This is after I demo'd the bathroom myself, taking of 1" of concrete and wire behind the tile, taking down a soffit and hauling out half a ton of debris by myself. Very cathartic!
The bathroom just as I had started
After the second round of hazmat demo: the rest of the walls are gone and all ceiling too!
After the first round of hazmat demo.
The fire. The rest of the house was severely impacted by smoke. Yuck.
Yes, it's true! Our house was finished on time and is beautiful! Even better than before the fire since the kitchen and bathrooms are all redone, and everything else is new and repainted. But before the fire we were already house hunting for something a little bigger for when the babies get home, and a more open floor plan so I can cook and still keep an eye out for any chaos. As we were finishing up construction we found a house that we love and with a little tweaking will be fabulous for us all for many years. Our contractors are going to do some work for us in our new house and then we"ll be good to go! Just another project to keep us distracted while on the waitlist -- Sara said to keep busy! We were lucky to get our house in escrow in four days so we're moving again.
To track the last few months here are finally some photos. Although there has been much to be thankful for during this process of rebuilding I must be honest an admit it's been very hard physically, emotionally and spiritually. A fire is devastating. There is no notice and suddenly you are displaced with few belongings, your daily schedule which brings comfort I have found is completely gone. People you don't know are supposed to be cleaning/taking care of your personal possessions and things you hold dear. Quite a few thing have come back chipped or damaged. Some can't be cleaned. Rebuilding, dealing with itemizing every item for the insurance company, jumping through hoops to get money to replace items, and still taking care of everyday things like groceries is exhausting. Living in a hotel or rental with bedding and kitchen tools that aren't yours is a daily reminder of home and your missing comforts. My husband still had his office to go too, our daughter her school, but our home where, as a stay at home Mom, I spent my days was gone. There have been really tough days. I reached exhaustion. Sorry to sound like I'm venting but it is as it is. This is where I am so appreciative of those of you that take the time to share your lives in your blogs. Although I haven't left comments, or got around to listing you on our blogs we follow, after those hard days they have been a great escape, a light at the end of the tunnel and a reminder of what there is to look forward too. Thank you! I big thanks too to friends Sandra and Vicky who are amazing, busy women and have taken the time over the last few months to listen too me when I needed picking up despite all that they have going on in their lives (Vicky whips through moving boxes like no-one I've ever seen!) and my sister and her husband who were here within hours of the fire and showed up when I was desperately in need of help with boxes.
As life is getting easier I'm excited to say that next week I'm going to become an aunt for the first time not through marriage! My sister, Abi, is being induced this time next week! Yay! I can't wait to meet the bump, and think it's so cool that she and Dave picked the same name for him as my daughter would have had if she had been a boy. And without realizing it!!! How cool. The Bean is almost done with school - we are READY for summer! TIME FOR SOME FUN, LAUGHTER, AND RELAXATION.
