Hokie Pride In the House!

Well I haven't said anything in a while and just want to say we are alive and well!! School has finished, we were excited that we would be able to do more work on the house. Yall remember that we started on the Hokie room after Christmas (here). Now the maroon and orange room is 99% done. I'm so excited because it's looking great! The only thing we have left is to put another coat or two on the main wall and put some white molding up between the maroon and orange. Our goal is to get it and the kitchen done by Father's day when mom, dad, Renee, and Christian come to visit. However, we are running into a problem with the kitchen...do we paint it the color we have (an orange) or change the color. If there is one thing we have learned in the house it is not to pick colors and buy paint until AFTER we move in. Here's some pictures of it.

Taped out for orange

Taped out

Orange 1st coat

First Coat Orange

My part done!

Done

Trim and Orange done!

My part done! (Trim and Orange)

The Overseers! They slept and I worked.

As for the list....

1. Finish wood in closets.
2. Killz kitchen
4. Paint hall, entry, and kitchen
5. Look for tile because it's the next major project
6. Finish front bedroom

One thing off the list...many to go.

House progress

December's goal was to get the front bedroom painted. Well it's half painted and the extra bathroom only had trim left on it (I know I haven't done my job). With all my family and then Ross' family coming down for Christmas and New Years we needed to get the front bedroom at least livable. It was the only room in the house that still smelled disgusting!!!! So off to work we went...well more like Ross went cause I was baking. But, he did amazing!!! He started by putting a second coat on the extra bathroom. All I have left is the trim in there. Then he killzed and put 3 or 4 coats on the bedroom. It amazes me that a dark paint takes 3 or 4 coats to cover the wall and make it look like the actual color. When a light coat of paint only takes 1 or 2 coats. You'd think it be opposite. But, now the pink bedroom only has the trim and orange to go. You guessed it that room in the majority maroon with the top six inches being orange (GO HOKIES!!!). We offically have half of our Virginia Tech room done. I only have a few pictures, I thought I took more but must not have so here's the few I have.

The walls getting as smooth as we can get them.

Killzing the pink away!!!!

Killzing the pink

Killzing

Killzing

The Maroon

See the top orange isn't done yet.

Still needs another coat of maroon.

Notice the blue tape is still not gone, I really have to get on this project.

The bright teal-blueish color...not sure how to explain it.

Mom got us bright yellow bath mats (Thank you again mom)

The shower curtian Ross's mom gave us went perfect (Thank you so much)

As for the list....

1. Finish wood in closets.
2. Killz kitchen
4. Paint hall, entry, and kitchen
5. Look for tile because it's the next major project
6. Finish front bedroom and trim in bathroom

So that's 3 things crossed off and 1 thing added. Not bad.

Home Sweet Home

Well we finally did more work on the house, it's only been ummm...well we won't go there. I got a week of in October for fall break and so Ross and I decided to do some work. Plus we had a Halloween party that we wanted certain things done for. We started with putting wood down in the entry. This was a task that took us most of the break. Who would have though that tearing up linoleum would be so hard and tedious! Ross and I decided that we would tear up carpet any day over tearing up linoleum!!! The actually linoleum came up really easy, Ross just pulled on it and it was done, out the door and in the trailer. However, the fiber board underneith, o my!!! We think the people that put it down were confinced that it they didn't put a staple every centimeter that it was going to come up! It tok a good day to get the fiber board up and then came the long long job of either taking the staples out our pounding them in! Before you could do anythign with the staples you had to get the fiber board from under it and then you could start pounding, that's the option we took, much easier. After 2 or 3 nights of me pounding we were FINALLY ready to begin the wood. That went really quick!! We got the whole entry done in a day or so, mind you there one piece left to do in the closet but other then that it's done. So our goal of gettin the entry wooded and the extra bathroom painted over break didn't happen. We still say give us carpet anyday over linoleum!!! Here are some pictures of the whole process. Plus some pictures of the cats "helping" us.

Starting to pull up the linoleum.

Ollie helping, more life checking things out and gettin in trouble.

Pulling out the molding.

The last of the stinky carpet is GONE!!!!!

Stinky carpet in the trailer ready to go to the dump.

My awesome hubby pulling up fiber board, this is about where he got fed up with it because a pry bar was needed to get it up!

Fiber board it comes up in pieces, mostly little but some big ones.

Pulling up the last of the fiber board, and beginning to pound the staples.

Laying down tar paper.

Finally starting the wood.

More wood.

Half way there.

Made it through the easy part.

Ollie helping again.

Prepping the closet.

Starting the closet.

Closet and Ozzy helping.

Done!

As the closet stands today.

Finished!!!

Killzing the bathroom

Killsing the ceiling, we've learned that all the gross smells are in the ceiling too.

Oure now teal bathroom, 1st coat of paint and how it stands today. I still have yet to do the trim.

The other wall.

What happens when you have wet paint and cats, there were paw prints all over the sink when Ollie decided to get in the paint. Luckly it was latex paint and not the killz so it came right off.

That's the house update, here's the list of what's left....

1. Finish wood in closets.
2. Killz front room, and finish kitchen
4. Paint front bedroom, finish extra bath, hall, entry, and kitchen
5. Look for tile because it's the next major project

Two more things off the list this time, 2 and a half if you could the extra bath being half painted.

