Ten years ago this spring we started building our house when Annabelle was just a few months old. Since we were doing it on our own (with lots of help from family) we weren't able to completely finish it before we moved in. Of course, we have worked on it here and there throughout the years when we've had spare time and/or extra money for supplies. For the most part the main level of the house is finished except trim around doors and windows. The basement on the other hand has been the one thing, especially as our family has grown, that I have really, really wanted finished. For most of the time we have lived here it has been one gigantic "junk" room. Well, in my opinion anyway...hubby likes to call it his "hunting" room...where he throws all his junk!
I digress...
Basically there is lots of stuff down there, including the materials needed to finish it like two rolls of carpet we've had since 2007!! Every day I go down there to do laundry and I just cringe because I know we could be using that space much more effectively. Anyway, this all came about one night last week when Andy asked me what our plans were for that weekend and we actually didn't have any! Up to that point we literally had something every single weekend since summer started. Then he proceeded to ask me how I felt about finishing up the basement...like he didn't already know the answer to that! Since then I've been working  him like a dog and it is coming along beautifully! It's really going to happen, we are really going to finish the basement and be able to use it! We are even going to use part of it as our school room!!
I am so thankful to my husband for doing this for me, even working on it after he gets home from a long day at work. I could hold it against for taking ten years to complete it but instead I'm just going to be happy and enjoy our new space as much as I can!!

Here is what we have done so far:

• moved all the stuff from main area into spare room to give us room to work
• washed all walls
• vacuumed cob webs permanently evicting many spiders
• swept and vacuumed concrete floor
• finished painting walls
• put in tile for under the pellet stove
• laid down carpet
• scrubbed down bathroom (and I do mean scrubbed)
• put in closet shelving in smaller closet (for school stuff!)
• put Andy's hunting clothes in larger closet

There is still lots to do, but I think that we will be able to finish it up this weekend or sometime next week! I can't wait!!!