The Final Installment - The Yard and Basement

Here we are, my last post on Oak Ct. 

Let me start with this, I have PTHRS - Post Traumatic House Renovation Syndrome. It's a new DSM classification :) 

As I look through all of these pictures and go through this experience, again, I have realized that I've forgotten a lot about remodeling. 

I forgot how overwhelming it can be to pick out a single faucet from the hundreds of options. Whether we should go with oiled brass, antique brass, brushed nickel, etc. etc. for the door handles, cabinet knobs, light fixtures and it goes on and on. I know, you would think picking out your own vanities and toilets would be amazing - I'm sure there are lots of people who would love the chance to do so but for me, it's been overwhelming. the choices are endless. Also, we have to think about what others would like, what would make the house feel warm and inviting and we must stay within our means (budget). So whether I think potential buyers would like a french door refrigerator or not, doesn't matter if in the end we can't buy floor boards because we ran out of money. We have to make a lot of sensible and wise decisions. Yes to this, no to that, somewhere in between. With two kids running around it can be a bit tricky. The funny thing though is, I forgot about this kind of stress until I entered back in to it. I once heard from a wise woman that God does something incredible in us that makes us forget birthing pains. When we begin to remember, than we no longer want to do it again. I think I'm starting to see the truth to that statement and how it fits in other areas of my life. 

Don't get me wrong, we are blessed. We GET to live in a house! In a beautiful neighborhood of which I adore. I can't believe we get to do this. We get to live here. 

When we went under contract on Oak Ct. and began searching for our next endeavor, I felt the Lord saying, "don't settle for less than what I have for you." I know it came from him because he knows my heart well. I have a tendency to become impatient and move before I've been told to move. I want action - I can't wait. This house that we are working on now is wonderful and much more than we expected to get in such a tough market. So, we are blessed and I'm not taking it for granted. But more of that God boasting story later! 

All of that to say, wow! God did a lot with Oak Ct. He provided in so many ways and really made everything come together. And he made me forget how hard this process was so that we would do it again. In my mind it just means He didn't want us to lose sight of the goals he's put on our heart for our family (to flip a few houses so that we can pay close to nothing on a mortgage and invest our income into sending our boys to a good school). Those goals may change depending on how the next few years go, but he has a purpose and plan for giving us these desires so we'll work hard and see what's possible. 

Here are the last few pictures of Oak Ct. before and after, starting with the basement. 

The basement was "partially finished". It had wood paneling on the walls and fun ceiling panels.

All ripped out... 

Dry wall. 

And paint! 

And here's our office! 

That back wall was destroyed by a leak while we were in Texas, right after we went under contract. Our buyer's inspector is the one who came upon it. Thankfully we think the leak had only taken place over the evening and so much damage wasn't done.... We did have to tear out and rebuild that whole wall though, and a portion of the ceiling. 

My mom made the fun curtains for the windows. I bought a sewing machine just so she could sew when she visited. Aren't I a loving daughter (more like slave driver...)? lol. 

Here was the living area of the basement. 

 

There was a guest bedroom and a utility closet. The pictures of those are on my other computer which is being stored in a box somewhere right now...

Here is what the yard looked like when we moved in. The fence had fallen down on both sides of the house so we fixed what had fallen. The neighbors told us that the former owners wanted to make a driveway that came into the front yard and so they scrapped the yard and tore into the sprinkler system... I have my own thoughts about circular driveways in middle class suburban neighborhoods but I'll save those for now...  

Here are the weeds that we mowed that summer after moving in. Hey, it looked like grass once it was mowed! At least from about 2 feet or more away... 

In the summer or 2011 we began working on the yard. Our friend Chad helped Nathan spread out the new dirt (a semi truck bed full, Nathan could tell you how many yards, I can't.) and build this retaining wall. 

The entry stairs had sunk and cracked so right before we put the house on the market we had new steps put in. 

When our realtor came over she recommended we do something about the bald patch in the front yard. It was really hard to get grass to grow in our yard with the Colorado climate and without a sprinkler system. Nathan and I hand watered everything every other day. Anyways, here is what we did about the grass-less area for "curb appeal". 

When we moved in the back yard was dry but at least it wasn't scrapped which made it easier to work with. I picked a lot of weeds... (Not again, how small Harrison was!)

