2010's Big Goal

I am behind on my New Years post but better late than never.

This year my big focus is my house. We have outgrown our current house but it requires so much works still before we are ever going to be able to sell it. Each year we say "this year we are going to put siding on the house" and it doesn't happen. First we waited for the roof to be done and now it is just the expenditure of siding a house.

There are several big items that must be done to finish this house:

• Siding (really needed as parts of the wood on the exterior is now rotten)
• The upstairs bathroom (it is a shell with no walls or anything). We have items for the bathroom purchased now we just need to get cracking.
• The downstairs bathroom will require a redo after the upstairs one is functional.
• The kitchen looks like it fell out of the 80's. I painted cabinets and my dad installed a new counter top (all free) when we moved in but we need all new.
• New front door that will be relocated to the concrete porch. This is a must as the porch was added onto and poorly built and really in bad condition. If the door is moved we can remove the old porch and just use the concrete porch.
  

We also have a lot of little things to do:

• I want to add a deck out back
• Add a privacy fence on the side
• Trim needs to be finish everywhere
  
• Lights need to be installed
• Boys closet need shelves and hanging system installed
  

Funny thing is a lot of these things will not cost us anything as we bought materials to do long ago and just haven't done them yet. The siding, deck and kitchen will be our biggest expenses.

Looking at my list I am getting a touch sad because I don't know how all this can happen in a year. My husband does a lot of the work but he can be so slow. Many of the small things I am going to save up money and bring someone in and have them done. We also agreed to pay to have the siding done but I am sure when we get quotes my husband is going say I can do this for half. Yes, he can do it for a lot less money but it will take forever and sometimes we just have to make sacrifices.

I can remember buying this house so excited with the potential it had. I had great visions for this home. Had no idea when I bought this bank repossessed house that it would be such a headache. I also didn't expect to out grow this home in such a short time.

All I can say is I will never own a 100 year old home again. I will not pick a home that is one giant project. The extent of the work in my next home will be nothing more than the paint colors on the walls.

Have you undergone these types of home improvement projects? Are you a DIYer or do you hire it done?

He Turned Seven

Happy New Year!

I really thought things were going to slow down but my entire holiday break was crazy. Way to many commitments that I will not do next year for my break.

My beautiful Luke turned 7 on December 30th. Hard to believe he is now 7 years old. Time goes by way to fast.

Seems like yesterday he was this little thing....

And in a blink he has grown into my big boy.
We had a small birthday celebration at home with us and grandma's and grandpa's and a couple cousins. This provided me with an opportunity to make a trial cake. Luke wanted a Star Wars character and he picked Jango Fett (don't feel bad I don't have a clue either). My husband does not like Fondant so I used icing. Made my own and colored it blue and it was a night mare. First little kids and blue icing is not a good choice. Second I just couldn't get it to spread correctly on my cake that I carved and shaped into a lego character.

Here is the result of my not so pretty cake.
We also planned on Saturday after the New Year a party with Luke's friends at a local bowling ally. The kids had a blast! This was my chance to redeem myself on the birthday cake and Luke changed characters on me to Boba Fett (son of Jango Fett). Good news he isn't blue. This time I used fondant because I was not making an ugly cake twice. Turned out really cool and I got lots of great comments.

Here is the result of my second cake.
Let me just say I live for the comments especially after slaving over that cake for hours on end. I am not a pro at cake decorating but I expect perfection so this causes me hours of work as I do and redo things. This cake I started decorating Friday night around 8:30, went to bed at 12:30, got up at 8:30 and finished at 11:50 just as it is time to walk out the door for the party.