Our first major project — hardwood floors!

We knew from the beginning that we would do hardwood floors at some point, and finally decided to go through with it!

Some before and after pictures:

Living Room

Master Bedroom

Hallway

Office

We were given an initial estimate of 3-5 days for installation from the sales person. Amazingly, the installers actually completed it in one day! Due to the dust and smell though, we decided to spend the night at a hotel so that Katie Lynn and Karyn wouldn’t be smelling and breathing the fumes and dust. Who knew we’d find probably the nicest hotel we have ever stayed in (not counting Caesar’s Palace) right here in McKinney!

We decided to put the board right upstairs in the game room.

Started off by putting up mud to make the wall flat, or as flat as possible.

3 coats of magnetic paint…….waiting….waiting…..waiting for it to dry

1 coat of chalk paint, boarders around the sides and it is ready to go!

Just add chalk and kids.

My Dad went and got 8 inch pipping and got it all ready to go.  His vision was to have something that was durable that wouldn’t rust or rot and it could go with us if we ever move.  He also wanted it to be safe and there are no hard corners to hit, nails or screws to rust.  He did a really good job of envisioning a great sandbox that is one of a kind and safe for all.

We  got an early start to our day on Sunday morning.  We first had to get rid of our old sandbox, which was in a lot worse shape than we had realized. 

First we removed all the old sand (which was full of who-knows-what) and then removed the old box.

Ready to go.

Katie Lynn was letting us know that Grams and Granddad had arrived. 

Putting the pipes together. 

Finishing up the new area, it needed to be made a little bit bigger. (I helped with this part, just no photo to prove it)

The boys put the box in place, it fits on the first try!!!

Katie Lynn we eager to try out the new toy, Granddad was ready to build something in the sand with her.

Here is the finished sandbox, Katie Lynn was so excited….as you can see.

Jump ahead to Monday night, Katie Lynn decided the sand was not that bad and that she could play in it.  I am sure she will get to a point were we will have to drag her out of the sandbox.

A big Thank you to my folks for the sandbox!! It will get lots of use over the years and I am sure Katie Lynn will share with Peanut.  Also, a Thank you to Tom for the sand. The sandbox is awesome and I love it!!!

Monica and I have said since the day we moved into this house that we were going to replace the light in Katie Lynn’s bedroom. We found a fan we liked at Home Depot about a month ago and finally bought it yesterday morning.

About 9:30 this morning, I decided to go ahead and get her new fan installed. Should only take about an hour, right?

First step was easy — take down the hideous current light fixture.

Second step — the actual fan installation. This step did not turn out as easy as the first. Installed the base, got the motor’s electrical connected, got the motor installed.. then Monica comes in and looks — it’s not level. Okay, so we talk about it and decide to use the downrod. So I unmount the motor, de-connect the electrical, and uninstall the base. So I go back to the instructions (yes, I read them..) and figure out how to install the fan with the downrod. So back to installing the base, connecting the  electrical, and mounting the motor. 

Yep, you guessed it.. still not level. So I unmount the motor, de-connect the electrical, and uninstall the base — again. Only this time around, I accidentally strip one of the screws. A call to my dad and a pair of pliers later, the stripped screw is out. Turns out that screw somehow got bent as well.

On to Lowe’s. I decided to go to the one that’s little farther away from the house because there’s also a Home Depot right across the street. I find the replacement screws, but decide to double-check with an employee that I have the correct ones since handywork isn’t my forte (as Monica correctly pointed out earlier). The employee says the ones I picked out weren’t the right ones. Got the correct ones, paid, and drove home.

Whew! Caught a break, right? Nope.

Got home, went upstairs, and attempted to start over again for the third time.. except that the screws I just bought didn’t fit. Just my luck. I notice some text on the electrical box where the screws go.. 10-32.. the exact size screw I had originally picked out earlier at Lowe’s. Figures. So back to Lowe’s I go, but this time to the closer location.

Back home again to install the fan.. for the fourth time.

Except that this time.. all goes as it should. Fan correctly installed.. finally.

Before:

Katie Lynn during:

After:

Final tally:

For everything else, there’s a handyman.

Selection & Purchase
Last Sunday, we decided to go to a local baby store to begin the arguments compromise process on choosing a nursery set. We had absolutely no intention on making a purchase, but we did see a couple sets we liked. The salesperson reminded us that most of the baby furniture companies take a month-long hiatus in July/August, so that got us thinking we didn’t have an much time as we initially thought. So after leaving that store, we headed to the closest Babies R Us in Plano.

Once there, we looked around and came across a particular set. Surprisingly, we both liked it. The price tags said “Special!”.. and the prices were definitely appealing. We discuss the set and decide we want to buy it. Instead of buying it at the Plano store, I had the brilliant idea to drive over to the Allen store since it was closer to our house. 

We get to the Allen store and locate the set. Same price tags.. but this time they say “Clearance”. Uh oh. We find the associate to see what the stock is like, and if not in stock, how long it would take to get a set in. Bad news: the warehouse is out of stock and won’t be getting any more in. Good news: they have the crib in stock at the store! No dresser though.. but the Plano store has it. Great.. we were just there!

So we call Kim & Ryan to see if they (and Ryan’s truck) would mind helping us by meeting us at the Allen store, loading up the crib in the truck, drive to the Plano store, load up the dresser, and then drop them both off at our house. 

Oh, did I mention this was all done one hour prior to both stores closing? Simple, right? Luckily, it all went smoothly. Thanks Kim & Ryan!

Assembly
I called my mom and dad to see if they would want to come over today to help put together the furniture. Of course they wouldn’t turn me down.

First task: actually getting the furniture upstairs. The dresser was.. well, let’s just say that was fun. 100lb dresser up a flight of stairs that turns twice. Simple, right? Getting the crib up was a cinch after the dresser!

Now that everything is upstairs and in the nursery, Dad and I set up to put the crib together. Forty-five minutes later and we’re done! Thanks for helping Dad! And thanks Mom for the moral support.

My parents bought me some bulbs for Christmas.  I got them planeted in January and have been hoping they would pop up.  There for a while I thought they were all going to be duds.  About a week ago I noticed that about 5 have popped through.  I am so excited and can’t wait for them to grow tall and bloom. 

Here they are!!! Maybe I can grow something!

My folks came out to help and I am so glad that they did.  The room needed a little more work than I first thought.  Between the primer, the top color and bottom, lots of work. 

Thank you to my folks for making the trip and helping the nursery look fabulous!!!

Room before

Katie Lynn is ready to go!

Primer: check

Daddy and Katie Lynn

My Dad working hard at rolling out the paint

My Mom busy, busy cutting in the edges

The room done

Next: furniture, new light fixture, & baby decoration

it will be there until we figure out something to do.

In the mean time, we decided to spend that money on a new dishwasher.  Our old one was not cleaning things very well at all and we rinsed everything really well.  It had some rust and it was kind of blah for a dishwasher that was only 7 years old.  In our first house, we replaced the dishwasher too for many of the same reasons but it was 20 years old.  I guess that is our thing, replace the dishwasher as our first big fix-er upper. 

The old:

The new:

Finally after 7 months….Tom told me I could buy new sheets and things for Katie Lynn’s room for her crib to match her walls.  Well, nothing has matched, nothing so far…until now. I found a white crib sheet with soft pink dots and they match the room!!! YEA!!  I also found a bumper to match the room as well.  It is a soft pink and really goes well.  Katie Lynn’s room is finally done….:)  Katie Lynn “loves” her new sheets and bumper, snug as a bug. 

She thought we were making her go to bed, she was NOT happy