First night in their "new" (handmedown) bunk beds!
I'll post more & better pictures of their room and bedding, once I get it all together (for example, I need to buy adult pillows x4 for all their new pillowcases - no more toddler sized pillows!). But I coudn't miss a pic or two of them in their new beds on the first night:-)
bottom bunk! He looks so little in such a big bed
top bunk!
in process - we set up the bunk beds, and decided to build the boys a rope ladder hanging from the ceiling, instead of a traditional ladder - because who wouldn't love that?! Brian's drill press wasn't powerful enough to make it through the rods. It took forever to make these 2 holes...he'll have to finish the others at the shop. Yes, that is one right up at the ceiling, so they can have something to hang onto at the top.
On Sunday night, Grey brought me my camera, carefully, and asked me to take a picture of his truck. How could I say no?
1st picture, then he asked to see it, and didn't really love it, I guess...
another try. "Dis'a better!"
Another try...he still wasn't satisfied. Perfectionist?
Then, I switched it to video mode to capture his cuteness, but I didn't want him to know it was on video, as he often times changes his personality and clams up on video. There has never been anything cuter!
I get to my spring cleaning...late:-) I just don't seem to have the time in the spring, so summer suits me better! Basically, take everything out of each room, drawer, etc. Sort it. Throw away. Organize. Clean/dust/wash. Put back together again. So far I've finished most of the house!
Bathroom closet, done!
Mostly done...Still need to do the very top shelf, which is the extra linens.
The 3 bedrooms are done, and you should have seen the mound of clothing that Brian and I disposed of! I should have taken a picture! We are given a lot of handmedowns, which is wonderful. But I am learning that just because it was free and it fits, doesn't mean we have to keep it. Too many clothes!
All that is really left is the kitchen. I did the pantry and lower cabinets when I took the original doors off, but the jam packed uppers still need work. I feel like I am forced into minimalism, because I hardly have any cupboard space:-)
Argh. It's hard for me to know how best to organize this stuff. I think maybe only the middle shelf needs the most attention
Drink stuff, baking stuff, pasta - attention needed!
So this is what my week will look like - sorting, organizing and "spring cleaning" all this stuff! I hate "spring" cleaning. Although I will admit the satisfaction of achievement at the end of the day is well worth the work! This is my last week before all the extra kids come back, so I need to get organized for the upcoming year of work, school...LIFE.
...Ok, anyone who has ever been to my house knows I have *a lot* of pine trees, and 1 other tree, a Live Oak. I believe we have 15, massive, Virginia Pines, on our little plot of land alone. You've all heard me state my now extreme disdain of trees, of almost any sort, and you've seen pictures of the thousands (literally, not joking) of bags of pine straw we've raked up. We've tried to grow grass to no avail, and so we send our kids out to play in dirt and pokey pine cones. But not anymore....!!
I will give it to you - this post has an excessive amount of pictures of tree felling. Perhaps more than a normal person would take, or post, but hey, I've waited for this day for 8 years now, so, you're gonna look at the pictures! It makes me BEYOND ECSTATIC to announce that as of this posting, 5 Pine trees and 1 large Live Oak branch are dead and buried...or chipped into a nearly microscopic pieces.
All of you in the know about the cost of removing these trees...no, we suddenly did not fall into thirty thousand dollars. But we have friends worth twice that - and more! We sort of did a barter system. We have friends that can climb, limb and cut massive trees...and Brian can remodel bathrooms etc. :-) So we've traded services - work for work. And lots of other friends who, although not being paid or even bartering with us, came and helped out - which was amazing. We are privileged to know the nicest and most generous people, bar none. We are incredibly blessed by you, our friends. Thank you from the bottom of our (now pine straw free!) hearts!
I am labeling the trees, as 1 through 5 - in the order that they fell, not the order that they stood in the yard. I should have named them. Hmmm. A thought for trees 6 - 15:-)
Friday evening, "Tree Climber" Tom limbed Tree #1, it was the largest (girth and height) of the 5 trees they felled. It was more than 7 storeys tall. Maybe more than 8 too? Hard to tell exactly. He was WAY up there. The "black" part of the video is from this tree top coming down
Friday evening, Brian stays safe on the ground:-) They were limbing so they could get ahead of the wood chipper, coming in the morning.
It got dark pretty fast, and bats were flying around Tom. Gross!
Top of the tree, still on. Just before it came quietly crashing down
Tree #3, topped, but still one funny branch hanging on! It literally makes me nauseous to see someone at the tippy top of a high tree, swaying in the breeze. These heights are nothing to laugh at.
Tree #1, the largest of the trees tackled on Saturday, is down. It literally shook the entire block. Neighbours many many doors down felt the vibrations of the "earthquake" and didn't know what was going on! (because apparently they are deaf and couldn't hear the LOUD woodchipper!)
Wood chipping. It's very dangerous! Actually EVERYTHING about today was dangerous!
Tree #3 is limbed, Tree#1 is down and Tree#2 is limbed
The Live Oak was taking over and had to have a few branches removed. This is men being...boys? Be careful Matt, we don't know that that will hold you!
The dumpster with the remains of 3 out of 5 trees in it. None of the stumps are ground up, only the limbs, we have people wanting the trunks in 16 ft sections, and we are happy to oblige them! I surely don't want it!
There is a local group of Christian young men called the Adventure Crew. We had a few young men (17&18 years old) and one of their fathers help us out for the ENTIRE day. They worked sooo hard and were an amazing help. I'm sure they could have thought of many better ways to spend their day, than to help strangers, but I am very grateful they did! I hope we were able to provide them with valuable life skills involving climbing with chainsaws and such. Lol. There is nothing more dangerous than the sound of that!
Tom and Doug taught the Adventure Crew boys quite a few things today about climbing and cutting down trees. Here is Judson, trying it out...he's really high up and doing well!
This is tree #4, limbed and ready to come down
only tree #5 is still standing. Look at my house. wowsers. Such a view has never been seen!!
The spoils - 3 stumps on this side of the house
And two stumps on this side!
Once we move the dumpster and the rest of the logs etc, I'll have to get a great picture of the front of my house, as never before! A wonderful and sincere thank you to Tom, Matt, the Adventure Crew 3, Tom R, Glory, Tom C and Doug - and to all their wives for sparing them for the day!
This is the 3rd year in a row that our little friend Jack has requested I make him a train cake. Lets just say I really hope Jack develops another love in the upcoming year...I am pretty train-ed out! This year I bought the Thomas the Train cake pan. Local friends, feel free to borrow it for your train-loving toddler or little boy!
White Duncan Hines cake, with 1 box of Jello instant pudding mix added (vanilla)
11x14, again, white cake with 1 box pudding added. I filled the cake with the vanilla custard recipe I've used before
Thomas! He's supposed to be upright - oh well!
It looks just like him! Yay!
And a cute Grey face, just because!
Cake success! Pretty, cute, tasty, and gone! Happy birthday Jack!
