This past week.

We managed to get all of us in one Easter picture.  All looking in the same direction.  This is a huge feat people.  

I also weaned this 19 month old baby this week.  I know what you are thinking, "that's not normal."  But I'm here to say that it is very normal at the Baum house.  Macy was weaned at 16 months and my boys at 19 month and they are nothing but perfect gentlemen.  (Ahem.)  I'll admit that this time around I was thinking it was never going to happen.  And my sisters were going to be able to give me crap at every family party until Mikael went to kindergarten.  But we have made it through this week, me and Kaels.  Baby steps.  That's how we do it.

I also had a major urge to spring clean take over this week.  I vacuumed.  I mopped.  I dusted.  I organized.  I washed all the winter wear and put it away.

Then it snowed yesterday.

Hoping that urge strikes me again tomorrow morning.  Either that or a cleaning lady knocks on my door.

Holiday Tour

Holiday Fun 2011

How was my holidays,  you ask?

Eh.  I've had better.

And let's just leave it at that.

Kitchen - Before

Over the holiday break, the original owners and builders of my current residence came for a tour.  Whoa!  I was so excited.  Finally, someone who could appreciate all the work we have done.  I pictured us reminiscing about funny stories that happened at my house, hugging, then promising to have FHE together once a month.  I just knew they would be thrilled to see my sweet, little family here living and working together under the same roof they raised 9 children under.

Kitchen - before

Kitchen - After (not completely done)

Their cabinets had been ripped out, rearranged, and painted.  The linoleum floor had been scrapped up and the concrete stained.  Which can be a confusing concept for some.  I think they were wondering when the flooring was going to be installed.

Kitchen - after

Master bathroom - before

Lights that used to hang in their master bathroom, have been spray painted and given a new life in the office.

office - after with the old vanity lights

The master bathroom was almost unrecognizable to them after the renovation.

Master bath - after (and not complete yet) 

No more carpet in the bathroom.  New vanities, tub, and walk-in shower.

Macy's bedroom vanity - before

And that fancy bedroom vanity upstairs?  Gone.  They were disappointed.  I kind of was too.  It was a battle I lost to Jace....he won a walk-in shower....which I kind of love too.

Macy's vanity - after

Painted furniture and mirror was a poor substitute.

loft - after (furniture less)

They wondered how and why the beams were white.  I think this was the biggest blow.  White beams.

They never got past the beams to tell me how they loved the new light fixture in the loft.

My dining room - a work in progress.  It's really killing me, this room.

Their last comment was, "Well, maybe when you get your artwork on the walls."  Their comments made me chuckle and made me realize just how much more work we have to do.  Seeing my house through eyes that once knew this house in all its glory humbled me a bit.  We probably bit off more than we can chew with this one but this wouldn't be the 1st time the Baums swam in that pool.

I told Jace about the tour later that night in bed.  He asked if I thought they would have been more impressed, had they known our remodeling budget would have fit in Ezra's piggy bank?

I said, "Naw, I don't think so."

Jim....Dixie.....we love you and your old, beloved house.  You are invited back for another tour. 

In 10 years.

;)

 p.s.  Know that it is killing me to post after pictures that aren't quite done or perfect.  One day.

Peace out girl scout

I had a goal this morning when I woke, that I would be done decorating for Christmas today.  I was so tired of looking at all my Christmas boxes stacked in my entry way.  The season is half way over - I'm well aware.  I've had other boxes that had to be dealt with first - like toilet paper and baby clothes from 2001.

This girl scout is happy to report that my entry way is Christmas box free tonight and my lights are plugged in and shining.  I love Christmas.  A part of me is real tempted to  photoshop these pictures.  I could refinish the front door, fix the broken doorbell and broken lights.  Paint.  Ah, if only it was as easy as clicking a button.  With all this remodeling talk, have I told you we haven't even started on the exterior yet?!

Santa,

Will you bring me new windows?  Lots of them.  A new roof?  A stucco crew?

And one of those fancy Shark steam vacuums?

And maybe stuff a new pair of new boots in my stocking?

Along with a legal sleeping pill for my 14 month old?

Am I asking for too much?

I promise to cut down on the swear words this coming year.

Yours truly,

Lindsay

Countdown: Day 9

We have reached a new chapter in our lives.  Pig tails.  I laughed every time I looked at this baby today.  The pig tails just might be the key to a better relationship with this little gal.  Most days I'm not laughing at this child.  She is a difficult one.  If your mother ever told you that you were a difficult baby - go apologize.  Right now.  I mean it.  Jace and I were blessed with a few really sweet, calm, fat babies and then.....Mikael.  She is cute and sometimes sweet but wow, she has changed my life.  I should probably publicly apologize for rolling my eyes (in my mind) whenever another mother said "My baby cries all the time."  Or the popular, "He's teething."  I had not a clue what sleepless nights or a teething baby was until Mikael.

