What it Became ~ Part Three

While our renovations were going on, we lived life.

Birthdays and days out and Christmas and everyday things kept on happening.
Isn't that just how life is?  Joys and sorrows as well as the crazy and quieter times
all rolled into one?  We had no idea how precious those days were.

All of life is precious.
I never want to forget the truth of that.  Ever.

While we were in the midst of the busyness of it all,
we found ourselves looking forward to the day when it would be behind us.
To the day when at least one room in our home would be complete.
 That day did eventually arrive.  And, we breathed a sigh of relief.

But, joy may be found in the journey.
We were slowly learning to see.  Step by step.

The Lord is so very patient with us, isn't He?
All along life's path, He seeks to teach us.
By His great grace, we learn.  And we move forward with Him.

The photo above was taken from inside the current schoolroom...
looking out toward the basement hallway.
See the closet door and the angled wall beyond it in the hall?
 That was the wall which separated us from our tenants.

It was shown being demolished
in the last post of this series.

This is the view from the basement hallway looking into the school room.
At the time, it was Howie's office.  Click here to see what it looks like now.

This is from the same vantage point, but, with most of its contents removed.
The black stuff on the floor was all that remained of underlay that had
been glued (!) down.  Not what you want to find when the time comes to remove it.

Glued down underlay turned out to be just one of the nasty surprises
we were to find as we progressed through our renovation.

Later, we uncovered more of that dreadful underlay in our upstairs living room
as well as in Emma's bedroom.  It took the two of us all night to scrape it from
the plywood in preparation for new carpeting that was to be installed the next day.

Just some of the rubble.  This was outside our back door.

We didn't have a shed and still don't have a garage.
When the house was in an uproar, some things had to be moved to
the make-shift lean-to Howie had put up just outside our back door.
Many of these things were meant to be indoors.  They didn't mix well with rain.

And, rain it did.

I remember dashing out there one evening to rearrange things as the rain poured down.
At times like those, we either could laugh or cry.  I seem to remember we laughed.
On many other occasions, I cried.  Lest you think we might be super-human.  ;-)

Our aluminum single pane windows were swapped out for vinyl double pane.
Prior to having them installed, we decided to paint the exterior of our home.
Since the windows didn't need to be protected, it was the perfect time to do it.
The two boys across the street were paid to help Howie get 'er done.

While all this was going on, I had the opportunity to take the children
away for a few nights to stay in Howie's sister's home while they were on vacation.
As I drove away, all I could think of was that we'd made a big mistake
on the colour combination we had chosen.

I had spotted this combination on a newly constructed home a few miles away.
It just so *happened* that I stopped by as the painter was working.
He kindly gave me the exact codes needed to copy the colours.
One example of the Lord's many kindesses to us on this journey.

Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  Happens by chance.
After it all came together, we were pleased with the results.

When I drove up the driveway a few days later,
all the windows were in and the exterior painting had been completed.
Unfortunately, the window casings were smaller on the outside
than they were on the inside.  The new windows had space around them
that needed to be filled.

No one had predicted that we would encounter that problem.  It had to be fixed.
We opted to have drywall casings built, which created a lot of dust
and the need to paint every room that was affected.

And that was something we could do.  So, it was what we did.
The renovation continued to morph into a bigger job than we had anticipated.
And, the children continued to grow.

Still more to come....
Many Blessings, Camille

**Previous posts in this series may be found by
clicking here (introduction),
here for part one, here for part two, here for part four,
here for part five, and here (conclusion).

The Quotidian (19. 10. 15)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;

everyday; ordinary; commonplace.

At the end of the road!

Howie told me we had enough.
(I never think we have enough.)

A few minutes later, he loaded up the van with small lengths of cedar.
Because, according to Howie, we never have enough cedar.
(None of those big chunks of wood came home ~ they were fir.
And, according to Howie, we definitely have too much fir!)

Contrary to how it may sound, this was not an argument...
we just happen to disagree when it comes to wood.  ;-)

The unloaders getting a ride.

The supplies.  For this.

Early Morning Rainbow.

Heading out on an overnight business trip.

