What a week, what a family

After tomorrow afternoon, the weeklong blitz will be complete — though the work is far from over. This seven day period that started with our open-invite workday last Saturday was a bear. After that work “party”, we both worked one day at our day jobs this week and then spent the rest of the week off working at the house every day.

Rachel’s family arrived from Atlanta shortly after everyone else left last Saturday and jumped right into the fray, helping us tear down the living room plaster ceiling.

They stayed for the next week for Thanksgiving and left just this afternoon after lunch. I say they were here for Thanksgiving, and they were, but mostly we just worked. And work they did. I couldn’t ask for a better family. We all went to the house everyday around 9 and worked until 6 or so each day at the house. They took charge and made sure things got done and pitched in with everything from painting to demolition to sanding and cleanup. We owe them big time for their generous gift of an entire week spent slaving away on our house.

While eating dinner tonight, Rachel and I were chatting about all we accomplished this week and were trying to guess where we’d be if it would’ve just been us for the duration of the week. There’s no way we’d have any rooms painted or anything else feeling complete.

We have two rooms now basically complete, more or less. We still have some trim to paint and other little things, but we have our master bedroom and living room done — both completely stripped of paint and wallpaper, skimmed and sanded, and now fully painted. The paint that Rachel chose for each with her mom’s help are fantastic. The bedroom paint is going in the other bedrooms and the bathroom, likely, and the living room paint is going in the dining room and the entry way and up the stairs. The dining room will have a darker tone below the chair rail.

So enough talk, which is good because I’m about to pass out. The candle has been officially exhausted at both ends. Don’t even think I can make it to the end of the Georgia/GT game here, which would certainly be a first (and give those that know me a good idea of how tired I really am.)

At last, pictures, including some befores for reference.

Master bedroom before closing

Stripping progress…

Skimmed…

And painted. At long last. The trim will be white when we find a way to get off the 18 layers of paint that I think was applied by exploding a paint can with a grenade and just letting it drip everywhere.

Oh and to the family: Thanks so much for coming and working so hard with us. I’d be at the house still working now if it wasn’t for your great help this week.