Demolition Day.

As we are now in the middle of our 'remodel' still...slow and steady wins the race...I thought I would hop back a bit and show how far we have come thus far. It all really is a process. And, considering it is just one more process among many others in our day-to-day lives, it has simply taken its place, rolled right in among all the other 'do what you can when you can' things!

But, I am already feeling pretty excited about the changes we've made. As I have already said, I can tell things are going to flow much more smoothly once it's all done! Meaning, it is all already starting to flow more smoothly but it doesn't always feel that way because I sometimes can't get past the fact that it all still looks a bit like a construction zone.
We women...we like our finishing touches.

Soon enough, soon enough!

Let us travel back in time...

Right before Ben was born, we turned the downstairs Great Room/Family Room/Playroom into part ball pit part hallway part Master Bedroom.
And there it stayed until not so long ago.
Here it is, as it was for a few years. Built right into that old Great Room.
I love my bed pillows.
And my drapey curtainy thing.

Off to the left of the first shot up there, here is the kind of 'sitting area' to the room. Which I felt the need to divide with another drapey curtainy thing.

I was a bit unsure about all of this being demolished.

Here is the area outside the bedroom.
You know the ballpit.
And then a nice comfy chair for holding sad babies. Or happy babies. Or...kids who are really no longer babies.

Here's a close up of that wall.
I did not want this demolished. But what ya gonna do?
The picture is of pregnant mama (me) and a picture of each of the kids in their newborn state.
It was one of my favorite parts of my whole house.
It must find a new home, it must!

And though my better judgment begs me to not post a close up of my bare belly, three pregnancies in, I have to show a close up of the babies.
Awww, the babies!
Can't you just see them in their little newborn faces? They are so precious.
I can just feel their soft little skin!
And smell their sweet little heads!
And...I could probably talk about this picture forever so we will move on...

This 'sky' over the ballpit is actually still there since we have not done any painting yet but it will soon be gone and that drapey curtainy thing (which, apparently, I love to apply generously throughout my house) is yesterday's news.

When I was taking 'before' pictures, I found this on the wall. This was before James could spell his name which easily exposes the culprit. Though, considering Bethany has been spelling James' name for quite some time now without misspellings, I have a feeling she knew she was in for it and, feeling rushed in her delinquency, turned him into a Jaems.
In marker. Probably happened while Daddy was hunting and Mommy decided we all needed markers.

Grandma Trudie came over to help clean up the ballpit area the day before demolition.
As always, my mom knows how to step in and get the right things done.
She had the kids operating like a well-oiled machine.

Except the part where they would throw balls at her and laugh.
And I would take pictures of it happening.
I love the joy in their faces...as they attack Grandma.

The morning of the big teardown day, JC's dad came over bright and early and, after we got Bethany off to school, the boys and I got ready for a day spent with my mom! Grandma's house - - Our home away from home!

But, first, James felt he had some sneaky tagging along to do.
I discovered him heading out the front door on all fours, after Daddy and Papa had headed that way...keeping his distance, trying to remain unnoticed.
I followed suit, right behind him.

Still unnoticed.

...and still.

I got a kick out of that.

Once we were all back inside, we surveyed the chaotic state of things.
Our front room:
Stuff from...everywhere else.

But then the good times came rolling in.
James got to take one of the first swings at that old wall.
Pretty solid for a little guy!

Then...the big guys got to work.

And my house started coming down.

(more and more dust in the air!)

And, as the day went on, things calmed down a bit...

And it actually started looking like a room again.
With really random paint.

Good enough to hang out with Daddy in at the end of a tiring day!

And, the following day...
everyone broke it in with some good ol' rest time.
(Don't you just want to capture his comfiness into a jar you could open next time you got a napping opportunity???)

Chill James.

Silly Bethany.

All of us are enjoying how the big switcheroo has gone thus far. We certainly are grateful to a Daddy and Papa who know how to tear down some walls! And...you know...make it livable again all in one day!
Now.
Time for me to get busy on making it perdy.