Happy Monday Y'all!
With Love, Camille 

Downright Scary

I randomly read something on a blog I'd never been to.

What the blog author had written was shocking.  Frightening, actually.

The writer of that post professes to be a Christian and to believe the Bible.

Yet, she flew in its face and tore apart its meaning to serve her own purposes.

She embraces what the Lord abhors.

And, she blatantly declares that we've misinterpreted His Words

for all these years (thousands) and proclaims that now the true light has come.

We cannot cherry-pick and choose the parts we like and leave the rest.

Or, reinterpret the things we find within its pages that don't appeal to us.
It's not godly or forward thinking or progressive at all.

It's downright scary.

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Isaiah 5:20

It's frightening to think that some who call themselves Christians embrace the idea that
we can dictate to God what we know He meant.  Even if it's contrary to all He says.

Scary to consider that this line of thought is even encouraged in some Christian circles.

Sobering to think that more people don't see it as scary.

But, it is.  And, we must be careful what we embrace.

God's Word is not to be tampered with.

We don't pick and choose.  We follow.  Wherever He leads.

And, we obey.  We repent.  We turn.  We look to Him for the next step.

We must do things His way.  Or, we cannot call ourselves His.

It really is as simple as that.  His Word shapes us.

We don't shape it.

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you
an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day;
lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
Hebrews 3:12-13

May the Lord give us discerning hearts and wisdom for this life He calls us to.

It's not all up to us at all.  It's all up to Him.  How wonderful!

We are called to surrender.  Called to submit.

These are truly liberating things.  Freeing things.

And, through it all, we learn more of
Who our Great God really is.

It's only then that can we see who we really are.
And, where we fit into His great plan.

We must hold fast to the Truth.  No matter what.

It's the only way forward.  Absolutely the only way.

"Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me,
and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me,
when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And I will be found of you, saith the Lord..."
Jeremiah 29:12-14a

With Love, Camille

**Photos in this post courtesy of Calvin ~
Thank you my love.  XO

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.

What it Became ~ Part One

The journey with our home began when Howie bought

it without any input from me.  And, without an inspection.

Two strikes against it.  But, we weren't planning on moving in.

The house was to be whipped into shape and sold.  For a profit.

Those were our plans.
And, it really had nothing to do with me.

At least, that's what I thought at the time.  It's obvious how that turned out, isn't it?
My exact words to Howie when he drove me past the house for the first time were;
"Oh, Howie!  We aren't going to LIVE there, are we?".
His answer was an emphatic NO.  I was relieved.

Click here to see some of what I saw.
It was most definitely not love at first sight.

Six months of sprucing up and cleaning took place.
We put the house up for sale and it didn't sell.  We waited.  We prayed.
The Lord softened our hearts and provided a way.  Then, we moved in.

Nothing much was altered after the initial phase of making it our own.

We prepared the nursery for our baby-on-the-way (Austin) by stenciling

teddy bears on the walls and painting the lower half of the room hunter green.
Howie's home office was painted another bold colour and wall-papered.
Curtains were made and hung and deep cleaning was done.

That was about the extent of it.

Tenants moved in beneath us.  A laundry room/shed was shared between us.

The suite was completely separate from our living space.
My Dad had been commissioned by us to put up a wall, among other things.
(On a side note ~ he has been such a help to us over the years.
A huge blessing.  Thank you, Dad!  XO)

Four years later, after our second set of tenants had moved out,
Howie brought his work home and became our basement tenant. 

We occupied the upstairs of the house and kept the suite separate.

It was still our intention to sell.  To move on.
A house with a suite in our area would sell best.
So, we kept it intact.

More babies were born, and, we found ourselves
bursting at the seams.  With only two bedrooms upstairs, and
access to one basement bedroom, we felt pushed to our limits.
The six of us occupied 1100 square feet of our home.

It was snug.  We contemplated selling.
But, our home had problems.

The most pressing concern was the failing septic field.
Four children and all the laundry little ones require had tipped it over the edge.
A second major concern was the improperly closed in (not by us)
carport-turned-bedroom which had water damage and leak issues.

