Getting ready for Christmas includes a new nursery..

Still in the final stages of completing the nursery, the bulk of the work is done. We've been so blessed to get alot of hand-me-downs (and new stuff - thanks Moms!) - note all the bags stuffed in the corner!

The house now (inside) . . .

and inside, the kitchen window and wall were removed to make way for patio doors, 12x12 deck onto the back, new switched-light and 3 exterior outlets.

In the basement, fuse panel is replaced with breakers, new electrical circuits, all basement plumbing re-done, wire new basement lighting, insulated basement foundation walls, install water softener, new sump pump, water meter, water heater replaced with a direct-vent model (which doesn't use a flue, so we can tear down the chimney), furnace replaced with hi-efficiency, central air and new heating infrastructure to the top half of the house thru the space where the chimney used to be (there were no heat vents upstairs before; only grated-holes in the floor to let the heat 'percolate' up!

The main floor bathroom vent was spitting the air to..nowhere! (it was blowing into the attic insulation! Had the pleasure of carving a hole thru the wall & venting outside.

The house now . . .

Outside: Roof replaced, side concrete steps jack-hammered out, front porch removed and replaced, new steps up the front lawn with new 40 ft. interlocking-block retaining wall. A trench approx. 2 ft.deep x 1 ft. wide & 120 ft. long contains new landscape drainage system. 6 weeks in the making. Yard re-landscaped with 5 cubic yards of topsoil, 4 yards of crushed rock (for drainage), 60 rolls of sod, 2.5 yards of mulch, and alot of donated perennials.

Upside-down kitty-head!

JD is in her glory . . . or a deep sleep..

It's getting close . . .

Connie in her 31st week . . .

Our first ultrasound pics & video!

The house then . . .

Well, we've been in our house just over a year now, and it's hard to believe how much it's changed (and how far it still has to go!). We've had a lot of help from family in help & direction.

When we moved in, the house had been vacant for a while, and before that was home to 5 cats who (according to neighbors)never went outside. There was cat urine/feces in every room of the house.

First step once we moved in was to tear up 1000 sf of carpet (cut into rolls and put out at the curb stretched 30ft long x 2ft high), lay baking soda, fungicide and seal all with shellac. Then the whole house was painted 3x (1 primer, 2 coats). Add carpet thruout, change the lights, wallpaper borders, window dressings, tear out the chimney by hand, and things really start to take shape.

Welcome to the new home!

Friday, Oct. 7/05 - we took possession . . . lot's of potential..and weeds!

Dead Blog

Don't know what happened to our other blog - Chris'n'Connie but there's nothing there & it won't re-publish.

Oh well, here goes again ;-)