View from the Prairie Box

Despite the wonders of I-80, it’s rare that anyone just “drops by” Lincoln, Nebraska. Lucky for me, my dear friends Bryonie and Josh Moon were on their way home from vacation and stopped in for an hour of coffee, muffins and conversation last Tuesday. Know what that meant? I got to see JUDAH again! After visiting this little guy once in April and again in May, I was in something of a Judah withdrawal. What a treat it was to kiss his chubby cheeks again.

Bryonie once noted that Lincoln seems like a hub for connection. Case in point, the Moons knew Chad and Kacy Steiner in England where both couples were pursuing graduate studies. Fast forward a few years and I meet the Steiners back in Nebraska. I love those it’s-a-small-world-afterall connections, and it was fun to have everyone hang out in my home last week.

Pause for a moment and review these Before Renovation photos. All kinds of ugly, right?

Now you may proceed. Welcome to our lovely bathroom!

The walls are Cafe Latte and the trim is White on White by Glidden. The shower curtain and grey towels are from Target. The towel hooks are from the Tredways’ Stash of Future Things and the packages were covered with half an inch of dust.

One of our favorite things about the bathroom—oh, who am I kidding, the whole place is a favorite thing!—is the ample storage that we created. The closet, now painted bright white, has been transformed from a dungeon to shelf heaven. We can stack towels to our hearts’ content, store bathroom supplies in baskets, and hang towels on hooks. There’s even a decent spot to store paint cans while we continue to repaint the upstairs bedrooms. Also, there’s an alcove behind the shower where we can now hang robes and towels (see the image with three hooks) which is uber-convenient.

We are incredibly grateful for all the folks who helped redeem this space! From the professionals (Jonny Friesen, Jerry Lewis and his crew) to friends-with-organizational-skills (Renae Morehead, Jen Hinrichs), from patient parents who paint (Mom and Dad Tredway) to parents who wash and fold copious amounts of laundry (Mom and Dad Lawton), we thank you.

1. Kisses from my seven-year-old.
2. A dinner/movie/watch-the-storm-roll-in date with my husband from last Saturday.
3. A soft white dog who licks up crumbs and chases yard bunnies.
4. Remarkable grace from Christ that covers all my sins.
5. Free ice cream from the Schwann’s man and Runza.

**I’m reading Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts with women from Redeemer this summer. In the midst of transition, when I’m tempted to complain about the hard things, I’m reminded to consider all I’m thankful for. It’s hard to be a big grouch when you realize how incredibly blessed you are!

First I’d like to say that I have rock stars for in-laws. Jeremy’s parents have been coming over nearly every day to scrape, patch, plaster, sand and paint our house—and I can’t express adequately how grateful we are for their help. I have very un-rock star elbows this summer. Thank you a million times over, Karen and Bill!

I know, I know. You want bathroom photos. They are coming. Besides installing some quarter round (is that the right term?) and adding a candle or two, the bathroom is complete. Showering is quite the luxury, I’ve discovered, and after living without a bathroom mirror or lighting for way too long, seeing oneself in the mirror is quite delightful, too. Adequate shelving and storage are nothing to sneeze at either. I love this new bathroom.

I am struggling to get this house ready to put on the market. There’s a lot to get done. But I am really blessed with loving parents (mine included), a hard-working husband, generous friends, and a mostly patient kid. While this journey feels never-ending in some senses, I have a lot to be thankful for.

When the economy feels really shaky, and when I worry about all the what-ifs of the future, I am reminded of these verses and take comfort in the sovereign nature of the One who strengthens and equips me.

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
– Habakkuk 3:17-20

Back of my neck getting dirt and gritty… And yet, we’re still playing outside, absorbing the sun’s hot rays and loving summer.

A sneak peek.

Tub removal and demolition during which I felt not an ounce of sentimentality. Out with the old, in with the new!

The tub was kinda heavy. Can you tell by the faces below?

The shot below reveals demo of the wall where the new tub/shower will be located. You can now see through the bathroom and into the stairs that lead to the attic. Apparently we keep a spare door in the attic stairwell. (Check out the red faucet knobs—still there!)

This corner is now empty, but the mega-ugly vanity and medicine cabinet were here earlier. You can also see the very large, very dark and creepy wallpaper-covered closet in the back.

I can forgive all the ugliness and even overlook the demolition mess in this last photo because of the light. Bless me, the light. Our home has windows on every single side and this bathroom is treated to light from the south and the west. My soul is absolutely nourished by streams of sunlight through these old windows. Happy sigh.

A few of you have asked for photos of our bathroom remodel, so here we go, peeps. You might need to put on some shades ‘cuz things are gonna get bright. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Welcome to our upstairs bathroom. The brightness that is currently burning your corneas? Yes, it’s the chosen paint color of the previous homeowner. And not only is it a dirty highlighter yellow, the walls are coated in some sort of heavy, messy-looking plaster that looks like it would require a jackhammer to remove.

The awesome handyman doing the demolition is our friend Jonny. We are so grateful for his help with the bathroom overhaul (and throughout the rest of the house as well).

May I point out the faucet handles on the tub? Ever see those before, say, on your outdoor faucet? Ah yes, very charming. While the red handles are darn cute, our tub was so old and outdated that when the faucet broke, we couldn’t find the exact size to replace it with. Thus the outdoor faucet handles.

I’d also like to point out that you do not see a shower. The Tredway family are expert bathers—we have been taking baths for 9.5 years. Seriously. And before you write a comment like I could never bathe for 9.5 years! I’d like to tell you that yes, you really could. It’s amazing what you can get used to when you don’t have money for a bathroom remodel.

The other day Jeremy mentioned that he called Tobey, our pastor and friend, to help grab wires or something after our contractor had finished work for the day. I then realized that many of our pastors have aided in bathroom woes over the years (since we live so close to our church/church offices). Once when Jeremy was out of town I asked Stu if he could help me fix a leaky faucet. I had a moment of panic as we walked to the house, wondering if I was embarrassing myself by having my pastor walk into my uber ghetto bathroom. I’ll never forget the image of Stu sitting on a towel in the middle of the tub, munching on the remainder of his granola bar as he tightened the fixtures. Priceless.

I highly recommend Superhero help for all your common household chores. Recycling becomes RECYCLING! when a Superhero is involved.