Blown Away!

THE COMPLETED GIFT
You understand that I don't know how to say 'thank you' enough. You understand that you show me that there will continue to be brighter days ahead. You understand that this has touched me deeply.

Coming home from my retreat to New York I was treated to one of the most amazing and inspiring things that I have experienced to this point. I have continually been blessed and am constantly reminded of how much people care for Ellie and me and how our future has been and will continue to be molded by the loving people that surround us. As I was flying into Des Moines after 12 hours of trying to get home because of weather delays and plane changes, I was told to meet at my house to go through some prepping for some video shooting that we had planned on Thursday. I arrived to find a group of folks sitting on a huge play set in my back yard! I was amazed and completely blown away. Once again I was lost for words in this project that I have continued to be given so much. I don't know all of the people involved in collecting the money, purchasing the set, assembling and installing the set and then those that took time out of their week nights and family time to give me this great gift, I honestly cant' say thank you enough and I don't know that Thank you covers all that I want to say. Below are some of the images that I have been given that document this event, some of which I was present for, and some I wasn't.

Getting help with instructions/Nice climbing wall!

Anyone done this before?/Going vertical

Starting the platform/Playing around with Tyler

Grandma tests the slide for safety/Tricia thinks ahead

Starting the roof.../After the leader...

Leads the 7th Inning stretch/Then it's picnic time

And the final touches are put on


All this while I'm chillin' in NYC, looking for interior house design inspiration and going to a VERY HOT Yankees game (see previous entry). Then I return that Tuesday evening to find...

Are you K-I-D-D-I-N-G?!

OMG! I can't believe this!/Check out the climbing wall

Crazy Matt Plays with Piper/The Welcome Home Commitee


But there was still more to come. What we all wanted to see – the excitement of a particular little girl named Ellie...

I love burgers!/Then the 'P-R-I-S-E!!!'

'MY SWING!'/Push Weesy, Push!

'Weeeeeeee!!'/'Daddy, WING. WING, Daddy!'

Slides are fun/'Weesy, watch' (Means we'll watch you Weesy)

Let's drive/Fill the cup Daddy

Happy Daddy and Ellie


Just like that, you all have made it all worth it again. You've made me smile and appreciate once again the thing that I get up for everyday. You made it possible not only for Ellie to play at the new house; you have made it possible for us to spend time together every night.

You see, for the past eight months I have had someone pick Ellie up from the sitter while I go work on the house. It may be to pick up materials, it may be to pick out future floor tiles and paint colors, but often it's to get grimy, stinky and dirty so that progress continues between the Saturdays. It's in a constant effort to get my family in the house that is to be our home. It's so that we can continue the dream of someday being a 'normal' family that comes home, has dinner, plays with toys, reads some books and then heads off to bed to have sweet dreams. All of that is on hold until this house is done, and until now it had to be done separate from each other. You have no idea how it hurts that I can't see my little girl except for the hour and a half in the morning as we get ready for daycare and on Sundays, because I know it's s short-term deal. I know that Ellie won't remember most of this. But what if she does?

You have done much more than just pay for, build and install a play set. Everyone has given us the most important thing - time together. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart I will forever be grateful.

Time Out

I'M AT A YANKEES GAME!

If you all were wondering why there wasn't an email update for the week it's because I have spent the last three days in NYC taking in the sights and heat. I thought it was time to take a little break for some R&R and get refocused for the V NYC twice VERY busy couple of weeks that are on the horizon. Both at work and at the house, it is going to be crunch time getting things done before fall deadlines hit. (The main deadline for the house is that I just want to be living in my house as soon as possible.) So what have I been up to you ask, walking - A LOT of walking.

