Kitchen Remodel: Reveal!

After four years in this house, we finally saved enough to tackle the kitchen remodel!  When we first moved in, the kitchen looked like this:

I think God was trying to teach me a lesson in patience and perfectionism by giving me white floors in a house in the country with 5 kids!

Also, we didn’t eat in the “dining” area of the house, because it was carpeted!  One of our first major projects was to put in luxury vinyl plank flooring (“dirt” brown color!).

When we put in the flooring, we lifted the island completely out of the kitchen so we could have the flooring go under the island, knowing we hoped to change the footprint of the island in the future.  We also moved the island out toward the living area of the kitchen, giving the kitchen more work space and a more open feel.

Then, the kitchen looked like this:  The countertops were baby blue, the cabinets were a very worn white paint, and the drawers were so stiff to open that the fronts were coming off from all of the pulling.

In October, we began the process of taking out the existing cabinets and countertops, removing the soffit on the ceiling to open up the space, and do some much-needed electrical and plumbing updates.

After several months of work, the remodel is finally complete!  The last pieces were finished just after my foot surgery in early January.

Are you ready for the “after” pictures? I can’t wait to show them to you, because I can hardly believe this is the same house!  I absolutely love how it all came together, and I am one very happy mama.

Ready?…..

 

Ta Da!

Taking out the ceiling soffit and lowering the island to countertop level really opened up the space.  My entire ceiling feels higher!

Yes, there are TWO dishwashers! It’s amazing how much easier it is to clean up, when there is room for everything to go in the dishwasher – even big stuff!

My dad is still finishing up the custom inserts for my baking drawers, and then I will show you the “inside tour” of the storage and functional features that I love.

 

Many thanks to my incredible husband. 

(I love you even more than I love my new kitchen!)

 

 

Credits:

Custom cherry cabinets by Systematic Wood Designs, Walla Walla

Cambria quartz countertops in “Berwyn,” installed through the Costco countertop program

General Contractor: Sutherland Enterprises

Backsplash tile work: Doug Huenergardt, Floor 2 Ceiling Contracting, LLC

 

 

 

And the winner is….

Several months ago, Micah started writing an essay for a contest hosted by the American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program.  He doesn’t think that writing is his strong suit (he’d rather do math or science any day!), but he worked hard on the essay, spending 15-20 minutes or more on it each school day for a couple months.

His hard work paid off, and his essay was chosen as the First Place winner in his age category!  Here are some excerpts from the email correspondence we received from the director:

Congratulations! I am pleased and honored to inform you that, after reading over 600 essays in both categories, we have awarded your exceptional essay entitled “My Brother, Matthew” with first place in Category 1 of our 2017 pro-life essay contest!

…Micah, thank you for your enthusiasm and passion for protecting the least of these in our society! We are all very proud of your dedication to life and pray that God continues to bless you as you stand for His precious children, giving you courage, strength, and joy as you influence your generation to stand for life!

 And later, she wrote:

We were all so touched by Micah’s essay. Not only was it very well written, but he really has a great understanding of Christ’s teaching about the least of these. There were so many wonderful essays but his really stood out for many reasons. 

Thank you for all you and your family do to promote the Gospel of Life!

The very first thing Micah wanted to do with his prize money was to buy a gift for Matthew.  After that, he plans to give to the Church, buy a lego set for himself, then save the rest for college.  We are so very proud of him, his achievements, and the incredible young man he is becoming.

To read his prize-winning essay, visit:  www.prolifeessay.com

Back on my feet … er, foot

My recovery from the tarsal nerve release surgery has continued to go very smoothly.  I was happy to trade in the big, bulky splint for a “stylish and festive” cast.  🙂  Believe it or not, the cast, because it is so much lighter and smaller, is more comfortable than the splint.

The intense surgical pain only lasted a couple weeks, and then I was able to be up and around.  My “hands-free crutch” has let me do a lot.  I can walk (like a pirate… arrgh!), but I can use my hands while I’m off my foot – an incredible help!  It also let me navigate tight spaces and toy mine-fields better than I can on my scooter.  I have been very grateful for the assistance of this fancy piece of hardware.

The cast will come off on Friday, and I will move to a walking boot and be able to start walking a little bit. I will also start physical therapy again, and hopefully be walking all over the place before too long!

We had a wonderful Christmas at home with family, and celebrated Nathan’s 4th birthday today.  Enjoy the photos!