Overly Optimistic Home Remodel - Update 3

In our 2nd update to our Overly Optimistic Home Remodel, Paula and I had wrapped up the installation of our plumbing and electrical.  The guts to our glory if you will.  I'd also already installed some custom brackets for floating shelves.  Since then Paula has essentially been sequestered over in Port Angeles on a two month WWAMI rotation working at a pediatric clinic and studying for Step 3 of the USMLE.  My intent was to take these two months to make some serious progress on the kitchen/dining room, but like always, I was slightly more optimistic than realistic.

Over the last couple weeks, I sealed up too many cracks to count with that expandable foamy-stuff, hung batts of insulation in the walls, and installed sheet rock on the ceiling.  Turns out, all that stuff helps keep the heat in the house... I hired a couple experienced guys to install the sheet rock on the walls and tape/mud the seems.  Taping and mudding, from what I had heard, is an art form.  Since Paula and I didn't want any seems visible in these high traffic areas, we decided that hiring that out was a good idea.  In hindsight, I think we were right. 

Today, a couple things wrapped up:

1. Paula finished up a marathon of studying and completed the Step 3 test.  Good job, Honey!
2. The dry wall guys finished up the taping and mudding and now the kitchen/dining room is beginning to look like a kitchen/dining room.  

This weekend, Paula and I head south to Cabo San Lucas, MX for a little sun.  This has been a particularly miserable winter (we're currently on flood watch here), so the sun will be a god send.   When we get back, its time to sand the floors, paint the walls, and install the cabinetry.  The end is getting close...er. 

As always, we've added some more photos for your viewing please.  

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