I had been to NYC twice before in the early part of last year, so I had an idea of what I was getting into before I arrived. I was meeting a good friend of mine from college that I hadn't seen for about 4 1/2 years, but as the weekend continued to approach, it looked as the the scheduling wasn't going to allow for us to hang out as much together as we had originally planned. Not a big problem, just kind of a bummer. I left Des Moines at 6 a.m. on Saturday and flew in to NJ. After waiting an hour for the shuttle service to pick me up, I finally made the 45 minute trek into the city. It still put me into awe to see the age and architecture of this town. I mean everything is so old and built in a period that had such different values in quality, craftsmanship and materials that it really gives me an appreciation for the conveniences we have today, but also a bit sad at the lack of materials and true craftsmanship that we use to build with. So much of today is about making everything the cheapest way possible that we sometimes miss out on true creativity and beauty in architecture. Sorry, I sometimes get into a nostalgic and idealistic funk when it comes to today's construction habits.

Madison Ave - looking at and then away from the MetLife Building


Anyway, seeing the beautiful buildings didn't block the great number of people that live and work here. Crazy I tell you. Have you ever been in a large city or town or at a huge event where you have a high vantage point of things going on and there are so many people inconstant motion that you can't differentiate them enough to be able to count them? It's just like that here - all the time. I don't mind that, it actually is nice to get lost in it sometimes.

I spent the rest of Sat. getting situated and chilling out. Sunday was the big day - the Yankees game! I had never been to Yankee stadium, mainly because it's too far and secondly because I'm not a big Yanks fan. I'm a Cubs fan and that's really all I need of baseball (please keep your Cubs comments and jokes to yourself for now). So I had bought tickets online and picked them up at the 'disclosed' location. The seats were AWESOME! I recommend that if you're going to go to a ballpark only one time to 'check it off your list', pay as much as your budget will allow for those tickets because the beer and the dogs taste the same at all parks, but the view is what you will always remember. (Plus if you eat just before going to the park you will buy fewer dogs and beers - saving you money!-) I finally met up with my friend who had worked all of Saturday at the park (which would end being the only time we'd get together due to work - oh well, the time alone has actually been good). It was a good game for the Yanks - winning 12-0 of over the Angels putting them within 1 game of .500 (and to think that the lowly Cubs are actually over .500 right now...hmmm).

Watching All-Stars warm up/The first pitch!

Tickets are the sign of the fortunate

Then I went to change shoes that wouldn't blister my feet. I took the photos you see to get developed. Walked around Central Park, which I hadn't done the first time because of time. It's a completely different experience than during the day. It's so much more quiet and there's not the Indy 500 of joggers, bikers and dog walkers like there is when the sun is up.

Monday has been a really chilled type of day (although the temps were near 100). I just walked some great interior design stores and got some great inspiration for the house. I went to two stores in particular, one by recommendation from a friend, ABC Home Designs (?). Man this place was ginormous and had tons o' stuff. I was overwhelmed by the options and vast quantity of crap you can put into a house. Now more than ever I am absolutely confidant that I NEED someone to help me with the interior decorating and design of my house. I thought that maybe Leslie taught me enough to be able to tackle that myself, but what I now know is that she taught me enough to know that I don't know what I'm doing and that I should ask for help. Enter some folks from Meredith and my mother-in-law Caryn to save the day. I am getting some help from Meredith like most things in this project in regards to the design and such and I will speak to more of that as it becomes more concrete. What that allows me to do is work with Caryn on a more focused list of rooms and can better manage timelines and expectations. I also went to another store that had great 'furniture' pieces in it. Not chairs and such, but the large pieces of 'home stuff' that fill out the rooms and create the comfortable environment that goes unnoticed until it's not there. IT was great - and I never thought I'd ever say that shopping for house decorations would be great - but there it is in black and white.

All in all this trip has been great for my mental health, my physical health (no more broken bones) and for me to check off another one of life's 'things to do'. I'm quickly becoming anxious thinking about all that I need to do in the next steps and what I have put off in order to make this trip happen. So I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle on Wednesday and getting some things accomplished so we can get to inspections and hanging sheet rock in the next couple of weeks. I hope to see you all in the next few weeks. I could really use the help tieing up loose ends before the inspections. Until then, enjoy the summer and make sure to wear sunscreen!

