Millwood

 We headed up to Millwood after SEWE on Saturday afternoon. We drove through a bit of rain, but it was beautiful when we got there. The kids were hoping to see a bit of snow on Saturday but it didn't happen for them. They immediately started playing outside, and I got to work on our first project of the weekend.

I had bought six chairs at Ikea a few weekends ago to go with the new farm table that DuBose built for me. I was soo excited to get it all stained and to have all my babies gathered around it!! We put the chairs together and I got right to work staining them. I was able to stain the chairs, table and bench Saturday night with one coat (DuBose helped a bit with the table.)

before

 I started on the second coat Sunday morning and finished by lunch time. I was loving the way it was looking and was ready to put it all in place.

With the table being handmade, it had a few imperfections - two holes from the knots in the pine. I didn't really want holes on the table where food cold gather - yuck - so we decided to fill them.

We stole the idea of the filler from the floor near the bar - the previous owners put this nickel in one of the knot holes in the pine. It's sealed in there and is a quirky little thing that we love.

 

 The knot on the top of the table was filled with a dime

 - a dime from 2000 - 

the year we were married

 

 And then the other hole is on the end of the table and we filled it with a penny from 2012 - the year we bought our cabin!! Love love these little touches that make it "ours."

 

And I really really love the table now that it is finished!! It looks great and seats plenty of friends and family. A table this big has always been a dream of mine, and I cannot wait to enjoy all the times we will fill it up with our friends, our family and most importantly, our little party of five. It's even more special since DuBose built it for me, and I spent hours staining it.

 after

 Love it!

On Monday, we started on our next project - putting down hardwood floors in the lofts. We did the blue room first.

 before

 In our old house, we laid hardwood ourselves in the nursery. On the paper that you put under the wood, we wrote our names and the names of our two precious boys. I was very newly pregnant with Ellie at the time so I signed it Baby Egleston #3 for her. I did it right where I stood to change hundreds of diapers. I can remember standing in that spot in the nursery holding her and thinking that our "mark" would always be in that house, under those floor boards. When we moved out, I stood on that spot in an empty house and relived all the wonderful memories made there with our three precious babies. I was standing on dreams and wishes of a young couple's beginning with two precious boys and a sweet daughter on the horizon.

 I wanted to do it again here so I had everyone sign their name on the paper that will be forever buried under the wood that we will walk on, live on and make memories on. (I know, I know, I'm over the top sentimental. I'm okay with it...) I know I'll stand under that fan in that blue room in a few years and remember this time when we were so excited about our new adventures in the woods and imagining all of the memories we were going to make here as a family. I can't wait to see the life played out on those hardwood floors and to watch the little people who scrawled their names grow.

 

 after

On Tuesday, we got to work on the green loft

 Wow! Three big projects over the weekend. It was fun and rewarding, especially to do it with DuBose. We actually work well together and enjoy projects. It's a nice feeling of accomplishment to walk into those rooms now!

 

We did manage to have tons of fun and play with friends between projects. Caroline brought her boys out on Sunday for the night  so the six kids had a blast playing together again. Poor Caroline was abandoned to her book and looking after children while we worked on flooring, but I don't think she minded ;)

As always, we loved having the Smiths!

We took a long walk on Monday afternoon to get out some more energy and explore.

 Love this little Chicken. She walked and walked - she did ask to be picked up from time to time but no one gave into the cuteness so she made quite a trek with us.

 She's becoming quite a country gal. While we were walking we came across some bones. She instantly picked them up "for her collection" and carried them home.

 Another great weekend spent with each other and with friends. And I'm thrilled with the work we got done. Now it's time for the bunk beds to be built in the lofts so we can fill the house with more friends and family :)