rusted tin roof

When we bought our house, this is what the outside looked like. pretty dismal. This big (only because there is nothing around it) pimple in the middle of the yard. No windows to the back yard, ugly color, roof that is a bit wavy, no eaves, a useless awning for the back door... you can see all of that for yourselves.

We needed to make some changes. Before we moved in, and long before our wedding, we added windows - both bedrooms had small windows high on the wall. When we took out the old paneling in the bedrooms, we discovered that a previous owner had framed in windows where we wanted to install them. What were the people who eliminated them thinking about?! The rooms are small enough to begin with - they need that light to make them livable. So now they are livable!

















After the wedding, we had to kick it into gear and replace our roof. Oh yes. Kevin spent many 90 degree days up on the roof, sweating and swearing. All of the swearing paid off!

I am the support team. And I like it that way. Kevin needs someone to pick up the old shingles, rake the nails out of the grass, bring him cold beer... he is the doer and I am the picker upper. This is why our marriage works!

Kevin has to have a project to work on at all times. I have no problem finding projects for him to work on :) So right after the roof was done and the house and garage were painted, he got to work on the slate patio around the stone table. He had gone out with my dad and brother to "the river" to collect slate for the patio and for a back splash in the kitchen earlier in the summer and it was sitting by the garage taunting him. Kevin will gladly find any reason to get dirty. And like I said, I am the support team - which means I said things like "Great positioning of that piece of slate!" and "I think that piece works well there." My other jobs entailed helping clean up the extra pieces of slate and once again, serving cold beer.


I should clarify something here. Before the wedding, before all of these home improvements took place, Kevin and I were both working at the college. We had Monday's off - and worked 4 ten hour shifts. Kevin taught a Geology course and I worked in IT. Then after summer session - a few weeks after our wedding, I continued to work 4 ten hours shifts (with a 100+ mile round trip commute) and Kevin roofed. I feel I need to say this in case you think I am a slacker and my only function was to eat bonbons and serve beer.

Because, in the middle of all of these projects, Kevin found the time to peel logs and create a beautiful log bed frame for us. I married a project-a-holic.