November 2nd

It's true... the day we've been waiting for for months is almost here.
November 3rd is tomorrow.

I still have to pack that darn hospital bag. I know, I know.
Bad. I really do know that.
(parts of it are 'stacked-neatly' in my room - ready for placing in a bag... so it isn't all bad)

But - I dunno... deep down I just kinda know I won't go into labor early. It isn't even something that runs in my family (maternal side, anyway).
Having been through this twice before, I think there would be a few more signs - and I never got that sense.

That said - if I'm wrong and my water breaks in the next two hours - you have my permission to say, "Silly-procrastinator, Kendall."

But the girl's (plural!) room is done.
And absolutely delightful! :)

Kurt did a super job of building a closet-organizer - from scratch. I told him what I wanted (handed him a scrap of paper and said, "Can you build this closet for me by next week, honey?"), and he did all the measuring, cutting, painting, and placement.

Everything fit perfectly the first time. I'm so proud of him.
Peyton - after seeing the completed project for the first time - said, "Wow! Good job, Daddy!" I think that might have meant even more to him than my praise. :)

All of the kid's clothes now have a place in the closet, and the change-table can be kept solely for diapers, blankets, bedding and receiving blankets. A dream come true...

Peyton is beyond thrilled at her big-girl bed. The first thing she did when she saw it put together this morning (we finished up after she went to bed in our room last night) was grab a book off her shelf and "read" in her bed. She also keeps looking at the two new pink walls and exclaiming, "Wow! Pink!" with a big grin. :)

(Funny story: After the first coat, Kurt stood back and said, "We're promoting our own breast-cancer awareness with this room." lol!)

The only things missing are the closet doors, toy box and the new baby's name-lettering.

The first item is in Saskatoon waiting for pickup at Rona. (We had to custom-order them because the size of the opening isn't 'standard'.)

The second is waiting for pick-up at my parent's house (a 3rd generation toy box, no less!). It will likely go at the foot of Peyton's bed (where that tub is now).

The third is an item custom made by my dear friend Katrina - who has her own family (including a baby daughter!) to contend with. :) But we'll eventually get it hooked up - and the letters will go above the crib just like Peyton's are above her bed.

Both the first and second item(s) have to be primed and painted - but Kurt has this lovely thing called a 'heated garage' which makes painting an easy task even in the dead of winter. :)

Having a room which can hold the belongings of two children in an organized fashion made us decidedly more relaxed - versus last week when we were thinking something along the lines of, "Where the heck are we gonna put TWO kids??"

It also helped that I was successful at washing, sorting and organizing all of Peyton's old clothes. I purged just the right amount of "stuff" to assure I'm not overwhelmed later.

Today holds the intensive house-cleaning that has been severely neglected the past few weeks.

(I need clean bathrooms before I can go give birth. Is that strange?
(I already know your answer, Jen V.T. - lol!
Disclaimer: I will not be washing my floors on my hands-and-knees today!)

Laundry (including sheets, clothes and towels) washed, winter-bedding on, dusting, garbage out, fridge cleaned, and - of course - the bathrooms, vacuuming and washing the floors (with a mop!) are all on the list.

Basically, I don't want to worry about anything but sleeping and nursing when I get home. :)

Anyway... thanks to all who are praying for us. Peace of mind seems to be a harder thing to fight for as we get closer. Even last night as we finished the girl's room, I was dealing with, "What if..." thoughts.

But I am choosing to trust God with hope - which is pretty all-encompassing - be it hope that all things will turn out well - or hope that He has done and will always do what is best for us.

I'll do my best to keep you posted! :)

I'm Standing! I'm Standing!

But what could induce such a feat on such an ordinary day?

Watching Daddy cut the lawn! :)

The screen was open and the mower was really loud - but she didn't even flinch. Kurt said she was grinning from ear-to-ear when he would go by.
She did fall down once - and bump her head on the loveseat - but recovered quickly the next time Kurt went by.
Our baby is growing up! Praise God...

To Dust, or Not To Dust?

I love the morning sunshine - bright and beautiful - but don't like the dilemma it causes:
What should I do about all the dust it reveals? Ugh...
I'll just keep the blinds closed this morning, I think. The afternoon sun isn't quite as unforgiving.

Spring?

