Happy Birthday Tyler!

Tyler invented a new favorite cake. His instructions were, "Mom, I want a cake that tastes like a maple bar." So that's what I made. Here is the pic of his artery-clogging, incredibly rich, maple cake with chocolate trimmings. I think I gained three pounds just making it. It was a low-key birthday. He wanted a party, but mid-week birthdays are tough and we're already booked this weekend, so we'll have an unbirthday party for him some time in February.

I am finally feeling better. Whatever virus caught me, did not want to let go. Trevor has it now, and Evan is just getting over it. Now that the arctic air has blown eastward to freeze my friends in the midwest (sorry about that), I'm hoping some sun and warmer temps will aid our recovery. I know the balmy 40 degree weather predicted for the rest of this week will lift my spirits in a way that -2 just didn't. Here's hoping the gopher predicts an early spring. Sixty and seventy degree weather sounds much more appealing.

Our siding contractor recovered from pneumonia and has started on the house. Here's a pic I snapped this morning of the walk-out basement area. He already finished the front dormer windows, but I forgot to take a picture of them. So I'll do that tomorrow when I drop off a door.

The University is still in crisis mode, but for now, it appears that Jeff still has a job. Whew! That is a huge relief. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.

One step at a time

These are the doors we installed yesterday. Aren't they pretty? It was kind of tricky, because open the door and there's eleven feet of air. Watch that first step! Trevor climbed a ladder and helped from the outside while Jeff and I maneuvered the doors through the rough openings and set them in position.

A lot has happened on the house lately. The HVAC installers, electricians, and roofer are almost done and all should be complete this week. My siding contractor has pneumonia, though, so I haven't any idea when he will be well enough to start working again. If it takes too long, I'll have to find someone else so he doesn't hold up the whole project.

It will just be so wonderful to live in a house that is WARM. We've been freezing in the drafty old barn. It helps that the weather has been milder lately.


On the home front, things have been interesting - as always. Trevor will soon have his driving permit, so maybe I should take out extra life insurance. Lindsey is still struggling with so many different teachers with different expectations, but she's learning to handle it better. The younger boys are all doing well, but I can't wait for Spring when I can send them outside to play. Their raw energy is sometimes a bit much in confined spaces.

Prayers on Jeff's behalf would be appreciated though. The University is responding to the current economy by freaking out and slashing programs. Jeff's teaching position spans two departments. The one department is secure, with no cuts in the immediate future, but the athletic training program is on the chopping block. Nothing would happen right away, but if the program is cut, he could only have a job here for another two years while they teach out the recently admitted students. This is the worst-case scenario. The more likely case is that he would keep his job and just be re-assigned to teach different classes in lieu of athletic training. However, uncertainty does not make for restful sleep or easy days, and he is stressed. Of course, being in the middle of building a house doesn't help either. But we have faith that, somehow, it will all work out. We just have to take it one step at a time - but not out the back doors.

Sweet Dreams

Yes, I'm a complete sap. I heard the song Godspeed, Sweet Dreams by the Dixie Chicks and started tearing up. I love it. It captures a little of what I feel when I tuck my boys in every night. I've posted a link below. Don't look at Natalie Maynes' weird punk-rocker get up, just listen to her amazing voice singing this prayer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWaqB3Hy908

Anyhow, the snow is melting and we're supposed to have sunny skies this week. YAY! That means our roof might get finished. The electricians show up tomorrow and my new HVAC installer started last Thursday. So by the end of the week, our house should be roughed in. I'll post pics as soon as I replace my camera's batteries and keep you posted.

Happy New Year

A very belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I've been off the blogosphere and focused on my family over the holidays. It's been very low-key and restful - exactly what we needed. Of course, that's partly because we've been snowed in, but we're pretending that we meant it to be that way.

The kids alternated between playing in the snow and playing with their new toys. Nathan and Jared have enjoyed their Rescue Heroes and Power Rangers. Lindsey, Tyler and Evan have done pretty well sharing the Nintendo DS. I was feeling really bad that we couldn't buy one for each of them, but then I changed my mind. I think this will be an extremely effective way for them to learn to share. They don't want me to take it away, so they are learning to work out their differences instead of running to me every three minutes. As far as I'm concerned, this is the true gift. Wouldn't our world be a better place if everyone learned how to work out their differences with words instead of lawsuits and weapons?

Trevor plays flight simulator whenever he isn't chopping wood, straining his muscles at wrestling practice, or driving with his driver's ed teacher. His driver's ed teacher has some serious guts. He takes them out driving in the most miserable weather. Trevor said one of the girls in his group ran over a garbage can, hit a mail box, and slid off the road into a ditch - all in one day. Trevor hasn't done any of those things yet, so I'm hoping that means he'll be a good driver.

