Monday, September 26, 2016

Grandpa and Grandma Visit Plus Carpet and Tile

The last 2 weeks brought most of the flooring to our house - carpet and tile!

Not Quite Installed
The house got a lot quieter once the carpet went in and made it feel less like a construction zone. Once Hurricane got home from school on carpet installation day, he rolled on almost every carpeted surface. He was in pure heaven.
The tile looks like this:
Laundry Room

Formal Living Before

First Row of Tile

Finished
The boys are now sleeping in their own room and beds. The first thing we put together was their beds, and they were excited!!! We made moving into their room a priority. Now all their clothes, books, and treasures are in their room. We have pulled out the pictures to go in their room but have yet to hang them on the walls.
One day I needed to be outside and pulled weeds from one of the garden beds. I broke the fork digging in the clay-like dirt.
After a trip to Home Deport, a new fork and 50 tulip and daffodil bulbs were purchased.
The bulbs have yet to make it into the ground because the soil is too wet and must be fixed.
Grandma and Grandpa Locey came to visit and see our new home. We celebrated our family birthday with them a few months late. They took us to supper. Grandma Locey flew to take care of her grandchildren, and Grandpa Locey stayed with us a few more days.
The boys have started piano lessons with a new teacher. Hurricane had spirit week at his school. One day was Nerd Day. He decided to be Phineas from Phineas and Ferb. Another day was Blue or Pink Day.
He had his hair sprayed blue along with wearing blue clothes. The thrift store has provided a desk for the boys to work at for homework.
They are liking the old desk. It was a total impulse buy.
We have been looking for a new refrigerator. Sweetheart found an ad on Craig's List for all the kitchen appliances for the same cost of what we wanted to spend on a refrigerator. We will update and replace all of our appliances. We found this to be a huge blessing.
Be Well.

*****
Hurricane's 2nd grade Class wrote him letters. He was so happy to have letters from his class that he read them to me and then to the entire family. It made his day.

Hooks went up to have a place for backpacks. No longer will they be searched for in the morning before school. Our light switch cover went up that was given to me by my Aunt Kathy when I left Idaho to get married. It has always been in our kitchen.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Rolling, rolling, rolling.... Keep that paint rolling.....

When I was sending the weekly email, Hurricane looked out the front window and said hesitantly, "Jilly." He then began to repeat more and more excitedly, "Jilly, Jilly, Jilly!" He ran outside and saw Kirky too and was stopped in his tracks. He waved shyly and said, "Hi." My parents came on Sunday evening. Originally Jilly was going to come solo and arrive Monday afternoon. While they were driving here, my Dad called and asked if I'd heard from my Mom on her trip. He asked if we had enough supper and if he join us. They changed their plan, and both came. They then proceeded to make a miracle happen.

Monday for Labor Day the miracle began. With rollers in hand, we started to paint every room in the house except the Master bedroom and laundry room. In addition, my Dad pruned the tree in the front yard, and Sweetheart put together the shelves in the basement. They would only stop for food. Scott, my brother, sent his girls to pick us corn and apples.

We loved to eat that manna. Mike, my cousin, was very generous and made us root beer and cider.
I feel so lucky to have many people who shared their love with us.

Tuesday the boys went to school and Sweetheart to work. My parents rolled some more. My Mom became a circus performer by climbing a ladder to get a really tough spot in our stairwell. Tuesday evening around 11 pm the house was painted- rolled and edged.
"Shaving" Hurricane with a "Safety Razor"
What an incredible feat of work.
Wednesday morning they returned home. We are still amazed at what a mountain of work they did.

I continued throughout the week to do touch up work and paint trim. We were told that the tile work would begin on Tuesday. On Monday night we disconnected the washer and dryer and moved them into the loft area. On Tuesday we learned that the person who was going to start the tile work decided to move to Wisconsin, and the tile instillation was pushed off until Thursday.

The man who is doing the tile work is taking his time. He's been here on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and has finished the laundry room.
We are grateful for his efforts, but wish he worked a little bit faster!

Carpet will come this coming week, and we will be able to move into the house. We are currently using 2 rooms.

We attended the Fort Collins Temple Open House on Friday evening.
The temple is beautiful. The Eckert family met us there. It is always good to go with friends.

Be Well.

*****

 Underfoot and Hurricane at Fort Collins Temple

 Fort Collins Temple

Welcome Fall!

Sunday, September 4, 2016

School Starts and Painting

Boys started school last Monday. After dropping the boys off, Wendy returned home. Shortly thereafter, the Sheriff showed up. He was serving divorce court papers to the former owner of the house.
After school, Wendy took them for ice cream for their first day.
We have painted and continue to clean the house. On Wednesday, the Boy Scouts (Sweetheart is one of the leaders...) came an kilzed and washed blinds. Tuesday members of the Relief Society, the women's organization in our congregation, washed walls they were amazed by how many buckets of dirty water we went through. We have gone through 3 bottles of ammonia, 1 gallon bleach, and 2 gallons of vinegar so far.
The laundry room had a wallpaper banner of puppies in it. They were removed.
Underfoot is attending the local Elementary School; Hurricane is attending a charter school. The charter school is a little bit father away but has a better middle school than the public alternative. Because Hurricane is already in the charter school, Underfoot is on a sibling waiting list. He is second in line to get into the charter school. Hurricane is sad that Underfoot is not at his school. We hope that Underfoot will be able to switch to the charter school in the near future.
We got library cards this week. Wendy misses the Library Bus.
The Eckerts invited us to the CU/CSU game at Mile High Stadium (where the Broncos play.)
It was a lot of fun.
We took the train. CU killed CSU. The video is of Ralphy the Buffalo.
 

We have a lot more work to do before the tile goes in on Tuesday. We are looking forward to Wendy's mother coming to help us paint.
On Monday Sweetheart sliced his toe open before getting in the shower. He drove himself to the Insta-Care where he got three stitches. His toe is healing nicely. The pictures are below for those who are too queasy too look now.
Hurricane lost a tooth this morning during church. 
We are exhausted with more work tomorrow.
We are living in the master bedroom and kitchen. All four of us are in the master bedroom.
All of our clothes fit into the master bedroom closet, which is extremely large. The rest of the furniture and our belongings are in the garage, waiting for carpet and tile. 
You're welcome to come visit. Bring your paint brush. We have kilzed most of the house and painted the master bedroom and the formal living room. We still have some touch up painting and holes to patch in the formal living room.
After applying lots of kilz, we've pretty much knocked out the smells. Now we just need to finish painting and get everything ready for the flooring.

Hurricane says, "Nothing"

Underfoot says:
We started school last week. We got ice cream again after school. I went to cub scouts. I found a basketball at school. We played a card game called Dominion. I thought it was called Damnation. I mowed the lawn. It was hard. I listened to a book called "The best school year ever." It is by the same author who wrote "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". We made cookies.


Be Well!


Toes pictures below: