The Stevens Family

Our bank appraiser and our loan officer came to the house on Tuesday to appraise the house again. The house turned out much different (in a good way) than we had planned on when they did the initial appraisal, so they wanted to redo it so our loan would look better. I think it went well, they both left smiling, so that's a good thing, right?

Well, we did really good with our to do list last weekend. We were able to accomplish everything, except getting anything started in the downstairs bathroom. Hopefully we'll be able to get to that sometime this weekend. And I really really want to get our bedroom finished. So hopefully we'll be able to get those two rooms under control in the next couple of weeks.

I'd really like to get some more yard work done also. Yesterday I decided to clean up the back corner, it was completely grown over when we bought the place, and it's getting more and more under control. I decided to uncover some of the concrete, there used to be a building in the corner, and the foundation is still there. What I thought was just a couple of cement slabs turned out to be the entire foundation. It's very uneven, and it was under 3-4 inches of dirt. I'm not sure what we'll do with it, but for now, Jayden is having a good time driving his trucks on it.

Also, in case you didn't know, we lost my camera in the move. We assumed Jayden put it in a box (because he really does try to help), but we haven't found it, so we think it may have gotten thrown away (another thing Jayden likes to help with). We finally gave in and ordered a new camera, since I'm (almost) a Realtor now, I can use it as a tax right off! I haven't had the chance to play with it too much, but I did take a couple of pictures and videos last night just for fun, and basically just to see if it could take a picture of Jayden that didn't turn out as a complete blur.

The house is looking pretty good. But, we still have A LOT to do. Tons and tons of little (and big) jobs are left. So now, the weekly big question, what do we do now? Make a list. That's right. A list. The answer to all dilemmas. I still want to have an open house in June so we can show everybody how far we've come. But, it won't look at that great if we don't have one single room completely done, which means we have to decide which rooms we'd like to finish up by next month.
I know the upstairs bath would be the easiest. All it needs is:

• A second coat of paint on the floor
• A second coat of paint on the bead board
• Plus, I'd like to decorate it a bit. Maybe something on the walls (I'd love to do a mural, since this will eventually be the kids bathroom), and a real curtain on the window.
  

Our bedroom is the room I'd personally like finished up ASAP. Here are a few jobs that we still need to do:

• A second coat of paint on all of the walls
• Prep, primer, and paint most of the woodwork (doors included)
• The oval window needs extensive work, but I'm not sure if it's a job I can tackle just yet
• Decorate, a few pictures on the walls. Our walls are completely bare, and it's really starting to bother me more and more. Especially since I've been collecting picture frames since we bought the house that I just sitting in a pile in the front room.
  

Josh has been working like a dog clearing up some of the spaces that have been acquiring all of the boxes, lumber, and other miscellaneous items since we've moved in. He cleared off of the back porch, and we've been working on rescreening it in a vain attempt to keep the squirrels out. He also cleared out the front room, which was piled high with boxes, a bathtub for the master bath, and a bunch of kitchen cabinets. You can actually walk through the room. It's great. It's also given me a good idea of where to go next. So, one more list, I promise. This is what I hope that we can accomplish within the next week:

• Finish up with the floor paint. I've really enjoyed having painted floor, and I've used the same cream color on every floor far. All I've got to do is a second coat on the upstairs bath, two boards in Jayden's room, and touching up on the kitchen floor. I'd also like to paint the back steps if I have time.
  
• Clean up the master bathroom. It's another room that's on the end of the list of rooms to finish, so it's currently full of woodwork, boxes, and the litter box. I just want it cleaned out.
  
• Start on the downstairs bathroom. It still has some sanding left, plus the walls and the bead board will need primered and painted. Hang the light fixture.
  

That's the end of my list making. Can we do it? I don't know, but it would feel really really nice to have those jobs done.
Wish us luck, we'll most definitely need it.

This is from this past Sunday when we spent part of the afternoon at the zoo. Jayden's interest was held by the train the entire time, and any time we were near the train tracks he had to go and try to find the train. I think Taylor went along to make sure Jayden didn't cause any trouble.

On this past Tuesday we went down to Montrose to go to the butcher shop. There was a great playground situated right between the railroad tracks, and the Mississippi River. The boys thought it was great because you could walk right out to the water, and they were able to watch the trains within feet from a safe spot.

And, to keep in theme with everyone else, here's a childhood photo of me. :)

Hey everyone, just a quick note. We've entered an online contest devoted entirely to house blogs. The grand prize is $5,000, and voters even have a chance to win $250 just for voting! We would really appreciate it if you stopped by to vote for us, because who couldn't use an extra $5,000 for remodeling projects??
Thanks!
Chelsea

One of Burlington's churches caught fire this morning. It was a beautiful red stone church and is sure to change the face of Burlington's downtown, which is known for it's many steeples.