The Pressure is On…

Only nine days until we have to move into our new homestead!!!  The pressure is on!  There are mixed emotions around the house.  We are all very excited but at the same time we feel a bit overwhelmed and tired.

The other day as my husband’s head hung low, he exclaimed that he just did not know how we could possibly get in our new home.  With the house all gutted and no electricity or plumbing, no walls, no floors, he was concerned.  I quickly tried to help him the best way I know how…ask people to help.  I was able to find about 4 men in the community to clear some days in their schedule to come out and help get the house done.

This is how community life works…
You help each other out.  If they come help in a big project for a few days, we pay them back by working for them a few days when they need it.  It is a give and take relationship.  We take some needed help and then we give needed help later.

BUT, sometimes it goes beyond a few days of help and then it becomes appropriate to pay the helpers.

There is a unwritten law of etiquette in asking for major help…DO NOT ASK TOO MUCH OF OTHERS!

You never EVER want to have others help so much as to tilt the scales too far in one direction.  People get a bad feeling when they keep helping and the giving never comes full circle in their direction.  Sometimes it is wise to just pay people so they do not feel taken advantage of.  Besides, the workers are in high demand (they could be working another job) and they need food on their tables, too.  It is always good to make sure your helper feels appreciated and their needs are covered.

Feed them.  I always make food for the helpers because it is a nice gesture for the sacrifice they are making to squeeze your job in—AND this was a last minute emergency job, after all.  Today, I will be serving tacos to the men!  It is fun to see them get refreshed after a long morning of work.  We are so thankful for the help!

This past week while getting the garden in, Mark was working on electrical and plumbing.  We needed to pass the code so it was really crucial that he hooked up all the wires up to code.  Thankfully, he passed the inspection so now we have been able to put up the insulation in the walls.

Now that the insulation is in, Mark and the helpers have been working very hard cutting rough sawed lumber to fit over the walls.  It is gorgeous!  I am so excited!  The boards have character with cracks, varied widths, and some hand hewn texture.  It really gives our home an old fashioned cottage feel!
After a long time of thinking and researching on the internet, we decided to paint the new boards a sort of cream color.  The house is already rather dark and the lighter color adds a feeling of more space as well as a contrast to the old barn boards that accent some of the walls.  Yesterday, the kids and I were rolling primer on.
Trust me.  It. Looks. Amazing!  Seriously, the contrast with the barn board wall in the kitchen and living room, just accentuate the vintage feel of this home.  The ceiling in the living room is all hand hewn beams, logs, and barn boards which really pop with the lighter painted wood.  What’s really neat is that he nailed them up not so perfect.  You can see darkness in between each of the boards which really makes them stand out.  I am loving it!
What’s nice is that the vertical pull of the boards makes the ceiling look higher.  After a long day of painting, getting covered with paint in the process, and spilling paint here and there (that is what happens when you have kids painting), we could stand back and enjoy the beauty of it.

We will be making all custom, reclaimed barn wood kitchen cabinets to line only under the long windows.  Mark is planing to make a beautiful concrete counter top to finish it off, a 8 foot reclaimed barn wood table with benches, and barn wood trim around the windows.  It will really be nice. 

We found a bunch of this old rusted tin in the yard of the new property.  My visionary husband found a use for it.  It will be the ceilings in our kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms as well as shower panels.

He and Miles used a wire brush and power washed them first.
Wow.  Just look at how neat these old panels look on the ceiling.
It has been late nights, early mornings, lots of blood, sweat, and tears, but this place is becoming OURS!  It has our special touch of artistic creativity.  We are very blessed.  You know, this experience has been incredible.  We have all, as a family, been working so hard together.  It is making an already very close family, CLOSER.  We retire each evening to the views of gorgeous sunsets.  What a great way to end each day.

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12 thoughts on “The Pressure is On…”

  1. Hi Erin
    I am loving watching your progress. What a beautiful house & farm you have & are going to have! I love that you are doing so much work yourselves. I also love how your community is coming alongside you to help out when you need it. What a blessing!
    I wish you all the best in the next 9 days as you work so hard to get in. I thoroughly look forward to each of your updates here and only wish I was closer so I could help out!
    Have a wonderful weekend
    Blessings
    Renata:)

  2. Erin so very happy for all of you. My heart over flows with joy because early on you know what the important things in life are. God bless you and yours.

  3. Christine Martin

    Oh that’s so neat! A family working together is such a blessing!! Maybe someday we can see your homestead. 🙂

  4. Aww, it looks amazing, Erin! I’m so happy for you! This is my favorite stage of “renovation” – all the pieces really coming together! 🙂

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