Cleaning up

Saturday has become brush clearing day. While the weather is cool enough and fire danger low, we are slowly cleaning up the property.

Robotics

Today we started a robotic class using the Lego Mindstorm. 

Spring break sabotage

Once again our spring break has been sabotaged by a canine.  You know about Hugo, our puppy we got earlier this week.  What you probably don't know is about our four year old German shepherd, Moe, that we got last spring break.  

Once we got settled in our house we told the kids we could get a dog.  It wasn't long that a friend told us about a rescue dog that was in need of a home.  He was trained, well behaved but needed a family to be with.  Todd sent out an inquiry and we were asked to bring Moe home to see if he would fit into our family.  He was really a great dog.  He minded, followed the rules, easy to command, and gentle with us.  I spent all of last spring break putting in an invisible fence to keep him in our property.  Digging up dirt and burying wire around the perimeter of our property was not how I intended to spend my break but that is what I did.

We had Moe for a month, maybe two, but we had to send him back to his rescuer.  Although he was great with us, he didn't do well with our visitors, namely men.  Once we introduced him to you he was fine for a while, but for no reason at all he would charge our guest and try to bite them.  He bit my brother in law on three separate occasions.  So, he had to go.  

Fast forward to this spring break and a dog has sabotaged it again.  Hugo is a lot of fun but for now I have to keep a constant watch on him to train him to piddle and poo outside.  Our nights are also not very restful as he wakes up crying, howling, and barking about every hour.  I have polled my fb friends to see how we should handle the night times and of course, I have opposite opinions.  So I made a decision to keep him in his crate and let him cry.  Well, not completely.  When he wakes up crying I take him outside to piddle then I put him back in his crate.  He then howls for about a half hour before he settles back down, takes a thirty to forty five minute nap before we start the process again.  It is like having a newborn with two hour feedings.  What I have been told is that he will settle down and stop the crying in about a week or two. I hope they are right.

Currently, Hugo is taking a nap in my bathroom.  I have been making him follow me around the house to do chores.  I think going up and down the stairs combined with his late night howling has tired him out.  I had him join me in the bathroom so I could shower and do some cleaning.  He promptly fell asleep, of course.  

Restless Days and Sleepless Nights

Isn't that a song?  Restless Days and Sleepless Nights?  I can almost here a 1970s country western singer singing it in my head.  It is the theme song for today.  Add to that grey skies and rain and this gal and her husband would like a good, long, peaceful nap.  NOT GONNA HAPPEN.  At least, not with a 6 week old puppy in the house who cries all night long for its pack to find it.  At 3 am I was reading the dog listener to see if I should ignore the cries or go down and comfort the pup, possibly bring it to my bed.  NOPE.  Ignore it.  Time to invest in ear plugs.

I did learn we should have a playpen attached to his crate so that he has a place outside of his crate to use the bathroom during the night.  I also learned to have some calf hooves available for him to chew on as well.  So off to the store today.  At least Bryce is getting some much needed driving time.  Yes, you heard me.  Bryce is in the midst of driver's training.  I can see the grey hairs multiplying.

A Day with Hugo

Meet Hugo.  He is the newest member of our family.  He is a six week old Lab/Husky Mix.  I call his breed a Labusky.  Isn't he cute?  We brought him home yesterday and we, namely I, have been babying him ever since.  

I have never had a puppy before.  My biggest fear is potty training.  I have learned that as soon as he eats, take him outside.  If he drinks, take him outside.  If he wakes up from a nap, take him outside. If he has played really hard, take him outside.  So far it has worked.  Of course, I need to get the rest of the family on board with my plan.  

Hugo loves being outside.  He loves  the snow piles.  I mean, really loves them.  He runs to each snow pile, wallows all over it, eats the snows, and just has a blast.  His next favorite thing outside are the plastic tarps that are laying around  ( is it laying or lying????   too tired to think it through.)  I think he really enjoys the sound of crunching on the tarps, leaves, snow, etc.   We set up an electric fence last spring for a German Shepherd that we had for a short time.  I tell you that story later.  The wire was broke in a couple of places last summer when some excavators came out to level our land.  Hugo is too small for the invisible fence just yet, but by the end of the summer we will want to get him  used to that.  It will be nice when we can let him outside to play and do his business without one of us holding on to the end of the lease.  

He currently is sleeping on the floor next to me while I type.    I think I will put him back in his cage and head off to bed my own self.  Who knows how many times we will be up with him so I better rest while I can.

Good night!

Blogging again

I may be dreaming but i thought I might try blogging again.  So let me catch you up.  Since my last post Bonnie is finishing up her second year at Washington State University as an architecture major.  Brian is finishing his first year at Wenatchee Valley College as a running start student.  He is also the lead drummer in the high school band.  Bryce is now a freshman at Upper Valley Christian School where I teach full time.  Todd is still the pastor of our church and teaches part time at the same school I teach at.  That is us in a nutshell.

What else has happened in these past two years?  We built a house and now have a place of our own. I can't express how wonderful it is to have our own place.  My house is awesome!  Nothing special, nothing fancy, it is just right.

