::june::

June has been a great month!  With graduation from practitioner school done I studied like a lunatic and managed to squeak by and pass my boards.  This means that I am a certified Family Nurse Practitioner and it means that I am ready to get my ass to work!  Last week I had my first week in my new job, but it was just hospital wide orientation.  Which is not directly as bad as water torture boarding but is in the same wheel house.  I have attention issues on a good day but sitting in meetings all day makes me really glad I chose to move my career toward being a NP instead of going into management.  Monday I start my real orientation in the office and I can’t wait to start taking care of pregnant addicts.  I have so much passion for this job that I feel like I might explode.  I am personally trying to reset my brain from “high alert” to “relaxed and collected”.    

Our house renovation is trucking along.  Slower then I really want, but that’s just because my expectations are based on HGTV renovation shows and my brain always being on high speed.  I’m still actively in love with my builders.  They have taken such good care of me.  They do a wonderful job with my crazy and they handle Josh’s actual concerns really well. 

Here is an update on what has happened in the last month around our little homestead.  This may get long so forgive my rambling. 

Exterior:

All the exterior brick and siding has been removed.  Most of the windows have been replaced, but a few were in good enough shape to survive and help save our budget.  All new doors have arrived and been placed.  I tortured my designer by making her show with 600 different exterior doors till we finally found the right doors in the right budget.  I love them, so it all worked out.  A side porch was removed and the concrete from that porch taken out.  Some of the backing board ended up being able to stay, insulation was added to walls, and the house has been wrapped.  All new attic insulation goes in next week.  Two layers of old roof (metal and shingles) have been ripped off for the new roof, which should go on this week.  Board and batten siding is coming up soon and I can’t wait to see it.  My favorite part has been that they have started on the front porch.  The second I saw this house she begged for her front door back and she needed a front porch.  Our early plans had wrap around porches but, even though the curb appeal of those would have been awesome, I’m glad to not have them blocking the natural light into the windows.  And the symmetry of this house makes my OCD heart sing.  The front of this place is perfectly symmetrical and looks so cute.  It’s not a big house, but it is cute as can be. 

Interior:

So much has happened on the inside that this place is not recognizable.  All the rooms have been framed.  Rough plumbing is done, and I have lots of pity for that guy because that crawl space was rough.  Rough electrical is done.  Kitchen, mud room and guest/girls bath layout have been updated.  Every time we have to alter a plan I already love, I end up loving the new plan even more.  Our house is over 100 years old, it has been built with hand cut logs in many areas.  It isn’t plumb or square anywhere.  It waves and rolls.  Once the walls where roughed in we had to make some changes to work with the structure of the house that could not be altered.  Our contractor told me the other day that our house was 10 years away from just needing to be bulldozed.  When he said that I wanted to run up and hug our little house.  It made me so happy that we got to her before she couldn’t be saved.  I love this little house so much.  The new kitchen plan makes for an island that is over 6 feet by 4 feet.  We got a vaulted ceiling that we didn’t know would be possible.  The pantry is huge, and the windows to the back yard are gigantic.  I couldn’t be happier with the final layout.    

Out Buildings: 

 Josh has worked is tail off refinishing the show area.  He has painted every inch of it a few times.  The ceiling has been redone and insulated.  He gave up one room of his shop to be my studio.  It has the best light in the entire place and I am so excited to make it my own little space.  We are close to being ready to post our before and after pictures of the shop area.  We are ready to put concrete in the part of the barn we are converting into a garage.  We had our first little get together to practice for my huge 40^th birthday graduation house warming celebration.  Our party barn area is very fun and going to be great for entertaining.  We plan to get that garage concrete and a new dog area done in the next few weeks. 

Our rental house is on the market.  We are on borrowed time with that situation.  We have been promised that our house will be ready for move in August 1^st.  These next five weeks should go lightening fast for that to happen.  Fingers crossed.