School Has Begun

School has begun for Kacie, and house progress has seemed to slow. We still have much to do but now a smaller amount of time to do it in. We know God will provide the time for us to get it all done though! Like I said school has begun for Kacie, I'm taking Counseling people with Problematic Emotions, Old Testament 1, and Theology 1. I'm very excited about all of them, especially since I have so many friends in each class to study with. My reading load is crazy this semester but God will provide the time for me to do it!!!

Ross is still working on getting his schedule at work changed. So please pray for that. Right now we don't see each other much because of our schedule and we are becoming frustrated with it. We are so thankful for our weekends when we get to spend all our time together!!

We are both excited because our church, North Wake, is about to switch study-serve. What it is is for 6 months during one of the services we serve in the church somewhere (sound crew, sunday school teacher, prayer team, etc). And for the other 6 months we study (go to lifechange aka sunday school) during one service. Ross and I are very excited, Ross more so then me, because we are doing sound together. He hasn't been behind a sound board much since we switched to study 6 months ago and he's been itching to do it again. So we're really excited to be able to serve God in this way for the next 6 months! I love the way North Wake does this and really emphasizes serving God in our church and more over to take our service outside our church and to the community.

I have to tell yall about the best website to save $$ when it comes to groceries!! From another friends blog (Thanks Melissa!) I found out about the grocery game (www.grocerygame.com). I looked at it and signed up for it. What it does is take the coupons from the Sunday paper and matches them up with the sales at your selected stores. Telling you when to buy things for the cheapest amount. They tell you to buy things you will use EVEN if you don't need them at that moment because it will be cheaper to buy them now, then when you need them. Basically stock piling them until you need it. Sometimes there are even things for free on there after store sale and coupon!!! I was amazed when I walked out of Harris Teeter yesterday with $25 worth of groceries and only paid $6 for it!!! I called Ross to tell him what this site had done. You do have a monthly fee with the site but it's only $5 a month, however a 4 week trial is only $1. I figure if I can save $19 in just one trip I've paid for the site!!! You pick your store and just clip coupons. The best part is I saved money on things we'll use on a regular basis (Mr. Clean supplies, Hamburger Helper, etc)!! If you're gonna sign up let me know so I can give you my e-mail for who recommended you!!

So we do have an little bit of an update on the house. Our house came with no screens in the windows, yes there was a screen in the door from our room to the deck, and the back sliding door, but none in the window!! And if any of you know Ross and I for a good 2-3 months out of the year our windows are wide open and the AC is off. We really wanted screens before the end of the summer because we knew it was gonna get nice and save us money. We had heard from many people that getting someone to make screens cost a TON of money. So yesterday night we ventured into the wonderful world of window screen making. I mean from cutting the frame and putting it together to putting in the screen material itself. It isn't that hard!!! Surprisingly! I think the hardest part was getting the measurement right, but after a few trimming cuts we had it right. Here are a few pictures of us making them, Ross wanted me to help (a good thing) and not take picts so there aren't many. We got 5 of the 11 done last night. The rest will be done soon as the weather is gettin really nice at night here, upper 60s!

The beginnings of a frame.

Spline to hold the screen in.

Our first screen done!

Kitchen window screens.

Close up, a little bowed but it'll stretch.

My sister came down on the 9th and we got some time together talking and baking, o course! We made a stuffed crust pizza, that was so good. When Ross came home we watched Olympics and finished flooring the hallways. So for all purposes the house is floored. The only place you can see tar paper on sub-floor is 3 closets and small trim pieces. When Renee was here we tried to get here to use the huge saw ans she wouldn't be we did talk her into using the tack gun!! Once she used it once we weren't allowed to touch it again. It was much fun!! Here are some pictures of the finished hall.

Beginning the hall, we had to make the two rooms meet it was fun to say the least.

Taking a break to watch the Olympics.

What Renee did when she wasn't using the tack gun, play Battlefield 2. I have such a girly sister!! LOL

Almost done!

Hall way done!

The living room is getting into better shape!!!

We have started the front pink bedroom by marking all the divits in the walls. Both Ross and I thought this would be the easiest bedroom when it came to spackling but I guess we were wrong. There are no major holes but there are TONS of marks on the walls. The marking happened a week ago and well it's still marked out with nothing done to it, can't you tell school started??

Divits...

A calm wall. And I haven't moved the stack of wood yet!

The worst of it!

The calm wall.

More spackling!

We were also able to get our ceiling fan hung in the living room. After a little trial and error with the down rod it's up there safely. Apparently we needed a 24" down rod and not a 36" (BIG difference!!). So now we have a bigger fan in our crazy big living/dining room! It's only took us putting it up and taking it down 5 or 6 times to get it right.

Old fan down, and new plate in place.

The VERY small old fan.

Our bigger Hunter fan.

Finally up and going!

I almost forgot, here are pictures of our newly hung wood blinds (thanks again mom and dad!).

Our master bedroom windows.

Master bedroom door to the deck.

Our blinds again.

Kitchen blinds, we still have to paint in here hence the tape.

That's everything except for the list...

1. Finish wood in closets.
2. Use rest of wood to do entry
3. Killz extra bath, front room, and kitchen
4. Paint front bedroom, extra bath, hall, entry, and kitchen
5. Start putting holes in our lovely walls.... :-( to hang pictures.... :-) (It's good and evil thing!)
6. Look for tile because it's the next major project

So only 1 thing off the list....slowly but surly right?