Thursday, January 31, 2008

The New Floors

This one's for Alisa, because she specifically asked. OK, it's for me, too, because I've been dying to show off my husband's handiwork! I think I'll bore you by walking you through the process:


First we had to pull up the lovely linoleum from the kitchen area and the 40-year-old (I don't really know, but it seemed like it) carpet from the dining area. Both were disgusting! The pad under the carpet was basically disintegrated, leaving big piles of sandy, gritty stuff. It took a lot of sweeping, then scrubbing with soapy water, to get the floors clean and ready to go. There was a second layer of subflooring where the linoleum had been to make the floor even, so that had to be pulled up as well. What we were left with was a smooth, level surface, so we were lucky in that regard.

We were surprised to find hardwood under the linoleum in the entryway. Apparently our entire living room is hardwood, but it's pretty hammered (there are big holes from nailing in the tack strips for the carpet and damage from where the linoleum was) and we actually want carpet in that room, so it will remain hidden.
Never trust the employees at Home Depot. Two different people at different times told me that the flooring we purchased could be clicked together, nailed down, OR glued down. Not so. When we opened the first package and read the instructions for the first time, on the day we were starting the project (maybe we should have done that a long time ago?), we found that the floors need to be glued down. John ran to Home Depot for glue, which is not cheap - the first of many trips to that stupid store over the next week and a half. Did I mention that when we started, bright and early in the morning, we thought we'd be finished by the end of the day - with the entire floor?! The process was very tedious. The glue had to be spread on the floor with a trowel, then the boards were put down, one at a time. They're tongue-and-groove, so they then had to be pounded into each other as tightly as possible, all along the length of each board several times, and at each end. Once in place, we had to tape them with painter's tape to keep them in place while the glue dried. Poor John was hunched over for 10 days. I don't know how he can stand up straight now.
There was a lot of sawing and swearing, as John had to cut pieces to fit around heat registers, corners, etc. And once the floor was done, there was the quarter-round trim to be installed around the bottom of all of the cabinets. And then moldings to be painted and put back up. All of this took an excruciatingly long time. It took us an evening just to finish the trim behind the oven and fridge, so you can imagine how many hours the entire project took. Oh, and I forgot to mention the threshold pieces between the carpet and our entryway, from the bedroom, to the top of the stairs, to the beginning of the hallway......you get the picture. Once it was all finished, we were left with these stunning results:

I am so thrilled! I love the color and the contrast with the white cabinets. Once we get new countertops that are darker, we'll have the perfect balance of light and dark. I am so proud of my husband, for doing such an awesome job at something he's never even tried before. He's such a hard worker! I do have to warn anyone considering wood floors - they'll drive you crazy. The second I finish sweeping and then shining the entire floor on hands and knees (I'm still a little anal about it), I stand up and see bits of fuzz and dust that have fallen while I was working. And every time we drop anything hard, we get a big ding in the floor. I could take you around the room and point out 75 dings and tell you what caused each one. Hopefully I'll relax someday. But I think it's worth the craziness. The glue underneath the floor actually makes for some give when you step, and it doesn't feel cold at all, like tile would. Overall, I love it!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Stormy Weather


I'm weird. Unless this is the first post of mine you've ever read, you already know this to be true. But let me elaborate anyway...

Last night it started to get really windy. It's been pretty cold here, so I was surprised to be standing outside with gusting winds trying to blow me over, but not feeling uncomfortably cold. There was just enough warmth to that wind to make it bearable. Obviously, the warm before the storm. The wind blew all night, and seemed pretty crazy when John left for work this morning at his usual unreasonable hour. However, by the time I dragged myself into the kitchen to make pancakes for the kids (not a normal breakfast in our house, so don't be impressed) it was nice and sunny outside. The sun almost blinded me as I stood at my kitchen counter, flipping pancakes.

In my quest to get my life back on track, I've designated today as a cleaning day. I have a lot of things to catch up on, and I'm sure I'll need at least the entire day. So now, as I play on the internet, wasting the time I should be giving to my house, the weather is getting all-out nuts. When I began this post, I was going to tell you that the sky turned dark gray and the wind is making strange whistling sounds through unidentified places in my house. Now I'm looking out the window at a white sky and tiny snowflakes blowing everywhere.

