New Year, New Knox

Annnddd we’re back! I wish I could say we have been radio silent because we have just been working nonstop around the clock, but unfortunately, it’s mostly due to COVID. With the craziness of the holidays, family members in the hospital, and then rounding it all out with Dane, Phineas, and I all getting COVID, it was a December to remember! While things may not have gone as planned, I am happy to share that we have all fully recovered and are back to normal!

Getting Back in the Groove

Now that we are back in the swing of things, we have a lot of ground to cover to make up for some lost time and open as soon as possible. The heating is almost wrapped. All we need is a slightly warmer day (maybe double digits? We’re not asking for much. Haha) to vent the furnaces, and it’ll be all systems go!

We’re also about to start wrapping up drywall. We’ve been slowly plugging away while we waited for ductwork and some last wiring, but now we’re ready to finish insulating and will start closing it all up! And we also needed the heat to mud the drywall. We also have someone lined up to install the tile in each bathroom, so as soon as plumbing wraps soon, we’ll be rushing to get the bathrooms all closed up and ready to be pretty!

Overcoming the Final Challenges

The other task we’ve been working through is connecting everything from the basement to the second floor. That’s proven to be a lot more complicated than we had planned! Fortunately, there’s a nice chase running through one of the retail spaces that we could use to feed everything. Unfortunately, the “pipes” for water and gas nowadays come in rolls and prefer to run on a curve, not straight. But we’ve finally got it all fed through, so it’s just a matter of connecting each end!

One of our big remaining hurdles is the rug situation. I mentioned on our social media account a while back that I was running into problems with choosing rugs for the rooms. However, I think that’s all figured out! I met with Wyanet Carpet (the local carpet place in town) and LOVED what they had to offer. Dane and I just need to choose patterns for the first three rooms, and Wyanet Carpet will custom finish them for us!

We also have to choose the pattern for the runner down the staircase, which is super exciting! Dane and I went back and forth on whether or not to put a runner on the stairs to go to the second floor, but ultimately, we decided that we should due to safety. Being in the Midwest and having the snow and other fun weather, we think it would be best to have the stairs covered, especially since the landing isn’t big enough for a big rug to dry off. Wyanet Carpet has been great so far. They know what patterns are better for hiding dirt and will hold up over time. Another perk of working with Wyanet Carpet is that they are local! Supporting local stores is always a great option and knowing that if there is damage, that we can call them and get their help is HUGE!

Trusting the New Timeline

While Dane and I could choose to be stressed and frustrated over the whole COVID setback, we are choosing joy and perseverance! Are there moments when I feel completely overwhelmed and don’t know how we are going to get this all done? Absolutely! BUT, the good news is that I don’t have to choose to worry or live in a spirit of fear; there is JOY! And while our timeline has not gone according to all of our plans, we are trusting in the Lord’s timeline! I’ve seen His timing in my personal life and it is always FAR better than what I have planned out for myself! So, cheers to the New Year, the new timeline, and the new Knox that WILL be open for the first time in almost 50 years. OPENING THIS YEAR, 2022! We can’t wait!