Before & After

My whole life in this house has been one continuous before and after. Yes, 6 years of construction, progress, and the pain of hard labor. Child birth has nothing on carrying out a 400 lbs. marble counter top with attached sink.

On the left was the bathroom as it was Saturday morning. On the right is the bathroom as it ended Sunday night. Our family is really good at demolition. The picture at left is strangely deceptive. Some would think that that bathroom was after the remodel. What is deceptive is that the vanity is 30 years old and the doors no longer stay shut without the aide of a very strong magnet. I can't tell you how many times in the last 6 years I have whacked myself in the shin with those very doors trying to overcome the very strong magnet. The floor tiles are cracked and discolored. The sink is also cracked and the fixtures are broken. We painted over the multiple layers of wallpaper when we realized that the wallpaper had been applied to un-primed drywall. The tub has long given up it's glossy new-ness in favor of a very stained, uneven, satin finish. The grout in the shower was also growing some serious mildew. I have some plans for this bath to restore it's former glory.

At left is our house the day we purchased it. Our realtor thought we had lost our minds. At right is our house post-jungle. I had the vision to see through the chaos. I knew that the bones underneath the mess were beautiful. This house, not surprisingly, had sat on the market for 10 long months. I thank God for saving it just for us. I wasn't sure how we were going to make it beautiful when we bought it, but I had faith in the plan. God placed us here in this neighborhood, in this house and I knew that He would ultimately take responsibility for the how and when we just had to be patient.

Patience is not my strongest virtue. I want it done now and the way I want it. What I have come to realize is that God's way and timing is always better than anything I can imagine. Were it my choice, I would not have remodeled the basement. I would have done the kitchen 2 years ago instead. Little did I know that the drought would soon be over in a big way and our basement was not even remotely waterproof prior to our remodel. I got a new sewing room which has been such a blessing. We put in a second kitchen which will be so wonderful when we finally can remodel. The Lord has provided in miraculous ways. I am excited to see what He will do next.

For dinner tonight: Grilled Pizza- this pizza gets a great smokey wood grilled flavor from being on the grill. It's our favorite method of pizza cooking and we use our grill year round.

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 1/2 C white bread flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 C honey
1 C warm water
1 pkg. rapid rise yeast
Pizza toppings of your choice

Combine water, yeast, honey, oil, and salt in a bowl. Mix. Add in whole wheat flour. Add enough white flour to make a soft, smooth dough. Let rise 45 min. Punch down dough and shape into pizza. Place on heated grill (yes on the grates). Flip after a couple minutes and add pizza toppings. We like fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese. If your pizza is large and has lots of toppings, you might want to pull it off the grill while you decorate. Cook until cheese is melted.