The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care

My amazing husband has been working so hard on finishing off the interior of our house. He finished the fireplace wall and mounted the mantle before Christmas so we could hang our stockings. What a guy. Here are before and after pictures.

Before:

After:

We had an extended Christmas celebration. Chris' parents drove down Christmas morning to spend the day with us. Hannah was so excited to see them, as were we. We had dinner with them and my grandmother Mimi and her husband Tommy. The next day my dad, stepmom, and sister Colleen drove down with their dog Kodi and spent the day with us. Again, lots more attention and present opening for Hannah. She very much enjoyed opening presents. She would rip off the paper and toss the box aside to go to the next gift without seeing what's inside. Kodi helped too.

The fun will continue tomorrow when my mom, stepdad, brother and sister-in-law all come to town for a visit.

House Update

So here is the long awaited post of the "move-in" condition of our house. Chris has been working so hard, and we are blessed to have many handy friends who have helped us with projects. We have had our share of surprises after moving in, like the downstairs toilet overflowing because of tree roots in the pipes, the pilot on the water heater not staying lit, and the kitchen sink backing up with water. Praise God for our home warranty! Two out of the three issues have been taken care of and hopefully the sink will be fixed today or tomorrow. But my dishwasher works! It's quite the luxury after almost 5 years without one. All the floors have been replaced, except for the tile in front of the fireplace. The kitchen cabinets have their first coat of paint and just need a stain finish. Hannah's room still needs a door. Hannah has adjusted well and is enjoying her new house and all the space to play in. Her favorite spot is to be on the step stool in front of the pantry. Since the door is off she has easy access to snacks. Enjoy the slideshow. Below it is an updated picture of the fireplace. Chris plastered the wall last night and it looks great! The dark spots are where it is still drying. We plan to have a mantle up by Christmas for our stockings.