Long Overdue Update

How much life can change in 4 short years. Shortly after the last post in Fall 2021 we lost our other dog, Oliver. And it was only weeks before I started begging Brian for a puppy. The house just felt incredibly empty and cold without our dogs with us anymore. And it took a few weeks of begging and convincing, but he when our friend found a litter of extra large breed puppies, he finally agreed that he would enjoy a puppy as well. And we brought Bruce home.

Another extra large breed dog, Bruce, is a “King Shepherd” (which I had never heard of either). He’s a mix of German Shepherd, Great Pyrenees, Malamute, and Rottweiler. Where we live there are cougars, coyotes, and occasionally bears, so an extra large breed is a requirement for me! He’s beautiful and kind, high energy and athletic. He can jump high and run fast. And he’s a wonderful (and occasionally aloof) property guard dog. We love him dearly.

Then in January 2022, we got the incredible news that we were pregnant! We were so ready to start growing our family…but very quickly realized that the cabin with one loft bedroom wasn’t going to be big enough to grow a family in. And so we started our addition project. We planned to do a master suite with a full bathroom and a walk through closet. A big hall closet. A second bedroom across the hall. And a mudroom complete with entryway, laundry, and pantry; plus a dog bathing area and sleeping area.

It took until the week before I gave birth, but we finished the master bedroom and moved downstairs 3 days before we went to the hospital! Our daughter was born, and projects came to a giant halt. And for a couple months we just relaxed in the newborn bliss. And then we realized soon she would be needing her own room. So we got to work and finished her nursery when she was about 5 months old. Then we took about a 6 month “break”. Because anyone with kids knows that a break from house projects is not an actual break.

Once we learned we were pregnant again (when our first born was about one), we decided it was time to get the master bathroom done! It took months and months, construction is HARD with a toddler! But we are so happy with the completed project. It is absolutely wonderful. Being able to hop in the shower while still in earshot of the newborn in her bassinet was heaven.

In the early Summer of 2024 we welcomed our second daughter. Having two daughters is incredibly fun. We now have a 3 year old and a 17 month old, and they are really beginning to play and engage with each other. Eventually we will get around to finishing the mudroom, and then putting the finishing touches on our home (read: install the rest of the trim in various rooms). And even after that there is so much more we would love to do.

This last Summer we paused the progress inside to get some outside projects checked off and we built the deck! Eventually we plan to roof the deck so we can utilize the space throughout the year. For now, we are very happy to have some extra level space to use when the weather is fair.

As the months get cooler we plan to refocus inside. We need to finish all of the closets, finish the mudroom, and install a lot of trim. With two young girls taking up most of our attention, it will be slow progress. We are okay with that. They are far more interesting and entertaining than the ongoing list of to do’s!