When we were house hunting in November, we knew this was the house of our dreams. It was a bit beyond on budget, but we willing to save to make it happen. It had everything we wanted and needed for our family.
Within a few weeks of moving in, maybe just a few days, we knew there were big problems. Water was everywhere in the basement. Thankfully nothing was ruined, but we were frustrated.
We continued to use and live in the basement through Christmas. It is the perfect place for all the toys.
We did a few painting projects to make things a little more our style, but no major projects.
As the early spring rains began we had fewer and fewer opportunities to use the basement because it was wet for weeks at a time. We realized something had to be done. We contacted several companies and decided to install a sump pump and cover the walls with a special plastic. Unfortunately it would be mid summer before work could begin.
With the help of our precious church family we began demolition on our own. We removed thousands of bricks from the floor. We took down all drywall, paneling and studs on the exterior walls. There was mold and water damage everywhere. Not a good thing for a little boy who suffered from asthma for years.
At the very end of June trenches were dug and the sump pump was installed. Walls were covered with the special material. Rain fell and it remained outside, not in our basement. Praise the Lord. We weren't done yet. It was our job to finish the rest of the basement.
Again with the help of our precious church family, new studs were hung, and drywall was replaced. We added some new electrical as well. We learned a lot. Adam and I painted. There were many arguments about the paint color. Adam took his UK basketball shorts to Lowe's and they color matched them for him. Two walls are UK blue and the rest are cream.
We installed the new waterproof flooring and painted the steps. We had a professional finish the flooring and hang trim. It looks and feels like a new basement. It is a project we would have done 5-10 years down the road, but we were forced to do it much earlier. We are very pleased with the new space and the kids are thrilled to have their basement and toys back.
In the midst of the basement renovations we painted two bedrooms upstairs. Special family and friends painted our master bedroom a lovely Peach Cobbler. They also painted the ceiling. The walls were the same color as the brown walls. I also painted the guest room yellow like Owen's room, to match the blue and white bedding we have had since we got married. 
We love our home and pray we are able to spend many wonderful years here watching our children grow up and as we continue to serve the Lord here in Owensboro.
I just can't contain my pride for Alexander. As a former teacher, his academic accomplishments are huge for me. As a kindergartener he is reading at the end of second grade level. He is in the 97th percentile for math and the 99th percentile for reading, according to his MAP test. I was recently blown away with his ability to solve math word problems. He was doing a homework assignment and I expected he would need quite a bit of guidance as to how to solve each problem. He quickly drew pictures in order to solve the addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems. I remember struggling with word problems as a child and even struggling to get my students to solve them as a teacher. 
Last night, the kindergarten students had a concert. Alexander had been singing the songs at home. He didn't tell us that he was in the percussion ensemble. He did a great job playing the rhythm sticks and the bucket drum. He loves music, so this was no surprise. 
