He asked "What would you like for your birthday?" She replied, "A front door."

Two years until we got carpeting (which is fantastic! my feet have never been so happy!)-which is fine because the dogs and I can handle sub-floor. However, the neighbors may start complaining if we don't get a front door soon. Not saying it doesn't look good-it just doesn't look good. So, I told Mark that I wanted a front door for my birthday and he was like-no problem, i'll get right on it-and he did! He went and bought the doors-or at least the door slabs (Stankeys don't believe in retail, we customize everything). Door included will be from scratch. I was excitedly telling a work colleague that I was getting a front door for my birthday when it hit me-I did not preface that the door needed to work! Ugh! When will I learn! So last night we're getting ready for bed and Mark says, so I'm pretty sure I can get the door done-I just don't know if the hardware will be in it? What? How does it hang? open? lock? So currently, I have 2 door slabs leaning agains the back of my fireplace. Mark is studying for his LEED exam and I am now off to continue reading Atlas Shrugged-half way through! We'll see if I finish the book before or after the door is installed and working-1200 page book. He's got some time.

She said "I'd like to try a garden this summer." He said, "I'll build you a box!"

The first weekend in May we went up north for the weekend. Had a great weekend with the cousins and wives-Krista, Sara and I got to talking about gardening. I thought that I'd like to try out my green thumb-see if I have one actually. So on the way home I asked Mark what he thought? I was just thinking about tilling up part of the side yard (small) and seeing what happens. Mark said, "I'll build you a garden box." Me thinking it would be 4 boards-4 nails (maybe 8) said "Great! " Thinking this won't take too long...We got home around 5 on Sunday night and I easily had a garden box. All I needed to do was get some dirt! Oh, no - the box wasn't even close to being completed. Over the next three weekends we trimmed the box, puddied the nail holes, sanded, primed and painted the box. Then it was time for the welder! Out of spare steel we had lying around Mark built a cage for our garden box to keep out all the little and big critter's we have around here. Finally, the garden box was complete-I planted the garden on Memorial Day-Tomatoes, Pepper's, Lettuce, Snap Peas, Cucumbers, Green Beans, Herbs and a Jalepeno Pepper plant. Mark's comment, "This was a lot bigger project than what I had anticipated-you better really like to garden." My thought, "If I wasn't meant to garden before-I better be now!"

He said "carpet is being installed on Monday" - She is very excited!

Believe it or not carpet is being installed at this very moment! It looks beautiful already and they haven't even finished yet! Thanks hon for getting the extra thick pad-very soft-almost bouncy! Good-bye subfloor - hello beautiful!

He said "I think we should try and refinance." She replied, "We don't have a front door."

Good Thing we still went for the refi anyways - in the midst of our destruction, construction, designing and shopping. But we locked in at 4.875% for a 30 yr fixed-pretty excited about that one! So the refi is complete, Mark is done with ski season so now it is game on with the house. The last couple months were definitely nice, but I'm very excited to start seeing some progress again. We've decided the next big thing to tackle is the kitchen and in true Stankey fashion we decide to do TWO - I mean if you're doing one already, how hard is the second?! We have decided to make the basement into a one bedroom apartment - hence the 2nd kitchen. So to make room for the kitchen in the basement we need to begin with moving the laundry room. Good bye shop-hello laundry! I'm sure I'll have plenty of new photo's and stories soon. Nothing like a little adventure to get us ready for Summer. Since we had a new oven to replace our old double oven (that hasn't worked since October, 2008) I asked Mark to remove the old one and put the new one in. Mark did but now there is something wrong with the wiring - not really the oven. ugh! Oh well, I've gone this long with out an oven-what's a few more days/months. At least we can grill!

She asked: What were we thinking having a New Year's Party? He replied: It'll be fine. You know what?! It was great!

Thank you to everyone who rang in 2009 with us! We had a wonderful time and hope you did too!

The week before New Year's we decided to remove all the insulation in the cantilever on the back side of the house and spray with foam insulation. We had to order the insulation online (remember the pics of the haz mat suit?) and it arrived right before New Year's. So Dec. 30th we decide to remove all the bat and spray in the new stuff-hoping to make the basement warmer for all the ping pong enthusiasts. We were a bit disappointed in the amount of time and the continuing lack of heat in the basement. But out with the old and in with the new!

Mark also reworked the electrical around the front door and the living room french doors, we re insulated, put up the vapor barrier and sheet rocked around both doors. We were going to try and plaster before the party but insulating the basement took a little bit longer than expected.

So here we are Jan. 2nd, 2009 and not much has changed from 2008. We took off the 1st and rested up from the week's of entertaining and working. No rest for the weary-today I've been cleaning up from the party and Mark is getting all the wall's prepped for plaster. Our camera's on the fritz so I'll post pics as soon as I can. The great thing about 2009 is that we will be working on the interior of the house-the bad thing about 2009 is that we will be working on the interior of the house!

She asked "Are you sure you need to hang that last gutter today." He replied, "I just need to get it done."

Saturday Mark hung the last of the gutter's. Yes - in the freezing cold and swirling winds Mark is up on a ladder hanging gutters! But now they are all up! I worked at insulating the area's around our new french door in the living room and front door area. Our front door is still "plywood" - Yes, Fancy. But it is now insulated. I thought it was funny on Monday watching Mark shovel the path to our front steps - which is currently not an entrance. Guess he's just trying to see what friends of our are really reading the blog!

Tuesday we were judges for a Northwestern College event - hallway decorating - very intense. And afterwards Mark said, "I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed with all the things we need to do before New Years." I (in the nicest way) replied, "Just starting! I've been concerned about that for months!" Good thing we both have some time off around the Holidays to you know - cover up insulation, fix the hanging electrical, insulate the basement, fix some tile. All the normal party prep stuff. And yes, if you are reading this you are invited to the New Year's Party.