Moving Along....

April 30, 2012- Progress is happening, but slower than I would like. What has happened since we last touched base:

Old floor was tore up and revealed rotten part of the floor. I cut out the bad spot and patched it up with new plywood.

I tore out the toilet and vanity and that let me get rid of all the scrap material in a couple days. Full demo only took about a week total. I ordered a Waste Management Bagster. All flooring, walls, vanity, toilet, sink, shower, tub, etc. fit in the bag. I filled it. They picked it up. Awesome product. Saved me a few trips to the local dump or filling my garbage can for the next 2 months.

So now that the floor and room is cleared, I started to lay in the next layer of flooring. I needed to add a 1/2" plywood to support my tile floor. Thanks to Kate for helping me with the flooring!

More progress made today and last weekend. Look for those updates later this week!

Why Is Destroying Stuff so Fun??

April, 2012- Let the demolition begin! I started tearing into my upstairs bathroom last week. Didn't take long to have it down to the studs and floor. Thanks to my trusty Sawzall and some pent up aggression, the bathroom came apart quite nicely. Minor setbacks along the way are to be expected, but so far, all is off to a great start. Below are some pictures of the demo and current state.

Plumbing out. Ready to Destroy it!

Sawzall makes it easy! And quite enjoyable, but watch out for that electrical...

Getting there.....

Oops.... Seems we have an issue here.

Time to cut out some floor and patch it up.

Electric and plumbing are going in today. Tile arrives next week. This thing is moving! Check back for more updates soon.

Fourth Annual Holiday Blog is HERE!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. As I sit back and look back on the past year that is a blur, I can only smile as I think about the blessings this year bestowed on me. I have again been blessed with a new edition to the family, Gwyneth. To say she is one of the best babies I have ever seen would be an understatement. She is my kind of gal. Stay quiet, whine a little if you are hungry, and sleep whenever you feel like it! We get along just fine me and Gwyn.

This year was another one for some fun trips. I started out 2011 in Rome with Katie and Kelly. Had a wonderful 2 weeks in Europe to start the year. I returned to take on a new role at work. I have never been so challenged, frustrated or proud of the work I have done. I guess that’s really all one can ask for. I am truly blessed by the talent I am surrounded with and am thankful the opportunities they have afforded me. But we all know work is just work and life is the bigger picture.

I was fortunate to get to see my California family earlier this year. The boys are growing so fast. I surprised them with a visit and loved their faces when they realized Aunt Beth was there. I miss them and hope their family has a tremendous Holiday season as well.

This fall I had one of the most enjoyable weekends that I’ve had in a long time. Sara was inducted into the UW-Eau Claire athletic hall of fame. I was so proud of her. But the best part of the weekend was having our immediate family together. I cannot remember the last time it was just 5 of us. It was such a treat to simply make fun of each other, laugh and love all weekend. Truly blessed.

For the end of the year, I had one more big trip planned. Mom and I had talked a few years ago about doing a trip to London one day. This year we made it happen. Over Thanksgiving we spent 10 days in London, Paris and Scotland. It was an amazing trip. Mom and I are awesome travel companions and the places we saw were truly spectacular. I had never been to Scotland and already have the bug to go back someday. Thanks mom for taking the time and travelling with me, could not have had a better way to wrap up the year.

Along with an amazing family, I am blessed with some pretty amazing friends. This year I got to see Emily, Lars and meet Kaia. I always have the great friends who are close to home who keep me sane most of the year. I cannot thank all of them enough for what they add to my life.
So as I look back at 2011, I can only sit and smile with contentment. Life is good. My wish for all of you is that yours is the same. I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas season with your friends and family. 2012 will be a new adventure, and I welcome it with open arms.
Love to all.
Beth