October 13, 2015

What it Became ~ Part Two

The process of transforming our home progressed slowly.
The initial phase involved the main living areas and created so much mess.
We tried our best to stay on top of things and keep a semblance of order.
However, chaos seemed to rule the day for the better part of eighteen months.

We did much of the work ourselves and contracted
out what we were unable to do on our own.
Through it all, my Dad was a huge blessing to us.  He has contributed
so much of his time and talents over the years to help us get to where we are today.

We really had no idea what the scope of the project was when we began.
At some points, it seemed as though we were in over our heads.
Sink or swim was our motto.  We did our best to swim.


Remember when I mentioned the suite was separated from us by a wall?
The photo above shows that wall coming down.  See the mess beyond?
It got worse before it got better.


The sewer pipe had to be laid in the trench that spanned the full depth
of our home from the front all the way through to the back.
Earth from under our foundation was dug up to allow for the proper slope
needed for flow.  All we had to work with was a one percent grade.


This was a slightly stressful time for my Sweetie and me.
We thrive on things being orderly and clean.  We don't like mess.
Our renovations most definitely were of the extra messy sort.


Here's my Dad graciously rebuilding stairs to my specifications.
A few things were done by trial and error and this was one of those.
He kept coming back to lend a hand and lead the way.
We are forever grateful.  Thanks, Dad.  :)


We tried to make the most of things and carried on as best we could.
The children were so adaptable.  Not much seemed to phase them.
Business-as-usual-with-more-dirt-than-normal was their motto.
What a blessing they were and are to us!


The neighbours had to endure looking at our mess from the outside.
I don't recall any of them complaining about it.  What a mercy!
Thankfully, not ALL the dirt came into the house.  Sometimes it felt like it would.
There is always something to be grateful for, isn't there?


In the photo below, the trench is visible from the side of our home.
The boys' bedroom window is directly above the sewer pipe at the bottom right.
This area posed a great challenge as it was previously a carport and
there was a cement retaining wall as well as stairs to be contended with.

It was so difficult to know what to do with this area
when it came time to put it all back together.


Howie rebuilt the wall from the inside and all the dirt was
removed down to the foundation on the exterior of the wall.
Then, everything was sealed back up and proper drainage was installed.

All that cement was not going anywhere, however!
We knew we didn't want to cover it all up with dirt and pavement.
The photo below shows some of the cement that had to be dealt with.


Here's how we fixed it!  We had a deck built over it all.
Ahhh....it was beginning to feel so much better.
As our home is approached from the front, the cement is no longer visible.


And, in the midst of it all, the babies continued to grow.
So much of Emma's second year of life is a blur to me.
It was such a busy time.  We sought to balance it all.

Did we do it perfectly?  No.

However, the Lord saw us through.
We are eternally grateful to Him for His grace and strength.
Truly, it is a moment by moment thing at times.


More to come....ready or not!
It's a bit of a saga, isn't it?
Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**For other posts in this series, click here for the introduction,
here for part one, here for part three, here for part four,
 here for part five, and here for the conclusion.

10 comments:

Nikki said...

You write so well. :) Enjoying your home adventure so much! It is a fun to see all that you have done to make it home!!

Jill said...

We've been through renovations like these as well... stressfull but always worth the end results :-) Isn't it neat to look back over it?

Blessings,
Jill

Ann at eightacresofeden said...

I'm catching up with your renovation stories Camille. 12 years and we are still not finished with the work that needed to fix this 'fixer - upper' which was a hotch potch of windows and doors, some aluminium and others timber. I can remember the time when the extension was built and concrete slabs needed to be removed. The dust was dreadful! At the moment my husband is building me a 'she-shed' which is meant to be for all the props for our business and house a dresser of china, then someone gave us a pool table and guess where it ended up! He's added a deck to the shed and garden beds which have been claimed by the farmgirl who went out and bought herself some rose bushes! In the midst of it all I've realized my husband thrives on this - making us a home so I have learned to be patient and accept that visits to the hardware store will be an ongoing part of our lives!

Patty said...

A big undertaking for sure! We remodeled the first house we bought. Most of the work was cosmetic but still took a loooong time. Our youngest was about six months old when we started. I can relate to where you are coming from!

I am typing this as I hold a sleeping baby! Time goes by!

Unknown said...

What amazing memories! Loved seeing the photos and how you are documenting this time in your life! ♥

Farming On Faith said...

Hello Camille~
SO happy things are coming together. Those big jobs are stressful~ but so worth it.
Have a blessed day.

Camille said...

Nikki ~ Awww...thank you, my friend! You bless my heart...you know that? Hugs to you! :)

Jill ~ I am SO glad to be looking back on it rather that be IN it! I am sure you understand those sentiments having been through it yourself! Hugs. :)

Ann ~ What a blessing to have a husband who is willing to make your house a home alongside you! How fun that you are getting a space made up for all your *gear* and supplies. You are blessed! Hugs to you. :)

Patty ~ Ah, yes....the time surely does fly by! Isn't it crazy to think back on those things we did when our children were babies? Enjoy those grandbabies...what a sweet blessing! Hugs. :)

Jenny ~ It's something I have wanted to do for a very long time. Crazy to think that it's been more than ten years since we did these renovations. How good the Lord is to us! Hugs to you. :)

Carrie ~ You are right...it was a very stressful time. I am so thankful that those days are behind us! God is so very good to us, isn't He? Hugs! :)

With love,
Camille

Wanting What I Have said...

Hey Camille!! I've just been catching up on your blog and I LOOOOVE seeing pics of the remodel/renovation-especially of the jack hammering! And I am so encouraged to read your words reminding me of seasons changing...that change happens. You're such a blessing and I'm thankful for you! xo

Pam said...

Wow Camille, you have worked long and hard. It looks wonderful, and I love the deck; great idea. Kids seem to go with the flow of these things very well. Your Dad is very special. Thank the Lord for such Dads. My Dad has always been a wonderful blessing in our lives as well… he wasn't very good at construction, but was always glad to partake in any investments in some of our construction of houses and other projects we had going. I am so thankful to him as well.
Hugs
Pam

Camille said...

Jennifer ~ How lovely it is to see you here my friend. :) I am thankful for YOU, too! XO

Pam ~ Thank you, as always, for your sweet encouragement. You bless my heart. How wonderful it is to have such helpful and supportive Dads...what a blessing! So glad it is your story, too. Hugs! :)

With love,
Camille