The Evolution of DIY Fireplace

It's been almost one year since our Family Room was revealed on the DIY network. One of the best features of our remodel was adding a gas fireplace.

BEFORE:

You can see in the before photo the black gas line pipe that stretched across the ceiling. 
That's what gave me the first idea of a fireplace that I shared with Renovation Realities.


Although it was not my style, I found this fireplace on Craigslist and ended up getting it for just a few hundred bucks. I knew with a little creativity I could make it our own.


The first step was figuring out where to put it. This was my way of "getting the vision."
Super professional.

We had no idea when we moved it into the house the journey we were in for!


First we had to decide how to position and square up the fireplace, so we could properly place the gas line and venting. As you can see we were TOTALLY agreeing on that process.


It sat like this for longer than we ever thought it would. 
The key to squaring it up turned out to be mark chalk lines on the floor and using a plumb line from the ceiling to establish square lines.


The next challenge for Cowboy was to get the fireplace to light.
And of course for me the challenge was what to do with the 1990's oak.


So he split the gas line off of our hook up in the kitchen which fortunately was just above the fireplace. He also moved the gas line above the ceiling. In addition to hooking up the gas lines you have to hook up to an electric switch for turning the fireplace on.


The lesson learned was you DO NOT hook that switch up to electricity. There are only 12v needs to trigger what they call the "thermopile." After 12 hours of troubleshooting with the owners manual and You Tube we figured out we had ruined ours by hooking up to electricity.


$50 later and a new thermopile -- we had FLAMES!!


We had it framed up and flaming, but still no decision on design.


Finally an idea.
A compromise.


I wanted white and modern. Cowboy voted for wood and classic.


We decided to go with open hearth rather than the raised box.
At this point I saw the vision, but if I was giving into oak I wasn't sure about the granite.


The faux reclaimed wood was the easiest part of the project and I started to see the simplicity that could be involved in the design.


You can see more details on the design here.


It turned out to be a great compromise. The oak compliments the wood plank ceilings and the granite adds a touch of class to the simplicity of it all.


We learned the steps of installing a gas fireplace, but we probably learned more about ourselves.

From R7 to you --
Be a blessing.


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Funny little story about loving Jesus

Don't blink. We've heard this so many times about little bitty towns and about our precious little ones growing up too fast! When it comes to the amazingly giant thing they call parenting, the whole not blinking thing gets difficult when your eyes are desperately drooping in exhaustion. So...maybe that's a metaphor -- Look at me using my teacher talk...

Don't blink. It's so true that we need to pay attention while these little ones are sprouting up. I find my problem is not paying attention as much as it is focusing my attention on the most important things.

I've started a little journal of "kids say the funniest things."
My most recent entry goes a little like this:

While relaxing in the tub tonight my youngest unnamed 8 year old boy comes in to 'spend some time.' He settles in all too comfortably to do his thing, while I on the other side of the shower curtain invent again a plan to add a master bathroom. He breaks up my dreaming by starting our conversation ritual..."Good thing, Bad thing?"

 So he tells me his good thing for the day, bad thing for the day, something he's learned and something he's thankful for. In a split second I have a parenting moment of genius and decide this is my chance to throw in a curve ball I've been meaning to add to the ritual. I say "What's something you did for Jesus today?"

 After a bit of hesitation he says -- "Well I didn't get in any real trouble today."

 After making a mental note that I'm still needing to ask for more grace and less legalism, I urge him to think about something he did instead of something he didn't do. He triumphantly reminds me that he reminded me to pray and boom he's done. My turn.

 Good thing, bad thing...thankful for and something for Jesus.
"But Mom, that one should be easy for you. You always do things for Jesus and are nice to people."

 Mental note 2 -- I adore that kid.
Mental note 3 -- make sure I'm confessing my mess-ups in front of him more often, because I'm thinking his perspective is a little rose-colored

 I humble myself and admit to Him that most of the time I do those things because they are right and not always because I'm trying to show the love of Jesus. I tell him about someone who doesn't know Jesus that I'm trying to talk to every day and show kindness to so I can share with him about Jesus love and hope for us.

 The innocence of my well-churched 8 year old says "Oh that's sad. There's not very many people who don't know Jesus."

 Mental note 4 -- sheltering him is working.
Mental note 5 -- If I'm trying for a distorted world view I can check that off the list also.

 So by now he's comfortably seated in the laundry hamper and settled in for a long talk. I run a little more warm water into the tub knowing I don't stand a chance of shaving my legs anytime soon, and I tell him how there are really a lot of people who don't know Jesus in the world and that even Jesus said there would be many who don't know Him.

 He ponders this and asks
"Does so-and-so know Jesus?"
(insert name of 17 year old daughter's guy friend for so-and-so)

 I gladly say "Yes, he does know Jesus."

