How To Spend $25,750 on Your Home Deck Re-Staining Project

So with little planning and far less skill, Lynn and I decide to re-stain our deck.  Now let me tell you  -if you want to test your relationship then just jump right in to a major project like this.  Compounding our effort is the reality that we both have little-to-no abilities with any type of home projects.

Lynn is optimistic: 'It will only take ONE gallon of stain, probably get done in a half day with just ONE initial trip to Lowe’s.  Let's do it ourselves!'  I am more wired to just hire it out to a professional.  'They know what they are doing, have the tools and the time!'  I did not want to do this project.

Couples know the value of compromise, which is how we ended up doing the project ourselves....

Itemized List of our Deck Re-Staining Project:

FIVE gallons of deck stain             $175

SEVEN trips to Lowe's                  70 miles of total driving

Power Paint Sprayer                       $129

Miscellaneous Supplies                  $75

Chiropractor bills                            $500

Divorce Lawyer on Retainer          $25,000

Ha!  Actually we worked well together.  Our pattern in these types of situations is that we end reversing the stereotypical gender roles.  Lynn takes the lead and organizes the project; while I’m the tireless worker drone, ineptly following her around.  Now that I think of it, I never even used our newly purchased Paint Sprayer...

I am thankful to have extended time to work with Lynn and accomplishing some of our household projects...!  

Note: the image of the deck exists only in my mind...

-Now, where is that Ice-Pack and the Advil?

Wedding Prayer

Call them old-fashioned, call them antiquated/ traditional, or whatever term you wish; but this photo of about-to-be-married Josh and Bre Curtas is causing quite the commotion.

Josh wanted to pray with Bre before their wedding, so they prayed for the Lord to bless their marriage and their faithfulness to each other.  Bre wrote this about the prayer saying, 'My husband prayed that God would bless our marriage, that through thick or thin together we would never lose hope in one another. That instead of focusing on each others' imperfections we would always rely on Christ’s perfection. That we would wake up every day and choose to love one another not through our own strength but by the power of Christ’s perfect love.'

The New York Daily News and other media outlets picked up the story, putting this photo and their prayer into the national spotlight.  Read it by clicking here