Phase 2 of our renovation project is done! Our tankless hot water system was installed earlier today. So out went the forty gallon tank and in the tankless system. It’s great to have an unlimited supply of hot water. Not only that but we can instantly change the temperature. Furthermore, if the hot water is not being used, we don’t have to keep forty gallons of water heated. That’s going to save us money.

Now as a result of the completion of phase 2, we have a new roof, new windows and hot water system. Meanwhile, phase 1 was the renovation of the lower level of the house. Next, its onto the upstairs and the kitchen.

The new windows are in the house! Wow what a difference they make. The house feels so much warmer now that the old metal casement windows are gone. It took them three or four days to replace all of the windows.

The hardest parts were the living room window which was made into a bay window and the downstairs sliding door. The best thing about the bay window is the new view of the backyard we have. Now we can see almost the whole yard. Over the last day, I noticed four bright red male cardinals resting in the bushes. What a sight.

It is finally done. And just in time. Within an hour after Chris and his crew left, the snow started falling upon our new roof. Over the last couple of days, they have been removing the old roof and replacing it with a new one. Since they didn’t want to leave the roof partially done with the bad weather, they would clear a section and then put the new roof on. It was quite an operation to watch. Finally we have some work completed from the Schaumburg HUD grant loan. It has been a long haul with lots of pitfalls to get to this point. Now we need to get the windows and water heater replaced and then the HUD work is completed. After that, onto the upstairs….

Meanwhile only 20 days until we leave for our vacation. Where are we going? If you know us, there is only one place we go… Walt Disney World. This will be our first vacation in over three years. Following the family tradition, Michah will have his first haircut at the Barber shop at the Magic Kingdom. They make such a big deal out of it and we did it for both Meghan and Mathew that we have to do this for Michah. I hope he has enough hair by then.

Wow another week. The floor is completed in the main room. They started tiling the powder room but used the wrong tile! So literally back to square one. Earlier tonight we looked at the small bathroom and noticed the paint is wrong. That means they have switched the paint from the master bedroom and the powder room. When I originally questioned the guys about the bedroom, I was told, the color on the wall never looks exactly like the swatch. I knew better but I accepted their word for it. Now they are just going to have to repaint the two rooms to make Sheryl happy.

I’ve been trying to process work and get a some more jobs processed. It is slow going. Everytime the power tools are turned on, the line voltage drops. I bought a UPS for the computer but the lights and other devices still flicker and it distracts me as I’m trying to work. I just try to remind myself this will all be worth it when it is all done. The work that has been completed so far, is great. I just can’t wait for the rest of it to be finished.

It’s on the floor. It’s on the shelves. The TV screen is full of it. It’s just construction dust and it is everywhere. We’ve turned the furnace to the bare minimum to keep the dust confined as much as possible but somehow it manages to get into every nook. There are days when Paul is working, I look over at him and swear he has just come in from a major snow storm because he has so much dust on him!

Meanwhile, poor Baloo just does not understand what is happening downstairs. There is all of this noise and chaos. It is a good thing he is a mellow Lab. They seem to take all of the noise in stride. The basement is coming along. I’m told it will be another couple of weeks before they are done. They have completed the electrical and the plumbing. They are starting on the floor, painting and trim. Finally, they still have the new master bathroom to construct.

Well the office was not ready for me to move into on Saturday afternoon. There was still some work that needed to be done. I had to wait. As I type this, my office is packed. The only things in the old office are the computer, desk and chair. Everything else is either in the new office or waiting be moved in there.

Once I’m setup in the new office, our renovation project will have reached the first milestone, that is the first functional room. The only thing is that the office was supposed to be one of the rooms that was not moving/changing. I guess that is just the way renovation projects go.

Our downstairs is all torn up and gutted. I sit here in my office with dust swirling around me. Evenings after the kids goto bed is about the only time I have some piece and quiet to be able to work. I’ve been trying to keep things going but I’m constantly interrupted by one contractor or another with a question. I will be so glad when this project is done.

We just realize that original floorplan for the basement had several problems. Most notably were the pipes in the wall that would prevent us from combining the bath room and laundry room into a master bathroom. So we had to stop work while we tried to figure things out. It looks like we have a plan. The entertainment kitchen is out, my office will be moved, the bathroom, becomes a powder room, the shower becomes a closet, the laundry room remains a laundry room and my old office, well it becomes the new master bathroom. Amazing that everything will work out.

At Magical Moments, I shared Kristen and Brad’s wedding. I’ve been so busy with the renovations that I’ve not had time to post photos from their wedding. I’ll see if I can get a minute or two in the next couple of days to post some.