But the pig tails.  They single handedly took down the wall around my heart today.

pig tails after the nap

Ezra told me her pig tails weren't cute just small.

And that sweet 7 year old Noah managed to entertain her upstairs today while I cleaned downstairs at the new Casa.  The entire time.  Huge deal.  In fact I had so much time there today, I started hunting for 2 of the wooden, original chandeliers that came with the house.  I had decided that with a little elbow grease and a coat of shiny green spray paint they would have looked vintage modern instead of hideous/dark 1970's vintage.  Wasn't it such a great, thrifty idea?  Can you just picture them in your mind?  Well, I couldn't find those lights anywhere.

Jace took them to the dump.  Just 3 days ago.  Crimeamny.

My lighting budget just went from sad to depressing.  Tomorrow I'm going to scrounge through the lights that did not make it into Jace's dump trailer to see if I can make anything else work.  That guy.  I'm thinking about gluing a couple pig tails to the top of his head tomorrow.

Countdown: Day 10

The sun is going down and the season is changing.

Moving is like childbirth.  Sometimes the anticipation of it is worse than the actual event. (If you believe in epidurals.)  I have been walking in circles.  Lying awake at night unable to convince my brain that we will be able to survive this.  Again.  There really is no way to prepare for it except to tell yourself -  "The ball is already rolling and there is no way to stop it now.  No turning back. Now breathe.  Breathe."

Childbirth?  Really Lindsay?  Really.  It's a bit dramatic but maybe this time of year when the season is changing I am reminded where I was last year.

Sept. 21, 2010.  Anxiously awaiting Mikael's arrival in a hospital bed.

Giving birth.  And I'm telling you - it feels the same.  Except my hips don't ache when I waddle.

Jace and I met up at the Casa this afternoon.  I followed him around the place with a broom and trash can as he caulked, installed shower trim fixtures, scraped windows, adjusted the new furnace, and set toilets.

On the car ride home I said, "There is no way we are going to make it.  We still have so much to do."

Jace replied, "Funny cuz I was just going to say we got so much done today.  We are so close."

Funny how a husband and wife who are seeing the same thing can have such different perspectives.  

Bit like childbirth, no?

Now a word or two about my last post.

I love Jace.  He works his tail end off for us. 

He bought 2500 pounds of rough lumber from a local sawmill for $19.74.

He was thrilled beyond words.  He told everyone he saw about his purchase.

How could he not build his chicken coop? Right now?

When it was all said and done his coop costs us $9.87.  Or something like that.

I'm thrilled for him.  Well, now that I have had time to think about it - I'm thrilled for him.

And he wins the most handsome soccer coach ever award.

And as for my priorities?

Word on the street is I have been decorating our downtown house for Thanksgiving.

So that I can take it down in 10 days.  Put it in a box.  And hang it back up at the new Casa.

Eh.

An End In Sight

Pardon our absence.  And our photos.  We went to Utah last week.  My hands are constantly busy whether at home or out of state.  All photography responsibilities have fallen upon my 9 year old - we didn't get one photo while in Utah and our house photos have been lacking lately.  We were in Provo for Jace's Aunt Mariann's funeral last week.  I loved this woman dearly.  She was the best Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, ect.  You never heard a negative word come out of her mouth.  I was reminded how I want to be.  When I die, I want people to remember how kind I was, not how skinny I was or how well I decorated (I am neither skinny or a decorator - just in my head but you get where I going with this right?). 

We now have an official move-in date.  Veteran's Day.  Our down-town house sold while we were away and if you were stalking our Bobcat skid steer on ebay, I'm sorry to say it sold last week as well.  Darn it for you guys.  But ya for us!  Maybe we should leave the state more often.  Those Bobcat auction proceeds sure bought some purty wood floor in Salt Lake City.

See that concrete.  I know what you are thinking.  You are thinking, "Man, that is clean concrete."  Yes! Yes it is!  I have been cleaning up concrete for what seems like weeks now.  Jace grinded the top layer of concrete and the whole house was covered in concrete dust.  I swept, vacuumed, rented the "Ninja" machine to wash the floors, vacuumed some more, then mopped 4 times.  My right arm is still numb.

All that hard work is paying off.  Our concrete floors are stained and being prepped for sealer tonight.  Pictures coming soon.  

We are so close.  The end is here.  We have enough time for one more big push.  Any bets we make it to tile?  Or is Lindsay moving in with 1970's linoleum floors in the bathrooms? 

