Let's Insulate!

How Cute Is She?! I had to lead off with the newest chicken in the house. We're all ready for Halloween! Now on the the serious stuff... (more images of her later)

Wow, was the weather perfect on Saturday to do just about anything! I'm sure many were washing cars, mowing the grass, watching their favorite football team play or their kids kick the ball around. For the 12 others at my house, we sweated like never before as we focused mainly on two things, hanging insulation/plastic and regrading the front yard.

Sean jumped in the skid steer early, around 9:00, and didn't get out until around 2:30. Stopping only for a brief lunch and back at it. He did a great job and I replaced him for a few hours at the end so that his back could recover some from the constant shaking and rumbling that a skid steer puts the body through. He did the lion's share of leveling the front yard and reworking the back yard 'swamp' that hold water when it rains. All in anticipation of installing irrigation this week in the front yard and side yard before it gets too cold. Hopefully then next Spring I'll actually have grass for Ellie to run around on while she plays in 'her park'. That was a huge success for the weekend as we've been having just enough rain lately that we couldn't get this done without creating a larger mess than we started with because of the weight of the skid loader. So I'm happy that has finally moved forward .

Sean takes a 'spin'/working to make it smooth


Inside the other 11 were hard at work hanging, stuffing and shoving insulation into every nook and cranny they could find on the second and first floors. I really can't put into words how much stinkin' work it takes to shove fiberglass into holes and gaps. It's messy and sticky and extremely itchy. I know everyone that helped now has a much better appreciation for long-sleeved shirts and cold showers! In the end, the second floor is now completely ready for drywall and the first floor is done except some sheets of plywood I will be hanging tonight in the dining room. YEHAWW! Now the only thing left is to really focus on the basement this week and get it finalized and ready too. It's a tall order, but hopefully I can get a few helpers during the week as the numbers for next weekend are already starting to sound thin.
Joyce & Ed D. install insulation/As does Shana D. (not related)

Jane smiles for the birdie/Christine S. cuts insulation

Neil S. installs insulation - and looks great doing it!

Elisha, Ryan & Sarah fill in the kitchen/Joyce & Ed work in the living rm

Greg S & john p davis work in the master bath/careful Greg!

Sean & I re-install one chute to a new SHORTER dumpster (#9)


Now a brief update on Ellie -
she's getting HUGE and talking like a little person everyday. It is great fun to watch her process the moments and learn through everything. It's a real challenge to keep in mind that she soaks everything in and I have to remember that I can't do certain things or she will mimic those and then I'll be in trouble. An example, you can teach her the 'happy face' or the sad face or the surprised face, but don't teach her the mad face otherwise she'll know to use that when she's frustrated and then I have way larger problems on my hands. While that's somewhat of behavior manipulation, it's teaching her to focus on the good more than the bad.

It's also a challenge to stay on top of what others are teaching her. I am very fortunate in that everyone that 'has' Ellie is always aware of my wishes of how to raise her and try very hard to follow those. I have heard my share of horror stories of how some people don't listen to the parent's wishes and then spend the next few days/weeks untraining their child. I am blessed that everyone works so hard to raise Ellie as Leslie and I wish to and that makes harmony much easier to achieve.

Our little chicken girl/Playing piano w/ Gma Caryn

Playing 'cheerleader' on top of my legs


The above photo is the costume that Grandma Caryn got her last week in anticipation of the upcoming events. The outfit is a tad big right now which makes it look even more cute, but with the way she's gowing I have a feeling that she'll be fitting it perfectly by the end of the month. I guess she was standing in front of the floor mirror at Russ & Caryn's and just giggling at herself. That's great stuff.

Well enough already, time to move on to the next couple of steps on the house. Hoopefully you all are able to stop in for a bit to check it out. If you wear the appropriate clothing I'll even let you hang some drywall! Have a great week.

Drywall, Sweet Drywall

Can you believe it?! We're actually to the point of hanging sheet rock. It has been such a long crazy road to this point I can barely fathom it. When we started literally 10 months ago I never thought it would take this much work/time. I always knew I would have your support, but I never thought I would lean so heavily upon it. For that I can never thank you enough.

Saturday started the usual predawn hours of trying to rustle up materials and running around to get the house ready for the crew of the day. Getting a drywall jack was critical and getting breakfast was next on the list. Although the Contractor's Supply had the sheet rock jack, McD's couldn't seem to find the bacon & egg biscuit I ordered and gave me a Sausage and egg Bagel with half an onion on it. For those that know me, that was NOT what I was looking for, so I just drank the OJ. Thankfully Russ had done two things that morning I hadn't expected that really made my day. First he gave up his day of tailgating at the Iowa Homecoming football game AND he brought Pella-fresh pastries. Both were HUGE in my morning. We spent the next hour or so cleaning and straightening the house for the crews that were on the way.