You know it's coming when the thermostat is set for 22 degrees (I have an infant in the house) and the actual temperature in the house is 23.5 degrees. Woo-hoo!
I'm sure next week I'll sleep with the windows open!
(Just kidding, Kurt.)

Renovation Pictures (Finally!)

Had a little spare time today... obviously. :) Feel free to skip this post if the layout and design of my house bores you. To the three of you who keep reading? Enjoy. ;)
Before I start - a few disclaimers:
1) It was my grandparents house before it was ours. My grandma's colours worked amazingly well with her stuff - but for our stuff it wouldn't have looked so great. Thus the need to change. But if you do comment, please don't say anything horrible about the "before" pictures. :) Thanks.
2) We changed the flooring and countertops in every room (even if it doesn't show up in the pictures)
3) Not every room is pictured - just enough so you can see how big the changes really were. I left out the office, and two bathrooms, the laundry room and our big pantry. They really weren't as riveting in either sets of photos.
That said - here we go!
The living room before:

And after (plus Christmas decorations):

The other side of the living room before (with our faithful painters Gord and Lori):

And after:

The kitchen before (Oscar included) - the view from the living room:

The kitchen after (we added the island) and - as you can see - drastically changed the colours:

Main bathroom before:

Main bathroom after:

Master bedroom before (closet door open):

Master bedroom after (complete with baby):

Peyton's room before (Kurt had to fix a floor break):

Peyton's room now:

The amazing thing is that I feel tired looking at these pictures. I remember how long it seemed to take to get to this point and am happy we're pretty much done all the major changes. It's just minor stuff now - like lighting and trim boards.
But wheeewwww... what a trasformation, eh?

So It's Winter...

... and you have some time on your hands.
You think, "How can I spice up the long, long winter nights?"
One evening, while watching a war movie and listening to hymns (trust me this will make sense in a minute) the idea bursts upon your brain!
You go to Costco.
You purchase some Christmas lights.
You dedicate a month (at least) of your life to decorating your house -
- and then you tape it and put in on the Internet: Pause the music player on the side before you press 'play'.
(my advanced apologies to anyone who finds this melody sacred... chuckle)



Ho-ly smokes!
I'd just throw the lights on a tree and plug them in! (lol)
Thanks for sending me this, Jessica... after watching this 4 times my jaw is just now rising up from the desk where it dropped. :-D

The Nursery

Kurt worked on it all day - the color is actually called "Plumb Shade".
It's pretty rich - definitely the "warmest" room we have in the house. But we're so pleased with the effect. The white furniture goes so well in there - and the new white blinds really complete the effect. It's a very "relaxing" room. :)

Ta-DAAAAA!!!!

After it was done, I sat in there and prayed a little bit - mostly thanking the Lord for this new opportunity to love and trust Him. I am also very thankful that this little girl gets to have her own very brand new room.

It just seems fitting with all the other new starts lately.
I'm pretty pumped to have 4 months to decorate ("buy more cute girly stuff") this room, too... wink-wink! The purple/plumb shade is just begging to be complimented.

Did I Mention We Had a Garage Sale Before We Moved?

Yeah...
It always puzzles me why people stop when it looks so... cluttered. But we did pretty well!
Kiley and Jessica threw their stuff in the mix - and it made for an eclectic collection.
(Kurt was inside cleaning carpets...)
Kinda nostalgic looking at this picture... it was a good-looking house, if I do say so myself. :)

Kurt's New Toy

The love of my life with his very first John Deere. It's a dream come true for him - and our yard is big enough to justify the purchase. Although for me - the purchase is justified by the big grin on his face in the first picture. Even in the serious picture, he still looks like he's trying not to break out with a huge smile. :)
(Some shots of our new yard, by the way. Pretty trees and a big 'ol rock.)

Some Reno(vation) Pictures!

I changed the title for Victoria. ;)
Here is the first batch...

The skylights sure give great light - Kurt working on painting the cupboards.

The first "finished" cupboard door - installed by father and son. They both rolled their eyes when I made them "pose" but were otherwise good sports. :)

There were some cracks in a couple of rooms. Kurt cut out the floor where they were and replaced it. This was only part of the job - it turned out really nicely!

Kiley and Jessica - taking a break from their own renovations to play golf, visit us - and eat watermelon. :) They are sitting on our temporary bed in the living room while we were all painting cupboards and cupboard doors. (I was allowed to help with those.)

