create a nice back yard oasis for Dave and I to chill in.  Or a raised garden.  Or just a pretty lawn.

And then....chances are the house will be up for sale for us to downsize as the kids move out.

But I can't think about that yet....makes me tear up.

Ok!  That's the Love Shack update!  We're getting closer to the finish line!  Woohoo!