House Update 8

I am glad to announce that the work is complete. The windows are in. The walls are repaired. The kitchen looks like new... as does the bath. The walls are painted, and the floors are finished. The furniture is even back in place.

I appreciate your prayers and encouraging words. It has been quite an undertaking and has required hard work on the part of Michael, myself and several others who have helped us. The fruit of that labor is beautiful, and I look forward to sharing pictures soon... but first, I must unpack.

I have not posted any in the past two weeks... even to leave prayer requests/updates. This was because I did not have internet access at home due to the renovation process. I am back online and ready to write. So for the first post in quite some time, allow me to share...

Ten Things I Learned While Remodeling My House

10. Rent the floor sander with the bagging system. Unless you enjoy cleaning dust off everything you own... including the house itself, it is worth the extra cost... seriously!

9. When re-doing every room in your house at once, rent a storage facility and move all belongings to it until the work is complete. Playing musical chairs and boxes and tables and... okay, you get the point... gets old really fast.

8. Don't re-do every room in your house at once if at all possible. You'll save yourself many gray hairs.

7. Magic Erasers are the greatest invention of the 21st Century. I know we still have over 90 years to go but I'm calling it now. They erase all your splatters and mess-ups. If only they could resize windows....

6. Don't try to order replacement windows yourself. Let a professional do it. I'm convinced the good folks in the window industry use a different measuring tool than the rest of us.

5. Glidden's "Barrister White" paint and Wal Marts' Color Place "Country White" paint are basically the same color. You'll understand this one better as I post pictures later in the week.

4. I can live without the internet for two weeks... though it was a close one, folks.

3. If you don't know, don't be afraid to ask the guys at Home Depot. You really can do it, and they really can help.

2. There is never enough painter's tape.

1. For every house is built by some man, but he who built all things is God. Heb. 3:4