Oscar getting his consolation for being ignored. Lori got him a throw-toy which he loves to run all over our giant yard with. :)

If you ever, ever have to remove wallpaper - rent on of these babies. We got an entire house full of wallpaper done in one day. By "we" I mean my in-laws and Kurt. I wasn't allowed to stretch or anything like that - but I admired it happening. :)

Oscar doing what he does best. Notice the bright white cupboards. I've got some more really great before and after pictures for later... but this is a glimpse of what was.

Kurt after sanding down some patches. (I made him wear the dust-mask... no hubby of mine is gonna get drywall lung!) Notice the green on the hallway behind him and the white floor. Neither one is there anymore! :)

I just love this picture because of the tongue sticking out. :)

Gord - supervising Kurt. :) For any of his coworkers who have noticed him being tired during the week... this man has worked HARD for us - the yawn is justified. We wouldn't have been able to get as much as we have done unless he and Lori hadn't dropped everything to help us out. So thanks so much, guys. We love you! :)

Okay - that's it for now... I've got to run - but more to come.
Thanks for checking everyone! :)

Hi!

Everything is okay - just working and renovating - living between two places.
So much fun. ;)
I'll put pictures of the new place up soon.
Our official moving day is May 31st. Stay tuned!

Sorry!

I feel like I have to do penance - or something - for all the posts I haven't written. :)

It's kinda strange - but lately, I just haven't felt like I've had much to post about.

I'm sure that will change in a few weeks... when I will - no doubt - be posting a couple of times a day.

At least. ;) (lol)

But for now, it has just been the daily stuff... plus selling our house (it sold, by the way - thanks to everyone who was praying... and we got quite a bit more than we were asking... praising God!)... and planning a move and doing Easter with my family and Kurt's (and all the dogs belonging to various families)... it's just been a lot and I'm really finding myself sleep-deprived and tired.

There has been lots of missing our daughter, lately. I actually find myself laying awake at night thinking about her. The day she was born... the day she died... the "what ifs". I stopped over at a friend's blog today and she had a picture of her daughter and another blog-friend's daughter... and the other gal's daughter was only about a week older than Autumn would have been. I found myself staring at her picture and just wondering... not even wishing, exactly... but imagining what she would be like - and how different my life would be right now if she had lived. Some days that feels about as real as the dream I had where I won the lottery (which I really dreamed a couple of days ago). :)

A few posts ago I said how it was hard to have to ask the Lord for my daily peace. Lately, I find myself simply being 'tube-fed'. Too tired to ask, I just kinda exist - and there could be a debate arranged around that point, too. I'm really tired of it - and if you would pray for me about this, I'd really appreciate it. I haven't felt this exhausted since she was born.

I know the Lord will carry me through this area... he's not dropped me yet. And there have been some really dark days. But the battle is pretty tough - and the temptation is to just cocoon for a few months. (chuckle)

Thanks for checking the blog even though it's been less-than faithfully updated, everyone. I'll get back to it soon. Really. :)

Here We Go!

After a month (or more) of planning, and cleaning, and decision making - the realtor came by today and put a sign on our lawn. Kurt didn't want me to take too many pictures of this momentous occasion... but here is one to commemorate the day. :)

Our house is officially for sale!

I've been busy with all that - plus shopping and planning for renos on the new house (when we take posession) and then our computer decided to go on the fritz (no internet for the last few days) and I'm actually at mom and dad's right now hoping that this computer doesn't boot me off while I type. :)

Phew... More updates to come when I have a few more minutes... thanks so much to everyone who keeps on checking on me! :)

Ahhhh....

The furnace is fixed - for those who were wondering. :)
My brilliant husband and genius father fixed it - and I've been bathing in heat since 5 pm yesterday.
Sigh.
:)

17 Days Until Spring! (Yeah right...)

How did it get to be March already?

Okay... so I realize I haven't done anything past 'Arizona - Day 2'... and hopefully that will change soon. And... I actually took some video (poor quality because it was our camera) at the Grand Canyon - so I'd like to put that up.

In the meanwhile... here is more proof of my daring adventures on the mile-high (literally) South Rim. I hadn't yet purchased (or read) the book "Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon" which would have made the parking lot close enough for me. Yep - people have died where I'm standing. Or - more accurately - below where I am standing. Semantics.

