Aug. 9: Jesus and son Valentino finish the tile in both bath tubs. They cut squares of what will be our slate floor and inset them into the tile. It turned out really neat!
I bought some vase beads at Wal-Mart at their suggestion and they inset them with some chopped up tile to construct a custom-made border in the kids' bath. It's sparkly and beautiful!
Jesus gave me a brief testimony of how the Lord got a hold of his heart and also his son's just in the last year. It has been my prayer that this house would also be a ministry. It was very exciting to find encouragement with another believer in Christ right in the middle of new house construction. Praise God!
Aug. 12: Miguel has worked hard to put up all the trim everywhere. He shared with me one day how God had laid it on his heart to help build houses for those who couldn't afford it. He also gave me his testimony of how he came to work for Tran last year after losing his own construction business in another state. Despite his loss, he praises God for what he has and where he is today. What a neat man!
And very talented, too! Look at the
sneaky door between the two kids' bedrooms I asked him to put in the wall that the two closets share. He cut a door in half and framed it in. How cool is that!
Check out the other side of the sneaky door, this time after the painters, Francisco and Rafael, have primed and sanded the trim. They did that to ALL the wood trim and baseboards, shelves, window sills and interior doors. Then they painted them with a high-gloss, enamel white paint. What a shine! Lots of work in the heat and fumes since the windows were taped and covered and couldn't be opened. They even wore special suits and a mask while they sprayed. When they left they looked snow-dusted on their hair, faces and eyelashes.
I enjoy the painters a lot. They are very friendly and smiley and they helped me last week when Prolly got into a dog fight with a little female basset hound who wandered onto our property.
Aug. 13: Tuan Tran is building our cabinets and he brought most of them to the house to sand, prime, paint and install. He also commissioned Miguel to put up my pantry shelves. I am most proud of
this storage space as I have never had a decent pantry. Thank you, Lord, for 9 foot ceilings and wall-to-wall shelving!
Aug. 19: Tran arrives with the Sherwin Williams paint today! We go over where each color will go. (I only have 8 different colors...) Francisco and Rafael begin with Sarina and Lavery's room. They actually ran out of Party Time Pink (SW 6849) and I had to buy another gallon. They had just enough Lavish Lavender (SW 6975) to finish the room. It's very girly, no? S & L were thrilled. The walls literally glow.
Just before sunset tonight, I saw this rainbow in the sky and I found my pot of gold right beneath! It's not just the house itself that is such a treasure, but the family that it will hold close for many years to come.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21
Brigid's room is Solaria (SW 6688).
The living room is Red Cent (SW 6341).
Aug. 12: Miguel has worked hard to put up all the trim everywhere. He shared with me one day how God had laid it on his heart to help build houses for those who couldn't afford it. He also gave me his testimony of how he came to work for Tran last year after losing his own construction business in another state. Despite his loss, he praises God for what he has and where he is today. What a neat man!
July 26: Cirino's last crew comes in to texture. I chose medium knock-off texture for everything. It looks great!
July 29: Tran takes Matt and I to Houston to pick out tile and granite. He is a very unique builder in that he gives us his contractor price on most things and doesn't add any cost to the materials. We choose laminate flooring for most of the house; slate for the kitchen, master bathroom, and utility room; and tile for the kids' bathroom floor and for the tub/shower walls. We buy our sinks and granite called Golden Peacock. 