Today our house was made complete with the addition of our new puppy, Hugo.  He is a six week old lab/husky mix.  Jet black with one small white patch on his chest.  We, I, have never had a dog so young.  I was a bit nervous, but he has been so fun.  We are getting the potty training thing down so I think everything is going to be just fine.

Why start blogging again?  I guess so I can get all of my crazy conversations out of my head.  Will anyone read them beside my mom?  Probably not, but that is ok.  It is my time capsule for my family, so let's see where this goes.

Back Home

Well we made it back home after our whirlwind trip to Tennessee.  Our original plans had us scheduled to arrive sometime today.  It is probably best that we left early.  The transition from traveling out east and back to traveling out to Pullman is less stressful this way, although we still have a lot to do. 

Yesterday we celebrated Bonnie's 18th birthday by taking her out to eat.  Earlier she had informed me that her friends celebrated their 18th birthdays by sky diving or going on a cruise.  I don't know who these friends are but I gently informed her that none of those things were going to happen. Heck, I would love to go on a cruise myself, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.  

Today we return the rental van and do all of our last minute shopping.  Bonnie would like to get a coffee pot, some food, and odds and ends to make life tolerable in the dorm...yes, dorm.  The school is refusing to allow Bonnie to live off campus.  They stated that since she got her AA through Running Start it doesn't count as having a Junior status and since she is eligible for student loans she can't claim a financial hardship.  As infuriated as I am we have no choice but to move her into a dorm.  On the bright side, she was able to secure a single room in a women's dorm so we feel much better.

I admit that sending our daughter off to school is going to be hard.  Is she ready yet?  Is she strong enough spiritually, mentally, emotionally?  Time will tell.  Yet, most of us did a lot of growing up when we left the nest and tested our wings.  It is just hard to push our chicks out of the nest,

Last Piece of the Puzzle

We finally got everything settled for Bonnie's housing at WSU.  Sadly, the school is refusing to let Bonnie to live off campus at the Rock.  For some reason, because she received her AA through Running Start they won't give her junior status.  They still view her as a freshman and must live on campus.  So, the other day Bonnie sat down and applied for a dorm room.  Today we learned that she will be living in Regents Hall which is a women's dorm.  She also got a single room which she is excited about.  Although living in the dorm will but a strain on her finances she has a place to live and we know where we are going next Saturday.  Next Saturday?!  Wow...the time is going so fast!

Prep Day

Not much going on except the usual, normal Tennesssee activities, I.e. shopping.  There are so many stores here within a few minutes drive that we always try to check them out.  Mom found a store where we can get Birkenstocks for $30. That is a steal.  In case you don't know, Birks are $100 sandals.  I love them and was given a couple of pairs early this year, but checked out the store regardless.  Mom ended buying Bonnie and I both a pair of shoes.  We then hit Burlington Coat Factory where Bonnie stocked up on some school clothes.  I even got a few more blouses to wear.

Today has been prep day, as mom and I have been working in the kitchen all day to get ready for all of the family that is scheduled to arrive tomorrow from Indiana and Florida.  On top of cooking we have been cleaning the house and doing final preparations.  Shortly we have one more shopping trip to get plates, napkins, and cups, then we wait.  

A nights rest makes all the difference

It is hard to believe that we have been here now for 24 hours.  Yesterday was hard because everyone was so tired.  The kids did better than Todd or I because they slept off and on the whole trip.  Have you ever been so tired you felt sick?  That was me.  I finally went to bed at eight and slept a solid ten hours.  It was wonderful.  Today us girls are going shopping!  Dad has taken Todd to meet Harold Coker's son, Corky to see if he can help Todd find a hood ornament for his 1955 GMC truck.  The Cockers are big in antique cars and known nationwide.  The boys are having fun playing on the Wii.  I guess playing it on a 54 inch tv is more fun than playing it at home.  

Road trip

We are on the road to Tennessee.  It is a 40 hour drive and we decided to do it without getting a hotel. We have been on the road for 25 hours so far.  According to Garmin we should arrive by 5:30am tomorrow.  To make the journey we rented a van.  It's a brand new Chrysler Town and Country with a built in dvd player, wireless headphones,  multiple usb jacks that has everyone plugged in. The boys even brought the Wii along.  Of course the kids have decided to fold up and stow away the middle seats and spend the trip laying on the floor. 
Breakfast at Wall Drug this morning.   A little break, ahem, in Murdo, South Dakota and now somewhere on Iowa.  Cant wait to get to TN.

The Wall Part 2

The  forms came off today.  It is so exciting to see everything taking shape.  We have to wait now for the framers which won't show up til we are on vacation.  In the mean time, we will busy ourselves with cleaning up the area.  All of that dirt is our crawl space and no one wants to be crawling around down there with rocks and concrete pieces in your way.

