One of the inspirations for this blog was from a deacon at our church who encouraged us to blog as a means to let others know about work days and some of the ways they might be able to help. While we haven't really used it for that, we do like to write about how God has provided for us, and so we use this blog as a way to proclaim our testimony of how God has provided for us.
With that in mind, we post this running list of things that require the resources of time and money. It's a little overwhelming to think about it sometimes, but we trust in our heavenly Father to provide, and to preserve us until He does. To God be the glory.
Not necessarily in order of priority:
- installing a new electric service from the pole to the house
- replacing the post-and-tube wiring with new electric wiring throughout the house
- completely replacing the roof on the basement addition
- completely replacing the roof and soffits on the main part of the building
- laying an insulated subfloor with a vapor barrier downstairs (The concrete slab floor collects condensed water in puddles during the heat of the summer.)
- selecting and installing flooring for the downstairs
- replacing the fifty-year-old furnaces
- running the right ductwork for the new room configuration downstairs
- replacing the back kitchen wall with a concrete block wall (to keep the entryway crawlspace dirt under the entryway)
- digging a trench in the kitchen floor to run the plumbing for the new kitchen configuration
- plumbing the new kitchen configuration
- framing out the new room configuration downstairs
- wiring the fixtures, switches, and outlets for the new room configuration downstairs
- building kitchen cabinets and installing countertops
- building custom-fit wardrobes for all bedrooms
- tearing out the old acoustic tile covering the walls upstairs
- breaking out the plaster ceiling upstairs
- installing additional insulation and drywall upstairs... on the walls and ceiling
- painting upstairs walls and ceiling
- possibly refinishing the wood trim around the windows and doors upstairs; otherwise, repainting them all somehow (They're currently faux-painted to resemble wood grain, and quite effectively so.)
- installing a picture window upstairs in a style that complements the other windows
- refinishing the wood floor upstairs
- building and finishing cabinets, tables, counters, and shelves for storage and workspaces upstairs
- replacing the entire septic system
- keeping our garden plants safe while replacing the entire septic system
- installing a front-loading washer and stackable dryer
- building a custom-fit cabinet for the laundry
- replacing downstairs windows with taller windows to let in more light and fresh air
- replacing one downstairs window with a door to the backyard
- installing drywall downstairs
- painting drywall downstairs
- scraping old paint from exterior trim and wood frame
- strengthening old wood of exterior trim, window frame, and storm window frame with wood restorer
- cleaning storm windows and exterior of stained glass windows
- repainting exterior trim, window frame, and storm window frame
- replacing and reglazing storm windows
That's quite a list! We keep another important, but much shorter, list at Amazon.com to help remind us of our savings and spending goals. You can see it yourself by following this link: The Swallow's Nest Wishlist. We share it with you so that if you ever see or know of any of these items available used or at a discount, you can let us know about it.
Thanks for looking, and thanks for cheering us on! We appreciate everyone's interest; it's a real encouragement to us. May God bless you all richly ~
Pamela, for all of us
