Time goes by....

Well, it has been some time since I have been here to post a new blog.  Fall is my most favorite time of year and it certainly was a busy, enjoyable one! 
We have continued to work on the house through the autumn months.  Work on the kitchen has progressed quite a bit.  The floors have gone through the refinishing process, cabinets are done, and any plaster that needed restoration has been done and painted as well.  The beehive oven and surrounding brick have been brought back to life and the cook stove, which we decided to keep, has been reset and we are working on cleaning it up.  That is where we are at for the moment.  We will move on to counter tops and a new "old" sink to continue with the period style look.  The last phase of the kitchen will be to expose the beams in the ceiling and put up reproduction lighting that suits the house.  We will put a dishwasher in, one of those evil, modern must haves (especially with 3 young girls! The dishes do pile up!) but our hope is to "hide" it in one of the lower cabinets, making it disappear all together. 

We also have just about completed the upper main hallway with plaster repair and paint as well as new lighting fixtures. The ceiling will need to be re-done at some point, but for now the current sheet rock will stay.   The side entry hall, the one we use most often, is just about done as well.  The floor will need a little attention and the door will be getting a new handle.  We will be using a reproduction thumb latch combo to give it a more "1800's" look.  The light in that hallway has also been replaced.  It is a nice little entry way to walk into now, very warm and welcoming. 

Work on the kitchen will continue through the winter.  Some plans to restore the plaster in the down stairs guest room and the girls playroom are also on the list.  I will post pictures soon to show the progress, as I have taken quite a few!!

Now that Christmas is upon us, we have once again decked the halls and are enjoying the house room by room with all of the joys of the seasons decorations.  For the second year we have used berries and rose hips from around the yard to decorate the mantles and garlands.  Our tree sits proudly in the living room, cut down with love by us at Frederickson's Tree farm right here in Monmouth.  The house will swell with family for Christmas gatherings and will welcome in friends who stop by to say hello and spread cheer.  We are constantly reminded how special this home is and are always thankful to not only be the proud owners, but the fortunate care takers of such a wonderful piece of history.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

The Webb Family