 "Oh good because if he's going to be...um...what's it called....you know...oh -- brother in law, then he has to know Jesus!"

 My jaw drops and mental notes are flying too fast to be documented. I assure him that I don't think that he will be a brother in law anytime soon and recover with something along the line of I'm glad you want him to know Jesus.

 To which the 8 year old replies...
"Oh bummer! I just can't wait to be an uncle!!"

 Bath time talk is over. I need to process this.

Processing required  repeating the story a couple of times which Cowboy didn't find even remotely humorous or entertaining. (Dad of daughter thing I guess.)

But here's the thing. I find myself looking for signs that we are doing okay at this daunting job of parenting and that our kids are turning out alright. Too often in my search for signs I look for good grades, clean rooms, nice manners, respectful attitudes and I assess how we are doing.

This funny little incident made me see so many more things I should be paying attention to! Do they love Jesus? Do they love others? Do they want others to love Jesus?

I mean don't get me wrong, I'm not falling off the clutter free, clean your room bandwagon. I still love good manners, good grades and sweet talking children. BUT, that's not what I should be counting as signs of success. Those are signs of progress in teaching little hearts to LOVE!

Anyway -- long story. Simple message. Let's not just look up and pay attention to our kids....let's pause and look into their hearts and souls. We will find every single joy that parenting has to offer right there in that moment and might even find time to blink.

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Clean. Calm. Heavenly.

In trying to locate "Before" pics I had to go back into the archives!! Before our DIY network family room remodel we were working on our stairs. We opened walls for an office and took out spiral stairs for something a little more user friendly. 

Except they were only friendly for the stable and able. 

If an elderly person or person under 3' tall went near the stairs we gasped, prayed, and made a mental note to increase our coverage on our homeowner's policy. 

In the chaos we call life here at R7 we spent almost 2 years with nothing but a 2x4 brace keeping someone from tumbling down the stairs. So it was finally time...to start bringing my vision to life. 


Hello gorgeous wall.


I can't get enough of you.


Because just around the corner...


Is more of your gorgeousness.
I'm well aware you are still a bit imperfect.


But you make me smile.
Rustic and aged meets clean and pure white.


It's a heavenly combination really.
I will resist the urge to sing Stairway to Heaven but you and Jesus both know this is just the kind of stairs I would want. Skip the gold. Give me the good stuff.


A little touch of outdoors brought inside to get me through winter.


In case we forget that there's a reason it takes us two years to get things done this reminds us that 7 is an incredible number to keep up with.


Thank you stairway for waiting for me to get you done.
I love you.

Cowboy's getting a little jealous so I should probably stop now.

From R7 to you --
Be a blessing.

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Clutter. New Plan. New Perspective.

I remember the days when keeping Cheerios off of the floor and dirty dishes out of the sink made me feel like I had this whole mama thing "under control." It seems to be getting harder and harder to get that feeling these days. Shiny sinks, lines in the freshly vacuumed carpets or pillows fluffed on the couch just don't seem to deliver the same "you've got this" vibe they once did. 


So over the last couple of years I've changed my approach to the crazy by trying to kill the clutter.


Baskets and bins are always within reach to keep up with the unending cycle of
 people and all of their 'stuff'. 


In and out. In and out.
And the people's friends and pets and...well you get the point.


So I've become the queen of roughed up boxes and bins.


Bolt bins for shoes.


Even for office supplies.


I employ tool boxes and tubs.


Anything I can to help me feel like there's a place for everything. 
BUT -- there are still more days than not that everything is not in its place.

So...welcome 2016. A new plan. A new perspective.

This year we kicked off 2016 with an R7 family meeting. From the start I was honest that I know I'm a grumpy woman to live with most days and that my desire for all things to "go right" is too often stronger than my desire for our family to "be right."

"Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed..."
James 5:16 

After my humble little confession of my heart troubles each of these awesome people I get to share life with followed. Without even being asked they confessed the struggles of their hearts and we prayed as a family for one another. It was beautiful to put all of our dirt right out on the table and let Jesus cleanse our hearts and minds and agree to cheer one another on!

Each of my precious family member agreed to take a night to make supper and we assigned a night for each one to do laundry. Now after one week I can tell you that the house want's clean every day. But guess what?? I'm off the hook because I'm not trying to keep up -- WE are! 

When I switch my perspective I felt free from the negative talk in my head. 

Instead of "I can't keep up and no one else is helping..." It sounds a little more like, "How can I help them today?" "How can I bare part of the load for those I love the most?"

Those make me feel better inside and out!! So the bins and the strategies continue -- but now it's just a tool rather than the sign of success or failure.

New plan. New perspective. Now on to week 2 of the year :)

From R7 to you --
Be a blessing.


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