It became abundantly clear that we couldn't sell it in the condition it was in.
Surely, anyone who might have been interested would be put off
by these deficiencies.  Any normal person would run the other way.
So, we ran headlong into renovations that would stretch out
over the following eighteen months and beyond.

Thankfully, we knew someone who could help.
Unfortunately, the only way to hook up to the city sewer was by going
the most direct route.  Through the house from front to back!
That trench was on its way inside.  Not a fun prospect.  

Jack-hammering in the house is not for the faint of heart.  Just to be clear on that point.
We would work into the evenings after the children were in bed.
It has been proven that if they feel secure, they will sleep through almost anything.

That trench went through the boys' room,
under the wall to the laundry room, down the hall,
and through the basement bathroom to the back yard.
It got worse before it got better.  These photos were taken
when this part of the basement was still separated from the upstairs.

Remember my reference to slugs?  And mushrooms?  Inside the house!
They were there due to a hole that was only discovered when the
outside wall was removed.  Former renovations (not ours) gone wrong.
When it rained, I vacuumed.  With a wet/dry Shop Vac.
Often two full barrels of water were sucked out of that carpet.

Prior to the boys moving into that room, we had it fixed.
But, it turned out to just be a Band-Aid solution.
The entire wall had to be removed and rebuilt from the foundation up.

 

This is the corner where the hole to the outdoors was.
At that time, it was Austin's and Calvin's bedroom.
Currently, it's the room that Fraser occupies.

It was deemed the wisest course of action to put these things right.
And, in the process of doing so, we made it our own.

That's when the fun began.  And the grey hair started coming in.
And the sleepless nights returned.  Blood.  Sweat.  Tears.
All while raising up a young family.  At the beginning of this adventure,
the children ranged in age from eight years old down to one.

It nearly finished us off.
We said we would never renovate again.
Never say never, right?  Right.
More to come....

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Click here for the introduction to this series of posts.
Click here for part two, here for part three,
 here for part four, here for part five, and here for the conclusion.

What it Was

Nearly twenty-one years ago, we moved into our home.
Our dream home it wasn't.  In fact, it was never our intention to move in.
Our plan was to flip it after a little sprucing up.
However, the market went flat and the house did not sell.

So, move in we did.

God's plans are always better than ours.
I must admit, though, it took quite some time for us to realise
that this was one of His very good gifts to us.

When we first moved in, the house sported blue carpeting which was
stained pink in places due to the previous owner's dog.
Those stains were everywhere.

The kitchen had brown appliances which we swapped out
for harvest gold hand-me-downs from Howie's parents.  The cupboards were dark brown.
The windows were of the single pane variety complete with brown aluminum frames.

The bathroom featured a yellow sink, toilet, and tub.
The septic field would be stressed to the point of failure in a matter of years.
And, the roof would need replacing.  Twice.
We had a bout of slugs and mushrooms inside a basement bedroom
due to an improperly closed in carport.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but, we felt it wasn't good enough.
Just a stepping stone to something better.
We had no intention of putting any money or much effort into this house.
We lived in it just as it was for about eight years.

Our plan was to sell and move to something better as soon as we could afford it.
Obviously, we thought far too highly of ourselves.
And, we thought far too little of this gift we had been blessed with.

The Lord should have stripped our home off of us and never given us another.
But, He so graciously allowed us to stay.  How thankful we are that He did!
My plan was to document our renovation journey, but, it didn't properly get done.
Until now.  Want to come along for the ride?  There's more to this story.

And, it does have a happy ending.

Do you have a renovation story to share?  Are you in the midst of them?
Or, have you lived through renovations in the past?  Do tell all.
And, if you post about it on your blog...please let us know!

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Photos in this post are from the mid-to-late 1990's.
**Click here for part one, here for part two, here for part three,
here for part four, here for part five, and here for the conclusion in this series.

The Quotidian (5. 10. 15)

Quotidian: daily, usual, or customary;

everyday; ordinary; commonplace.

 

Alive and Well.

The neighbourhood lawn boy.

His feet.

Studying.

Austin's Rose Tree produced approximately 60 blooms this year.

Making one of her own.

My side-kick.

Happy Monday Y'all!

With Love, Camille