Pretty sure that title is from a Country song, and the older I get the more I understand the sentiment! It’s been two years since I’ve updated, and there is a lot to update…

One of the main changes for both Greg and I was temporarily relocating to California to care for our youngest Grandbaby while her parents went back to work. Greg stayed in Oklahoma for his job, commuting occasionally to California and I would fly home for holidays. While it was somewhat of a sacrifice being away from each other, the joy and closeness we experienced taking care of our precious Sadie girl was incredibly rewarding and something we will always treasure. Definitely a sweet spot in our lives.

Possibly the biggest change was right after we came home from California, our oldest daughter, Grandkids, and their dog, moved in with us. We used to wonder, why do we need this much space? Is it necessary, should we downsize? I can confidently say every inch of the Clubhouse was utilized; upstairs, downstairs, inside and out! It was an adjustment for everyone, but we all re-grouped and made the best of it. They took over the upstairs, and once school started, we got into somewhat of a routine. They lived with us for almost a year and a half, just recently moving out. During this time we didn’t do too many projects, more maintaining. When I was in California Greg surprised me by having the kitchen banquette completely reupholstered and installed, it only took me 6 months to choose the fabric! I love it, the Grands did too, using it for snacks, homework, games, and ‘lots of crafting. Thank goodness for Scotch Guard, truly!

Right after the banquette (or maybe during, Greg is the ultimate multi tasker!) we started on the Coffee bar. He reused the doors from the old kitchen cabinets, reworked the drawer fronts, basically designing and building it from scratch. The shelves that hold the coffee mugs and decor were mostly new but the face fronts were from existing wood. Greg has quite the collection~ every length, width, and thickness. I don’t think any wood was wasted in the remodel process! He then installed a sink, somehow replumbing the pipes from the nearby half bath. For the counter he used a large sheet of Italian tile that he had saved from the kitchen remodel. I styled the shelves, and it was completed! We use it every day and I have a beautiful, sweet space to make our morning coffee and to display my grandma’s coffee and tea sets.

In the same area as the coffee bar is our Pantry/Utility area and now Mud room! Or dirt room as our Granddaughter Blakely calls it. Greg designed and built it for the Grandkids to hang their coats and backpacks with baskets underneath for their shoes, a bench to sit on, and storage above. It kept all their ‘stuff’ in check and once they got in the habit, they were really good at hanging everything up after school.

We also found French doors on FB Marketplace to separate the laundry area from the rest of the house. With 6 people in the house, we had a substantial increase in our laundry so having doors to close off helped keep the noise level down. We had a custom Transom window made for above the French doors using two different kinds of glass: bubble glass for cosmetic and sound deadening for the other side. It works great!

Just recently we took out the old temporary flooring in the Kitchen and Pantry area. Temporary from a few years back when we needed something for an appraisal, so we went with inexpensive planks. With the Grandkids here it sped up the wear process; they skated, hover boarded, rode bikes, chased each other, and the dog, so the planks were literally lifting off the floor! This time, we went with Nucure performance waterproof luxury planks. Greg and I did the install in a couple of weekends. I should say I assisted; Greg did the heavy work. Also in the kitchen, Greg re grouted the finish edge on the big island with epoxy. It was quite the process trying to find the right product, I’ll spare you most of the details but the product we initially used puffed up and continued to puff up for days! He finally found just the right formula and method for applying. The island is one of the main features of our open floor plan, so you notice it right away, it was frustrating not having a solution. It now looks fabulous and finishes off the kitchen, even Greg is pleased. If you know Greg, you know what I mean! I’m thankful (usually!) that he is a perfectionist.

Next up on the inside is repainting our bathroom cabinets, sheet rocking the garage, and some minor repairs. Also, finishing the baseboards which Greg is working on as I type,

Outside, Greg cleaned up, leveled and graded the backyard behind the garage. We still have landscaping to work on but that can wait until Spring. When the Grandkids were living with us, we found a basketball hoop that our neighbors had that had blown over in a recent storm. In Oklahoma it’s not unusual to see basketball hoops knocked over, trampolines in someone else’s yard, outdoor chairs and cushions in trees, you get the idea! So, Greg decided our newly found basketball hoop would not be going anywhere! He found a pipe that fit inside the mounting pole of the basketball hoop. Dug a 4′ deep hole and put in over 600 pounds of concrete! He set the pole in the concrete, then placed a square form around it with the Grandkids handprints. It had to set up for several weeks, he then (with help from me and three anxious grandkids watching) lifted the hoop and pole four and a half feet, it was set and good to go! We all enjoyed many games of Horse and practiced many hours of free throws. I think that basketball hoop will be there for decades with no chance of blowing over!

We also bought an above ground pool and placed it where the Sand pit play area used to be. They loved the pool, and it kept us all cool during the hot summer.

. Once the kids moved out, we sold the pool and decided to turn the space into a fire pit. We still had stone leftover from our addition and used that for the actual fire area and as a border. We are looking for Adirondack chairs to place around the fire but in the meantime, we are using the black rod iron chairs that were left behind when we purchased the clubhouse. We are patiently awaiting Fall weather so we can enjoy the space.

Last I updated, Greg’s dad had just been placed on Hospice~ sadly we lost him in August of 2023. We miss him and think about him daily; he would be so proud of Greg and what he has accomplished here in the clubhouse. He taught Greg so much…

We also lost a really good friend the following August. Life is short, time goes fast, but memories last forever, make it sweet.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for being here, I hope to post again soon. We are seriously considering down sizing next Spring or when the market conditions are right. Six years later we are almost to the end of all our projects, although when you are married to Greg, there will always be another project. Have a wonderful rest of your summer.