Anyway, the point of all of this rambling is to say that sometimes I really need the sunshine. But there are days when I know I have nowhere to go and I just love watching a good storm. I guess I'll go open all of my blinds and get cleaning!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

The Good News

It seems only fair after I burdened you with my whininess that I make this post a happy one. Well, that will be pretty easy to do, given the subject matter. Here goes....


After almost a year and a half of trying, we are finally going to have a baby! We found out about 6 days before Christmas, and it was by far our most exciting Christmas present. But I have been apprehensive after the miscarriage in Spokane, and didn't want to tell anyone until we had proof that there's a baby growing in there. On Wednesday I got to take advantage of my husband's profession for the first time (well, besides collecting the paychecks, I mean). I went to the hospital at lunch time, he called ultrasound to let them know we were coming, and we walked right in and had a look at our little fetus.




I did say little. I'm about 9 weeks along, and the baby is due around August 31st. Exciting, huh?

Those of you who know me know what a struggle this has been for us. I realize that my story pales in comparison to some who are unable to conceive, or who try for much longer without success. I have empathy for anyone who has wanted to become pregnant and found it difficult. It is so painful every month. I feel so blessed and we are sooo happy!

Our neighbor, who is in the bishopric, stopped by on Thursday and we shared the news with him. I'm glad that we also told the kids that day, because when I went to church today, I was congratulated by just about everyone. I hadn't even told anyone in primary, and I felt bad. So I apologize to anyone who didn't hear the news straight from me. My intentions were good.

So this helps to explain why it has taken me so long to get over my illness. Now for the morning sickness, which is in full effect.........

Friday, January 25, 2008

Clawing my way back up


* Warning: This post promises to be whiny and not at all uplifting. Read at your own risk! *

I am capable of holding my life together. I can keep my house clean, prepare yummy meals for dinner, be reasonably patient with my children, and treat my husband like he deserves to be treated. But sometimes I fall. I fall hard. And sometimes instead of picking myself up, I lie there, face down. The longer I stay down, the harder it is to pick myself up. And then I start to lose the desire to get up. And then I'm just lying there in a pile. And I start to rot - a stinking pile of self-pity, shame, and self-loathing. And eventually I disappear. But then I realize that I want to reappear. I just don't know how. How do I pick myself up and get back to the life I enjoy and the person my family deserves?

We had a wonderful December. We hung Christmas lights everywhere - outside and inside. We got a real tree and decorated it and the glow of it in the corner of my living room at night lit up the entire month for me. We drank hot chocolate and ate Christmas cookies while we watched beloved Christmas specials on t.v. with the kids in front of a warm fire. We took the kids shopping for each other and then helped them to wrap their gifts. We went to This is the Place Heritage Park as a family and drank hot apple cider, strung popcorn, and saw a live nativity. I vowed to blog about every last thing, but Christmas got closer and I was so busy.

About two weeks before Christmas, I started to get a cold. I hung in there through Christmas (which was wonderful, with lots of tradition and time spent with family) and New Years, which was equally fun. Somewhere in there, the cold turned to a sinus infection, and then back to a terrible cough and cold. It feels like I've gone months without a real voice or the ability to breathe without coughing. And I've spent weeks sleeping on the couch so that I could be upright and have a chance at breathing. (Yes, I warned you that this would be whiny!)

We did a lot this month. We (I should say John, but I did help) installed our new hardwood floors, did more painting, and took the kids to Disneyland for their first time ever, thanks to my sweet mother-in-law. (I plan to write extensive blog posts for all of these things, complete with pictures. Just let me get this negativity out of my system, will ya?)

So I'm getting over my cold, finally! I still cough like I have TB when I come in from the cold, but I can sleep lying down now. I should be so happy! What is my problem?
Am I completely alone in this, or is it a mom thing? Being sick has left me:

  • behind on laundry
  • behind on housework
  • grumpy and impatient with the kids
  • less than friendly with my husband
  • completely unsociable, therefore a terrible friend
  • and devoid of any motivation to change these things.

In my funk, I've cut myself off from everything that could help lift me out - no phone calls, no visits or hanging out with friends or family. No blogging - not even reading my friends' blogs.

But now I'm ready. I am going to get back up, brush myself off, and get my life back on track. Starting today. Give me a day or two and I'll post something bright and happy. I have a lot of catching up to do!

* I would not have opened myself up to scrutiny by writing about this if it weren't for two things - the understanding I know I'll get from my friends, and the anonymity of writing for strangers to read. Thanks for sticking it out through this entire negative post. *