Porches

It has been 2 months since my last post. School stuff has been crazy. Lots of homework. Still working on house stuff on the weekends. We have finished the trim around the windows and doors. All the base trim is done except in the pantry and coat closet. Now we are working on the porches. Front and back has a header. The front has to line up w/ the columns and the carpenters that put it in have it out of alingment. So we had to rip most of it out. A do-over! Grampa and Steve ripping out the framework.

Steve's using the saber saw.

Sat. was beautiful for raking leaves. They had fun filling the garden cart and taking rides in it.

It is frustrating to have to redo something that we paid to have done.

Last Sat. Dad and I did the back porch. It turned out nice, but the weather was cold. Gramps came back today, because the weather is so nice to be working outside and we need to get this done before the snow flies.

We waited for the columns to come in for about 3 months. It was well worth the wait. We just put it up there to see how it looks. Awesome! Next weekend we will set all 3 columns. I'm hoping for warm weather again. The columns and the header need to be painted white, but I'm wondering if this won't happen until spring. The next big indoor project is the fireplace. We ordered the mantel this weekend and I need to pick out tile for the insert.

I'll take a final outside pic when all 3 columns are set.

mini vaca( getting caught up on pics)

Picked Josie and her friend Hayley up at Girl Scout camp on Friday July 31 and headed for Wisconsin to pick up their sisters at YMCA Camp.

Love swimming in hotel pools. Had pizza and watched the Hannah Montana Movie.

Sat. morning we picked up Jackie and her friend Paige at Camp Edwards. They had a great week. Jackie wrote an article on wolves for the camp paper.

The four sisters. Jackie and Paige needed showers, so we headed back to the hotel.

After that we drove to the Jelly Belly Factory for a free tour. Yum!

I bought a big bag of Belly Flops, beans that they can't sell w/ the regular jelly bellys.

Jelly Belly Bug.

Then we drove to the Safe House in downtown Milwaukee. Cool restaurant w/ spy theme. Josie and Hayley are trying to figure out the password. To get back into the restaurant they had to do the chicken dance which is seen by all the restaurant patrons.

We know the password now. If we told you, we would have to kill you.

Milwaukee is kind of cool.

Ladybugs on a building.

Shooting a movie on one of the downtown streets.

We had a fun mini vacation. Got home Sunday afternoon and started doing about 10 loads of camp laundry. Milwaukee is nice and only 3 hours away. We might go back sometime.

Pocket door

I couldn't get these pics to download on the other blog, so I made another.  Here's the plate rack w/ the fiestaware.

We got 2 pocket doors done this weekend.  They turned out nice.  Only one left in our bathroom.

Cleaning the basement floor

Steve rented this scrubber to clean up the basement floor.  It is very dirty from being in the elements thru the winter.  Even the walls are dirty, so we bought a pressure washer.  After cleaning a section of the basement, we set up a family room area w/ tv and couch.  The kids have been spending time down there. The only problem is that it is under our room, so eventually when they have sleepovers, we're going to have to do some soundproofing.

Stevo's band played at the Prairie Air show on July 11 for an hour. We got in for free, and watched the Thunderbirds.
Look they put my name on the tail of that airplane under the flag.  Awesome!Hard to take pics of fast moving planes, but this was cool, because one is right side up and the other upside down.
Hard to zoom in, because I would lose the planes.  These planes are in a row.  How is this possible?
If you click on the photo, I think you can zoom in.
5 in a row.
These pilots are amazing.

The girls got to see their dad play and thought it was cool.  How many kids can say their dad plays a mean guitar?
The sisters are so close.  They love each other.
Monster truck ride!!
This is what our garage looks like.  Someday we will be able to park in the garage.  The wood has taken over my life.  I'm hoping not have to stain more trim, because it looks like we are low on the headers.  Tami, can you come down and help me stain?  Just joking!