Anyway - I didn't know that yet - so here is the picture. :)


Oh - and one more thing: Our furnace broke this morning. I'm walking around wrapped in a blanket. Seriously.
It would be one thing if it was mild, but it's still -13 (-22 with the wind chill) and not a great time for the motor to blow. We open doors as little as possible - and I'll probably stick a roast or something in the oven to warm up the house a little bit.
So as I write, Kurt and my dad (who just arrived and laughed at me walking around wrapped in a blanket) are downstairs trying to fix it.
Hope it works! I'm having trouble feeling my fingers (but no trouble with exaggeration, obviously...) so I'll dash downstairs now to see how they're doing...
Stay tuned!
Blessings everyone!

Let There Be Light

First of all - I cannot begin to express my thanks and appreciation for those who have left comments and been praying for us since yesterday. All of you... thank you so, so much.
Although it has been a struggle, the Lord has shown great grace to me today and it has been a good day. :)
I love my Lord, my husband, and even my dog. ;)
Thank you everyone... I love you all very much.
(And Rachel - you crack me up! I am so glad that the Lord has encouraged you through what we've been going through... you, also, are an example to me of how to persevere. Thank you.)

A few pictures of our day!
I finally (as we're about to move) got my new, bright kitchen light. We found it on clearance at Home Depot and decided it was time to act. :) Happy Kendall, happy Budget Manager. (AKA: Kurt for the puzzled - chuckle)
Kurt started the process during the day... and it was finished tonight around 7pm. Our thanks to Cody! I wasn't strong enough (or tall enough, for that matter) to hold the light fixture up for Kurt as he secured it - so my little brother came to the rescue! :) We love you, Cody!
Tonight we bask in the bright, florescent light of our light fixture. Not exactly 'cozy' - but oh so satisfying. ;)
Now I, in particular, am groaning at the amount of grime on the blinds and fridge that were hidden by the old dim light. (rolling eyes) Oh well... One way to guarantee that whoever buys our house will have it very, very clean... 'cause I can only tolerate so much.

Oscar, also, is excited to see more light (I took this picture of him as he was watching closely what Kurt and Cody were doing in the kitchen.)

Wednesday

Some stuff that is one my mind, lately:

Celebrities: Whether it be Brittney Spears' mental instability, or Heath Ledger's (seemingly) drug-induced death... I feel so bad for these people this week. They are clearly so unhappy. How is it that I, who have lost my only child, can still be happy when they - who seemingly get everything they want (and I know that isn't true, either) are so obviously miserable with their lives? They are in bondage to the life of luxury. The life that everyone envies. But all their mistakes are displayed for all the world to see. If anyone ever wanted to see living proof that physical attractiveness or money, or fame do guarantee happiness - look at the state of Hollywood. It humbles me, and makes me thank the Lord for the simplicity of life and contentedness I find in Him. I found myself praying for these people (who really are people) including Heath Ledger's 2-year old daughter who now will grow up without a father.

"The Trip": Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! (really can't contain my glee about this one) In 5 days my beloved and I are flying away from this deary and frozen land (today's temp? -20 C/-4 F) to the desert. I hope it is really, really cold the morning we leave... but then it can warm up (within reason) as soon as we fly away. I said that for you, Daddy. :) Pity the person/persons we ask to take us to the airport by 4:30 am next Monday... watch out Grace Fellowship - we'll be trolling for volunteers on Sunday. We can't wait to see our friends, spend some time together, and get away from winter for a few days.

My Hair: Okay - so the story goes that last year - after months and months of not being able to get pregnant -I did two things: got a dog, and cut my hair. Within two weeks of each, I was pregnant. If I were superstitious, I would be running out to get my hair chopped off again and Oscar would have a playmate. However - I'm not. And after a year of growing my hair back out, I'm still irritated that I cut in the first place. Definitely a lesson in hastiness. And Oscar... well, he's enough puppy love on his own. :) On Friday I'm going to get some major work done on my hair. I'm so excited! Incidentally, that will happen just before "the trip". Yes, yes - I coordinated it to be the case... vanity indeed. :)