My Eyes Hurt

Have you ever had that experience when you could not find something?  You search and search.  You retrace your steps. You try as hard as you can to visualize what you possibly could have done with the missing item that you eyes actually hurt?  Well, that was me last night and early this morning.  I could not find my keys.  Anywhere.  I retraced my steps.  Tried as hard as I could to figure out where I possibly could have laid them.  I looked in the trash,  I looked throughout the van, even in the ignition.  Inside the house I tore apart all of the couches, looked through drawers, under furniture....nothing.  I could not figure it out.  My thoughtful husband told me to go to bed and I would find them in the morning.   At about 5am I woke up and remembered that the first thing I did when I came home yesterday was sit down at the couch to talk to my daughter.  My keys have to be in that area.  When I finally crawled out of bed, showered, and went down stairs to make breakfast, I was greeted by Brian.  I asked him again if he had seen my keys.  He promptly walked into the living room and a few seconds later emerged with them.  They were under the end table. Ugh!  

The Wall

Because we are building into a hill, the back and side wall have to be re enforced with concrete.  It was quite impressive to watch the crew work as they scooted across the wooden frame and guided the concrete hose along it.  Now we wait as the concrete sets.  In a week and a half/two weeks the framers will show up and do their magic.  By the time we get home from our vacation, we should have the exterior up.  

Taking Shape

The foundation forms are set.  Today the crews return to build the back and side wall forms.  By this weekend they should have the concrete poured.  

Finally Free

Little did I know that less than twenty four hours after my last post so much would happen.  On Monday, July 6 Todd spent the evening tamping down the dirt in the foundation forms hoping it would pass inspection for the concrete pour.  That, however, was the least of concerns.  At 3:30am  Tuesday morning Todd's mom called to inform us that his dad was declining and the family needed to come in.  Todd's dad had been in the hospital since Wednesday evening as his alzheimer's had progressed and his aggression had increased to the point that he could not be managed.  911 was called and after five hours in the ER he was admitted to the hospital.  The doctors began the task of finding a medication that would help control his aggression but for whatever reason, his body shut down.  The whole family filled his room, shared stories, sang songs, and by 6:45am Don Ells went home to be with the Lord.  It was a sad yet glorious day.  He was free from the disease.  The burden of caring for him was lifted.  The worries for his well-being and for Susan's well-being were over. 

Tuesday was a blurr.  Todd and I finally got home sometime after eight, fixed breakfast and tried to figure out what to do with our day.  I managed to go into the church to take care of immediate concerns.  Todd and his brother, Mike, spent the morning at their moms house.  After lunch Todd and I had to go back to Wenatchee to sign the final papers on our construction loan and went out to dinner to "celebrate the finalization of our loan" and to regroup from the day.

Life goes on.  Wednesday was spent recapping Kinderfest with the Chamber.  I remembered we left all of the leftover cupcakes in the downtown gazebo basement.  oops!  Thursday the boys and I got dress clothes and went Costco shopping to get ready for Vacation Bible Adventure and the memorial while Todd monitored the concrete guys pour the footings for our house.  Friday was a quiet day with Bonnie working, Bryce spending the day with his friend and Brian hanging out at the river.  I tried to get all of my cooking that needed be done for the next two days done.  Saturday the VBA crew from Shoreline arrived and now they are doing final preparations for a week of VBA.  Sometime in all of this we will continue to help Todd's mom with the Memorial Service preparations, food preparations for the service, and decorations for the memorial table. 

In short, we are emotionally and physically exhausted.  Yearning for a break.  A mental, emotional break more than a physical break.  Seeking peace in all of this chaos.  In two weeks all three kids go to camp.  Maybe then Todd and I can find that quiet place.  Until then we will plug on.

Forms, tamping, & digging

Prepping the foundation forms for concrete.

Bonnie added some beauty to the property while Todd and the boys began work on the wood shed.

Ready for forms

With temps near 100 Todd worked hard all day to get the foundation ready for forms. Crews are supposed to arrive tomorrow.

Almost Ready

Todd has been digging out our foundation for almost a week!  His goal today is to have it all level and completed.  Crews are supposed to show up on Saturday to set the forms for the foundation.  It is really happening!  Of course, we are still waiting on our loan to be finalized but all we need there is for the review board to sign it, then we sign it and we are off!  

Our big hurdle last week was to prove to the bank that we were not in a flood zone even though FEMA said we were.  Fortunately our appraiser acknowledged that we were not in the flood zone and the bank accepted his word which is good because it was going to cost us $1200 to prove otherwise.  

We are all getting anxious.  A big part of me wants to start looking at tile and cabinets and counter tops, but I am going to be patient and wait for our contractor to tell me when to look.  In the mean time, I am keeping busy getting ready for next school year.  So much for a summer break.  I picked up my curriculum earlier this week and have begun making lesson plans, schedules, syllabuses, and power points.  I will be teaching 5/6 science, 7/8 science, Biology, Algebra 1 and Algebra 2.  I also got my class list.  Right now my largest class has 6 students and my smallest class has 4 students.  Each class is 40 minutes.  Crazy as it might sound, I am very excited.  I already know half of the students and most of the teachers.  This feels so right.  The peace that I feel is overwhelming.  It just makes for one very hectic, busy summer.