My blog is a way for me to share in the wonder of each day. I know there are others like me that due to medical issues have our days numbered and would like to make the most of them in a positive and gifting way for ourselves and for those around us.



Sunday, October 17, 2010

House Projects Anyone?

Here's the reason I haven't been blogging as much as I would like. Hopefully things will slow down soon.

One of the first thiugs we did this summer in our back yard was to remove the shrubery against our house in preperation for the foundation to be leveled. We didn't want to waste one little evergreen tree so we transplanted it.

Here my dad and uncle are taking it out of it's original spot behind the house.


em>Here they transplanted it along the area we prepared to seperate the new driveway (parking lot) we were going to put in.

My dad and uncle moved our shed to make room for the driveway as well.

On the move...<


Some Nephews were delivered to help gather all the tree limbs after we had our huge cottonwood tree trimmed. Dad got alot of fire wood out of the large limbs.


Kids will be kids as one takes a break and a ride.


It takes a team to get the job done when you have a pile of interwoven branches.


Just a note: These boys were donating their time to help us because their parents are teaching them that it is a good thing to help others and not get paid for it. They are learning a sense of community and did a great job that day. Since they are all cousins it was a wonderful time for them to do something as a team and spend time and comradere with each other.


Whew, that load is done and we are all proud of our efforts.


Well, once in awhile we did take a break. Msriah loved riding grandpa's new 4 wheeler with him.


Ethan loves sitting on Grandpa's riding lawn mower.


Evan was 'king' of the pile. Get it? ha.


We created a rock and bush barrier between the new driveway and the rest of the yard. My dad, uncle and husband worked diligently to do MY bidding. :)


My uncle liked things to be just so.



My husband built a beautiful border around my wishing well. My uncle built that for me several years ago. Shortly after we planted flowers in the outer border and in some planters.



Greatgrandpa and Ethan ride the rented tractor. He rattled a continuous flow of questions about how it worked.


Greatgrandpa and Evan ride and Evan's rapt attention was unbroken as he watched the shovel go up and down.


My dad uses his own invented and self built tractor to smooth out the road base we had dumped in the new driveway.


Then, the much awaited major project, the foundation lifting began. After the trench was dug all the way around the house they began to drill down with the hellical piers to the depth that gave enough 'torque' to hold the weight of the house. It became a challange when they had to go deeper than the 10-11 feet they expected and had to go down 29 1/12 feet deep to create enough torque. We live on top of clay on a hill no less so the house was sliding down on one end.



Finally the trench was filled all around. And yeah, instead of sleeping with my head down like a bat and leaning to the side and losing my balance as I walk beside my bed I can walk straight and sleep upright.



Whew are you as tired of reading/seeing all of this as I was doing it? Guess what?: We're not done yet. Because of the raising of the foundation there is alot of spaces, etc. throughout the house that need to be mended. ie: we had to have the water heater replaced due to major leaking suddenly. The heater fan won't shut off now and we are getting a new one next week. The showers have spaces in the caulking and walss etc. Plumbing pipes (a few are stretched and need replaced) the downstairs fireplace mantel fell off with a few bricks to boot, and the front door kinked up and we had to straighted out the door frame and level it again and I had to repaint the trin, etc. Need I go on?

Well, what's been going on at your house this summer/fall?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Do today whether you want to or not cause tomorrow will hold much more to do." RJM

Enjoy your gift of a day!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Uh, Oh, what a way to get initiated into coming back to blogging!


I've been tagged by my daughter, Amber at http://www.faithlovekidsandme.blogspot.com. Now I've got to tell some of my deep dark secrets (maybe). Guess I'll get started, but she says I then need to tag 8 friends to answer some of my own homegrown questions so watch out, heh, heh. After answering Amber's tag questions below I have a list of people I'm tagging and a list of the 8 questions I want them to answer. If you would like to get tagged just answer the questions in the comments box or add them to your blog and post for all of us to see.


1. *If you could do one thing over in life what would it be?
answer: saying the wrong things to people and hurting them with my words.

2. *If you could go back in time and live as someone else, who would it be?
answer: Eve, and I'd keep my hands away from that darned apple! :) Not really, I guess I'd like to have been Helen Keller's teacher. What a wonderful beginning to the worlds second language.

3. *Chocolate with nuts or not?
answer: nuts of course.

4. *What do you think is the most important character trait in a person?
answer: honesty!

5. *What book or movie could you read or watch over and over and why?
answer: The sound of music. Even though it's not a totally acurate portrayal of events, it has so much hope for the love and trust in families and the wonderful ability that the nun had to bring others together.

6. *Who do you admire and why?
answer: Two people. My dad for sharing his knowledge of anything and everything in daily life with us and never saying "You can't". Also, my daughter for being there for me and my husband (her stepdad) through all of the really tough times the last several years. I admire her as a daughter, a mother and a woman of faith, strength, hope and resolve. I am so very proud of her.

7. *Jeans or sweats?
answer: Jeans. I've never been 'comfortable' in sweats. I know that sounds like a misnomer but for me that's true.

8. *What is the one thing you would want others to remember about you?
answer: that I lived each day fully with anticipation and that I truly love being a mother, a grandmother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, an aunt and a cousin. I love being with the people I love and love sharing my life with others who haven't had the love in life that I've been fortunate to have. (Oops that's more than one thing so just keep the first one I mentioned).


If you are on my list as being tagged you will find your name and blog address below. If you don't you are still welcome to join in.

Now for my questions:

1. If you had to choose only one favorite sweet thing what would it be?
2. Which is most like you; Pastels, rich reds and blues, greens and oranges and browns, lavendars and pinks?
3. what is your favorite memory of a childhood game or activity you enjoyed? (younger than 12)
4. which would you have most enjoyed as a career other than what you have or are doing now and why?
5. What have you secretly felt you are very good at but usually don't talk about?
6. If you had a million dollars handed to you what is the first thing you would BUY?
7. Have you ever shot a gun and have you ever been hunting?
8. Which would you be most likely to adopt? a cat or dog, a zoo animal, a child relative, a special needs child, a baby, a grandma, a pet rock or a street to clean?

Are these tough? hope they are fun and maybe even thought provoking.

Friends I have tagged today:

Brenda at http://itswonderfullygood.blogspot.com
Putz at http://barlowputz.blogspot.com
Amber at http://faithlovekidsandme.blogspot.com
Keetha at http://keethastuff.blogspot.com
Chris at http://chrislivessimple.blogspot.com
Beverly at http://beverlywhitcomb.blogspot.com
Ashlee at http://claywoman.blogspot.com
susan at http://penlesswriter.blogspot.com

This month has been the busiest so far so hope to catch up on more later. In the meantime enjoy a couple of quick picks and hope to touch base with you all soon.

A day at the lake and a lucky boy catches a frog!
Ethan and his prize


A night at the lake
Full Moon rising


The next morning
What a full moon does to our Mrytle, she slept under cover


The End