We've learned that living out in the country has its drawbacks. Especially when we don't own a snowplow or tractor. Even if the roads are clear, it's doubtful our driveway will be. And our new house? Forget it. There's a solid two feet of snow covering all nine hundred feet of driveway. We've been hiking up and sledding down when we need to do something up there. After tonight's and tomorrow's storms, we'll hire someone to plow it out. But since it'll be at least another foot of snow, it will have to be plowed out with a caterpillar bulldozer.

So basically, nothing has happened on the house lately. I fired the HVAC installers who kept giving me excuses and then told me it would be $2,000 more than what they bid. The new installers will start this week - after the driveway is cleared.

Jeff's classes start tomorrow and he is a bundle of nerves. Any prayers on his behalf are appreciated. His performance this semester will weigh heavily in his application for tenure. So that's what we've been doing. I didn't send out Christmas cards this year because I just had too much on my plate. I'll try to get my act together for next Christmas. Or maybe I'll send letters out mid-year instead. We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday and hope your New Year is off to a good start.

C-C-C-C-Cold

It's like Siberia outside. At -12 with the windchill, we aren't venturing out much. We have ice on the INSIDES of the windows in the house we're living in and there's a pretty stiff breeze blowing through the frames too (the seals, if they ever existed, are bad). I'm dreading my electric bill.

On the up side, the windows of our new house are excellent, and there's no breeze blowing through them even without siding, sheetrock, or insulation. Now if I can just get the HVAC installer to get moving with the ductwork, the electrician will come in right after. The power company tied our line into the grid today in balmy eleven degree weather. I felt so bad for them having to be out in the cold, but then I remembered that they're charging me $5,000 to do it, and suddenly felt much less sympathetic.

The HVAC installers were supposed to be there too, but they didn't show. I've learned a lot about how good communication makes everything go smoother during construction, unfortunately, my HVAC installers haven't learned this yet. They'd better call me back tomorrow, or I'll hunt them down and it won't be pretty.

Anyhow, Trevor turned the big 1-5 yesterday. We just had a quiet family celebration with clam chowder, rolls, grapes and German chocolate cake. Jeff took Trevor out driving. Six months and he gets his license, yikes!

A dish of humble pie

The house is further along than this picture, but I forgot my camera all week and then when I remembered it, the batteries were dead. And that's just about how the last two weeks have gone. I've been trying SO HARD to make everything work, but Murphy's Law keeps interfering. Anyhow, the good news is that the last window was installed just as the flakes started falling on Friday and we are more or less dried in. Now if the Tyvek will just stay on. Jeff spent all day Saturday securing the part that blew off during the storm Friday night. 3000 staples later, it better not budge. However, I'm not sure if it's waterproof anymore either. The plumber finished his rough plumbing on Thursday and the electrician arrives tomorrow - if he can make it up the hill through the snow drifts.

Jared reached a new record for destruction this week. He climbed a shelf and grabbed Trevor's hunting knife. He then proceeded to attack the LCD screen of our TV. He's still alive. Okay, that's an exaggeration, I didn't hurt him, I didn't even spank. I felt like it though. It was all I could do to quietly take the knife and walk away until I calmed down. But between him and issues with our house-building project, I nearly went over the edge. Thankfully, Jeff pulled me back and I'm more or less dealing with things in a positive way again. However, if any of you want a toddler for a week, or a month (heck, we could even try two), give me a call. And please, tell him in a decade or so that he needs to buy us a new TV. But in the mean time, no more sword-fighting shows for that kid.

I really appreciate the calls, prayers, and support from those of you who helped me through the challenges of the last two weeks. I thought I could manage everything on my own, and each day was a new helping of humble pie. I'm sure it was good for me - like liver, and bananas - but I don't like them either. Ah well, what doesn' t kill me will make me stronger, right? I'll post more pics tomorrow. Trevor turns 15.

SLOW GOING

Rain, rain, go AWAY! Ugh! Our construction site is a bog. The mud is three feet deep in some areas with more rain forecasted. I wish our roof was on. Right now it's about half-way done. If we can get the house completely sheathed, then maybe I won't have to keep vacuuming out the pond that keeps forming in our basement. The windows arrive tomorrow, so I'm hoping the roof and wall sheathing will get done and wrapped so the windows can be installed this week. But we'll see.

Here's where the house was at on Tuesday. More of the back roof sheathing has been done since this shot was taken as well as the interior stairs from the main level to the upper level. I'm constantly surprised at how much things cost. When did everything get so ridiculously expensive? See this large piece of equipment? It's called a Grade-All and rents for $360 per day. Isn't that crazy? I'm just really hoping we won't need it again.

Thanksgiving was delicious, but relatively quiet. I think we needed a quiet day. Thank you Diane for sending the recipe for your fantastic artichoke dip. It was delicious. We were humbled to reflect on the bounteous blessings the Lord has given us. We are grateful to have such wonderful friends and family who so greatly enrich our lives.