Back of my neck getting dirt and gritty… And yet, we’re still playing outside, absorbing the sun’s hot rays and loving summer.

A sneak peek.

Tub removal and demolition during which I felt not an ounce of sentimentality. Out with the old, in with the new!

The tub was kinda heavy. Can you tell by the faces below?

The shot below reveals demo of the wall where the new tub/shower will be located. You can now see through the bathroom and into the stairs that lead to the attic. Apparently we keep a spare door in the attic stairwell. (Check out the red faucet knobs—still there!)

This corner is now empty, but the mega-ugly vanity and medicine cabinet were here earlier. You can also see the very large, very dark and creepy wallpaper-covered closet in the back.

I can forgive all the ugliness and even overlook the demolition mess in this last photo because of the light. Bless me, the light. Our home has windows on every single side and this bathroom is treated to light from the south and the west. My soul is absolutely nourished by streams of sunlight through these old windows. Happy sigh.

A few of you have asked for photos of our bathroom remodel, so here we go, peeps. You might need to put on some shades ‘cuz things are gonna get bright. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Welcome to our upstairs bathroom. The brightness that is currently burning your corneas? Yes, it’s the chosen paint color of the previous homeowner. And not only is it a dirty highlighter yellow, the walls are coated in some sort of heavy, messy-looking plaster that looks like it would require a jackhammer to remove.

The awesome handyman doing the demolition is our friend Jonny. We are so grateful for his help with the bathroom overhaul (and throughout the rest of the house as well).

May I point out the faucet handles on the tub? Ever see those before, say, on your outdoor faucet? Ah yes, very charming. While the red handles are darn cute, our tub was so old and outdated that when the faucet broke, we couldn’t find the exact size to replace it with. Thus the outdoor faucet handles.

I’d also like to point out that you do not see a shower. The Tredway family are expert bathers—we have been taking baths for 9.5 years. Seriously. And before you write a comment like I could never bathe for 9.5 years! I’d like to tell you that yes, you really could. It’s amazing what you can get used to when you don’t have money for a bathroom remodel.

The other day Jeremy mentioned that he called Tobey, our pastor and friend, to help grab wires or something after our contractor had finished work for the day. I then realized that many of our pastors have aided in bathroom woes over the years (since we live so close to our church/church offices). Once when Jeremy was out of town I asked Stu if he could help me fix a leaky faucet. I had a moment of panic as we walked to the house, wondering if I was embarrassing myself by having my pastor walk into my uber ghetto bathroom. I’ll never forget the image of Stu sitting on a towel in the middle of the tub, munching on the remainder of his granola bar as he tightened the fixtures. Priceless.

I highly recommend Superhero help for all your common household chores. Recycling becomes RECYCLING! when a Superhero is involved.

Oh my goodness, I love these images of two weeks old Lumae and her family. She is such a sweet teeny punkin, which is probably accentuated by the fact she’s got two full-of-energy older brothers! It’s such a privilege to walk into someone’s home and capture their intimate family moments.

Thanks, Lindsay and Case, for having me over. Lumae is a beautiful baby.

Nothing says Happy 4th of July like a fully-lined knit penguin hat.

Livia’s Auntie Bean gave her this super cute winter accessory last weekend and of course Livia put it on immediately. Who wouldn’t want to wear a penguin hat while lighting fireworks?!

I love having Livia next to me while we bake cookies. She helps crack eggs, samples each ingredient, and then cleans off the Kitchen Aid paddle for me. Plus, with her, baking is an Event and we don aprons. Makes it more fun that way.

Shiloh gets in on the action, too. He cleans up the floor. Today he decided the bare arches of my feet needed cleaning—way ticklish.

We like to make this chocolate chip recipe from my Aunt Ruthie because it makes enough for a crowd. What cookie recipes are your favorites?