A Whirlwind Year

When I asked my sister, Alena Stevens for information on her daughter, Michelle Miller’s year for her birthday story, Alena said, “New house, new job, gut house, rebuild it from the walls up.” I suppose to someone who doesn’t know my sister, or my niece, this would sound sarcastic, but what I saw was a whirlwind, and I think that is quite accurate. For Michelle and her husband, Matt, their lives, this past year, have been just that. In August Michelle and Matt bought their first house at 18th and Nottingham. The house was built in the 1970’s and had not been upgraded since then, except for a bar area downstairs. That made it pretty much a gut job. They moved into the downstairs and decided to tackle the upstairs first.

Matt and Michelle, with the help of Matt’s parents, they demolished the kitchen, took down a wall, and took up all flooring. Unfortunately, the lady who lived there was a smoker so the house reeked of smoke. She also had a cat so it smelled of that too. They worked tirelessly just to get the smell out for several days. Finally, they put Kilz down on the floor boards and that got rid of it. The wall had outdated wall paper everywhere that had to be taken down. Dawn, Matt’s mom, and Michelle tackled that while Matt and his dad worked on taking out carpet and fixing walls and other things.

They were able to add a powder room off the kitchen by taking away a little of the master bath and add a second pantry area, both very nice features. Then they put in new flooring and new cabinets and counter tops. Of course, during this time, they had no kitchen, adding to the difficulties. Cooking was done with an air fryer, microwave, and crockpot, and they were thankful that they had those things. They had no kitchen sink for dishes, so they had to make do worth the bathroom sink. They love being in their own home and making it their own. With a lot of work and dedication it is going to be a great house.

Michelle is an educated art teacher, and she has worked for the Nicolaysen Art Museum since her graduation. Unfortunately, while she loved the Nic and her job there, it is a nonprofit, so there isn’t any room for raises and promotions. So, in October, Michelle started looking for another job. She got an offer from Phoenix Capital Investments, an oil and gas investment company. She has been there since November and she likes her work very much. She got a substantial raise in pay and there is plenty of room for growth. I’m sure Michelle will do quite well in her new job. She is very capable and dedicated. Today is Michelle’s birthday!! Happy birthday Michelle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!