And so it begins...

Well, I always thought I might start a blog once Jeremy and I had kids. I mean, everyone I know blogs about their children. What a great way to keep out of town family up to date, and brag about adorable babies. I however, having no children, thought blogging was not for me. I thoroughly enjoy reading other's blogs but didn't think I would have much to contribute to the blogging world. My mind was changed this evening by my brother and sister-in-law at our "good-bye" dinner. They are moving across the country tomorrow and requested Jeremy and I keep them updated via blog about the happenings around the house. Though I will not be recounting funny stories about cute things kids say, I will share the triumphs, frustrations and accomplishments of remodeling a 60 year old house. Since I will probably be blogging exclusively at work, I will try to go back in and add pictures on my days off. I might throw in some random thoughts about life, since I'm at it...

So here it goes: House update numero uno
Jer and I knew we always wanted to move back to Redding. All of our extended family lives in Redding, and most of our friends. We love the small-town feel, the outdoor activities, and think it will be a great place to raise kids. We had decided to live in an apartment for a few years and save up money for a down-payment on a house. The more we though about it, it occurred to us that now is a better time to buy than ever! So our hunt began...and ended rather quickly. Thanks to the help of super-Realtor Patte (a lifelong family friend of my family) we found our dream house. A 1950, repossessed, fixer-upper. It had all the things I was looking for: hardwood floors, big windows, open floor plan. We knew it needed a lot of work, but we felt up to the task. After a painful escrow period with incompetent mortgage brokers, the house was finally ours and the beginning of June.
The day we received the keys, we went over to the house and began knocking out walls. Since then, the house has been a bustle of activity: painting, tiling, drywalling, demolition, etc.
Here is the current state of affairs:

The master bathroom is about 1/2 way finished. Jeremy gutted it, put in a new tile shower (thanks to the help of cousin Ryan's tiling expertise) fixed all the plumbing and is now moving on to the floor. Once the floor gets layed, he will grout everything and then install the toilet, sink, and vanity. So hopefully in a few weeks we will have a fully-functional bathroom.

The entire house is almost completely painted. My dedicated step-mom has been super-painter and has helped me everyday to get the painting done. I never want to see another piece of blue tape in my life.... The ceilings in the house are vaulted, with exposed beams. We had to tape off every single beam and paint them individually. It took forever!! But the paint looks really beautiful.

The kitchen was completely gutted, down to the studs. Jeremy and I redid all the plumbing. I think I might change careers, I am quite the skilled plumber! This past week Jeremy, Wes, and Tim hung new insulation and drywall. We plan to have the walls tape and textured, and painted by the end of the week so the cabinets can go in Monday!! Woo-hoo!!

I am finishing up a stretch of 6 days at work and can't wait to get back to the house. I will add pictures when I get back to Redding.

As a side note, we said good-bye to Jon and Jenn this weekend and are still grieving over the thought of them living 3000 miles away. We will think of you often, miss you like crazy, and count the days until you move back!! We are praying that your journey is safe. We love you!