Progress

If you could picture me jumping up and down from excitement while writing this, that would be an accurate description of how I'm feeling right now. I am absolutely exhausted today, but man did I get a lot done. This past week was a test of endurance in every way, yet the Lord helped me through it all.

It's a long story, but I was able to print, cut and stretch seven canvases all while having Alysa's two oldest here on Tuesday evening and Wednesday  morning, all while running sami and logan to activity days, scouts, and also Trevor's parents stopped on their way through town. Thursday I ran to Twin Falls to get my tires rotated and get a few things for scouts that evening. A trip to Twin is not a quick thing. I left at 9 am and got back at 3pm. It was just enough time to do a load of dishes and then the first set of kids got off the bus along with three extra boys. I watched a friend's boys after school that day. They all helped me get ready for pack meeting that night that I was in charge of, all while the kids had piano lessons via Skype. Sami got home somewhere in the chaos, the boys got picked up, and it was off to the church to set up. The new cub scout manual requires a lot of larger projects, one being a carnival. We have been preparing for many months, and we were very blessed. The carnival went off without a hitch, and then it was home for dinner at 9 and help Logan finish his school project until midnight, due the next day.

I wish I could say that was the end, but we are just getting started. The next day I got the kids out the door to school, and then got myself and the other kids in the van and drove to Boise for the day. I drove as fast as I could past Boise to Payette where my Brother in law's sweet mother's funeral was being held. We went to the cemetery and the luncheon after at the church. After that, we headed back to Nampa for an hour or so. I was so very tired at this point. I mean, hardly able to hold my eyes open tired. We ate dinner and I headed out to a photo shoot. I was gone for a few hours. When I got back, it was time to feed Will and then get back in the car, and then drive back home. We got home at midnight.

The next day, it was over to our town house to work for the day. We worked all day and were able to put in two headers!!! We quit in the dark around nine, and then stopped for groceries and went to McDonald's for dinner, and got home just after ten. That brings me to today. I'm tired.

Now for the photos: the first is the before. Notice how awful the framing is. It's a terrible jumble in the left hand wall by the stairs. Also, notice the amazing 1x header across the opening into the dining room. We had to use a jack to jack the ceiling back up for the header in that room. It was bad. Anyway, we are really, really not wanting to work in the girls' room next week, but the time has come. There is no more putting it off.

I

Wannnnnnnna swiiiiiiiiiiiiing

From the chandelier!

From the chandelier!

The window is in. I don't have a picture of it today. I do have a migraine this morning though. Just laying in bed waiting for it to go away. In the next few weeks we get to move the window on the left of the photo over a few feet. Doesn't that sound delightful? Cutting stucco stinks. Patching stucco stinks. Have I mentioned I hate stucco?

Dining Room Window

Breaking News...

This just in: We are almost done framing the right side of the house (notice I did not say south or east. Remember I am directionally challenged).

In other news, the house seems to be falling down. Remember that one beam that actually was a 1x4 laying flat on its back? Hmm, well it's on a load bearing wall and oh baby is it ever sagging. It's something like 5 feet or longer of unsupported wood. Yikes!! I'm a little worried, but I think it can last another week. It's #1 on the list for next week and the giant dining room window will go in too!! So excited!

I wish I had a picture to show, but I don't. I will just explain. We put in the master bedroom wall and framing for our very large double door. I am super stoked about that. We will have a double door into the master!!! Totally ridiculous, but why not? Also, we put in the hall closet which is huge! Well, probably more like normal size, but we currently have the tiniest closet ever known to mankind, so this one we made sure was big.

After next week, we will go into the most dreaded room in the house which is the girls bedroom. Ugh. We started in that room, and will end in that room. There are pipes everywhere and lots of mold and rotten stuff. Yucky.

After the girls room is done, we will need to address the ceiling throughout the whole house and what we are going to do with it. The ceiling is plaster and broken into shards all over the place. In the attic, insulation was blown in sometime in the 2000s, so it's fairly new and the only nice thing that was ever done, so it would be huge to somehow keep the insulation. Ideas?

I know it seems that we are crawling along at a snails pace, but considering that we are doing it all while juggling life and 5 kids and everyone still sick, I think we are doing amazingly.

Also, I'm super excited to share that we will be making our own doors. Shocked? Me too. We made a promise that if after making one, if either one of us thinks it looks awful, we would buy them instead.

I took Phoebe with me for the first time on a run. It made me realize that I do not spend enough one on one time with her.

She had a lot to say and had a lot of opinions. Lol!

We took a running selfie.

Easter and Sickness

Carter, Will, Trevor and I have all been sick for a few weeks with a cold/flu thing. Trevor had it the shortest amount of time, which was good. I've been very worried about him with the stress of work right now. I was glad he got over being sick so fast, because that was the last thing he needed to be dealing with.

Will and Carter have been sleeping by the humidifier in our bedroom every night. The unfortunate consequence of this is that I love having them sleep in my room, and unfortunately they love it too. It's a very bad habit to love.

I have had this the worst of everyone. I think I've just been so over stressed for such a long time (well, the end of last summer) that my body was just worn down. It has been a long time since I have been so sick.

Anyway, we did celebrate Easter. Trevor took the oldest three to church by himself. Then, after they got home, I layed in bed with Carter and Will for a while and then had the thought to look out the window. Black clouds were rolling in fast. I jumped out of bed and grabbed the basket of Easter eggs I had stuffed the night before, and ran outside and threw them all over the place. It was windy and cold, and I didn't have shoes or a coat on, that's how fast I was moving.

Anyway, the kids ran out and picked up the eggs, and just as Logan picked up the last egg, the heavens opened and rain poured down. And it poured and poured.

It was a good day all in all. I went back to bed after that.

Misunderstanding

Hey.

I know it's been a while.

Sorry.

I've been busy.

Don't even try to say you understand.

Because you don't.

Sometimes I get tired of this blog...

and Facebook...

and the internet...

and all the ways that people can check up on me and make assumptions...

about all the ways I'm wasting my time.

I'm tired.

You don't know.

You don't know the stress and worry I carry.

You don't know the full story.

You don't know, because I haven't told you.

You think you know, but trust me you don't.

No one knows the full story.

You say you want to hear it, but you don't.

You want to hear it so you can decide if it's worthy of my worry and sleepless nights and stress.

You want to know so you can judge.

You don't really want to know...

except that knowing will give you the ammunition to think and talk poorly about me.

I don't tell you, because you shouldn't have to know in order to love me and support me.

Your love for me should be unconditional...

faults and all.

I feel like this is a recurring theme of my life.

I want to protect you from yourself, but you still judge...

thinking you know the full story.

This is very therapeutic, ya know.

Please take this post with a grain of salt.

I'm just blowing off some steam.