A new look!!

Okay so a lot of time has gone by, but a lot of work has been done, as you will see... check out the previous pictures to see the difference!!! The island is finished as well, but now is full of things, soooo.... you will have to see the finished product later!!!!

We have Moved!!!

Well we actually moved on the 29th of October, so we have been here for a bit, and more work still needs to be done, but wow what a difference!! I will post pictures tomorrow(after I have cleaned up, and done the dishes in the bathtub, you got it, the bathtub!!!!)

The work continues

We're finding all of this renovating can get discouraging at times but I push that out of my head. I just keep working and eventually the place will be done. The drywall will be getting taped tuesday, so hopefully after a week we'll be ready to prime and paint., and then it's on to flooring and finishing the bathrooms and kitchen. Then hopefully around that time, the new windows will be in...and I can start installing them, and then I can put my new/used furnace in and then

I'll start putting up door jambs and by that time I'll have to blow insulation in the attic and while I'm up there run venting for the bathrooms and then do the trimwork...man do I hate trim and then I'll have to rip out the old tile in the front entryway and redo that and at the same time I may as well do the tiling in the bathroom and then before winter I have to repair the overhang in the back as it's not supported well enough...and I guess I should dig down around the corner of the back of thehouse and fix the leak that we have in our basement...and actually I forgot...part of the chimney has to get rebuilt too because frost is getting in the bricks and blowing them apart...then I have to cut an

access in the garage ceiling so I can get

up and insulate the ceiling in the

entryway....and yeah,...a few other things

before I can finally get to the

basement

Here we go!

Finally some time to put some pictures up of our project. While we knew more or less what we were in for when we bought the house, I think suprises always await once you start ripping into a task like this.
The previous owner was an unqualified do-it yourselfer who, good thing for us...didn't build the house himself. The 3 most major issues with the place are floors, ceilings and windows. Floors and windows, while costly enough are easily replaced. The ceilings were another matter. The house has 4 skylights which all leaked at one point because ...you got it...the owner put them in himself. He even put one right smack dab on top of a truss...you know..those thingys
that hold your roof up. And you can't have a truss in the middle of your skylight of course...so he cut the truss out. Top and bottom...gone. So...I jacked everything up and framed the truss back in around the skylight....which wasn't such a big deal but took up valuable time. Anyways...the skylights were the cause of major water damage to the ceiling drywall so out came the ceilings and all the framing around the skylights. The whole ceiling in the place came down except for the master bedroom...which looking back on it should have come down as well...but its too late for that.
Since your ripping drywall out anyways...it's often convenient to rip
damaged wall board off as well...and
sometimes to take the whole wall out.
This is exactly what happened in our kitchen/dining/living area which is now a nice open concept space. Both bathrooms were gutted and refloored and drywalled. And the bathroom off the master bedroom is converted into a combination walk-in closet and ensuite. A rats nest of electrical and plumbing had to be sorted out and thats all just on the main floor. The basement was rented out as a seperate apartment and while being a nice big high basement....has issues all it's own and won't be gotten to until we're properly moved in, which incidentally needs to happen in three weeks time.

House

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that the house is ours!!!! The realitor and the seller settled their differences... or should I say the realitor gave up some of his commission just so we could get the house!!!! We got the house on Wednesday and so we went to check it out that night, pictures are to come, but we first need to download them onto the computer!!

Mules and Becca

We had a GREAT day with Brian and Rebbecca on monday. Thanks alot guys for coming over...it was awesome to see you both again and also really good to see you so happy together.
Amanda shed many tears as you drove off ( ok maybe i did too )
I'll try to get a couple of the better pictures on here...but there wasn't enough of them. If you have any decent ones...maybe you can send them over so we can post them.

He's definately better dressed...he's even starting to look dutch.

Either that or he's been riding a horse all day.

I'm not sure why this pictures on here....

he's probably getting emotional at leaving.

I've never seen a smile like this before. I think he knows something we don't.

The picture of (almost) perfect satisfaction.

I was pretty sure we bought a house...

Well...we had the house for alittle while. Closing day was yesterday (friday). We were thinking as we walked through the doors of the lawyers office that finally after all of our planning and scrambling to get things together, that we could sign a few papers and pick up our key.
Not so fast...these things were not meant to be. We were informed that the owner felt he didn't get enough money for the house and didn't want the deal to close. I never imagined that this could be possible after both having signed a deal.
I'm thinking this is a humbling reminder for us that our lives are in God's hands and that no matter how hard we plan and work...He will have his way with us.

Update

Well I guess it's time to blog again, things have finally slowed down!
Things are going really well for us, Koopmans. A couple weeks ago Tom and I bought a house and we get in this coming Friday (the 17th). I think we are really looking forward to some privacy and an actual house, not a semi. Well since we bought a new house that means that the semi has to be put up for sale, and guess what? it's not ready for that. So the work begins, Tom was off for a week because of his wrist, so he put up siding, finished decks and did some trim... I do thank him for all his work, he worked hard to get it ready. Well the house is now on the market, and the showings have begun... needless to say I can't wait to have it sell, that way I don't have to make sure it's clean ALL the time... but maybe this is good, it might just start becoming habit!
Well that's all for now, we will add pictures of our new house as soon as we get it. I hope everyone is enjoying there summer, and we hope to come down to St.T, soon!!!
P.S. if anyone has some time off in the near future and likes to help Tom with the new house, just let us know :)

Another St. Thomas weekend.

Joel...in Venice

Some relaxing time at the marina @ Port Glasgow.

Every pebble was special to Jeffrey.

I'm surprised none ended up in his mouth.

We were just walking along the beach and tripped over this cute looking foot.

Just an out of place picture of an old petunia in the backyard....but it sure is beautiful....

Some random pictures at the restaurant where we ate for mom & dads 41'st anniv.

I know there's a crocodile around here somewhere...

Alanna, hoping for her Prince

One shopper wanted to know how much the pot with the little

boy in it was. The response was..."priceless"

This one was too cute...I couldn't resist. Not you Albert.

As you can see...it's all about Jeffrey these days.

Expressions of Jeffrey

A special Canadian greeting for Brian and Rebekka!

Brian and Rebekka, can you please come and visit me?

I'd really like to meet you guys, you sound so cool....though daddy doesn't

think Brian's cool for some reason....but I do!

Come visit....Pleeeese???

Don't laugh, it helps me think

Mum thinks she's all that...

Pops can do it just as good.

And...I think he's quite happy with it on his face.

Boo!

mmmmm, lilacs.