What a project!

About 6 months or so ago I had a brilliant idea.  As with all of my brilliant ideas, they are only kinda of brilliant. Milton says they usually cost money.

We had gone to someone else's house and I was amazed that they could send their kids downstairs and not hear them. NOT HEAR THEM!  How was that possible. 

So we had to check into this for ourselves.

What that led to was us contacting a builder in our ward, contacting our old builder to help draw up some house plans, and going to the bank for a loan.

We started construction on our addition shortly after Memorial day.  They started by digging a very deep hole.  Holey Cow was it deep. 

Anyway, they poured concrete, framed, added doors and windows and all then drywall.

At this point they are in the midst of mudding and taping the drywall.  This is a week long process. But its not like they used to do it.  Now they mud it. And some spots that need more mud need hot mud. I guess that dries harder or something.  Then they sand it and mud it again.  Then they sand it and then texture it.  i may have missed a sand and mud. But who can keep track?

Anyway, it has been an adventure.  The weather has started to cool off and so we are missing things like roofing and then after that we will finally get insulation in the roof.  I hope it happens fast since we are getting mighty cold in the mornings.

I could tell you how mad I was the other day when one of the taping and mudding guys (the boss) yelled at Ned because he wanted to watch and was kind of getting in the way. 

but for the most part, this hasn't been that bad.

Well, I take that back.  Being without a kitchen stinks.  We were quoted 1 month without a kitchen.  Now it looks like 6 weeks minimum. Ugh.  We are using the laundry room for a kitchen right now and Milton says it is smaller than the kitchens he had in the Philippines.

But anyway.  I'll probably post pictures at some point here.

The boys are making great strides.

Quinten is potty trained.  He was so ready and he just went for it. Nolan was not ready so he is still in diapers and we are giving him a little more time.  nolan has a personality where he has to be ready for it.

They are talking more and more.  Quinten learned the word handsome today.  It sounded more like ndsm!  But he's trying.  They are both trying. 

They can say Please and are working on Thank you.  They love to ride around in some battery operated cars that someone gave us (we just had to buy new batteries).  they try to drive them, but really they can't. They understand pressing the gas pedal, but don't understand steering and how to change to reverse/forward,.  They press the pedal until they run into something, and then when they can't go anywhere anymore, they bail.

They like playing with Legos and cars. Cars are their favorite.

Quinten has a cute smile and endless energy.  He is loud when its quiet and likes to talk.  He loves his mommy. He talks more clearly than Nolan. 

Nolan is a calm guy, until he isn't.  He is cool until things don't go the way he wants.  He has a sunny smile and is usually very zen.  When he isn't, its a melt down. He doesn't like being bullied by his brothers (who take advantage of his calm).  He still has some waves to his hair.  He just came into the room and said "Daddy what you doing?" 

Daddy is watching old home movies on his computer with the boys.  Mia is playing the piano and Quinten just said "Plain Pano". Quinten is sitting on Dad's lap and Nolan is sitting on our bed right next to them.  They are enjoying being together.

Ned is such a cute kid.  He has a winning smile and is forever talking and telling you about things.  Today he came up to me and said "I found my Batman Cape! I need to find my shirt so I can ZOOM!"  The other day he told Grandma that he liked what she was wearing. He really likes to help. Yesterday he got very upset because he wanted to help gather the eggs and he could only find one boot.  He likes to take out his zoomers (his arms) to chase the chickens back into the pasture.

Ned loves his primary class.  He is a sunbeam.  He calls his teacher by her last name. He hasn't quite figured out the "Sister" part.  He doesn't know it yet, but his teacher next year is going to be his Aunt Ya Ya (As Quinten has named her).

Cecilee has moved over to Charter school this year. There have been many changes this year!  She is 12 now.  She is in 7th grade.  She is taking on more responsibility and is in the class presidency in Beehives. I think this has been very good for her. It has gotten her involved and I think she really likes the friendships she is forming.  She is doing very well right now.  Soccer is starting up again.  She isn't a star player, but she likes the sport and plays hard.  I am grateful for the friendships and exercise she has been getting.

Cecilee loves to read and likes Lego Friends.  She is maturing so quickly.  I can't believe that she will be 13 soon.

Mia is in the 5th grade. She also loves to read. She has a creative personality.  She likes to be outside and seems to enjoy that more than inside.  She enjoys riding bikes and trying to fit in the battery cars that the boys have.  She has a lot of talent on the piano and she and Cecilee are still taking lessons from Grandma.  If I could get her to practice, she would be taking the world by storm!

Mia loves animals and has really enjoyed playing with our new kitten (don't ask. Yes, we were lazy about getting George fixed and it looks like we are paying for it. Luckily, just 1 kitten that we know of.  yes, that is on the horizon very soon)

 both of the girls help a lot with their younger brothers.  

Milton has been busy trying to keep the lawn alive during the summer with no sprinklers. He says that he spent his whole summer moving sprinklers around.  We just sent two steer to the butcher.   We have 3 turkeys and 4 meat chickens who are going to the butcher closer to thanksgiving.  I'll be glad when I don't have to shut them in at night and let them out in the morning.


Milton will be posting pictures of our remodel here soon!