10 Months and Counting

Remodeling 10 months in and seeing the light at the end of this project. Ron and I needed a new roof and stucco on our 1946 vintage home in the Southwest. Well, if you are going to do a new roof why not get rid of the old flat one and pitch it. Well, if you are going to pitch it why not make a steep pitch and get a second story with much needed storage. Well, it you are going to do a second story it makes more sense to add walls upstairs to get more room. Of course you need a second bathroom upstairs and a deck off the bedroom. Stairs, of course you must have stairs to get upstairs. That is a given.

Here we are with a beautiful staircase that still needs a beautiful wood over the exposed plywood and an upstairs suite that is heaven on earth. It features an 8 foot door that completely folds away and a second sink/vanity area that is perfect to put a kitchenette upstairs. With our soon to be completed balcony we don’t want to wander downstairs to make a cup of coffee to enjoy the morning sun.

This has been a year long process that we have worked together on from morning until 9pm~ish each and every night. Ron being brilliant designer and owner builder on our massive project has saved us so much. Having his cousin, Beth, do a lot of the electrical and all the tile work has been a gift. I have climbed more ladders and learned a bit about all that goes into a project like this. Even electrical had a few jobs that I could tackle with a good bit of supervision. Ron and I have both fallen into bed in our quaint RV each night exhausted but knowing that we are the heart of this rebuild.

There have been a few times I questioned if the two of us were strong enough for some tasks. I got especially concerned when Ron decided getting a pice of 1/2 inch plywood up to the roof couldn’t wait until morning when the guys came to work. We inched it up the ladder one rung at a time, me on the bottom pushing and Ron on the deck pulling. I feared he would fall off on his head or I would get clobbered when the plywood fell. Ron always believed more than I did that anything was possible for the two of us to accomplish. He always did the bulk of the work but I stayed right beside him assisting in any way that I could.

Here we are seeing the rewards of our efforts and changes everyday to our new home. It will still be a couple months until our kitchen is installed. But our outdoor kitchen of a microwave, toaster oven and barbecue make outdoor dining a joy. It will feel strange when we are sitting on furniture with our refinished 1940s vintage oak floors and filling our evenings with activities that don’t include a tape measure or a paintbrush. Our hope is to then fill this gift of a home with others; family, friends, and really anyone who needs a temporary place to stay. June 10th we had a summer student come to occupy Natalie’s old room and even with the construction site feel he is enjoying our home and being right on Noni’s Park to play soccer with his friends. My Mom and Elissa are in another bedroom and we even have curtains up thanks to Pat’s handy stitching.

So include us in your travel plans this fall or anytime thereafter. The Barber home is ready to be filled with laughter and new memories. God has blessed us greatly.

In Him,
Joyful
6-26-18