The Basement is Finshed!

That's right, it's done! This almost-two-year project and all of the hours of hard work by my father and Darling Daddy [and sometimes me] have finally come to an end. An end to the work, but just the beginning to many of my 'mom dreams' coming true. More space! Play dates! Camp outs! Sleepovers! The possibilities abound!

Most of you know how excited I have been about this project and how much space it is adding to our current living space. 400 square feet to be exact. That may not sound like much, but when you're adding it to your current living space of 990 square feet, it makes a big difference! A huge difference! A life changing difference. Ok, maybe not too life changing, but making everyday life in this house nicer for sure.

The day the carpeting was being installed was a day I had dreamed about for so long. Sooooo long. And then sadly, on that happiest of happy days, I was in bed feeling absolutely horrible because I'd been hit with the stomach bug. [Just another way God was trying to teach me some patience, I'm sure!] But, that was about a month ago. Now that a month has passed, we've been filling up the room and enjoying it as much as we can.

So, I know most of you don't really care about what I have to  say about the project. You just want to see pictures. I'm going to give you pictures. Before, during and after pictures. Lots of them. So get ready!

What the basement looked like when we bought the house 5 years ago!

After a little bit of framing by my AWESOME dad...

And some drywall, mudding and primer...

 

The area under the stairs, which used to house only the hot water heater.

Now being turned into a storage closet.

And a laundry room.

The 25 year old washer and dryer that came with the house have since been replaced [but to be honest I wish we had NEVER replaced that amazing beast of a washer... the new one just can't compete]

 

This shelf at the bottom of the stairs [on left] was my 'pantry' for a while.

Until we took it down and started work. Notice the open stairs. My dad took those all apart and leveled and rebuilt them when we were in Maine for Thanksgiving week in 2013.

Dad built the railing and attached it to the new wall and stairs.

The wall enclosing the stairs had to be added, as well as the railing.

 

This is the best picture that I have of the back corner of the basement. The sliding door is to the right.

Dad working. See how happy he was to do it?!?! [Bet he's even happier now that it's done!]

And this Darling Daddy is the happiest of all - he had just finished painting the entire room when I took this picture! Happy Valentine's Day to me! 

The most empty the room will ever be. On the day of the carpeting.

  

A big pipe runs across the entire front wall of the house. In order to utilize as much space as possible, we chose to have some built in shelves above the pipe.

 

The water main is also right in the front corner of the house. To protect this and also utilize some space, we had a closet built around it. We are able to store a giant window unit air conditioner in there, as well as hang snowsuits and winter jackets.

 

Darling Daddy hard at mudding. You can see the shelves and closet on their way.

This picture was taken on the first kid-free weekend this house (or us for that matter) had EVER had. My AMAZING parents took the kids for an ENTIRE weekend (Friday night to Sunday night!) so we could get lots of work done. And we did! [As well as going out on a date!]  The stairway wall is behind us.

 

Wall in progress...

Almost there...

Finished!

Ok, so now that you've seen all of the before and work-in-progress pictures, I'll share the good stuff. 

My 'closet' at the top of the stairs right off the kitchen. We make the most out of the space we have.

Looking down the stairs into the basement. 

First look as you come down the stairs.

The spacious playroom and workout area. Hooray! [Note: No, I have never tried to run on the treadmill while the kids are playing. And I can guess that it will never happen. Ever. I'm lucky if I can fold a basket of laundry when they're around. Very much attention-seeking kids :)]

My favorite organization parts!

Looking into the room from the sliding door that leads out to the patio. 

Measuring heights and displaying art work. The storage/laundry closet is behind this wall. 

My toy organization dreams came true! 

And the last look at the bottom of the stairs.

Whew! Feels good to actually get this written and posted within the first month of having it done! 

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of my dad and Darling Daddy, we have an awesome addition to our home! 

Full hands Full heart

I gave hugs and kisses to comfort painful ear cries shortly after midnight.

I slept through my workout alarm.

Coffee was consumed.

I vacuumed and swept floors before 8:00 this morning.

Toilets and sinks were cleaned.

Laundry was in the washing machine.

Chicken was thrown into the slow cooker for dinner.

My kids made huge messes this morning.

I drank coffee and planned activities with friends. 

We made a trip to the doctors office for a confirmed ear infection. 

We bought lunch on the fly at the grocery store.

