operation pool set up

Finally got the pool set up and working.  This morning it is even crystal clear!  Our advise to anyone who would care to ask....DO NOT EVER get a used pool and set it up yourself!  NEVER again!  Now that it is up and ready to swim though, it is a huge blessing.  Thanks to the Lessen's for giving it to our children.  They will enjoy it as soon as the weather is warm enough to swim!  We are going to rebuild the deck into a 6' round deck all the way around the pool next.  Exciting!  David also put some real water lines into the outdoor shower.  Now we can turn it on and off out there and not have to run a hose to the kitchen sink.  I also finished the flower garden on the side of the house.  Waited long enough that my bricks were half off!  YEAH!!!  It is finished for this year.  Next year I will add to it but for now it is done.  Thanks for stopping by to see how we are doing.  We enjoyed your visit.  Come back soon and see the updates.

Almost ready to swim.

Jasmine's underwater camera photo.

Just a little vacuuming to do.

Outdoor shower controls

operation flowers

No work really gets done on the house today because it is Wednesday and we take that day and use it for inside things.  However, I did go to Wal-Mart and found that the flowers I wanted were half off.  No, I did not go ahead and just purchase the ones I went for....they were half off so I purchased twice as many!  Anyway, they add a lot to the outside of the house and give me something pretty to look at.  Also notice the two little lights by the steps. They are little solar lights,  I was brought on Saturday.  So cute and colorful! Hopefully next week I will be adding the brick around these and the mulch for a completed look!  What can I say, when it comes to flowers, I guess I am my mother's daughter!

These flowers on the steps will probably drive my husband crazy!

Bird bath up and running!  LOL

Side of house.

Half off flowers, who can beat that!

operation bathroom drain

Jonathan and I worked most of the day leveling the area for the pool.  When David got home, he put in the toilet drains.  Just one step closer to having indoor toilets!

Just one step closer to indoor plumbing!

operation odds and ends

Surprise!  I am back already again today.  I really do mean to get these photos uploaded at least on a weekly basis but as you already know, it doesn't usually happen that way.  I promise to try and do better!  Yesterday the girls and I started the painting of the tongue and groove wood for the bathroom that will be off the livingroom.  The walls will be antique red wood and the ceiling will be antiqued in white. That whole process takes a while as each board has to be sanded and then painted twice.  Once that is completely dry in a day or so, then I will sand it down in several spots and put varnish over the paint giving it an old barn look.  I have only don't this with furniture so I am hoping I get the same results with walls.  Then we will decorate that bathroom with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.  It will be a little bit of fun for all visitors.  David worked on the getting the lines in so that we can have indoor toilets.  We are really excited about the possibility that we will have them in by the end of the week!  Yeah, no more going outside and accross the yard in the pouring rain all the while wondering if the wind will blow us away once we get to the port a potty.  Jonathan worked most of the day digging for the pool area to be leveled and put up.  Jireh sanded the bird bath that I purchased out of someone's yard the other day and Jasmine smashed all her cans.  We worked a good long hard day!  Enjoy!

Red wood for the Mickey/Minnie bathroom

Ceiling for the Mickey/Minnie bathroom

Toilets on their way!  YEAH!!!!

Sanding down the birdbath

Making money!

The pool site

Leveling the pool ring



Jasmine's creation as she was shoveling dirt, steps!

operation outside

It has been over a month this time since I have updated the blog. Don't think for a moment that there was nothing to update. That is so not true!  There are so many things that we have gotten done over the past five weeks or so.  Including lots of log splitting to prepare for winter.  I know it is hot but if we don't get a jump on it now, it will get a jump on us and who knows, it could be winter next month with the way our weather patterns have gone this year.  There have been outside water lines put in, siding started, the garden planted, outdoor shower built, flowers planted and grass planted.  Many more things also.  The ground has been leveled in preparation for the pool to go up.  So enjoy these photos as you walk through our journey of remodeling here at Operation Broadwell.

The kids and I made a trip to my mothers to get a few flowers for the side of the house.

Flowers planted and window well garden is finished.

Flowers planted in the window well make for a beautiful view from the sewing area in the basement.

We have several Mulberry trees in the yard.  Makes for a great snack when your mom won't give you one.  LOL

Also found black raspberries along the back of the wood shed.  Yummy!

Just one of these flower bushes found along the property.

 

We did find time to plant the garden too!

This is an essential part of the outdoor shower house.

The outdoor shower house.

Bathroom off the living room.

Master bedroom toilet room.

Pumping some good old fresh well water.  Ice cold too!

Amazing how much wood this makes when it is split.

It makes this much!

Siding started

More siding

Me lighting up the outside so the siding preparatin can be finished.

Always good when family comes to help out!

operation catch up

When I look back and see that it has been a month since I last updated, it amazes even me.  I know that time sure does fly when you are having fun.  By the way, it sure flies when you are working hard on a house renovation too.  We have done so many things this month.  I will probably not even be able to remember it all.  The water is finally under control with the tarps that you will see below.  We are guessing that when we put the porches around the three sides of the house we will be in good shape as the water will then flow away from the house.  YIPEEE!  I have had my share of water in the house so it flowing away from the house is going to be a great deal.  David has put the washer in temporarily so that I don't have to haul laundry back and fourth any more.  What a blessing to just throw the laundry in the hamper and wash it!  The guys have fixed the last of the leaky roof so it is all good to go and we can go ahead and work on the inside and not have to worry about water damage.  We have replaced the old skids with new skids and now instead of saying we live on skid row we can say we live on the boardwalk. You can't even imagine how excited I was when he brought those home with him.  My foot doesn't slip through the cracks anymore. Now on to the things that are really not necessary but that make my house a little more homey.  David built the well with flower beds in place of steps.  When I look out my window, I see beautiful flowers and lights right outside.  Then a very special lady crocheted me a beautiful table cover in my favorite decor colors.  It is so fun to have things that are really not necessary but loved!

tarps put up to prevent water from entering the basement

taking out 6" concrete slab to put down skids

old skids

skids cut to fit together

more skids cut to fit together...fancy

"new" sidewalk

window well being built

flower beds being added

gravel and flowers added

view from the inside

temporary washer hookup

last of the leaky roof fixed

my beautiful tablecloth made especially for me