just so you know

I can not see my blog. I can post. But something wacky is going on and it will not allow me to see it. So if you can log on, please don't give up on me. I will be back as soon as they get this worked out.

Clawfoot and this is why I love him Thursday

This wonderful man just got off work and is working on my project. Every one who knows me will not be shocked by my openess about my anal tendencies to 'do it myself ' adn that in all reality..... even though my hands felt like they were falling off from using the grinder, I grudgingly let it go into his hands.... But between the thoughts of ' I could have done it myself ' I was really and truely thankful for him doing so much! He gave me a 'demonstration on proper grinder use' And for two days, came home after a long day at work and helped. Then took the feet to the machine shop and bead blasted them, oh ........ and he ran up to Home Depot to get a new paint roller --because the roller covers I picked up didn't fit the paint roller I had! LuLu was asleep and daylight was running out so he just took LadyBug with him and took care of it.




Here is the paint. I had it custom tinted to a dreamy light blue.




This was after wire brush grinding, three coats of paint stripper, wash down with acetone, another wash and scrub with muretic acid, hand held wire brushing, sanding of the bondo (some lune put on one side of the darn thing) and still more more grinding with the grinding wheel! Whew! That exhausted me all over again just typing it!!






TaDa! Only four days of WORK and one coat still to go on the outside when the rain and humidity clears for at least 5 hours.

By the way, I have to flip her over and refinish the inside still!! I also have a 1940's cast kitchen sink to do. That will have to wait for next week.

Don't know much 'bout Penelope's....

Don't know much about Science books

Don't know much about the French I took

But I do know that I love you

And I know that if you love me too

What a wonderful world this would be......

LadyBug found this

I think it is a millipede??? I don't know.... She insisted on calling it a Penelope all day though! It was so cute... (her watching after it, not the bug!) She kept up with it and made a make-shift amusement park for it out of plumbing parts. LuLu found it quite entertaining to push it with her foot so that it rolled into a impenetrable ball....making the mothering instinct of LadyBug come out...

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We (and when I say we, I mean Chad and Bobby) did get a lot of the plumbing done and I think they are finishing it up in the afternoons this week. By the way the plumber's name is Chad. They are our friends and it just seems very impersonal to say the plumber. I mean hubby is a concrete machine operator and mechanic but I'd rather call him honey. Because that is who he is not what he does.

We have to get water to our property now, yep, I said to our property! the nearest meter approx. 400 feet away. This is a frustrating and costly issue that must be dealt with when moving to the 'boonies'.

Here is a quick shot I got of the boys. Don't tell them I put this on here :) You know how guys are.... Oh that is not my good side, You should have told me and I would have fixed my hair, you know I need to know in advance.... Oh, wait.... that is me, I'm thinking of.... They probably wouldn't mind after all.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Grilling Goodness

1. If you had 10 hours at home alone, what would you do? Sleep in, do as many 'work in progress' projects..... oops I ran out of time!

2. Do you have a fond memory of your dad? This is going to sound very odd but my most fond memory of my dad was when I was being disciplined once.... He made me and my middle sister write apology letters to each other after we had one of our fights.... when I read mine it was full of I'm sorry, but if you hadn't... I wouldn't haves.... so he explained to me that when you are sorry, you are sorry. That is it. No strings attached. No butts. You are either sorry or you are not. I still carry that with me whether it be a disagreement with my hubby or my kids.

3. Do you prefer the pool or the beach? BEACH

4. What's the furthest you've driven for one day of fun? About two hours, to a cave, zoo or aquarium, six flags.... guess I'm two hours from everything?!

5. Solid, clear solid, clear gel or aerosol? Deodorant of choice, that is. Clear solid

6. Do you tan or burn/peel? burn in the spots only the tanning bed have seen... tan every other place.

7. What's your favorite pasta-based meal? lobster ravioli

8. Do you wax or pluck your eyebrows? usually pluck... and my man beard hairs are too noticeable to miss a week!

This is why I love him Thursday

As it turns out.... this summer heat will be no different than the summers before.