Realtors: So, most people know we're looking to sell our house. The time line isn't important, or exact... but we have started the interview processes. The nice thing about Saskatoon's hot housing market right now is that many people are eager to work for us. :) The variety of personalities and approaches is stunning. The good news? Most have been really nice. Only a few have been pretty "intense" (meaning I raise my eyebrows and think, "You intimidate me."). (LOL!) I feel very special that these people want to work for us. And the ones that compliment my clean house and wonderful decorating have a special place in my heart. Yes - vanity again! (lol)

Dates: Not "dating" kind of dates - but Kurt heard on the news the other day that the 21st of January is supposedly the most depressing day of the year. I'm not sure if that stat is world-wide, or Canadian... but it was mildly interesting. I don't think Monday was that bad for me. Praise God. :)

Wal-Mart: This place has become an essential part of my life. I have a Wal-Mart specific list that is full of variety and unrelated things. Pictures, day-planner, nail-polish and sandwich meat. What a store! (I could probably get these at Superstore, too... but going to Superstore is so everyday. Going to WalMart is an event.)

Laundry: I'm just doing it today so I'm thinking about it. I actually don't mind doing laundry. There is something so... pleasingly housewifely about it. It makes the house smell great, it keeps my husband clothed (vanity again!), and I love getting it done. Having two baskets in my closet cuts down the whole 'sorting' step, too.

Thank-You Cards: This is something I've been wanting to get started for a while. We had so many reach out to us when Autumn died. I haven't forgotten any of you! But to sit down and write "thank you"s has been a huge task that I haven't been ready for. Until now. I think. :) I'll keep you posted on this one. Pray for me. It really takes me back to read them - and I want to really express to people how much their reaching out meant to us... so nothing like pressure to fine-tune clarity, right? (sigh) :)

Lunch: Um... my tummy is rumbling. :) Time for this post to end!

Talk to you soon - thanks for reading!

The Construction Crew and Coffee Ladies

We've skipped church today! Bah-ha-ha!
Kidding... to any saints reading that missed us - it is mutual. :) But it is a huge blessing for dad that the guys were able to get the work done today.
We (Mom, Jessica, Amy and I) all went to Barn 2 this morning to take"coffee" (juice, pop, cookies and watermelon) to the hungry crew consisting of Dad, Mikey, Kiley, Cody, DJ (a hired hand) and... of course, Kurt (the Bobcat driver).
Don't tell anyone, but I think he was the sexiest (OR 'cutest') guy there... tee-hee! (lol) He drives that Bobcat like nobody's business! :)
But WHO IN THE WORLD is that gigantic pregnant lady in the pictures??? (LOL!)
Nevermind... I figured it out... sigh. :)

Brace Yourselves

So... what has been going on:
Oscar is still kicking - getting all his weight back - and we're thankful. Although the return of "the personality" can be a little frustrating at times. :) See the video to understand...