more updates 2

I hope this gets me caught up.  This is from June 19th - our new carpet.  It is sooo cushy.  Just what I asked the salesperson for -- Plushy!!
I really like my pantry.  You can see all of your food at one time.  Making food prep and grocery shopping a breeze.  I'm thinking of labeling the shelf sections.  Is this too anal?
The closets are done and ready for clothes.
This is Monday morning after the madness of moving over the weekend.  I wanted to check the old house out before going to sign papers for closing.  I had to load some more things into the van that Steve had forgotten in his stupor the night before.  I was numb from moving around 9:30 pm and Steve had to finish the last 2 loads himself.  Anyway this is how the Winnebago house looks when completely empty, just like in Nov. of 1991.  I'm not even feeling too sentimental, because my new house is fantastic.  I've put so much sweat equity in the new one that I'm not going to miss the old one.  Closing was at 11 am and the whole ordeal was over.
Josie's room - I don't think it took very long for us to feel comfortable in the new house.  The first night Josie was very restless and I checked on her a lot.  Almost as much as I did when she was a baby. But she is adapting to the new environment and Shelby is in sleeping w/ her.
This is Friday July 3rd.  I put in the last door.  Steve and dad were there, but I did most of the work.  Number 12!!  Now we just have to finish the pocket doors.  
Friday we also installed the gas stove finally.  I can cook again.  Woo-hoo!  I'm getting used to cooking w/ gas vs. electric.  Baking is a trick.  My biscuits came out flat.

Plus we installed the glass door on the cabinet.  Due to a mistake on the part of Hampton's this was delayed until now.  Showing off my Fiesta ware.

Friday night we watched the Glen Oak fireworks from Von Stuben school after having dinner w/ the Gray family at Firehouse Pizza.  Sat. we worked on the house for about 4 hrs. and called it a day. 
We decided to have our Fourth of July cookout at mom and dad's on Sunday.  It was a beautiful day.  This is Grandpa's new Harley.  When asked if I wanted to go for a ride, I declined.  I don't like taking too many risks after having the girls.  I want to live to see them grow old.  So I've taken bungee jumping off my list of things to do.  LOL!!
I did sit on it and here is Jackie checking it out.  I don't think I'll have to persuade her not to ride motorcycles.  She isn't very coordinated on a bicycle.

I think this catches me up to date w/ pics at least w/in the last few days.

more updates

These were taken on June 6th.  The electrician finished putting up the vanity lights

This the short hallway from the master bdroom to the master bthroom.  The doors look nice w/ the trim up.

The plumber put in the kitchen sink.  

There is a story that goes w/ this front door.  In a couple years, Steve and I will be able to laugh about it.  (It's not funny.)  I left work for my lunch hour to meet Steve at the house.  LS lumber was bringing our front door between 12 and 2.  I presumed they would be there closer to 12 as usual.  Steve and I took off the temp door, so they could take it back on the truck.  This was my idea to save time, because I wouldn't have to run it over to Morton later.  I get kind of cranky w/o food, but I wanted to wait until after the truck came.  Needless to say they arrived closer to 2.  I assumed that we could put the door on the hinges and go get lunch.  Nothing is ever easy.  The hinges from the temp door were wrong.  They were square cut and we needed the rounded cut.  I called my dad and couldn't get a hold of him, so I talked w/ a guy at the desk.  He didn't know it was going to be delivered, so we didn't have the correct hinges.  By now I'm a little CRANKY.  Steve told me to go get food and go to the bathroom.  Here is the funny part.  I'm tired, hungry and not paying attention when I backed down the driveway.  Near the end of it, my left tires went off.  Back tire over the culvert and front tire sunk about 4 inches into mud.  Couldn't go backward or forward.  I get out of the van, and go to call a tow truck.  Steve had an idea.  Push the van forward w/ the jeep.  It worked and smashed in my bumper.  Now I am crying.  He left to get me food and while he was gone Dad called.  Steve met him in Bartonville to get the correct hinges.  Now it is around 4pm.  

Something that I thought was going to be so easy.  I should have just kept the temp door until I "knew" the new one was on.  Hindsight!

This is Josie taking the first jet tub bath.  All we had for soap was hand soap, but she loved it.

I'll post more later.  Sorry Tam.

Last day of school

Since I haven't updated in a long time, I'm going to put in some pics that didn't get into the blog.
Friday June 5th was the last day of school for the girls.  Monday was a 2 hr school day, but they started Art and Science in the Woods that day.  Jackie got to wear regular clothes, because she was on the honor roll.

I am sad that this the last day at Northmoor Edison.  I'm going to miss this wonderful school.  This is the principal Dr. Wood above and below is Ms. Kupper, Josie's teacher.
June 8 - 12 the girls spent at Art and Science in the Woods in Washburn.  They spent the week looking for rocks, petting snakes, drawing and painting.  The next week they spent at home alone, and we finished up the packing at night.   The next blog will be final week finishes.