Some More 'Before & After' pics...

The work on the house is coming along...Here are a few pics:

Having Josh back home sure has been a big help!

 

We told him way ahead of time that he had quite a bit of work to accomplish to help us to get the house ready to go!

 

 

 

The fire place mantle was probably the best part of the house, but there was shelving all over the woodwork...

 

We think it turned out great and we love the wood mantle!

 

The kitchen has been one of the biggest tasks yet...You see my Craigslist stainless sink with Moen faucet that I was getting ready to install...

But we are in love with the near-finished product!  Our stainless steel appliances are wonderful. We found the stove & microwave on Craigslist and the fridge on Clearance!  We also splurged a bit with the "Ball Jar" Chandelier installed over the island!

 

The dining room was pretty straight forward...not to much major work here...

I used the wainscoting not only for 'look' but also to reinforce the walls.  The inline chandelier was a great Craigslist find at $15 !!!

 

We completed the laminate flooring and I am glad that job is done.  It looks so good when you are able to get paint on the walls and flooring on the ground.

 

We will post some more pictures soon...

A long week...

Last Tuesday, we officially closed on our mobile home that we so sweetly nicknamed, "The Dump"! 

We are so excited to have a place to call 'home' and to know that we can put our own touches on the house as we begin the renovation/reconstruction process.  Hopefully we can be in by Christmas!

After we closed on the property, our realtor gave us a 'house warming' gift...and she knew just what to get us.  A bucket, sponges, and a smoke detector!!!

 

Kami, Elisabeth, Brenna and I began working from the moment we closed on the house.  After 4 days, Kami and Beth went back to Fort Myers to be with the younger three.  Brenna and I stayed behind to continue working.

One of the main problems we began to tackle was that of the mold and mildew.  We began to scrub and tear stuff out that was un-repairable.  Beth was supposed to stay with dad and work on the house but her allergies could not handle the mold, so she switched places with Brenna and went back to Fort Myers to help momma finish packing...and to get some allergy relief!

 

The only major setback was that the A/C and Furnace were 24 years old and were in too bad a shape to try to fix.  So we had to get a new system put in.  But we praise the Lord that it was put in the very next day from when the A/C service guy gave us the bad news.  Let's just say that this took a big bite out of our budget!

 

Here are a few before, during and after pics:

The kitchen was a complete mess with mold & mildew everywhere.  Not to mention the broken plumbing and a lot of rotten wood from many a water leaks...

But we can begin to see it coming together...with a lot of sore muscles!  Kami and the girls get the credit for the cabinet makeover and also the counter-top restoration.  They did a great job!

It is beginning to look (& smell) so much better.  We still have to paint over the ugly wallpaper but we are saving that for last.

 

The rats had a wonderful nest under this vanity and let's just say that the toilet was left completely full just for us!  I'm just glad we finally got it to flush.  Maybe I should have tackled the kitchen cabinets and left the bathroom for Kami and the girls!

 

But there's nothing like a new toilet!!!...a clean, never used toilet!   The new flooring and new vanity made a huge difference and we redid the plumbing and sealed up the holes to keep the rats and mice out.  The color looks purple but it is actually blue.

The master bedroom was not too bad...

 

...mainly just some rotten flooring and a rotten wall due to water damage.

 

But with the new floor, some wainscoting, a little drywall mud, and fresh paint...the master bedroom is looking great!

 

 

It has been very cold here, 34 degrees this morning!  So Brenna and I have the fireplace burning bright!  We can't wait to get finished and to get back to Fort Myers to rent a U-Haul and move our family 'home'.  Home for the Holidays is our battle cry!

 

We will post more pictures soon...Thank you to all of you who have prayed for us on this journey!

 

 

This-n-that

We had a great Thanksgiving day with family and a wonderful meal!  Not to mention that my Eagles beat the Cowboys (or shall I say), "Whooped"!  Kami posted plenty of pics on her blog at www.adayinthelifeofamissionarywife.blogspot.com.

We leave today to drive to High Springs.  We will close on the house tomorrow and start the renovation work!

Joshua flies back 'home' on December 13th!  He flies into Gainesville and he will immediately be put to work with house renovations!  If only he were coming in sooner!

5 people accepted Christ yesterday at our home church in the AM services!  One visiting man came forward to get his life put back on track and another man handed our preacher a check for $10,000 for missions!  What a great day and we give all of the praise to a great God!

Please pray for our safety traveling and for the closing on our new-to-us home!

Pictures of our hopefully 'future house'...

Here are the pictures of our future home (as long as we close on December 2nd) that I promised would come...did I tell you that I love construction work?

It's a beautiful 5 acres!

The house is structurally sound...just needing some TLC!

The kitchen has some issues and mold growing on the cabinets...but nothing we can't take care of with a little scrubbing and paint.

 

A missing kitchen sink...but we already purchased a used one from craigslist...don't you just love craigslist!!!

 

When I mentioned to my father-in-law that someone stole the water heater, he replied, "Well, at least you know that the water heater was working!" ...makes me wonder why the a/c unit was left behind!

 

The mantel for the fireplace looks great!

There are some holes in the walls...

...and some ceiling issues...

...a rotten corner in the master bedroom...but nothing a quick repair won't take care of.

But over all, the house is in very good shape!

This is an office/school area that we were not expecting until we entered the house...this will be a great area to have!...oh, Kami just said that it is her sewing room...hhmmm...we'll see!

Our kids will have a great time on adventures as they play out in the yard!  I can also see us having church cook-outs and camping nights and fellowships at our 'hopefully' new home!