Kitchen: Modifications, plumbing, electrical

The rest of our appliances were scheduled to be delivered today.  However, no one told us that we would have to modify the wall oven cabinet in order to make it fit.  Austin had to build a platform in the bottom and then saw out a bigger hole.  The delivery guys came back again in two days to finish installing the double wall oven.

With the counter tops in, the plumber could also come to hook up the gas cooktop.  Because of the location of the gas valve, Austin had to modify the top drawer.

The plumber also hooked up the kitchen faucets for us (something Austin could do, but just didn't have time).  I have never been so excited to do a sink full of dishes! LOVE the new Touch2O pull-down faucet from Delta!

The electrician was also able to come back to finish installing the sub-panel, LED under-cabinet lighting and 220V dryer outlet.  Lincoln was eager to help Austin finish installing the ceiling fan. :o)

Breakfast bar

After six weeks of eating breakfast in the basement, we enjoyed our first breakfast at the new bar. :o)

This is where we have been eating most of our meals since the beginning of July:

 

Now it's time to start the monumental task of moving back into the kitchen!

Kitchen: Counter tops

Hooray--it was finally counter top day!  We ordered Cambria Quartz counter tops through Cabinets Galore, and they turned out beautiful!!  I was so excited to be able to set stuff down on something other than the inside of a drawer!  Can you tell how excited I was?!? ;o)

This was the "thank you" gift that arrived in the mail from Cambria.  It was a customized quartz cheeseboard.  I had to Google "cheeseboard" to see if you use it like a cutting board or if it's just a really heavy, fancy serving platter for sliced cheese.  I still can't decide.  Regardless, it's really pretty and sparkly!

Kitchen: Wires

This is what the basement utility room looks like when you rewire the entire kitchen above (including a single-switch under-cabinet lighting), are waiting to install a sub-panel to the the electrical box and have run new flexible plumbing lines to all the appliances.  It took an evening for Austin to get everything neatly tacked up and out of the way.

Kitchen: Laundry cabinets & bar stools

Saturday was another big work day.  Austin hung all the cabinets in the laundry area.  I'm starting to be able to envision the space!

I spent way more time than it should have taken to put together three bar stools. Lincoln really wanted to help.  In the end, it took Austin's real drill to get the things tightened up and a screw added here and there.

Kitchen: Microwave & TV

Tonight's goal was to wire and install the drawer microwave along with the outlet in the island.  The opening for the microwave turned out to be 1/2" too tall on the height and 3/4" short on the width.  Austin ended up adding a strip to the bottom and using his jigsaw to cut 3/8" off each side.  It's just a tad unnerving to watch someone sawing your brand new cabinets!  The microwave just fit.

Then it was time for Austin's main toy.  The new Vizio LCD TV and Mini Mac had arrived while he was gone.  He hung the TV on the wall and hooked up all the cords and wires in the pantry on the other side of the wall.  The DirecTV box won't come for another week, but the computer part was up and running. 

Austin didn't want any kind of junky wall calendars cluttering up the walls of the new kitchen, so I told him he'd have to figure out a way to make it digital.  He decided the best option would be to hook up a Mini Mac to the TV.  Now I have the capability of pulling up the calendar, which is synced to my iPhone via iCloud.  We can also listen to Pandora, check email, watch Amazon Prime videos, pull up recipes online or from Evernote, and allow the kids to play computer games while being fully supervised.  Everything is done via wireless mouse and keyboard.  It's pretty sweet, but I've got a little tinkering to do to get things set up a little more efficiently.

Kitchen: Island

Despite being gone all week for work and not getting home until the wee hours of the morning and then sitting through the Global Leadership Summit all day, Austin was determined to get the kitchen island set tonight.  We had waited until after the floors were installed and the fridge came to make everyone's life easier.  The kids had talked me into sleeping in the tent for another night.  It don't go over nearly as well to leave them to fall asleep on their own while I stayed up until almost midnight helping Austin.  It was another fitful night.  But I digress...

The island was a bit tricky because it consisted of two base cabinets, a faux panel of doors and two end panels that all had to be pieced together, screwed to the floor and two holes drilled through the floor for electrical wires.  I'm pretty sure we measured that opening (which had to be exactly 15") about 20 times!

Silverware extensions

Emily likes to invent things.  Her latest invention is silverware extensions consisting of jumbo craft sticks taped onto plastic silverware.  She was selling her wares for $.50 a pair.  For an extra $1.00, she'd give you a shoebox to store them in.  Lincoln was pretty much her only customer.

Kitchen: New fridge

The first of the new appliances to arrive was the refrigerator.  I was so excited!  I happily said "good-bye" to the old almond 20cf Amana with the the door shelves held on by duct tape and packing tape.

And said "hello" to a 25cf Kenmore Elite French-door, bottom freezer with exterior ice and water dispenser.

We had to wait an extra day for Austin to return from his business trip in order to get the water line hooked up.  Then we had to have some lessons in the proper way to dispense ice & water and how to use a towel to mop up the inevitable spillage on the floor. ;o)  The kids were in heaven.  Crushed ice with water was all the rave.

Tenting

The kids finally had their first experience sleeping in a tent in the backyard.  I'm a very fair-weather outdoors person, so I made them wait a few days until there was no chance of rain and it wasn't going to be stifling humid.  They had a great time hauling all kinds of stuff into the tent during the day.  We played outside until dusk and then watched the stars come out, as well as seeing the International Space Station fly directly overhead. 

Sleeping went better than I expected.  I think the kids were really worn out.  I slept awful, but it was worth it for them.  Lincoln was more cheerful in the morning than Emily was.