Home Sweet Home

There's no place like home...

I've been home now for a week since we went to Arizona to help our youngest daughter Ann and her husband Kim, with their fixer upper home project.

They were able to purchase this cute older home on some property, but they needed more room and some updating to this house.  Kim is a wonderful carpenter and builder and he has some wonderful ideas and plans.  He took the existing large attached garage and turned it into a family room and a laundry room.  He opened up the kitchen so it would flow into the family room, he added a large closet to the master bedroom, changed all the windows and made some changes to the other two bedrooms, like making the one into an office for Ann.  He then added a large new garage with an office for himself.  He made some lovely changes to the outside as well, like a beautiful bay window in the family room which will be a perfect spot for a Christmas tree.

He and Ann have been working hard on this home project, but it all takes time and time is one thing that they are running low on, so Mom and Dad went to help.

We were there for 13 days and we were able to give them an extra set of hands that helped them get a few more things done.  Ann's Dad and her husband were able to finish the garage and to get it all painted, plus install the 2 garage doors and hang some shelves.

Next we went into the inside of the home and the rest of the time we prepared the rooms for painting and then, that is what we did, we painted and painted and painted.

We ended up staying an extra day but we were able to finish the painting and hopefully we were able to give our kids some extra help and hopefully they can see some day light just around the corner.

We enjoyed our time with our children and enjoyed our visit with them too.  But,,, it's always good to be home.  I have a sign in my guest room that says "Home is where your Heart is" and isn't that what it's all about.  No matter where you are, home is best, and I do love my home...

Going to Arizona

I wrote this post Wednesday, May 22, the night before we left for Arizona, but I guess it just went into a draft instead of being published, so I thought I would just add this sentence to my post and then publish it....  so here it is.....

Our Daughter Ann is getting ready to move,  she and her husband have been busy fixing up a fixer upper.  They need some help with the fixing up, so again we will be going to Arizona to lend a hand.  I have my painting clothes all ready to go plus my vitamins.

I always enjoy the visiting with my daughters, we have fun, we talk, we share, we have projects and we go shopping, but we do find the time to do what is important and to take care of what is on the top of the list.

I always smile when we make the plans to go for these visits as our daughters always have a "to do list" for their Dad, and they usually tell their Dad to bring his work clothes.  I think he expects it but I think he enjoys it too.   

I know our daughter Marta always works side by side with her Dad when he is working on a project for her and I know she feels a little extra pride when she walks by the finish project that the two have worked on at her home.

I know Ann is anxious is have this home finished, or at least livable, it's hard being unsettled. Now Ann is a school teacher.  She teaches blind students and is a very good teacher, but being a teacher there is a lot of planning that goes along with the job.  They have been renting a home for the past 2 years, but renting is so much different then having your own home.  A place to put your things, a place to be settled, a place to call your own.

Tomorrow is Ann's last day of school, then summer vacation, but I'm afraid summer will really not be a vacation for her and her husband, for it will be a busy working summer vacation.  They need to be moved in by the end of June, ready or not.  

So Mom and Dad are leaving to morrow to give them a hand.  Isn't that what Moms and Dads do?