chipping away

In the midst of much on every front, bit by bit, we're continuing to make progress on the house. This is no small way thanks to the many hands that are finding ways to pitch in and lighten our load.

In the early part of last week, there was the big push to get ready for insulation.

you can see the spray foam all throughout, nice and snug and tight!

Then a little more to get ready for drywall, but last Friday Daniel set aside the crazy schedule he was keeping between work and the house project to focus on a big event the next day: my little sister's wedding. A good night's sleep was in order, as he didn't want to lose track of even one tiny and special detail. I spent the day ironing clothes and answering, "Is it time for Liana's wedding?" a million times over with, "No; tomorrow." We were all excited.

And then tomorrow came!

Aubrey, whose dress was the long ivory one, was oh-so-excited to be flower girl. Liana had asked her on Aubrey's birthday, September 13, just three short days following her surgery and when everything was still very much topsy-turvy in Aubrey's little life. Such a special thing to be able to look forward to for a girl who just hurt and ached and wished to be anywhere else but right there in that moment.

She loved it. Memories to last a lifetime, I'm sure!

Liana was, of course, a beautiful bride. I say of course because Liana is just beautiful all the time. I know she's my little sister and I'm partial, but I really think she is. And then Liana with Ben? Even more beautiful!

It was an afternoon wedding followed by an evening reception, and it was candlelight and music and twinkle lights and dancing and everything it should have been.

And her dress was a dream.

Sunday morning, of course, came like a shock to our systems. The 7:15am departure never felt so early! Good thing we all love Sundays!

And when two services were done and we had put some food in our bodies, Daniel headed back to the new house for the next round of work: finishing electrical so that the rest of the drywall could get done, as well as sorting through a bit of a support issue he had uncovered.

Basically, in the very large family room, Daniel had found when pulling down the old ceilings that one of the main beams that spans a large portion of the room was deflecting. He reinforced the joists coming into it and it helped some, but it was still moving. After much deliberation about it, he brought someone in and discussions began about how to remedy it. To make a long story short and skip the parts that made me so sad (because they involved losing almost all of the exposed beams), a solution was found. There are four main posts in the family room/kitchen, three of which are in walls and one of which is an exposed post about 2/3 of the way back in the room. By building some triangular brackets of old wood, the beams and joints can be reinforced while leaving all the old wood exposed.

Daniel demonstrating a possible solution

the finished product: 4 braces added to either side of 2 large beams that look like they've always been there

I am happy and the beam/floor is secure!

And just when the setback of figuring out those supports felt rather overwhelming because of the way they delayed electrical work, among other things, Daniel was rescued by three men, and he didn't even know beforehand that two of them were coming. We feel so blessed.

Honestly, though, even in the midst of minor setbacks, this project has been an incredibly joyous one. There are always things going on in life that are difficult, but there is such a sense in us of this house being a provision and gift from the Lord. At every point when there has been a decision that needed to be made or something that needed to be purchased, God has connected us with the right people in the right timing. We simply haven't had time for things to go really awry-- and they haven't, because whenever the potential for trouble has arisen, the solution and help have been right there, too. It's a testimony that just keeps growing and we can't wait to see how God will use this home to build His kingdom.

(Tangent I've been thinking about: isn't it just amazing that He takes even the very practical things we need-- a roof over our heads-- to birth and cradle ministry of all sorts?! Nothing is wasted with Him.)

Tuesday, the day of come-to-the-rescue sort of help, gave us recessed lights in our kitchen and family room!

And now drywall is going up, which makes all the rooms feel like, well, rooms again.

a panoramic shot of the kitchen and family room, taken from the dining room doorway

Yesterday was the finalization of kitchen stuff. Stain for the wood countertops, confirming layout, picking out the last hardware, looking at a vent fan, choosing a faucet. A cabinet paint color was picked out, and without a color wheel and only online swatches to use as a resource it proved... exciting. I purchased a whole bunch of samples that were technically listed in the "white" family; I beg to differ with whoever made that decision about most all of them! I was looking for an on-the-putty-side-of-off-white for the cabinets. Most all of them were too gray, too green, too brown, too everything!

I went with the top left color, and then promptly agonized for the next two hours (cabinets aren't as easy to change as walls!) until a friend providentially stopped in and told me it's perfect.

Flooring is ordered for the kitchen/family room, which is the one part of the house that doesn't have the original wide plank New England pine, and should be in sometime late next week or early the week after. We were able to get wood from a local source. It's new pine (not old), but it will be in varying widths from 12-18" wide, so it will be perfectly in keeping with the original floors everywhere else. Shiplap for the kitchen walls and all the trim/baseboard has also been ordered and will be in soon. Things are clipping along.

And almost everyday, at least once I get a text reminder from Daniel: This is going to be a wonderful home.

We are thankful and excited. God is a refuge for all who seek Him. He provides abundantly. The house feels like a tangible expression of a new season God is bringing us into. We're praying we'll be faithful, by His grace, to Him in it all.