Renovation Decisions

It's starting!   Bill asked me to decide what I must keep out of the kitchen in order to survive cooking in the RV.  We start demolition of the kitchen this week!  One of my goals is to document the transformation.  We decided on the following over the last month ...

713 Fireside

• Cabinets
• Carpenter: Scott Smoak out of Walterboro will build our cabinets
• Style: Shaker flat panel with solid drawer
• Wood: Maple
• Stain: Fireside is the name from Gemini
• Layout: Only 4 lower doors and lower cabinet bases will be 28 inches deep
• Flooring
• Living, Dining, Kitchen, Hall & Study: Oak flooring with variable plank sizes to incorporate what we already have and adding in larger plank size
• Stain: Fireside which when on the Oak will be about 1 shade darker
• Appliances
• Cook top: Gas from Kenmore with 5 burners in black on black
• Wall Oven: 30 inch electric Kenmore brand in black on black
• Wall Microwave/Convention Oven combo: Kenmore brand in black on black
• Dishwasher:  GE 24 inch black on black with utensil drawer in the door
• All purchased through a wonderful program offered by my employer for all employees.  The program is a benefit and allows us to purchase these items at a lower cost through Sears Commercial Sales.  Thank you HP!
• Refrigerator:  We will keep our current ones with one in the house and one in the laundry room.

We start renovations with the contractor's crew as soon as next week but could be up to two weeks away depending on his schedule.  I will be taking the Before pics this week and posting them soon so check back often as we move forward!

We're Back, Moved and NOT settled!

It has been a long 6 months with more major decisions than I can count, two major moves and one large remodel looming.  I am finally ready to start blogging again.  I will not promise how many posts I will do per week, but I am willing to commit that it won't be six months between posts again.
Just a few of the major decisions we have made:

• Move to Hampton (Bill's hometown) or back to Oklahoma:  Hampton won (biggest impact - moving 18 hours from the best friends in the world)
• Homeschool or Private School:  Homeschool won, were we ever in doubt? (more on that in the coming weeks!)
• Remodel inherited house or build a new house: Remodel won due to finances!
• Puppy or no Puppy:  puppy Chasseur (Chase for short), a Brittany, joined us two weeks ago and an American Water Spaniel will join us within the year more than likely
• RV or Fifth Wheel:  RV won and we love it (more great posts coming on that in the coming weeks too!)

Two major moves:

• Our move from Aiken to Hampton happened in late February.  We moved into the house which is still known as Grandmama's house. It was his Grandmother's house and it is a 1950's floorplan with small cut up rooms. 
• In mid-March, we took our RV to Oklahoma to spend six weeks packing my Dad up (over 40 years of stuff) to move him back to Hampton with us.  He now lives in a small trailer about 50 yards behind our house.  Jea and Grandpa are great buds and I am so very thankful that she will have great memories later in life.

One large remodel looming:

As mentioned above, the house is a 1950's floorplan.  It has a large formal living room which by Bill's own admission, he was never allowed in as child.   The kitchen is cut off from every other room and has an island in the middle of it.  Sounds great doesn't it?  Well, not so much, the island is directly in front of a doorway and even with a combined 400lbs+ loss, Bill and I still have to turn sideways to access the doorway.

We will be taking out 4 walls, replacing them with 4 columns with header beams in between them.  Literally, one will be able to walk in door and see from the living room tv to the window over the sink!   I cannot wait.  We also have to patch in hardwood floors for areas where the walls are being moved as well as where carpet is being removed in a hallway.  Then we will refinish the floor to a darker stain than the current golden honey color!

This is all scheduled to start in mid-July.


Well I think I am done for now.  Stay tuned for more updates as the new chapter in our lives begins!

Reflecting on the Move

We have now been in South Carolina for 5 months.  We are finally settling in and our daughter has a routine. As mentioned in a previous  post, we have had to adjust bedtime routine.

However, this post is more about adjusting to new circumstances and less time as a family.  So it's all about making the most of the time we have together.  Before making this move, Jea only went to Mother's Day Out preschool twice a week for a total of 12 hours.  Now she goes to preschool or Mother's Day Out at least 4 days a week for anywhere from 6 hours to 10 hours a day.  This has left less time with mommy and daddy overall.

Here are some of the things we have incorporated over the summer to help us acheive "quality" time with Jea.

• Instituted family game night twice a month.   This can be as simple as sitting down to a game of Old Maid, Chums, playing Wii or other computer game, CandyLand or putting together puzzles.    
• Take time each day and evening to read to each other. 
• Take time to go do somthing as a family each weekend.  This can be as simple as grocery shopping and then to the park or out to Langley Pond for some fishing. 
• Mommy and me and/or Daddy and me time for Jea.
• Mommy and Jea have dance class and a treat afterwards.
• Daddy and Jea have working outside on the boat or in the yard.
• And just for us adults, once a month Date Night.

We are trying to institute more and more things to do as a family.  Feel free to comment if you have some great ideas too!