The Big Move!

We decided to move out of town! This meant we had to sell our beautiful Boswell House, which had been our HOME for the last 9 years :(

We would miss our big sunken-in living room!

It was so difficult to say good-bye to the decked area we had created and built with our own hands, along with many of Mike's family members!

In preparation for the sale, we replaced the roof, retrofitted the hot tub and replaced the hot tub cover!

We had to leave behind Josh and Jay's measurements of growing up throughout the years, which were recorded on the basement wall.

I was also going to miss climbing the Heartbreak Hill trails on a regular basis...

...as well as seeing these hidden lakes, only minutes after hiking from my front door!

However, we decided to buy this house in the country, which sits on over 2.5 acres!

When we first viewed the house, we liked what we saw. We liked the double attached garage and drive-around driveway! And we especially loved the flat land, surrounding trees and space!

The large deck was a bonus! It meant we didn't have to build decks again!

And the views from this deck were killer!

However, we weren't as fond of the inside of the house, especially this wall that separated the kitchen and living room.

It made the rooms seem quite small and closed off.

I would have felt trapped cooking in that kitchen. It didn't have flow or allow for entertaining. The counter tops and cabinets also needed updating. Although there was cork flooring, which we like, it needed to be replaced because  it had been scratched up by dogs.

And the appliances: Not only was part of the fridge door broken and the side of the freezer door fixed using screws and part of a beer can...

...the appliances were incredibly dirty and had not been maintained.

The appliances needed to be replaced!

The main coat closet had also been converted into a pantry. We had to convert it back again.

Some of the interior of the house also needed repainting!

Some broken light-switch panels and floor vents also needed replacing.

The basement bathroom was unfinished, and we weren't sure what to do with it.

Before we could do anything, we had to do some heavy duty cleaning...

...along with heavy lifting of boxes and belongings! Luckily, we had a lot of family help!

Once our belongings were moved in or stored away, we could begin the renovations! Before we could knock down the wall between the kitchen and living room, we had to remove all of the upper cabinets and some of the lowers.

Mike and Chester were excited to start demolishing this wall!

First, they removed the drywall on the kitchen side.

Then Mike had to cut through the living room side as evenly and carefully as possible!

The other side going down!

I love my hunky handy man!

Once the drywall was down, light streamed through the living room into the kitchen!

Then we took the beams down!

Now the tough part! We had a bit of a learning curve here. Thankfully, Mike is so good at studying and learning quickly. We had to drywall for the first time all on our own! Not only did we have to drywall, plaster and sand (and re-sand, and re-plaster, and re-sand) the main wall, we also had to build onto the lower wall to make it longer! (The vertical lines going up from the end of the lower wall are metal, rounded drywall corners that we cut off once dry.)

Then we painted the main wall from the kitchen to the living room! However, after this, we had a little waiting to do, because we needed help from Mike's cousin, Joey, and he's a busy man, especially in the summers!

So, we decided to replace the mismatched door knobs and locks!

And fix up doors!

The front door needed a lot of TLC! The frames around the panel windows in the door were extremely yellowed, cracked and broken in some areas. Also, the caming was brass in the door, but nickel above. The door itself was dented and scraped. We thought we need a brand new door. However, Mike thought he could fix it, if I could find window panel replacements. However, in Whitehorse, that is easier said than done. The quoted price was approx. $900 for the three panel windows and the wait time was 6 weeks. We would've been back at work by that time...

However, we made a quick stop at Northerm, and they happened to to have some of these plain door panel windows in stock, with white frames, for $60 a piece!!! Then Mike fixed up the door with his auto-machanic magic, some sanding, mixed his own paint colour and -TA DA!- a much nicer front entrance, with brand new door handle and lock, of course!

We also decided to fix the interior doors. We removed every hinge from 10 interior doors, scrubbed them clean, sanded them, hung them outside, and Mike spray painted them silver! (In order to purchase new hinges in the style we needed, it was considered a "custom order" and again would have taken weeks, so we said "screw it" and found this alternative plan.) Then we replaced them all, tightening up all the doors in the house! Of course, all door knobs were replaced as well!

Strangely, every closet door in the house was backwards. We removed all of them and put them in correctly. We also replaced the knobs. Mike also removed the interior of  his closet in the master bedroom and rebuilt it so it was symmetrical and more efficient! (That's Mike!)

We also had some smaller projects, like sanding and painting Jay's old dresser, so we could use it as a cabinet in the basement!

Mike also decide to make two burn barrels! Jay was his sidekick! This is their first welding project!

Our first fire in the new fire barrel!

We put the two side-by-side and this became our "fire-pit area" (for now)!

We've already had some big, beautiful, cozy fires out there!

Mike painting the "triangle" area above the hallway and main entrance! Good thing he can stretch!

We also did some yard work with our new bobcat!

Mike taught me how to use it, and it was pretty easy to pick up! ;)

When Joey was able to come help us with the counters, we headed back to the kitchen! A hole from the kitchen out the exterior wall had to be cut for the stove vent!

The piping just fit!

Joey installing the counter top, with Judy and Chester looking on.

We had rearranged the existing cabinets, but we were short in one area. This is Joey building an extra narrow cabinet out of the free material Mike and I found at the dump!

Now the counter fits!

Joey about to drill into the counter top in order to cut-in for the stove.

I wasn't there. I had to pop down to Edmonton for a couple days. These are the pictures Mike and Joey would send me to freak me out! :) LOL!!!

The cut-in for the stove with the venting pipe ready and waiting!

Joey also cut the counter for the sink to fit!

This sink feels and looks interesting. It's made from recycled granite! We really like it!

This is Mike checkin' out the plumbing he has to do!

Sinks in and working!

Mike and I carried this stove up the stairs ourselves. I was having a hard time. There was a little bit of yelling, especially when I didn't have the strength to get it up the very last step. I strained my neck some how doing it. Mike made me pose like this. He doesn't like complainers. ;)

Stove's in!!!

After the stove, we realized we needed to call for back-up! Cheryl, Keith and Josh to the rescue!

Refrigerator in!!!

Mike installed the dishwasher on his own!

Adding new hardware to all the cabinets and drawers, in the kitchen and bathrooms!

Wiping the counter down!

Finally, a functional kitchen!!!!

Then we put in the flooring! We still need kick-board (toe-board), trim and floor transitioning.

Mike also built this vanity in the unfinished, downstairs bathroom. He used the portion of the countertop cut out for the stove, and a mirror Joey and Taelor were giving away while doing renos in their house.

Mike learned from Joey! He took over the bathroom renos. He installed the counter tops, cut in for the sinks and installed the sinks himself in two bathrooms! I'm not sure why I don't have more photos? We also painted the bathrooms!

There was still more to be done! We bought this DVD rack second hand, built it and mounted it to the wall. It took awhile! This is me alphabetizing our movies! I also painted the main wall of this room and Mike and I replaced the hinges and door knobs on the breaker box cabinet! We have not complete all there is to do yet, but this house is definitely starting to feel a lot more like home!

Throughout the summer, I tried to keep this little perennial garden going, with help from Irene and Judy of course, who would identify the weeds for me and help clear them out! I'll try to keep this up throughout the years!

And, of course, we found some beautiful new hiking trails! This trail winds around a small lake just off our street! We think Deja likes it here!