Valentine's Day Surprise!

When last we met, I was in deep into my bathroom renovation Valentine's Surprise.  In deep with painting supplies and in deep, as in, OVER.MY.HEAD!  I really blame it all on HGTV's "Fixer Upper" for making me think I could do this all by myself.  You see, I am a giver...it gives me great joy to do for others! 

Recently my husband decided to go back to seminary to get his Doctorate in Counseling.  To see him so excited about doing this, got me excited too.  He is, after all, my better half.  I began watching him research all that he needed to do to start seminary in the autumn.  My heart wanted to do something special for him, but I wasn't sure what.  As I sat watching "Fixer Upper", it came to me...redo our master bathroom while he is away in Denver with his job. 

I started by probing him for color choices.  I tried to play it down, so he wouldn't guess what I was up to.  Copper was his color choice.  I can hear you saying, "copper"?  I know.  He likes watching the Velocity channel and they showed this beautiful copper and chrome, Desoto Firedome on Wheeler Dealer (see above).  It was so pretty.  So I went with that color scheme in mind, knowing I would soften the look with my girlisense.  The Monday he left, I went to work.  I took the cabinet doors off and set it all up in my garage.  My adrenaline was pumping.  I knew my best work would be done at night after my kiddos went to bed.  So I started sanding and prepping for my warm gray colored paint.  Tuesday was my painting cabinets day.  By the way, I love to paint!  While waiting for the different coats to dry, I would tape the bathroom.  This is NOT the part I like doing, but if you want it done well...you must prep first.  Wednesday morning came and I was tired, but excited to start my project, between homeschooling and cooking for my children.  I began painting the walls that night.  The Sherwin Williams color, Pennywise, looked so nice on our walls.  The trouble for me was our ceiling is 10 feet high.  Even with our ladder, it was tough to reach it all.  Midnight, I had to stop.  My brain was too fuzzy.  

Thursday it was hard to wake up.  "Lord Jesus, please give me the strength to work on our bathroom today, I want to honor my husband with this surprise."  After schooling, piano lessons, and grocery shopping...we prepared for dinner with our friends, Shae, Madison, Savanna, Brooklyn and their Meme'.  After all, I really needed some adult conversation.  Our other friends, Beth and Jerry were also coming over to help with putting the cabinet hardware on.   (PROVERBS 17:17a  A friend loves at all times) 

After they all left, I got back to painting.  It was getting harder and harder to want to continue.  Friday @ 4:00pm was my finish line, I had to make it!  That Thursday night, I was removing the medicine cabinet mirror to better paint around it, when I dropped it and it broke. 

I was full of tears of discouragement.  How could I have thought I could do this!  About 12:30am, I facebooked my friends Allyson and Shae about my "evening fail".  The next morning, both friends asked if they could help.  My heart leapt with joy!  The Cavalry arrived and the painting got finished!    After they left, God gave me enough energy to clean it all AND decorate.  IT WAS DONE!  ...with an hour to spare.  All I wanted to do was sleep, but my sweet husband would be arriving soon.  I. WAS. A. MESS!  I couldn't remember taking a shower in the past 2 days of crazy.  So this momma cleaned and gussied up for her man.  We heard the garage door open up and we all ran out to meet daddy.  We told him to cover his eyes.  When he saw the bathroom, he was delighted!  That makes all of this worthwhile!   I wanted to love and honor my husband and in doing so, my heart was full to overflowing!  (ISAIAH 40:31  but they that wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;  they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.)

I'm an Ohio girl living in Florida.  I've been married 11 this year to my sweet husband, whom I first met on a fix-up by my grandmother.  I have two amazing children here on earth and one in heaven.  I enjoy learning about different ways to most things domestic.  I love playing the piano and cross stitching and of course, watching Fixer Upper.

---