Projects and Catchphrases

We are home early on Sunday, and so super ecstatic. Why? We are finished hanging drywall!

DONE!

This is awesome, because we can see the floors again. And we can't see any insulation OR studs in the walls. It looks like a real house now! My favorite transformation is the kitchen.

Before and Now

The weird slanted wall is gone, we'll get to raise the cabinets, the bar looks awesome, and we have enough outlets now. We also took out all of the back splash above those cabinets, so that we can continue it throughout the kitchen. If having the drywall up makes me this excited, I can't imagine what painting will do. 

The other exciting project was the pocket door that we put in the foyer closet. Phillip came to help us with this, thank goodness. It was awfully confusing. The first time, we put it in upside down.

. 

Oops.

There's a sticker on one of those boards. We just thought that the people at the pocket door factory put it on upside down. We laughed at ourselves for a bit, took the whole thing out, and put it back...rightside up.

It really works!

So, the week has been productive. One thing that I've noticed through this entire process, is that as we work on these projects, we start to use the same phrases over and over. I wanted to make a glossary of these phrases and their meanings, because they make me laugh. Here it is:

Alright, alright! means "We're going to get started now," use in the morning or when you just arrive.

Aaaalriiiight similar to the above, means "This step is complete, moving on to the next one."

Let's do something, even if it's wrong. means "We've been talking about this for ten minutes. Let's just do it." Use after taking a break.

Boy, you are just like lightening! Never hit the same place twice. A classic Phillip phrase to use when someone is using a hammer.

Slow down, gunpowder! also a classic Phillip phrase for when someone is moving too fast, or is in a hurry for no reason.

That's good and straight. means "That's not straight. At all."

This is going to be fun. means "This is going to be really difficult," or "I don't have any idea how to start this."

You going to measure that, or were you just going to guess? use when someone is skipping an obvious step.

You sure you have enough screws in that? use when someone put in way too many screws in a something. Example below.

That'll hold it. Probably.

One more phrase we use ALL the time (and it's kind of my favorite):

How awesome will this be when we're done?! means exactly what it sounds like. Use when you feel especially proud, or just need a reminder that it's all worth it.

The Best Spring Break I've Ever Had

I'm 27 years old, so I've had approximately 22 spring breaks in my lifetime. This, by far, has been the most eventful, rewarding, and exciting. Here are the details.

It started with a great visit home. I haven't been to my hometown since Christmas, so it was really nice to visit everyone at home and spend a wonderful Easter Sunday with family. We got to celebrate a dear friend's birthday and spend some quality time with people we love. When we came back to Louisville, we found a good surprise:

Had no idea this was happening...Cody's family is awfully sneaky!

This adorable setup came in handy this week, since we decided to spend four nights camping out at the house. With my spring break and Cody's vacation days, we were able to have some extra time at the house. We packed work clothes, an air mattress, and a cooler full of essentials (water, iced coffee, lunch meat, and beer), and started our Spring Break '15 adventure.

Height of Luxury, right?

With all of the electric work (see earlier post), we needed to put some things back together. As much fun as tearing down walls is (see even earlier post), putting them back up is just as satisfying. To see things come together is the best feeling. For example, ceilings are a good thing to have. I think most people would agree. We're all pro-ceilings, yes?

Before and after. We love ceilings! (And door headers. Those are nice too.)

So, in the middle of hanging all this drywall, Cody decided that he wanted to build a swing. I wasn't sure why he thought this was the time to do that. But, we put it together, albeit the confusing directions that came with it.

What? Why? HOW?

I spent two hours trying to pronounce "GJKI," so that I could refer to that bag. 

"No, that part is in the "jeck-ey" bag!" I think I said that a couple times during the process.

Little did I know that Cody had ulterior motives. 

The next day, we hung drywall, put up the swing, cleaned, and marveled at the fact that the place was starting to look like a house. I can't believe how many walls we have now!

"Walls are good to have!" - My Dad.

We continued to live out of our cooler and ate Lunchables for dinner. After working at summer camps and public schools, I've been super nostalgic for Lunchables for a while now.

Fine dining - cold pizza never tasted so good!

I wasn't expecting it, at all. I was expecting to finish our pizza Lunchables, chill for a bit, and then get back to work on the drywall. But, sitting on the newly hung front porch swing, Cody got down to one knee and asked me to marry him.

When I took this picture, I had no idea.

Honestly, I was just proud of putting the swing together.

I understood why he was so adamant on putting that swing together. I understood why he wanted to hang the swing before hanging all of the drywall. I understood why he went to his truck for a head lamp and came back empty-handed. I understood why I was so giddy to say, "yes," to the person that I had spent two years loving.

He proposed to me with my Nanny's ring. It was sneaky and sweet and so perfect. I can't imagine a better way to start our lives together. Some would scoff at the fact that I was wearing old blue jeans, work boots, and covered in drywall dust. Maybe some people wouldn't want to hang drywall and eat Lunchables on the night they get engaged. I'm not those people. This was perfect.

I think Nanny would have been proud of the work that we have done on this house. She cared for so many people: children, grandchildren, Papaw. I've inherited so much of her. I've been told that I walk like her, that I am frugal like her, and that I have the personality. I love that. I love that I have part of her in me. I love that I have some piece of her with me forever. I love that the night we were putting up the walls of our home, he decided to frame up our life. I love that the man that I love entirely gave me her ring. 

I love him.

I love that we will have a home we built, a ton of memories to share, and a swing to prove it.

We will build our home, our life, and our love. 

I think Nanny would be proud.