We loved this deck and got a lot of use out of it! 

See, no fence. The side of the house had a driveway for an RV. Sadly enough we didn't purchase an RV while living there... Though really, to "fit in" in that neighborhood, we should have had at least one... 

We turned the side area in the backyard  into a dog run. We built a fence and used some of the stepping stones that were around the yard into a path. We also collected the barrels from around the yard and repurposed them. 

\

It kind of turned into a "secret garden" feel. I loved it! 

We found some deck paint and repainted the deck as well as bought a new table for the deck and hung some lights. 

This is what the corner of the yard looked like before we cut out the tree. The storage shed in back fell over when you touched it so that went in the dumpster. We realized after cutting down the tree, what it was there for. You could see right into the neighbors back yard... Not great... 

 

With a little pebble and great help from our neighbor who converted a riding lawnmower into a small tractor, we made a play area! 

It's amazing what some pebbles and bark dust can do to a backyard! We put that all in in June and listed the house around July 1st before heading to Texas for a week. I was kind of sad that we didn't get to enjoy the backyard for very long. 

That's Oak Ct. Our first risk. We put a lot of sweat and tears into that home and the hard work paid off.  God provided and blessed us in more ways than we even know and for that we are grateful. 

We hope and pray that the new owners of Oak Ct. will be blessed by that house too! 

Goodnight! 

-Libby

Bedrooms and Living Room

I want to finish showing you all the pictures of our former home so that I can blog about our current project. There is so much to share! 

Here is what the Oak Ct. master bedroom looked like. 

I will never forget this wall! Who paints like that? 

 Here's what it looked like on listing day. 

This was Harrison's room with lovely wall paper. 

We lived without baseboard for almost the whole two years... 

A bed is typically a necessity but for Harrison is was just a vague notion - he preferred to sleep on the floor between his bed and train table. The odd thing is that during this move, he's chosen to now sleep in his bed in the apartment. It's finally getting some  good use! 

I loved this idea from Pinterest and since I'm not really crafty, I asked Nathan to do it for us. It's a large measuring stick where we mark the boys' height every once in a while. It's one of my favorite possessions and I can't wait to start measuring them again.  

And Silas' room. 

We painted it three times! After the first coat of green that I picked was up I literally could taste a sour apple Jolly Rancher. The color had to change right away! 

We settled on a less neon green. 

The picture above the dresser is a prayer my mom cross-stitched for my room when I was little. I now say the prayer to our boys almost every night. It says, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May Angels watch me through the night, and wake me with the morning light." 

And finally the living room!

There's painted white wood panel on the left  of this room and popcorn ceiling with sparkles above. 

I remember telling Nathan that I didn't want to mess with the firpelace. I wanted to leave it be. Next thing I know a Jackhammer had been rented and he was going to town on the bricks. He vetoed my vote... 

Note the laminate that was exposed once the carpet was taken away.

By the way, popcorn ceiling is so easy to remove if you're tossing the carpet that's below it. For those who aren't as fortunate, I'm so sorry! That stuff is horrible! 

We eventually painted those walls Saybrook Sage but the square hole for a fireplace stayed for quite some time. 

Then Nathan started to build. 

And the result was lovely! I'm glad I was vetoed. 

I never knew that my husband was that handy with wood until he built our mantel. I was so impressed and still am! 

This is how our lovely brown stained cabinets turned white - Carissa painted them last Easter! 

Ta da! Beautiful!

Here's our laundry area that leads out to the garage and into the half bath. 

The fully finished living room! 

The art on the wall came from a woman I found online who paints scripture by request. Around the outside of the the picture is Deuteronomy 6:4-9 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." I wanted a piece of art in our home that represented who we were as a family and what our focus would always be on. Our home would always be a sanctuary in the midst of whatever else was going on in the world. A place where our kids would be reminded of Who God is and how much He loves them. 

The artist also painted some images that fit well with the verse like a fence, a path that leads to a sunrise, a heart in a tree (because if we are in His Word we are like trees planted beside water, etc.) 

Looking at these pictures makes me both excited and sad. I miss our home now that we've lived in this apartment for two months but I also know that one day our next home will be a place of peace too. Nathan and I both loved that we got to fully create our home space, almost from scratch. 

It's all worth it once it's complete, it's being in the process that's always the challenge!