P.S.
For those who haven't seen my little Sunshine, here she is about a month ago at the last babysitter's house. Looks like it was either baking or painting day - either of which Ellie LOVES to do.

More Plumbing, 1/2 A Patio & Golf

The boys Gettin'r Done!

We had a great group on Saturday and got a TON done, even though I was only there until 12:00. I needed to go to a charity golf outing that was being organized in memory of Tom Dunphy - Tee it up for Tommy. It was an outing that benefited the Special Olympics and was played at the Legacy Golf course in Norwalk, IA. A pretty course on the southern edge of Des Moines. The day was beautiful and I decided to play the round in flip flops. Well I kind of had to because I was running a 'few' minutes behind schedule and forgot my shoes at the house. So until my fantastic sister Elisha showed up and asked the ranger to bring my shoes out to me, I had to play in very trendy and of course good looking flip flops. The 'starters' (very loud and fun-loving friends and brothers of Tom) of course had to give me a hard time as I was teeing off. I thought there was supposed to be QUIET during ones back swing - I guess that's a different golf outing. :-) Those boys put on a great outing and I was honored to be invited and attend. It was great to take some time out and not have to worry about anything but the next shot and the next beer - and not necessarily in that order. Speaking of taking time off, this coming weekend we're taking a break from the house so I can take some R&R - but more on that later. On to the progress and the folks that made it possible...

Starting off with the plumbing. It was Ben A continuing the installation of 'system 2' to the master bath and wash room. Jane and I continued gluing 'system 1' - after of course I got everyone going. Jane was VERY patient and waited, but as you can tell by the photo, she wasn't very happy about waiting.
Ben takes on 'System 2'

Jane 'happily' awaits instruction

Jane stopeed waiting and pulled in an accomplice - Ang


My Uncle Tim (and Jane while waiting for me) tore into the roof and CREATED more holes than what were there. It's all in good planning though is was for a roof vent instead of installing a bunch of the smaller ones. The only drag was that it's not quite finished and the original bathroom vent still needs to be closed up. But bother are easy and quick fixes and both are 'water tight' for now.
Uncle Tim starts/Then steals Jane away


The boys Ron, Kirby and Ryan started to level, prepare and install the flagstone patio on the south side of the house. I say started because it didn't get quite finished either, but definitely shows promise of a fabulous finished product when it's completed (hopefully next weekend).
First the prep, how they doing Kirby?/Then install

Kirby brings in sand/Ang mows the REALLY long grass


My aunt Tonee and cousin Teryn finished installing switches and plugs in the kitchen. My sister Mary and brother-in-law-to-be Dan and Angela H installed the seemingly endless supply of firring strips(cut by my brother Sean and his I'm-sure-to-be-engaged-to-girlfriend Sarah) onto every flat surface they saw in the sun room and entryway. This too was a great start and will hopefully be completed next weekend. My sister Elisha (prior to saving my round of golf) saved the day serving as runner and covered for my forgetfulness by picking up multiple little material items that were needed throughout the day. Then there was Amy T who stacked all the old flooring that was in the garage on the handmade shelves so that we could move 'Ol' Babe" into a safe place for her to sleep. More on Babe in later blogs.
Teryn & Tonee wiring the kitchen/Dan loving the firring!

Sean and Sarah cutting the strips/Nice tan Sean. Get out much?

Not sure what Amy is doing - not stacking wood though


Like I said there was a lot accomplished on Saturday, although I wonder if some of the things tended to tail off after I left... Hmmmm, they seemed to be heading down a great path when I was there. ;-)

Thank you all for the great work and I look forward to seeing you all in a week. I'm off to NYC to see a college buddy, take in a Yankees game before they tear down the stadium (never seen it before but it's something everyone should do) and drink a few brews and take in some live music and do some sight seeing. This has been nearly 7 months to the day (January 6) that we all started this journey together and it's time I take a break and recharge the batteries. Enjoy the week off!