Oh the piles!

The one thing I am most looking forward to once all these renovations are done, is the diminished amounts of piles everywhere! Yesterday, we had to go home (yes that's right, we're still not living at home yet) to find Jonathan's birth certificate (which could have been anywhere because we lost track of it - but that's only because we lost his passport) and it was quite the conquest. Keep in mind this all started around 9 pm - NOT the best time of day! First we looked through the obvious, most accessible piles of paper lying on the counter or table. Next were the bags and boxes of miscellaneous papers and crap that we just shoved in there to get stuff out of the way. Still no birth certificate.... oh! I know! It's in that really big bin of miscellaneous papers and crap that I put by the wall under all those boxes in the middle of the huge pile in our living room..... yeah....
Jonathan was a trouper and found the birth certificate AND put everything back in somewhat of a tidy pile, with only one box collapsing (unfortunately that was the box with all the vases) and a few bags and lamps falling down on him.
I really don't see the end in sight.
I want to have a huge garage sale and sell everything we own so we don't have to see it all piled up in the living room anymore.
I'm feeling very rash these days.

Just keep swimming

This week wasn't such a bad week afterall. I don't know what made it better than last week, but I'm feeling pretty good and quite encouraged. I was able to help Jonathan do drywalling on Wednesday night and now we're ready for grouting. Once that's done and set we can add everything needed to make a bathroom functional! We're hoping to move ahead this weekend and have nothing planned except renovations, which is always an encouragement in itself - time!
We'll see what happens!

I gotta be honest, this is tough!

Getting through the middle of a tough situation is never fun. This is the middle and we're not having fun. It's thick, it's slow going and we can't see the end very well.
As much of a blessing as it is to have my aunt and uncle around and willing to put up with us for way longer than we planned/told them, I am aching to go back home and have life happen at home and do stuff there and be a family in our home.
We also have life on top of renovations that is quite tough too. I have to be honest, as much as I was preaching about having the right perspective, right now is hard to have that. I guess I need to make an extra effort to think about what is good and going well to counter balance what is going wrong. These are the things that pop up every day so quickly and easily that our attitude takes that side just as quickly as they come up. We almost don't even have time to think about the good things!
I'm pretty much fed up and ready for life to resume in a less hectic way.

Back to rubbles and the plastic divider sheet

It has been a while since the last update and that is for 2 reasons. One, because for a while nothing was happening and two, I haven't been on the ball since things got going again.
A little over a week ago, Jonathan took to the second half of the house and gutted it (minus a few walls) and is now rebuilding. He took last week and this week off to work on it. It's been going alright, but probably slower than hoped for.
Philippe and I have been staying at my aunt and uncle's with a few appearings from daddy when time allows.
Last week was really tough on me and I have a looming feeling that this week will be similar. I'm hoping to be back home mid-week, but who knows right?
Right now, our living room has ALL the stuff from our bedrooms and bathroom packed from floor to ceiling, with a little bit of space for our couch and the tv in front of it. But at least our kitchen is there and working like a charm!
What will it look like in the end? A long hallway with rooms off to either side. We're adding a 3rd bedroom, enlarging the main bathroom and re-arranging the setup in the master bedroom to still have a walk-in closet and ensuite, just in different locations.
Philippe's room will remain the same, just a higher ceiling and drywall instead of wall panelling.
The dining room will extend in a bit more than what it is right now and we'll be shifting the door to the porch over more toward the dining room so that it's not in the 3rd bedroom.
Jon's working like a mad man trying to make it liveable so he can have us back at home. I think he's feeling pretty lonely, and I am too. Man, I don't know how people go on with their spouse away for extended periods of time.
The electrical inspection got a pass and now today there is the plumbing inspection and hopefully tomorrow one of many building inspections.
As things progress I think I'll be more motivated to write about it!

Ups and downs

While I'm thrilled with all the improvements happening in the house, I can't help but be distracted with the reality that in selling house comes finding another one. After a crazy Easter weekend at my parents, we got home later on Sunday night and I put Philippe down in his bed. It was the first time that walking in the house felt good and that being home felt good to be home. After that thought was, oh great, now I'm getting attached and I'll have to part with it. What a crazy ride!

Running water and a drain for it to go somewhere

Finally this morning, I turned the tap on in my kitchen and water came out in a glorious way and exited in just the same fashion. I wasn't awake enough to be emotional about it, but it made me very thankful to have a husband who knows how to do that kind of stuff.
As the water was running, Philippe looked up and was like, "I want to see, I want to see!". It was a very momentous occasion, if ever there could be one at 7am.
So the kitchen is now fully functional and it feels good.
We have approximately 2 and a half days to enjoy it before the next area of the house needs work on (but it's the basement bathroom, not quite as crippling to everyday functionnings).
The real challenge will be the second half of the house, since we'll be kind of going back to a confined space (although not to the same extent as before, nothing will be to that extent ever AGAIN!).
So cheers to good work, and off we go again!

Time brings changes

Well quite a bit of time has gone by since the last update. The month of March is a busy time at work, and since Jon and I both work at the same place, we've both been busy!
He's somehow found the time to install hardwood floor in the living to make it a liveable space again, and he's installed the dishwasher. So even without a working sink, the dishes are getting done and I'm really, very relieved about that.
Having the living room back is nicer than I thought it would be. Yesterday, as I was getting supper ready, Philippe went over to his bin of toys and played happily by himself and it was just..... normal. And normal felt really good. It was peaceful and happy. Jon and I both noticed it and commented on it. To have a couch and to be able to sit and look out the window is really nice too. I never really realized how good it is to just sit on something other than a bed. Jon also commented on that. I am realizing so much as we start getting back to a sense of normalcy. How a lot of the stuff we have is for our enjoyment, and how when we enjoy our living environment, it allows for some breathing space and relaxation. But that is still a luxury. I never thought of having a couch as a luxury, or having space as a luxury, but it is. I feel a lot more grateful for the things that we have now, and don't have to look at what's on sale and wish that we could redecorate just to be modern. Not that I really had that tendency before, but once in a while there's the urge to get something newer looking than what you have.
No, now I just feel good sitting on my couch and having space for Philippe to play.