Addition Update #3

Living through a home renovation is not easy or for the faint of heart.

Renovating your home, running a side business, homeschooling and getting ready to have a baby is just plain crazy, but somehow we lived to tell about it.

When we began our addition I knew it would be difficult but I don't think I realized how difficult it would be compiled with everything else we were going through. But because we had been waiting so long for this to happen, we were so excited to get started! 

What I do know is that all the waiting, difficulties, setbacks, discomforts and a million trips to Home Depot were all totally worth it. 

I had planned on posting a lot more updates but as things got crazier and crazier, I found myself just trying to survive and everything else got pushed to the wayside. 

If you have read the previous addition posts here, here and here and my birth story; you know that I was praying that God would work a miracle by our house getting done before I had our 6th baby.

Well a miracle did indeed happen!

My husband, our amazing contractor and his team busted it out in record time! 

All in the same week we moved back into our house( after being at my husband's parents for over two weeks), got all our appliances, light fixtures and plumbing installed, floors finished, bedroom and kitchen painted and had a baby!

While I was in the hospital, Josh was able to go home and switch our bed into our new bedroom, get us a new mattress, put in base boards and hang curtains and blinds! Not only that but a sweet friend of ours who owns a cleaning company came and cleaned the house before I came home from the hospital. What a blessing! 

I had our sweet baby girl on the 22nd of December and was able to come home on Christmas Eve! It was truly a memorable Christmas!

I love, love, love our new space! 

I can't stop saying how much I love everything. 

Not only did we go  from a 776 sq. ft. home to a 1180 ft. home, but we also have all new appliances, our own bathroom and a beautiful deck and walk way to the garage(where I do my laundry.) 

I feel so spoiled! 

One benefit of waiting for so long to get a bigger house is that you truly appreciate every little detail and amenity that you have had to learn to live without.

Living in our little home with 7 people has definitely inspired me in my desire to be faithful with the little and I pray that by God's grace I will continue to do so in our bigger space with 8 people now.

There are still a ton of projects to be done and I hope to show you the before and afters, and details of the renovation as time allows.

Painting our new bedroom.

Josh installed, sanded, stained and polyurethaned all of our hardwood floors himself! It was truly a labor of love and one of the most grueling jobs of the renovation!

The state of the house when we moved back in.

Our beautiful new floors and dining area, which used to be our kitchen.

Our new farmhouse sink getting ready to be installed.

Hallway off the kitchen to our new bedroom.

New wood counter tops.

Our big new pantry!

How the back of the house and yard has looked for the past couple of months.

Kitchen plumbing being installed!

Cleaning and trying to get things somewhat put back together.

Installing hardware.

Josh installed the tile for my backsplash all by himself and did a great job for his first time.

Painting the dining area.

A ministry from our church called men of arms spent two Saturdays installing the rest of the siding and putting in our deck! Such a great practical ministry!

The kids got right to work sweeping the deck and playing on it! I can't wait to sit out here in the morning, reading my Bible and drinking coffee and having friends and family over for cookouts!!

The kids new favorite place to be is on the floor in front of our french doors that lead out to the backyard.

Life is still pretty crazy around here as we try to settle back into our new norm, with our new baby and new addition.

It's been about 4 months since we got started on this project and we are just now finishing up this week. It has been a whirlwind for sure and it's hard to believe that this space was so much smaller.

Now that all the hard stuff is mostly done, I am excited to get started on all the other projects that need to be done that we can take our time with. Looking back there are a few things I wish I had done differently( like pick paint, hardware and fixtures out ahead of time) but because of our time crunch, had to make a quick decision on the spot. But of course I couldn't be happier and more thankful for all that he has accomplished in such a short time!

Though it wasn't easy living through construction with 5 kids and being pregnant, I didn't have to do any of the hard work. I am so proud of my husband who worked so hard to make this all possible for us. You can be sure there was a lot of sweat, blood (literally), and tears shed through this whole process.

I don't think the reality has really sunk in yet that this is our new home! I keep having to pinch myself!

I can't wait to show our completed rooms and projects soon!

Linking up here!