Family Picture

We FINALLY took a new family picture. The one on our wall is two years old, but Jared did sit still for that one. Today he just wanted to run, run, run. Not that I blame him. It was a glorious autumn day here. An hour after the photo session, however, we were in the emergency room. He split open his chin. The doctor used durabond instead of stitches and we came home. Within an hour, it was split and bleeding again. Instead of blowing another $100 in the emergency room, Jeff steri-stripped it and we tucked him into bed. We hope he'll leave it on, but if not, you can tell him the scar is his own fault if he ever complains about it.

Boy in a bucket

Here's what our house looks like as of three hours ago. The excavator is working on grading the dirt piles and will begin installing the septic system next week. The plumber arrives Monday, the inspector on Tuesday, the slab will be poured Wednesday, the lumber will be delivered on Thursday and then the framers will get started. Let the fun begin!

Jared was lots of help throwing rocks and dirt clods into the foundation. He also likes the nails lying around everywhere. Now if I can just keep him from puncturing his ear drum with them. A hike around the foundation and a game of hide and seek was fun. He has the cutest giggle. His favorite hiding place was in the spare backhoe bucket.

We enjoyed mom and dad Seegmiller's company two weeks ago when the children had three days off of school. It was so much fun and nobody was ready to get back into routine. But we did and things have been crazy ever since. I'm not even sure what I've done over the past two weeks - coordinate our house I suppose. But I blinked, and now it's the end of the month. I hope my whole adult life doesn't go by that quickly or I will be hard pressed to get everything done that I'd like to.

A Hole in a Hill

Construction has started! The basement has been excavated and the footings poured. The forms for the basement walls are going up and should be poured next week. Oh, and my chicken coop slab is almost done. That's right, chicken coop. Now for all of you laughing just at the thought of me raising chickens, I understand. Really, I do. Laugh away. My sister said that she always thought of me as the urban type and couldn't picture me in the country. Honestly, that was the same thought I had for myself for a long time. Perhaps time has changed me, or maybe I've just come to appreciate different approaches to living. Cities are exciting with lots to do, but country life also has its charms. Having lived in both large cities and rural communities, I now find myself avoiding city noise and traffic in favor of hearing the cry of hawks and wind in the trees. Besides, I much prefer a five minute commute where the only traffic backups are caused by farm equipment over the Beltway rat race my parents contend with every day. I think our community is the best kept secret in the country and as I look at the hole we've dug at the top of the hill, I can hardly wait to live there.