Folks started to trickle in early around 9/9:30 which again was awesome! One by one they were all sent to the third floor to finish the remaining prep work from insulation and then installing drywall. Roughly around 11:00 the first sheet of drywall (since the 2nd floor laundry installation) went up! It was a glorious moment I tell ya, I don't think I've come down from that high. Someone said later in the day (whom I don't remember since I was in a drywall dust/insulation induced haze) "hey, it's amazing how much less echo there is here with walls up." Well said, I'm looking forward to the day when I don't hear the echoing hammers or drills or chop saw. I know that day is still a little ways off, but Saturday was a great step toward that end.

Deb R and Russ insulate and hang plastic on the 2nd floor

Sean & I Hang the window drywall/I Make a good cut ;-)

Matt B drills home a screw/Greg E. Replaces the Rotozip blade

Shana D & Mary hang insulation/Ellie's room is ready for rock

I turn on System 2 water to test again/I watch the pipes and pray

(Not pictured are Mark S and Charlie who hung drywall on the thrid floor and were TOTALLY jamming until they had to leave - thank you both!)

A Tree For Leslie

An Unexpected Family - The Covington Small Group

Tuesday evening was another fantastic moment in the timeline of this project. The electrician, Jeff S., came up from Pella and helped me test all of the switches and lights for the entire house and the small group came over and we installed their gift of a tree in honor of Leslie.

Jeff S. took off early and I met him early in the afternoon so that we'd have more daylight to use and we ended up needing it! I had called him earlier in the week saying that some of the lights didn't work and some of the switches were goofy. Wouldn't you know it, when the professional shows up it all goes perfectly?! We worked our way through all three top floors installing pigtails for surface lights, switches where needed and bulbs in the can lights. We only ran into one that was goofed up - so we had really no problems. It was amazing to FINALLY have lights in the house that I didn't have to plug in via a web extension cords and then constantly move around as I work. I really can't emphasize how important this is too me as the days continually become shorter. To this point we've had five working outlets and roughly seven shop lights to get through nights and cloudy days. Lights throughout the house allows me to work later AND safer, the latter being something I'm sure my mom is happy about. ;-)

Jeff S. pulls wires into the main breaker box


I had to quit early and help install a tree that my small group from church donated in memory of Leslie - and by help I mean watch the tree spade put it into the ground. It was amazing to watch that machine work - I'm fascinated by huge machines, always have. Anyway, the group had been planning to plant a tree since about three weeks after Leslie's accident. While I was still trying to decide in November/December they had mentioned it but wanted to wait until I had made a decision on where I was to live. before they moved forward purchasing anything

When I decided to take on this house project, they met with Justin H. who was in charge of the landscaping redesign and picked out a type of tree and we talked through where it should be placed on the yard. I decided that it would make a great 'bookend' for the house that would 'frame' it well since I had removed so many large trees in the Spring that once served that purpose. We installed it Tuesday night near the garage since I plan to also plant fruit trees along the North side of the house, next the to-be-redone driveway.

It's a perfect tree and a perfect gift. It's a Linden that is about 4" in diameter at the trunk and stands about 15'-20'. Its leaves have started to turn already and has a great shape to its canopy. It reminds me very much of Leslie and I couldn't help when watching it being installed to think of how its beauty reminded me of Leslie's. It's tall, straight and regal. It seems as though it's stretching to the heavens and against the soft blue of the fall evening sky it stood out and seemed to stand in it's own space commanding every ones attention. It's a 'classic' shade tree that Leslie would absolutely love and realate to.

The VERY large tree spade backs in/The small group watches

Ellie points to the 'big' tree/Not too sure that the spade is safe

Ellie 'helps' plant the tree/Then all the little ones play below


Leslie's caring nature and love of the world that God created was reflected Tuesday by the love of the small group and others there helping to make it happen. It was a special moment to the small group as well as one family is leaving for Germany. They have been so important in my grieving in allowing me to talk when I needed and also grieving with me when they needed. Their place in the small group will be missed greatly and I pray for their quick, safe return after their threes years of commitment in Germany are completed. Take care Sandra, Kevin, Eli and baby Mary, the Covington Small Group has forever been changed by you and we pray that the Lord blesses you greatly in following your dreams and brings you back to us, until then you are in our prayers. I'd like to say thank you to everyone in the small group for being such a great support system that has allowed me to leaned on you when times have been tough and you've shown me how a church family can be as important and meaningful as any family could be.

Once again my house has been changed by those who loved Leslie and those that continue to uplift Ellie and me. It was a great day, one that changed the whole house.