Home, Hearth, and Hardworking Men

So there went August, I can't believe its almost been a whole month since the last time I posted. Its hard to remember what I've shared and what I haven't. The progress seems slow and steady in our minds. Especially when we see it every week, but this weekend we had some visitors, my Aunt Kathy and Joe stopped by Saturday. It was such a motivational boost having someone whose been here through parts of it come in and be excited about all the progress! Lately we've had big projects going on. 

1. Replacing two of the main logs in the back of the house where the grade being messed up caused rotting over time.

2. Putting the floor back in the second half of the first story.

3. Finishing the hearth and chiminey.

4. Leveling out the logs surrounding the hearth area.

Thankfully we have some help in those areas. Doodle and Chase have built some beautiful foundation walls in the celler, and doodle is working on a beautiful stone fireplace. Its going to beautiful. I just can't believe how blessed we are to have such talented and helpful people in this project. This weekend Chase and Dad worked on putting up a few boards which run on the outside of the stone and keep the logs level. The flooring system is all but done in the other room (in which we learned I cannot read a tape measure accurately or quickly like the men). Also again I'm just so thankful for the men in my life who are so unbelievable talented. Chase and Dad finished putting in all the floor joists. We had two logs cut last week to replace the two we took out of the back of the house. Hopefully we will putting them in soon and then will be able to lay the sub-floor in that room. Chase and Doodle have been working religiously at the house during the week lately too. I've been working some in the kitchen when things get out of my skill set (math esp) with the big projects, tearing up the flooring and trim. I've been testing some things out on the wallpaper, but still not sure what will have to do in there. It always sounds like I'm not doing much when I explain the progress, but don't y'all fret I'm helping the men, I just don't have the expertise that they do, so sometimes my jobs consist of "Selene can you grab some nails? Or take these nails out, or grab that drill or that tool?" I'm certainly learning quite a lot these days, that's for sure. 

Its hard to believe that summer is basically over already, it has flown by for sure. Apologizes for all the invites we didn't show up for, and all the friends we haven't seen in forever, summer is busy for everyone, and this one was no different for anybody I know. I'm already hoping we don't have a harsh winter so we're able to still work through fall and winter.  I'm still not even ready to put a timeline on this place, but I know we need a good fall and winter of work either way. Hopefully I'll have some great progress to post in the next few weeks as well. Also a little Update on our little lucky kitty as well, she got lost twice and after our neighbor found her for the second time Sharon brought her home to the Fink's house. She doesn't even realize how lucky she really is now. And now on to the pictures...