You see, my sweet husband works outside. And this humid Alabama heat is exhausting. If it is 20 degrees or 120 degrees, he works outside. Sometimes he works in the rain. Sometimes he works in the blistering cold. Sometimes he works in the Alabama humidity that seriously can't be any better than the Rain Forrest! You know those days when you go outside and think 'I am so thankful for air conditioning'?... well he doesn't get that luxury from daylight 'till late afternoon. And those days when you step outside and you can see your breath (if the cold didn't take your breath away)? Well, you guessed it.... no heater.

Anyway, I am so thankful for him. And do you know he never complains? He doesn't grunt when he has to get up at 4 am. He doesn't say a word when it hurts just to stretch. He never comes home and says 'I can't do this anymore'. He only says it is his job. He works harder than anyone I know. And that is not just me bragging... I have had men that work with him tell me they can't keep up with him.

He is on a mission. He is on a mission to be the best man he can be. He doesn't go out at night. Doesn't go to bars. Doesn't find excuses to be away from home. Doesn't complain when the house is less than perfect. Doesn't complain when I completely ruin a meal. He loves his Mama. He loves his girls. He loves me. None of us ever question that.

He doesn't worry about whether or not his shoes match his shirt. He doesn't want formal hair cuts. He likes when I don't wear make up. He likes the windows down in the car, but keeps them up when we ride so it doesn't mess up our hair. When I get angry, he makes me laugh. He doesn't 'look' at other women (now granted he may see them, but he doesn't look) He respects me. He respects his position and roll as a husband.

He is a blessing to me and those who know him. He is my husband. I love him.

Wordful Wednesdays

My sister DD and I have been walking three to three and a half miles three times a week together. Sometimes Jess comes with us and this time Mom came. LadyBug was also with us because she is out of school for the summer. LadyBug tuckered out by lap two and sat on a soggy stump while we finished. We walk across from the fire department *wink* *wink* :) I kid my hubby about that, but honestly we are so busy gossiping (I mean.... talking) that we don't even notice.

Here is Mom pushing LuLu, DD is in the back.

See LadyBug way up front?? That is why she tuckered out so quick!!

We are formaldehyde free, 35% post consumer, mold and mildew resistant!

In case you didn't already know, my husband and I have been married for a little over 7 1/2 yrs. We have been planning our 'forever home' (a term I borrowed from a friend) for about 6 of those 7 1/2 years!! I have felt a little disappointed several times because I wanted my home and I wanted it now! But the house we are in has been good to us, and God's plan is not our plan. Finally my prayers are being answered and we are moving along on our 'forever home'. The one will will cherish for our time on earth. The one we will raise our two sweet girls in. The one we will work hard on caring for. The one we will actually do landscaping around. The one we will see many sunsets from our 30' long front porch. The one we will fight in. The one we will love in. The one we will make mistakes in. The one we will experience victories in. The one we will play with our grandchildren in. The one we will grow old together in.

Our journey with our 'forever home' started long before we purchased the 7 acre tract it sits on in December of 2006. A year later we poured the pad for the floor. Another year and a half later and we started on the framing. We are moving right along now.

We insulated every wall that the plumber from Plumbing Dynamics didn't have to work on over the weekend!! We are hoping to have him (our plumber) there this week or weekend to finish up so we can complete the insulation. We also ran the telephone/data wires and cable wires, cut the grass (weeds) that have grown out of control this spring and cleaned up inside.

Here is a picture from last winter when my hubby 'Bob the builder' started the framing.

Here is a picture of the outside. I don't have one of the outside that has roofing on it but I will do that next time.

Here is a picture of the inside with some insulation.

I can't wait for the HVAC guy and Plumber to get their stuff done so we can Sheetrock and tile!!!

You might ask why we are taking so long?.... We decided not to go get a large mortgage so we have done what we can and now we are financing the rest because we want to be in there by next school season.