House (Interior) Update

I've been trying to get the inside of the house decorated and more "lived in" looking. The main living areas are just about finished. The main thing the den lacks is the shelf/ledge that Tom is planning to build to go in between the two book cases. I want to put a large canvas portrait of the children there, along with some other items. We are also eventually going to replace the green love seat and get a storage ottoman which can also serve as additional seating or a coffee table.

Things Kids Say

The other day Lee told me, "L-E-E spells me!"

I just thought that was so cute.

Vacation Bible School

What a week we've had! We've been fully entrenched in Vacation Bible School, and it's been so wonderful (busy, stressful, tiring, but wonderful)!

I was the craft teacher for first and second grade and all the kids really enjoyed the projects we created: cricket callers (skewers with beads that, when rubbed together, make "music"), cowboy vests made from paper bags, photo frames, harmonicas made from craft sticks and rubberbands (which really work and were, hands-down, the childrens' absolute favorite of the projects), cork bracelets, and several other things that I can't remember right now (8 projects in all). Jessalyn loved that I was one of her teachers, which is one of the biggest reasons I volunteer for VBS.

Lee got to participate in VBS for the very first time and he really enjoyed it, too. His class did crafts, music, recreation and Bible stories. The teacher that he'll have in the fall when he starts preschool two days a week was his VBS teacher, so that was really great.

The kids sang songs for all the parents during the closing ceremony. The theme for the whole VBS was Saddle Ridge Ranch: rounding up questions, driving home answers. The music was very upbeat and the lyrics were great.

Here's Lee singing "H-A-P-P-Y."

Jessalyn and her cousin Russ (in the red shirt) sing "Like Jesus."

Big surprise for Jess: I kept one of my horse decorations for her and put it up in her room for her to discover. She was THRILLED!

It's hard to believe VBS has already come and gone. I'm already making plans for next year! :)

House (Exterior) Update

I can't believe I haven't posted any pictures of the house exterior since September 2008 when the roof was finished. I guess it's because since then we've been focusing on the interior. Well, the interior is all done (with the exception of a few minor details), so all efforts are now on the outside. Here is a visual progress report:

January: dirt driveway (aka mostly mud driveway because of all the rain November-January)

Another view of the dirt drive (with planks in place to try to avoid sinking knee deep)

February: Lovely, lovely, wonderful, gorgeous, PAVED driveway!

Another view of the lovely paved-ness

January: working on the porch ceiling, sophet, and columns

January (same as above, just side view)

February: front porch progress

February (same as above, different view)

May: front porch

May: The stucco is now complete on the house. Tom just has to give it some color, and we have to wait for a rainless forecast for that.

January: Our garage has mostly been a working/cutting/construction area

May: The walls and ceiling of the garage are finished! You may not realize it, but it's a thing of beauty! ;)

May: The icing on the cake is a garage door! Woo-Hoo!

January: The back porch is not a priority. We can't wait to really be able to enjoy it, but it will likely be this fall or later before we can give it the attention it deserves as far as finishing the walls and ceiling and screening it in.

May: This was my attempt to move the construction materials that we still need to finish the house with to the side and block them off so that we might be able to use some of the porch this summer.

June: We really needed more space than the above photos show we had. So I (yes, me, all by my little wo-MAN-ly self) spent about 4 hours one day taking everything off of the porch and consolidating stacks (including many 80 lb bags of mortar). We now have use of about 2/3 of the porch and have already begun to utilize it.

So, that pretty much puts us up-to-date. What's next, you ask? Well, the very next thing is GRASS! I never knew how much I'd yearn for a lawn, but I am really, really yearning. As soon as we get sod (in the next week or two), the children will get a kiddie pool that is actually big enough for the two of them. After that we will apply stone beneath the stucco and on the exterior walls of the garage, brick the front porch, finish up trim work, paint the porch ceiling, paint all the trim and the columns, and then build the front steps. And I'll try to do a better job of keeping you posted!

Many, many pictures

Well, life has been quite hectic the last few months and my blog has suffered for it. So here are some pictures highlighting our recent life. I'll post house photos is a separate post since there are so many of those.

Valentines Jessalyn made for her classmates. No two are alike.

Jessalyn was the lead (the Queen of Hearts) in her class' Valentine's performance

First girl scout camp. It was c-o-l-d!!!

Spring break vacation to Disney!

Epcot (this is only some of us...there were 15 of us in all that went on the trip)

Lee especially loved the characters.

Easter portrait

Jessalyn's seventh (!) birthday

The cake (my first non-round or rectangular cake)

Birthday horse ride (the highlight of her birthday)

Lee's third (!) birthday

Lee writes his name all. the. time.

Piano recital

Dance recital (Jess with her dance teacher, Mrs. Teresa)

I have to agree with the shirt...for both of them! :)