The bathroom update you've all been waiting for!

 Life has been super busy lately.  We are still moving Elisabeth from one room to another as Rob slowly brings his things back home.  I have a very big very important site inspection at my job on Monday. This has engendered extra hours at work and no small amount of stress.  In the past this site has not scored well and I want to show that it can and will. However we have had curve balls of leaks and short staffing that are making achieving our ambitious goal rather challenging.

And here at home, renovations continue--with the knowledge that we are hosting Thanksgiving in a few short weeks. EGADS!  On the plus side much has been done in our bathroom.  

Almost all our drywall is up.  I figure you brave folks that occasionally read this blog only need to see one picture of walls with drywall.  We have one full wall behind the washer and dryer yet to do and the back side of the shower wall, but all other areas are fully drywalled.

Our sink is in place and almost plumbed.  I was two pex fittings short the night we were doing the install.  Since it was 11:30 when we got to this point, the big box store was well and truly closed.

The shower is installed.  It is plumbed except for the drain..  Isn't it big and gorgeous!  There is a niche for each member of the family to put their beauty products.  It is so spacious.  I have a box covering the floor to protect it from construction debris as we continue our work.

Also the entire ceiling has been drywalled and the recessed lights reinstalled.  So we have done a lot (and this weekend we have worked on framing in the closet for linens as my friend E was away on a scout adventure and it is his tools I use for plumbing.  But the punch list of items yet to be done remains large--finish the plumbing. Tape and mud all the drywall.  Prime the drywall and paint.  Install tile around the sink and over the shower. Install the vinyl flooring.  Finish work around our window (we need to build a sill and do the trim work around it) Trim work around the door. Install the shelves in the closet. (ordered and will be here next wkend) Build the platform that the washer and dryer will stand on so that I can have storage underneath. Install light over the medicine cabinet. Build a faux barn door for the linen and beauty closet.  Install the doors on the tiny sink vanity.

So yeah, a few things left to do.  But you eat an elephant one bite at a time, right?

Course Correction

 Saturday night I got a phone call from Rob who was in a difficult place.  Due to some spectacularly bad decisions he was in a very bad financial place that has legal repercussions.  Most of this week has been spent sorting that out and resolving the debts to other parties.  As a result of this, he will move home in the this month and regroup and regain his financial footing.

He is a hard worker and none of this is due to that.  It is, however, a result of his inability to say no to people, and to face hard things.  His choice when frightened or confronted with something he does not like has always been avoidance.  In this instance, avoidance equalled throwing away important mail and failing to discuss his crisis with us when it would have been much smaller and easier to assist with.

Part of what we will do during the time he lives at home again is work actively with him on budgeting.  Also on how to keep track of your spending--it seems like many young people, he does not look at who he has paid, just lives off what the bank says the available balance is. So if a creditor has not yet pulled a payment, and he buys something with "available cash" then a problem arises.

I told him when he moved out that if he needed his room back in the first 12 months it was his.  After that he could always come home, but he would take whatever room we could make available to him.  This is only 8 months in, so Elisabeth is bouncing back to her old room and is taking this with good grace.

I am sorry for Rob because I know this has to be  feeling like a step back.  I have told him it is just a "course correction" and that he will not be here forever. I hope it feels that way to him and that he continues to feel the love with which we are enfolding him as he works to resolve this. 

*Note: I wrote this post a week or so ago and forgot to post!