Progress

Enjoying a cigar and happy hour after another day of construction in the rain.

Another project ~ check!

I got home from class tonight and ~ VOILA ~ the second dual-flush toilet was installed.  Bravo, Mister JP, bravo!!  Nothing like having to deal with only one operable bathroom (and a toilet removed for haul-away day last Saturday) to motivate a man.  You may think it odd that I'm blogging about a toilet...  but this isn't just ANY toilet.  No, it's a toilet that came from Wisconsin (and according to JP, weighs a ton) but wait... not only does it save water and entertain guests, it keeps Momma happy because it's easier to CLEAN around when the boys refuse to aim.

And we all know, if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Guess what?  I'm happy.

Now, if only the frigid temperatuers will motivate him (and warm up just enough) to finish the roof raising! 
Ohhhh, Joe...  got a spare afternoon in the not-so-distant future??

PS:  Ignore the ugly 1970's tile surrounding the beautiful new toilet.  That's project #1,098.  It will happen.  Someday.

The beginning of the roof raising...

View from the Foreman's Chair

Reuben, David & Joe came over to help JP in the roof raising ~ thank you guys!!

JP continues on his own on Sunday...

Raising the roof!!

The men will be putting up the roof this weekend... hip, hip, hooray!! An advance shout out to such wonderful neighbors who are willing to help, and to my hard-working husband who understands how much I want this done to be able to celebrate our birthdays next week/end!!





Of course, the projects don't end there... so I will be praying for more beautiful days to come into autumn so that we can finish the fence and the yard.

Party on the patio!!

September

I love autumn. Love it. The smells, the colors, the slight chill in the air when the kids head back to school. When we first moved into the neighborhood, wow ~ seven years ago this weekend, we had a gorgeous tree in our front yard. Unfortunately, it's no longer living and we have to take it down soon. We broke the news to the neighbors on NNO in August. Those who have lived on Aquila longer also remember the vibrant, glorious color that this tree used to be. I was cleaning out files recently and came across probably the only picture I have of its beauty.



We have really transformed the house and yard in the time we've been on Aquila. The before and after slideshow will be quite impressive some day. There is always a project undone while another is begun. I'm not sure how or why that happens, it just does. JP is working feverishly to finish the awning over the new back patio. My hope is that it's done in time to have a patio party for our birthdays the end of this month! Of course, when that's done, there's a fence to mend too! Cest la vie.

Happy Autumn!

National Night Out 2009

Another great event in a wonderful neighborhood... we gathered in the street to eat, discuss and be merry! There were a few missing this year, however, due to illness and vacation. Don't worry, we'll find another time to get together before the weather turns us into hibernating bears again!!

Our new (old) house...

just a few pictures to share from all of the September work done on the house! The painting, roofing & new gutters are compliments of the hail storm in May. And we finally got around to getting the landscaping done in the backyard. I cannot wait until next summer now to use the backyard more. Chloe already loves the extra space (she's the only one allowed on the sod right now) and paces on the new landscaping brick.

Construction Zone

We are in the midst of a couple of projects right now and they were in full swing on my birthday! The painters are finally getting around to doing the house, this after the May 31 storm and our name coming to the top of their work list. Do you like the new color? They only got one coat done yesterday so we're still living in a house with plastic-covered windows. It's a strange feeling not being able to look outside! It's supposed to rain today too, so I'm not sure that either crew will come back?!

In the back yard, we are extending the yard about 8 feet where it slopes off by adding retaining wall and backfilling. I think it will be grand when it's done! I'll get closer pictures to share when the sod is installed and the mess cleaned up. Eventually we're going to put up a popsicle fence, but have to wait the winter and that will become our Spring project (among many more). Chloe is getting excited to have another 80x8 feet of yard to run through...




Click to enlarge

Monday Ramblings

GHOST TOWN
The parking lot is still mostly empty at work... it's going to be a long 4-day work week, I tell ya! It's so quiet around here you can hear the coffee pot screaming for visitors. Guess I'll find something to clean up, out and catch up on filing this week.



My perennial garden is coming back!! I'm so happy that the hail storm didn't completely destroy the plants and they are coming back to greet us now that summer has arrived. Click on photo to enlarge and see it in all its splendor.




and my beautiful window boxes... JP keeps complimenting on how beautiful they are this year. Can you believe these are from Kmart's parking lot garden? They are my favorite too!





And I just have share a photo of a scrumptious frittata that JP made for dinner on Friday night... yummy!!

Our Sunday

We started out with two services at church... oh how I love the outdoor services in the summer! There is nothing like sitting beneath the oak trees, listening to the birds and the sermon at the same time while the sun streams through the leaves. The kids sang during the second one with their friends from VBS.

The second half of our day was spent trying to "go green" and install a new toilet. And yes, I mean the second HALF of our day! What started out as seemingly very simple ended up with borrowing a tool from one neighbor, calling over another neighbor for help (promising him dinner for his services) and still not being complete by the end of the day! They did manage to get it secured to the floor but we need another part to finish the installation. I won't even go into detail on how much fun it was, I'll spare you... but if a picture speaks a thousand words, how's this one to finish the story?



But wait, there's more... I bought TWO of these toilets so we get to do it all over again upstairs!

Sunday was a day of clean up from the storm the night before. Down the street, people began emerging from slumber and headed into their yards with rakes and bags. The hum of the power tools began at sun-up and went well beyond sunset. I hope that the garbage haulers have pity on us and do not charge by the bag for haul away this week.

Halfway through the day the contractors started combing the neighborhood in their trucks, going from one driveway to another, like buzzards to roadkill. Signs now litter yards "claiming the job" where leaves once sat. We called our insurance company but have yet to identify our contractor for repair.

We skipped church in favor of visiting the farmers' market to replace our lost vegetables and herbs. I also purchased and planted some flowers for the window boxes. We were all pretty exhausted at the end of the day!

May this week's weather be good to us!

Video Footage of Hail Storm

This one was taken from standing in the basement looking out the casement window.




After the sun came out...






And Chloe didn't seem to be surprised by "snow" on May 31 at all...