Starting the next to-do list for the house

We have been on a major pause when it comes to the big work for our house. We are waiting for warmer weather for most of it. I am pretending that spring is just around the corner and working on the to-do list.

1. replace front door and frame it properly
2. build steps to the front door
3. create a walk way that extends from the door down to the street
4. new mailbox
5. take out the extra door in my office and put in a wall there instead, paint/side/all that good stuff
6. replace the kitchen counter
7. do a kitchen backsplash
8. Possibly a new kitchen sink?
9. change the kitchen drop tiles with fresh/clean ones
10. get the basement foundation evaluated to see where the leak is coming from and how sturdy the whole thing is or is not
11. insulate the area under the house where our bathroom pipes run and freeze
12. get crazy with some modge podge and our stairs
13. finish getting paint drips off the floor
14. finish touching up paint in a few places (girls' room, by the kitchen stairs)
15. paint my office a slightly darker color (this one is going to surprise Joe, but there you have it)
16. finish painting the trim/doors upstairs
17. get a full length door for the girls (they still have the duct tape Dutch door)
18. sew curtains for Owen's room, upstairs hallway, and kitchen windows
19. find a dresser to repurpose into an entertainment center so I can get rid of the horrendous one my husband picked out a few years ago (black glass.... seriously? Could anything be harder to clean?)
20. start laying out the big projects and look at financing for: windows, siding (insulation), and an addition.

We also need to do some serious work in the garden and yard. Lots of areas need to be leveled out and we need to be sure that the weeds don't take over this year. We want to get fruit trees put in, a garden started, and a few flowers placed. Not too many cause flowers aren't my thing. We also need to work on our garage. We need a new walk-through door on it. I would love to put a new garage door and paint it, but we might want to wait for new siding on the house to be sure we are all matchy-matchy first. 

Now here is the part of the post that will excite many of my friends with green thumbs! This is the plant portion. Here are my plans so far for trees and bushes (keep in mind we have 1/2 an acre):

1. 2 chestnut trees
2. 2 hazelnut trees
3. 1 North Star cherry tree
4. 3 apple trees- honey crisp, nova spy, and mcintosh
5. a bunch of Hansen Bush Cherries along the front of the property line
6. 2 plum trees- superior and an alderman
7. 1 peach tree- a reliance dwarf
8. 20 raspberry plants as a minimum
9. a strawberry bed
10. asparagus
11. a grape arbor 
12. secret honey bees
13. and of course, a regular garden with cucumbers, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and some beets or something. We will start a bit small on this and extend it yearly. I don't have the best green thumb, so I really prefer trees to garden.

I love planning and thinking about these things. Then, of course, it is also fun to complete these projects and cross them off the list :)