Naked House!

This house is in desperate need of new attire, isn’t it?

As if we weren’t busy enough with Jack’s last year of undergrad starting and the dining room floor being ripped up, on top of wrangling two very active girls, we decided to get started with the siding.  No, we’re not crazy.  I promise.  Our motivation primarily stemmed from being deprived of living here consistently over the summer.  Now we’re on overdrive to get some outdoor projects done while the weather is still, shall we say, amiable?

Before the first winter had set in, I took some cheap white paint and slopped it on to cover the front porch area to protect the wood and conceal the tired maroon paint clashing with the rest of the home.  It was a temporary fix to be sure.

Three years later,  we got around to putting in the last windows.  I wish we’d have done it sooner but alas, finances restrained us.  How nice it is now to have them in!

The east double windows were a conundrum.  We have no idea why two windows were placed on that side, giving it a very off balanced feeling.  I asked Jack (okay, pleaded) to have the front room’s windows centered.  I warned it would make the house look like it had a lazy eye otherwise.  Jack shook his head, moved over the support beam and I’m pleased with the results.

I’m sure there are some out there with a cocked eyebrow, wondering what’s so great about a house that looks like this.  I’ll refer you to the first picture.  It can only get better from that.

Being only a week before his eighteen credit hour semester began (Hey, he likes being busy), Jack was on a roll.  Our faux stone siding was on order so he didn’t mess around waiting for it to come in.

I could almost hear the house shrieking in horror at his tearing off the siding.  “Naked house!” as Evelyn called it.  Jack wasted no time “dressing” it again.

We don’t know why but Evie was extremely upset that the front door was covered up so Jack had to hurry and cut out a spot from the house wrap.  And Evelyn was happy again.

The Saturday before school, our shipment arrived . . . in Ankeny, a good forty minutes away.  Yes, there are downsides to country living.  To top it off, we waited half an hour with very tired, very cranky kids while the home improvement store guys scratched their heads trying to find our order.  So, naturally, we got out and played ‘tag’ and ‘run in circles’ to pass the time.

Jack knows how to show me a good time, haha!

After another sheet of insulation because really, you can never have too much when that winter wind comes a howlin’, we were ready to get started putting up the siding.

It looks like a million bucks, eh?  You have to get pretty darn close to realize it’s not really cut stone.  Thank goodness for imitation products.  Someday I’d love, LOVE a real stone house but for now, Jack’s giving me the next best thing.