Birds!!

     Occasionally, it is fun to take pictures of things other than house progress, (or lack therof), and the kiddos.  So it can be fun and a little challenge to take pictures of birds. 

     There is nothing creepier to me than a bird getting in your house, or the thought of one trapped in a room with you...but on a fence post, a tree branch, or in the outside air, bring it on feathered my friends.

Tweet.

Sisters

     Today I woke up in a funny mood.  I was feeling discouraged with working on the house, the heat, and general discontent with just days feeling at a standstill.

     I immediately texted my sister, and did not hold back on how yuck I was feeling about the sluggish progress, and general crankiness in my air.

      She came through as usual with words of wisdom, reminders of importance, and a stern kick in my butt.  I needed it.  Thank you Robin. 

 She is in the middle of my mama & me.

She is in the middle here too.

I am not sure how people get by without sisters. Robin is wise way beyond her young years, and tells it like it is at the same time being very sensitive to people's feelings. That is a talent.  My youngest sister Susanne (above on the right) is overseas.  We are 8 years apart, but she has done more living & good than most ever do. I love her and miss her, her husband & boys.  Some people just exude patience, & coolness and that is Susanne.  I am just not sure how people get by without sisters.

My mama will be another post completely  :)

     We left Thursday early morning to go to Branson, MO.  It is a good place to go to do a little of everything, 

( ie. shop & eat.) and it saved us a little money instead of going somewhere really far away,

 (ie: the beach or Europe) where we may have really liked to go instead.

      But Branson has some hidden treasures and great tourist attractions that are really, well, attractive.  An ahhhmazing scrapbook store, the Titanic Museum, and plenty of good places to eat.  There is a cute downtown with several thrift & antique stores, and we had a good time just being together. 

      In all honesty the kids would have had the same amount of fun if we had stayed at a hotel near home and let them swim non-stop. But us adults had fun sight-seeing  & eating.

     Having said all of that, it is time to get unpacked and get back to work on the house.

   
       Uggh.  I did not miss this.
   

 

     Well, after graduating in May 2012, I became much more of a helper than I ever wanted to be.  I learned to help hang insulation, tape & mud the sheet rock, sanding, and other miscellaneous things I never wanted to have to know.  But, to be fair, it was time.  I may as well buy stock in the netti-pot and visine eye drops due to the amount of sheet rock dust that has amassed in my eyelids and sinuses over time.  GAH! We do wear safety goggles & appropriate face masks, but still, it isn't pretty.  

     Now it is July 2013.  We have accomplished so much with this little place of ours, but still have not moved into the house.  We are thisclose!

      We are deep in the middle of painting, plumbing & patching areas on the walls & ceilings that I may have, ahem, rushed through, and can still see a bubbled up area of tape.  So picky. We are taking a break for the next few days and hitting it hard again next week.  The central heat & air should be started this weekend!!!


 

   

The first few months of buying the land & house.

     After buying the land/(what were we thinking?) house, we commuted back & forth about 15 miles to begin demo and build a shop to live in.  The shop & the addition on the ease side of the house went up pretty quickly because it was hired out.  We roamed the land a lot, made decisions about views, placement of the shop, etc., etc.  We thought shop living would only be about a year, but it will be 2 years in August!  Feels like 6, but quit griping Shelly.  We collected a few kitties, and had another homeless doggy dropped there.  All in all, we thought we were ready.  Then we realized we needed a truck, and a tractor, and more money.   Hence, doing the rest of this alone.  

     After a few months, we moved into the shop.  At the same time I entered RN school, and that 9 months was a blur.  All I remember was I wasn't much help in the house.  We got walls torn down, old paneling, sheet rock & carpet out.  At some point, the roof was ripped off, a metal one put on, and siding put up.  An old porch was also demolished from the west end of the house.  All of this done pretty much by my hubs.  Cue, proud moment.  When I look back to see what has been accomplished, it helps.  We are getting so close here in 2013, but gah!!! 

 The shop we have made home for now.

 The foundation for the addition.  It will be a master BR/bath, a craft room..(woot woot, or face palm, not sure which since all of my crafts are a distant dream for now, and if I get my own room, I had better crank out handmade for my family for the rest of my life and never spend another dime on store bought gifts, or I will surely hear about it, ha), and a utility room!

     I am sure this blog and filtering back through these pictures will help keep me sane in this last couple of months of getting into the house. If not, I will continually lie to anyone who asks how it is going that it is going fine, and complain & gripe to anyone within ear shot how miserable I am waiting. 

The Move

In August 2011, we moved to the country.  Well, to us it was the country, even though it is directly off of a 2 lane highway.  But it is 21 acres, with hills, grass, a few trees, a small pond, and an old house we are s     l    o    w    l    y fixing up to live in.  In the meantime, we are living in the shop we had built.  This all sounded dreamy until about 2 months in, when the wide open space has fences to repair, did I mention a house to fix-up (complete gut job).  If it is ever finished, I promise to do cart-wheels down the highway.  We still have so much to be thankful for.

Wow, looking back at these pictures makes my head hurt.