First home Fixer Upper

Pat explained to me tonight that any help I give him, whether it's cleaning, mudding, watching the kids, etc is real work that he really appreciates. I, however, have been feeling a little left out of the renovation process.  After I put yet another layer of mud on the kitchen (Hopefully the last! 🤞) I asked him for a job to do.  You guys, he let me tear out a whole wall! I did that! I learned how to use an oscillating tool! I was popping nails out of the studs like a pro! I feel so strong! But also really weak. My arms are like jello right now. Hammers are heavy! Pat joked that most people renovate by putting up new blinds and maybe windows. We do everything the hard way and tear out walls and install our own HVAC system. Out with the old, in with the new! Pat worked on getting some framing and ducting installed in the master bedroom.  We have this material much left... 🤪 Claire helped by standing in the window and by bei...

The electrical situation in the kitchen has put a big damper on our timeline. Every time Pat finishes something there is another problem that needs to be addressed before moving on.  However! He finished the lights and switches last night!  There are six lights and fortunately they are bright enough in the vaulted ceiling to need something different.  I've been working on getting the righthand wall straight. It bows in something fierce and the counters don't even touch the wall. 🤦‍♀️ Pat says I'm getting better at mudding. Yay! It's definitely messy and really drying out my hands though  🤣 I believe installing the microwave is the next step in here. Pat spent the better part of a day getting a new vent in. It was a ridiculous process because whoever worked on this house previously didn't do anything right, just good enough for a rental property. We met one of the neighbors yesterday. He's a landscaper and was giving Pat tips...

I already wrote this post out a couple days ago and auto save didn't work, so I gave up in frustration. Ha! So this post is going to be a bit longer as it will cover a couple days, so strap in. Pat has torn out the ceilings in the master bedroom, hallway and Joshua's room.  He was able to frame in the master bedroom last weekend while I was at work. I've been working every weekend since we bought the house so construction days have been short. It's been frustrating for all of us to not get as much done as we want. Our new dishwasher and oven were delivered on Monday! I had to run over there after the boys got done with distance learning to meet the delivery guys between 11 and 3. While I waited I cleaned up the front yard a bit. We have a massively overgrown privacy hedge with a huge palm that keep dropping fronds on the lawn on one side  and a bunch of roses and English ivy taking over said roses on the other side. ...

Pat has been working non stop these past few days! He got the water heater placed and PEX lines in running from the original copper piping to the new location in that corner straivht back.  He also replumbed the laundry hookups and ran a water line for a garage sink and the ice maker for the fridge on the other side of the wall.  This is where the door into the garage used to be. Now, its right around the corner! I am constantly amazed at his craftsmanship. He is so cool. Construction is going slower than we want it to. Pat keeps running into more problems because this house was a rental and no repairs or upkeep was done well, just good enough. We are so lucky to be able continue to stay with my mom!