Doors, Trim, and Stucco

We have some exterior doors. The trim is ready to paint. The outside walls are ready for stucco. Plus a couple of tubs installed. (The plumbing is all done) The electrician was there finishing up the electrical. I didn't get very many good pictures this time. I was too busy wandering around being amazed :)

Sad/Happy or Happy/Sad

As it is Sunday morning, and I am "home alone" (Mom got all dressed up in a cute black, white, and pink outfit and went to church. Ron is still in France, on a business trip). I am reflecting on the past week. It was unusual, indeed. For one thing, I realized that the 4th of July came and went and I never even got out one decoration. In fact, all of my July decorations are boxed up and sitting in the garage. I guess, I had a few other things on my mind this week. This week was a strange mixture of sad/happy and happy/sad. To begin with, when Ron travels, I always have more empathy for those of you with "traveling husbands". Since he doesn't do it all that often, it's a rather strange experience for both of us. On this trip, he has no cell phone option, so we just send email to ourselves :) That just means, I check the email every 5 minutes...okay maybe not quite that much, but almost. I am sad to have him away from home, but happy, I can do whatever I want, I can eat whatever I want, and all of  "my stuff" is cluttering up the bathroom :)
Then I made a quick trip to Denver on Monday morning- and returning on Wednesday afternoon. That was a happy time to see my brothers and the Jones family, but a sad time for Harold's funeral, on Tuesday. In the picture of Sharon and me, we are both smiling, but we spent most of our time  together crying. It was truly amazing to see, and hug, my best friend from Denver. On Friday, I had lunch with my best friend from Bartlesville. Again, it was an amazing, and happy time, to see Karen, but sad that she was here to take care of her brother who had surgery last week. Two of my best friends, in the world, in one week- I told you it was unusual. Also, this week, we started new hours at my store. It will only be open three days a week now- Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Even though Thursday was a holiday, Nicki and I were there and the store was open. (I hated to be closed on the very first day of our new schedule. Nicki and I both had work to do and we did have a few customers "wander through".) Besides...we are trying to work through all of the "kinks" in only being open 3 days a week. I'm grateful for my third, best friend in the world. While we haven't had our happy/sad time yet- I know that it's coming, whenever Nicki gets a new job. So really... it was three great ladies, in my life, all in one week.
(Sad- I didn't get a picture of Karen and me together- I had to go swipe one from FB. Also had to go grab one from FB of Nicki :)

Examples of Faith

We love this family! They lived right next door to us in Aurora. Our kids played together, we went to church together, they have been great friends. This picture was taken in April 2012. During the past year, they have been a great example of faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, as Harold battled cancer. An interesting date- yesterday was Thursday, June 27. In 1844, June 27, was also a Thursday. That was the day that Joseph and Hyrum Smith died. I think Harold left this earthly life because he,

maybe, had a gathering to attend, along with some other great and faithful priesthood holders.

Sad day, but we rejoice in the knowledge that we have of the gospel of Jesus Christ

and of eternal life.

 

 

Guess What?

Remember...one of my first posts of 2013 was called "The Year of the House"? Well...you guessed it- more house pics :) And we are only half way through- aarrgg.
We now have windows. The trim and some hardy plank siding is ready to paint. Then they will do the stucco (most of the exterior is stucco, with just a few areas of siding). Then they will do the gray, metal roof. The interior framing will be finished by tomorrow. Plumbing has all of the shower pipes and sink pipes in. Electrical has all of the boxes set and lights set- just needs all of the wiring. I will only share two interior pictures and a few exterior.

Here I am standing in the living room, looking into the kitchen. Behind the half wall is the dishwasher, and the sink. It will be super fun to watch the progress here with cabs, tile, appliances, and counter. (I will try to keep taking this pic from this spot for a few months- just to watch that transformation.)

 

 

 

Here is part of my walk-in storage room. I am still wondering how I talked Ron into this. And he is still wondering how it got this big! Since we have this room- he might actually get his dream...to be able to park his car, inside the garage! (The rectangle hole in the floor is a stairway that goes down into the garage.)

 

 

 

 We have windows, but no front door yet :) Bottom left windows are Ron's office. Top left windows are my office. Center windows are part of the game room. Top, right windows are in the bunk room. Bottom, right windows are in the dining room. (although the best use of that room is for board games and card games- who uses a dining room for dining?) That porch roof will make a perfect escape slide from those upper windows, except for that last little 8-10 foot drop off :)

 

 

 

This is another spot that I am trying to take a picture from, each time we go. There, again, to watch the progress on the front of the house. I am standing, front and east, and in the drive way.

 

TOTALLY AMAZING!

We pinch ourselves, each time we go there, to check and see if we are still alive and awake? Or if we have gone to heaven or dreaming? :)  



House- June 15, 2013

Here you go- a few more pictures. Pretty amazing to see it go from paper to reality. 

(I only gave you a few of the inside, it's still pretty hard to tell what's what's there.)

 Here...I am standing in the doorway of our bedroom- looking across the living room at my kitchen. (with the dining room beside the kitchen and the library and laundry room behind the kitchen).

 Standing in our bedroom...looking out to the back porch. 

The three large openings are two doors and one window making the back wall of the living room.

 The breeze way between the house and the garage- looking toward the back. The larger opening, on the right is a "sink area". The door on the right goes into Ron's shop.

 Three car garage with Ron's shop at the back.

 West side porch.

 Front porch...looking toward the garage end. This front corner of the house is Ron's office. The opening you can see, just past the two windows, is the front door area.

 I have been all stressed out trying to pick out roof color, trim color, stucco color etc. but this is what you see of the house from the street. I guess it can be any color I want! :) Although, I'm thinking maybe I should have picked the GREEN roof, to match the trees (instead...the roof will be gray)

While, the river right behind us is still dry- here is an area not too far away where we could take the grand kids to play. This is called English Crossing.

Cowboy Room

We went to Bandera on Friday evening and stayed in a motel there. We have stayed there before and even in the same room. It looks like someone used spray paint and painted a cowboy mural on all of the walls. It's kind of interesting :) At least this time, we remembered to take a few pics.

Happy Fathers Day

One of the best parts of Fathers Day happened this morning- Ron didn't have early morning meetings to attend, so we didn't get out of bed until 9 am. (See...good to know for my kids... there really is life after kids!) As for trying to plan some special food and/or dessert for today- we went to Bandera Friday night and yesterday- which came at the end of a busy week- which meant no food shopping or planning- so, yeah, fancy dinner with pie...that's not going to happen. hehe For brunch, I ate the rest of my hamburger from lunch yesterday and Ron ate the rest of his shrimp enchilada from dinner yesterday. Dinner today, was whatever leftovers I could find in the refrig. I did get Ron a couple of gifts for today...I am going to give him a waste basket...and we are going to have a "phone throwing away party". Ron's cell phone has been a major problem for awhile now. So he gets a new I phone and he gets a new suitcase to use for his trip to France in July. Oh, yeah, and he got a cookie at church. Pretty exciting celebration :)
Ron is still the love of my life. I appreciate all he does for me and our family. He is a great husband and father. It's amazing and a great blessing that we still "like" each other after 37 years :) This year we are living a dream come true. Neither one of us can believe it when we watch the house being built- seems like something other than reality. Plus it is amazing to see it go from "on paper" to "3D real". We love to hop in his car, and head WEST with a Don Williams CD playing. He loves being there, where the house is, and seeing the wildlife. God, willing, it's going to be a great life with my best friend and the grand kids :) Okay...maybe with the kids too.