In case you are wondering - I'm still working on my education; 2 and 1/2 more classes and a dissertation. I should be finished by next summer . . . I hope . . .
(My thumb isn't in my mouth, but I'm probably about to doze off to sleep.)
In case you are wondering -All nine of us do fit around the table, barely. We just moved Gardner to the table; a friend found a high chair that we could use to sit him at the table. He still likes to dump his drink in his plate while it is full of food, and he takes things that he doesn't like out of his mouth, but the general conclusion is that he eats better while sitting at the table with the rest of us - he even uses silverware (he pushes the food onto his utensil with his hand and then puts it in his mouth)!
In case you are wondering -
"How do they do all the dishes?" Someone gave us an anonymous gift at Christmas which was just about the right amount to purchase a dishwasher. We bought it then, but it wasn't until just a few weeks ago that I finally made time to install it (thank the Lord for a patient wife). Since I had to turn the water off for the job, I had to do it late at night when everyone else was in bed (the restroom isn't usable with the water off). Joel stayed up and helped me, but he was sure ready for bed when we finished at about 2:00 a.m. Though we were able to turn the water back on, the kitchen was still in disarray the next day, so Carol let the kids have a picnic outside. I also put in a new counter top, kitchen and drink faucets with a water purifier. By they way, whoever gave us that gift, I can't say thank you enough (nor can the kids who do the dishes).
In case you are wondering - Do kids still do the things that we did when we were kids?
The kids have enjoyed the early spring. While I was working on our restroom addition this afternoon, the kids had finished their school work and took advantage of the big church yard and the gusty April wind. It has been years since I have used a kite; Joel and Laura have flown one a little bit at Grandpa's house, but we all kind of had a "crash coarse" in flying a kite. However, it didn't break, it isn't in the top of a tree nor hung up in power lines (there are a couple of string burns though).
In case you are wondering - The building project is near completion! In the last 5 weeks, we have finished the sheetrock, texturing and painting. My friend, Bro. Jim Appel from Camp Joy, (with help from Samuel Briddick) has installed the tile. We have hung the light fixtures and have only one more of the pocket doors to hang. The restroom fixtures are mostly complete, the trim is all routed, painted and ready to nail (if you've ever done it, you know that the hard part of trim work is cutting it :-). We are ready for the cabinets, hot water heaters, counter tops and mirrors. The list may still sound substantial, but from where we were last fall, we are almost complete!
Joel and I both sanded drywall on stilts.
I took Gardner and John to Menards with me . . .
Jim Appel, Samuel Briddick, and the tile.
I thought it was pretty neat that the tile pattern on the floor matched the design in the glass in the doors.
Light fixtures, doors and restroom fixtures.
I still need to put the trim around the doors.
I've never installed a pocket door before, so I'm pleased with the result. Also, we were steered onto brackets used to hang doors - it sure beats the old way of shimming them. You can see them on the video as I open the door.
Thanks to all of you men who have helped over the last few weeks - I can't name all of you. Also, several of you ladies have done much to clean up our construction dust, etc. Thanks to all of you.
In case you are wondering - I need to go to bed . . .