We waited over an hour and a half for our antibiotics at the pharmacy. 

My kids ate squeezeable chocolate yogurt tubes, fruit & veggie squeeze packs, cereal bars & gold fish for lunch. 

(Not the finest lunch I've fed them...)

We wasted time at the playground.

I screamed at the top of my lungs at a child running farther and farther away from me after a balloon and towards the road.

We cuddled.

We read stories.

They napped. 

I cleaned the house again.

And you know what? I wouldn't trade this day for anything. Nothing. This is what it's about. These crazy days are what being a mom is all about. Despite all of these trials, I love it. 

And it forces me to rely on God more and more. He will see me through this. He has a purpose for all of this. He loves me and my children no matter what he brings our way or puts us through.

My hands may be quite full at times, but my heart is also full. It's overflowing. Days like today remind me of the overflowing love. 

And I'll do it again tomorrow.

Has spring sprung?

It's been a while since I last posted! So sorry! I know some of my family and friends who are far away have been wondering what we've been up to since  I've also been on a Facebook break for Lent. Well, here you go!

We had a bout with the stomach bug (who hasn't this winter?!) right after I last posted and then lingering gut irritation for weeks after. Not feeling completely normal and having two littles to take care of makes for some interesting days, but we've been getting by. And yes, I did go to the doctor about the lingering gut issues and he said it's just one of those bugs that's taking a long time to fully work itself out. Time & probiotics should do the trick. And this warm fresh, spring air can't hurt, right?! 

First things first, our basement is finished!!! Here's a sneak peek at my most favorite part - the toy storage. It is now out of my living room and has a home! I plan on doing a full post soon with before and after pictures of the project, so stay tuned for that :)

Curly Girl had her 4 year checkup and no surprise that she's in the 98% for height and 97% for weight. She grows like a weed and has a very healthy appetite for all things. She really loves fruits & vegetables.

Ginger Boy finally let us turn his car seat around. We started asking him after he turned 2 if he wanted to, but he was reluctant. Now he loves being able to see all of the "frucks" everywhere we go :)

Curly Girl decided that she likes to take showers by herself now! And life just got easier for all of us. 

We've had some creative painting days. They're few & far between because they can (and do) get quite messy, but the kids love them!

New dry erase markers and mom leaving the room for two minutes to go potty? Let's turn ourselves into tigers! Cute Tigers for sure, but not exactly what I had in mind for the markers. I don't think it'll happen again though because as soon as I told Curly Girl it could give her a rash all over her face, she scrubbed that marker off her face pretty furiously with a baby wipe ;)

Took Curly Girl to see her first movie in the movie theater. She had been begging to go to the movies and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Her favorite part? The 10 minute Frozen mini movie at the beginning. Of course. 

This is a sight I am totally not ready for... Luckily we've got 12 years before it really happens. This was just one of the ways we passed the 2.5 hour service appointment for my car. Always a good time! 

Bikes & hopscotch. We have been waiting a LONG time for these things! Spring really does seem to be springing! 

We've been talking about the letter I lately, so we did some letter I crafts. We did some fun Ice cube paintings, which the kids loved! We also made some igloos and ice skates. And of course, can't leave out the ice cream! 

Tea parties are happening more frequently these days. With real tea nonetheless! Chamomile of course. It's so nice to have a little play space where we can just play and not feel cramped or like we're getting into other things we shouldn't be. 

Turned around at a red light while driving yesterday and catch this. I love the way they're just so nonchalant about it. I truly love watching their love for one another develop. 

Dyeing Easter eggs this morning with my biggest little bunny. Ginger boy was having a "two year old morning" and refused to help. He of course changed his mind after his nap this afternoon. Sorry bud, too late! 

And then this happened this morning!!! First time out with the stroller in over 3 months! And also one of the handful, literally handful, of times I've run in the past 3 months... The winter break from pretty much all exercise has been nice, but now with this warmer weather it's time to get back at it. This run, be it only 2.5 miles, seriously made me feel great. It changed my outlook and mood on life lately. Spring has sprung! 

And lastly, we've been focusing a lot on the true meaning of Easter over the past couple of weeks. We've been reading stories, coloring and making different crafts to go along with the stories. 

May you all remember the true meaning of Easter this weekend. I'm thankful every day for His sacrifice on the cross and the everlasting life that I can someday have. May you be blessed this Easter!