New floor, new doors

We got the tile installed! Our floor is officially finished! Yay!

A little dance party

The day of our tile install, Dennis's dad called to see if we would like him to come and help install the basement door. This was something they were trying to do when he was out the first time to help with the front door but they ran out of time. So we said yes, because that's what you have to do when you need help. You wait until the person is ready to help you and that means no matter what you have going on or the fact that you already have craziness happening at your house--you take the help when it's offered.

So while the tile guy was doing all his work with hammering and sawing tile upstairs (thankfully there really wasn't that much hammering but there was a lot of drilling!), Dennis and his Dad hammered and sawed downstairs. It was all I heard all day long. BANG! BANG! BANG!

For two days I stayed downstairs with the kids in the basement because it was the only way to keep the kids out of the tile guys way and keep them off of the tile at the same time. Plus, Henry was scared of the drilling.

I was in a bad mood that second day. Couldn't quite put my finger on why. Maybe all the noise? A stranger in the house? At any rate, I was tense. All day long it was nothing but noise and I couldn't get a break away from the kids and have a moment to myself because I was the only one watching them to make sure they stayed off of the tile and stayed out of Dennis and Grandpa's way while they installed the door.

And then, a miracle happened. Dennis and his Dad had to leave to get something from the hardware store which was two towns away! They were going to take the kids with them! And at the same time, the tile guy announced he was finished!! A quiet house for the first time in two days?? I get to be alone??? To good to be true! 

And then, I remembered. I had my scheduled hour for adoration. I have to admit I felt a little abashed for a minute. No fun to leave even for adoration when your house is quiet and empty for the first time in two days. So I left the mere two seconds of silence to go to church just to find out that...

THEY WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!!

They were still holding adoration, but they were installing pews in the church, so they were holding adoration downstairs. This meant an hour of--you guessed it--pounding, sawing and nail guns. Not to mention loud music.

I wondered if Jesus thought this was funny.

So I spent my hour listening to the same chaos that I had just left just to go back to the same chaos, because now Dennis and his Dad were back from the hardware store. Even though the tile guy was gone, it didn't make much difference because all the construction noise carried through the entire house. I also couldn't let the kids on the tile yet since we had to stay off of it for 6 hours, so I felt like I had to be on high surveillance with that too.

But just like every project we've done so far, in the end, it was worth it.

We had the door leading to the garage replaced, which means no more "leaky door" letting in cold air and mosquitoes.

The old door



The big gap.

^^^

The new door. 

We had the same type of door installed in the basement, replacing the broken door which was a major fire hazard. The doorknob was busted, so the only way to open it was with a wrench. Who's going to be able to look for that while the house is on fire? And sometimes because of this fire hazard, we sometimes would keep the door slightly ajar--which meant it was an open invitation to burgalers and murderers and mosquitoes. (I realize mosquitoes shouldn't be in the same category as burgalrers and murderers, but they are after the same thing which is blood!)

We had to nail a board over the self-made "doggy door" to keep rodents out. Yep.

Nice secure door with a smart lock key!

 And finally, the floor. I am so glad it's finally finished. It looks even better in person. The tile has all sorts of different colors in it, making it look like stone. It actually looks like a foyer.

Before

I put that coat rack together myself. :-)

I finally have a foyer!! No more falling up the stairs or down the stairs when entering the house! I can actually sit down and take off my shoes with no risk!

I am so happy.

:-)