Complete!

About a month ago, I found this shed kit online for a discounted price, and I sent the link to Brian on IM (he was at work). If I had known the size of this project and the amount of work that it was going to entail, I don't think I would have had the nerve to start that process. But now that it's done, I'm so excited to get the mower and the wheelbarrow and the wood and all the tools etc etc etc out of the garage. And then when I have my garage sale in a couple of weeks? We might be able to park a car in there! In the summer!! (When all the kids' riding toys and bikes are out in the summer, there's no possible way to park a car in there as it is). And if we could store all the outdoor stuff in the shed in the winter, maybe we could park TWO cars in there! In a two car garage?!? Let's not get crazy.

You already know that it took the better part of two weekends for Brian to prepare the ground, level it, and build a gravel bed for the shed to sit on. The instructions said that it would take 2 people 1 day to build it and one day to shingle and paint. Let me just tell you that Brian, who is a good worker and knows pretty well what he's doing - ended up spending THIRTY HOURS (all of that time he had someone helping him, so make that SIXTY MAN HOURS) building and shingling the shed. Twelve hours Saturday, twelve hours Sunday, then he took off work on Monday and spent 6 hours putting shingles on. Not so fast, Instructions.

My Dad put in a ton of hours, and we are so thankful. He even had to go home (2 hours each way) for a night to take care of some business, but then came back for another round of work. And Brian's friend Dave helped build all the rafters and got the roof on, giving up a better part of his Sunday.

Laying out the kit and getting started on the floor.

David was patiently watching for SO long before Brian gave him a hammer and showed him how to finish nails that Brian started for the first wall. He was so proud of himself and super cute.

Sue helped me so much with the kids on Saturday. We took a bike ride to the park, made cookies, and here she helped Katy plant a hanging basket.

Sue and I took the kids to church on Saturday evening and came back to find four walls up. The only disappointment was that they were hoping to be done and they were only halfway.

Sunday morning...enter DAVE! He was determined to build the roof before he left.

...and by Sunday afternoon, he did.

My Dad came back and they got to work on the doors, shelves, vents, and decorative hardware.

Monday morning, they started the shingles.

By Monday afternoon, it's a full-fledged shed. Just needs to be painted, which can wait because it came primed. I asked Brian if he wanted to stand in front of it for the final picture, flexing his muscles. He said, "No, how about bent over crying?" Also, about an hour after this was taken, it started to storm and didn't stop for 12 hours. We really lucked out with the weather.

I know this is going to sound completely ridiculous, since I didn't pick up a hammer or a nail, but I am exhausted! Three solid days of keeping the kids out of the guys' hair, keeping everyone fed and watered (confession: we got some carry out), and still trying to keep up with the usual groceries and laundry and errands that come in a typical weekend. Brian said that one thing he's decided is that if we get a paver patio (on the docket in the next year), he's just going to hire it out instead of doing it himself. It's on record, honey! You said it!

But I am so thankful and proud of my husband - he works so hard to make our home better and better, saving us tons of money by learning to do things and making it happen. It's an awesome shed!