Where did September go??

This past week we hit the one month mark for owning our home (not living in it the whole time, but owning).  It seems like we've been here forever and it's flown by all the same!

The babies.

 Upstairs bedroom

 Living room and upstairs bedroom

 Hall and new stairs.  The new stairs are where the bathroom used to be.  You can see the plumbing for the tub on the far right.

 New stairs to basement

 I didn't have a washer and dryer for 11 days.  I had to bust out my maternity underwears, because I had no clean clothes.  I was super grateful to have them back in my life (washer and dryer, not maternity clothes!!)  But I didn't realize where they were going to be set up.

Welcome to "The Dungeon"

 This is what is directly over the washer and dryer.  Yes, that pipe is held together with duct tape, and yes it leaks, and yes it's stinky.

I'm not complaining about having the luxury of a washer and dryer, but I will admit that it scares me to DEATH to do my laundry.  I feel as though a spider will jump out at any moment and eat my arm off.  I'm also super freaked out about the idea of any of our clothes touching the floor.  I've made a mental commitment to throw anything away that drops!  So I'm super careful!

Macey has wanted to do a punch stand all summer.  I wouldn't let her at our rental; I thought it seemed trashy, but now we own the home I don't mind.  So she set up shop last Saturday and LOVED it!  She and Henry drank all of the punch and no one stopped.  Her dad ended up going with a quarter and was her only customer for the day.  Gotta love that dad!

 Why would you ever put this over hard wood floors.  Why why why!

 I've been working like a mad woman to whip the yard into shape.  Here's a few of the things I've removed :)

 I cut out a locust tree with killer spikes and ended up with the tip of one in my knuckle.  I could NOT get it out and when it finally did come out it was a full quarter inch long.  Ouch.

 Thomas and his gigantic 40 cubic yard dumpster.

 It's a lot harder to fill this than you  might imagine.  It took lots of strength and planning to be able to get stuff to the top of the pile.  He's so talented!

 A lady around the corner has a mini horse named Jesse James.  He's SO SO SO cute.  I love him and will own a mini pony one day.

 Macey and the backpack we decorated for her first day at preschool.

 Macey was bribed with a date with her dad if she would spell her name on her own.  She's had the incentive for months now.  The other day she came in with a paper and said, "is this my name" and it was spelled perfectly!  So she went on a date with her dad on Friday to celebrate.

 It's an old school bowling alley and you have to keep score yourself.  I think that was her favorite part!

 The boys and I started on our Christmas shopping while they were out and then caught up with them for a little ride and an ice cream cone!  It was such a welcome break from removing nails from studs.  I think I've pulled 1200 nails in the last week.

Progress on the house seems slow now that we aren't knocking out huge walls all time.  I've decided that we won't ever move in.   It's just a fact, so now I won't be disappointing when it takes 3 years to get half of it done:)  Thomas is working so hard it's just a slow process when life still has to happen.

We are 97% done taking things out.  The carpet is gone and all the ways in phase 1 are out.  I've been cleaning and pulling nails.  Next we will level the floor, put in a beam where we are opening the kitchen and the living room up to each other and start on wiring.

A friend from work (who's wife I adore) offered to help last Saturday afternoon.  It is amazing how much more 2 men can do than one.  Thank you! Thank you!  If anyone has some spare time let us know, I have a little something you can work on!