Home Improvements.... EWWW!!

I hate doing home improvements... HATE IT!!

I spent the greatest past of my day analyzing the wiring in our house, our WHOLE HOUSE, just to begin renovating both of our bathrooms. And the real frustrating part is... I'm STILL confused by it all!! I really must say... whoever rewired this house must hav been drinking something really strong before they started!!

The plan:

1. Install a new medicine cabinet with mirror and a new storage cabinet above the toilet (both need to be purchased still... Sunday hopefully)
2. Install a new light over the mirror (also not purchased yet)
3. Rewire for the new light and install a new outlet receptacle using a light switch box from another wall that has never been used but has two (yes 2!!) hot wires coming into it (???????)
4. Wire for a future exhaust fan (there's no way I'm installing THAT this next week with everything else I want to do... Actually I'm probably leaving it to surprise a future owner who will wonder what in the world I was doing) :)
5. Remove large storage cabinets and put into
6. Install new fixtures for the sink and tub/shower (of course, not purchased yet)... however this might be completed by someone else; i.e. a professional!!
7. Install a new ceiling with trim (believe it or not, this should be the easiest part of the project!!)
8. Remove old paint from trim
9. Prime and paint ceiling walls and trim
10. New simple decoratives replacing some butt-ugly large cabinets that won't let the door open all the way (this is Laurie's area of concern... at least she gets 1 of the 10... just kidding, she's concerned about all of it... OH IS SHE EVER!!).

All needs to be done by next Friday... Hmmmm... we'll see. Considering most all of my home improvements that I work on take 2-3 times the amount of time they're suppose to take...

There is alos the upstairs "closet" bathroom that I will be doing, too. But, that doesn't have to be done by next Friday the 21st. However, I do want it to be done fairly soon. It's a much simpler job than the downstairs bathroom. Now why did I say that?!?! That just jinxed me and now it will become more difficult and frustrating probably.

Ok, so... otherwise... let's see, what else is going on in my life? Ummmmm... nothing. Nothing at all. Work is done for the year.

However, the kids are keeping us pretty busy...

Andrew & Savannah had their winter music program at school on Tuesday night... it was so cute!! We video taped most of it, but no pictures :( The digital camera doesn't work very well in situations like that :( Also, Andrew's church choir performed their musical last Sunday evening. He LOVES doing that!! Savannah loves music even more than Andrew, but it's hard for her to be involved because of how late it goes on Wednesday nights. She is an early-to-bed type of girl, and with choir not getting out until 7:45 she wouldn't get to bed until 8:30-9, and that's WAY too late for her on school nights.

Laurie is pretty much done for the semester, except for a little grading here and there and posting grades. In all, she had a very good semester. There was one point that the traveling was a little out of hand, but it was short-lived. She's glad to have the next four weeks off and to be able to spend it with the kids and me (we're very excited, too!!).