I see it in your eyes

I wish I could tell you this past week was been fantastic.  Or different.  Or productive.  Or something.  But besides a couple hail storms in the afternoons, we are singing the same ol' tune.  Work.  Work.  Work.

Sunday night we saw Jace's parents.  They live in Mexico and farm chili.  Random, I know.  We usually never see them this time of year because they are busy picking chili but on Sunday night we found them on our doorstep with some friends from Mexico.  These friends are peach farmers.  We loaded up all these farmers and took them out to our new Casa.  Jace's parents were impressed with our progress.  The peach farmers on the other hand, were stumped.

The 1st question they asked when they had walked thru was "Why?"

Jace and I glared at these foreigners suspiciously.  Why?  What kind of question was that?

As my Mother-in-law and I discussed paint colors, furniture arrangements, and the how-tos of concrete counter tops, I continued to notice a look of utter confusion on Mrs. Peach farmer's face.  She couldn't figure it.  She did not seem to understand what was going on.

I explained that this was all Jace's idea and I just have to follow him around the country remodeling dump houses because I have too many children that need a father.

And he is good looking.

Cue the crickets.
Awkward silence.

Apparently Peach farmers don't think I'm funny.

Monday night our neighbors came out to the new Casa for a cook out and to see what all this hubbub was about.  They have warned and pleaded with me for months not to take my children away from our friendly street.  I may have even shed a tear or two recently just thinking about moving away from these nice people, so when one of my neighbors stood up tall, looked me right in the eyes at the end of the tour and said, "Lindsay, you're so smart."  I choked on my trail burger.

She explained, "We will miss your kids so much but there is no question your kids will be happier out here.  This is going to be so great for you guys."

I most of the time think that all this moving and child rearing has sucked all intelligence right out my ear.  And I sometimes wonder if I have the wrong house for sale.  This past week especially.  But then all I have to see is that look in someone's eyes that they get it.  They get what all this crying, and moaning, and work is all about.  They have caught the vision of what the house could be.


Oh, and it is going to be great.

This is not my 1st rodeo but you wouldn't know it.

Kiddos at last night's ranch rodeo

Oh, I'm a mess.  I have the attention span of my 11 month old.  I often lose sight of the vision I had for this Spanish style house and constantly second guess my decisions.  A quick trip to the computer to check a bank account turns into an afternoon of scouring house blogs.   I just can't figure it.

Jace has been quoted lately saying things like "this is the last house".  The pressure!  How do you all do it?  I mean, most people purchase house assuming there will be there for awhile and most of you stay there for awhile!  What a concept!

Blame his Father for this outfit: batman shirt, cutoff shorts, 10 gallon hat, and snakeskin boots.

I am shaking in my boots (and the pants I wear with my boots).  This is new territory for the handsome contractor and me.  I have always known that we were never sticking around very long, so go for it - try a little white paint here or this roman shade over here, surely it will all come together.  And it did.   But this time round every decision I make during these next couple months maybe with me for a looongg time.

And here is the rest of my reality:  Jace and I do not own a property with a money tree on it.  I live approx. 200 miles from the nearest Ikea, Target, Home Goods, or fabric store.  Online shopping you say?  Please refer to sentences 2 and 3.  I haven't hired a nanny to watch the children or an interior designer (though dreamed about both).  My house will probably never look like the houses we read about online and in magazines.

And that's ok.

Unless you count Macy, I'm nannyless.

I am officially taking the pressure off.  I liked this house business better when I allowed my self some room for errors and took risks.

This blog just might have officially become another one of those "decorating on a dime/budget" blog.  As if you didn't already have enough of those to read everyday.  But if you want, we can call it:

"The blog of those poor people who live in Po Dunk, AZ, who furniture shop in their Uncle's junk yard and dream of making the neighborhood a purtier place".

Ya.  I think that's got a nice ring to it.

Ye Haw.

Believe It or Not

This is what progress looks like:

We have been working so hard.  We have torn SO much out of the house.  And apparently you have to have money to put stuff back in....so the plan here is this:

1.  Salvage the cabinets (loose sleep over a paint color)

2.  Stain concrete floors (save 1,000s of dollars)

3.  decide to paint the house ourselves (insert Lindsay crying and more mula saved)

4.  Jace begins painting the upstairs on a hot humid Friday 

5.  upstairs paint starts "sweating" 

6.  call and schedule painters for next week

7.  buy Ezra some shoes he'll wear

8.  put toilet paper back in the only working bathroom

And 9. kiss that Jace for being such a hard worker and never being scared of a little (or a lot) of paint

It's going to be great.  This house will be so great for us.  

This is what I repeat to myself many times a day.  We are in the thick of it right now.  The part where we swear to ourselves we will never do this again.