Continuing from the second-last post: I worked a 12-hour shift on Friday and came home totally pooped out. Yes. Totally. Not only have I not worked a "day" in a month, but I also had 3 discharges and one admission before noon. This baby-boom is crazy! I sent one couple home without vital papers being signed (managed to page them on the hospital overhead so disaster averted), and another couple had something else happen that I can't remember right now... ugh. Enough Friday meditation!
This carpal tunnel syndrome is starting to give me some grief - my thumb will actually spasm if I hold my hand a certain way. At first it was kinda funny (in a "Hey Kurt, look at my thumb spasm!" kinda way) but now it is just annoying - and painful. Hopefully that goes away with the swelling after the baby comes.
Add to that the hip pain, the foot swelling and the mental exhaustion - woo-hoo... Friday is done! :) The blessing of that day was that our dear friends Sheldon and Shiela came over with a luscious (and do I mean luscious!) desert for us to share after work and I was able to distance myself from the craziness of the day. Oh - and one couple I sent home had the car seat that we're probably going to get: and I still liked it even in the "real world". :)
Okay - deep breath: This is where I restate that I am thrilled to be a RN working in postpartum... and that being pregnant is a joy to me - it is just that I don't find I respond to hectic motion and craziness as well as I used to (and if I drop things I'm doomed!)... but that is only going to be another month, right? Right?? :) Yeah - today one of my coworkers said to me, "Sleep lots during your time off - 'cause it will never, ever happen again." How encouraging! :)
Saturday was official "recovery" day. Or "dread going back to work the next day" day. Whichever makes the most sense - both applied to my state of mind. I don't really remember what happened that day - probably lots of sleeping. :) Oh yeah - and... sleeping. :)
Sunday - shucks - back to work again. But - and I praised God for this out loud on one of my many bathroom breaks - it was a slow day! No discharges and therefore no admissions. Glory! I got to work with the breastfeeding moms and do teaching for the first shift in ages. However, while enjoyable, I was also running back and forth all day - and by the time I got home I was pretty sore. That's the issue, though: if it was just mental exhaustion - fine. But the fact that I wake up in the morning and limp out of bed and can't feel the thumb, index and middle fingers of my right hand... not fun. Oh - and Charlie-Horses - I thought I was supposed to be done them when I stopped growing (at 12... lol!)?
I had a discussion with my manager about this on Monday and she told me to take my last shift off: so I am done work until Baby Manz graces us with his/her presence! :)
Speaking of which: Kurt got trial by fire when he had to watch a video about "The Stages of Labor" at our first prenatal class on Monday night. That's right... we finally got to class! Everyone else in the class is due in November - middle to late - and when we said we were due in 5 weeks everyone gasped. I'm guessing they'll take bets as to whether we'll make it to the next two classes...
As long as we make it to the next: that is where Kurt leans to rub my back, get me ice-chips, and stay calm. ;) Essential information, if you ask me! (lol) The class after that is about postpartum care: and although I'm sure it is very different to be a patient from a nurse, I'm not sure there is too much actual data in that class that will surprise me. But, Lord-willing, we will make it to all three.
I've also been thinking about packing a hospital bag: just in case. It seems silly where I am mentally. Even though I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions all the time, the baby seems very snug. I'll admit that finding out I was completely undilated last week kinda convinced me (in a pessimistic way) that the baby will be "in there" until Halloween (or Reformation Day - smiling and humming "A Mighty Fortress"... lol!) . But I purchased Ivory soap (with which to wash baby clothes) yesterday - so I suppose I'm starting to think like a mother. At least that is what the commercials tell me... :)
I'd start washing baby things: but I have it on good authority that my mother-in-law has a bunch of other things to bring in... so I'll stave off washing and folding baby-things until the rest of the baby-ish things arrive. :) (Probably Saturday.) I'm actually looking forward to it - although Kurt sniffed the Ivory last night, grimaced and said, "Um... do you like the smell of this stuff?" I told him that smell is irrelevant - that we must care for baby's sensitive skin... blah-blah-blah. He probably could've handled that, but then he sniffed the fabric softener (also baby-friendly) and didn't like that either. Hopefully he can still handle holding the child. (lol)
Today was another doctor appointment: baby's heart-rate is at 150, and he/she gave a few choice kicks to the Doppler while the doctor was trying to listen. So thankful to our Lord for that! At lunch Kurt and I were marveling at how God could take half of each our DNA in it's tiniest form and create this rolling, kicking creature that gets hiccups (all the time - it keeps me awake!), responds to his/her Daddy's voice, and lets me know if I'm squishing him/her (I just can't give up laying on my stomach sometimes!). I never could have pictured crying when the baby "comes out"... but now, I'm not so sure - the anticipation to see who God has created within me is almost overwhelming sometimes. So much better than Christmas! :) I almost cried during the video on Monday - or maybe that was the portrayal of labor in all it's glorious agony. Yeah - it held nothing back. The questions from the audience afterward were along the lines of "How soon can we get the epidural?" :)
Oh - and we got our car back yesterday. For those who knew: on June 9th (yes - over 3 months ago) we bought at 2005 Mazda 3 GT Hatchback - with only 16,000 km (that is 9941.9391 miles for my American friends) It is our "grownup" car. You know: 4 doors, room for the dog and a baby-seat etc. but it is still sporty enough to be fun: we're not quite at the minivan stage yet! (In fact, the joke goes that I have to be ready to push out number 4 before we purchase one... lol!)

(License plate blurred on the second picture because I'm not THAT trusting. LOL!)
Brief (and I do mean "brief") summary: it ended up in the shop for the last 3 months with various "issues" and battles about who would pay for what. About 4 weeks ago we finally decided we'd had enough and said to the shop, "Just fix it - we'll pay you." God has taught us a lot of things through this situation: contentment, the true meaning of "turning the other cheek", humility, joy regardless of circumstances (or the amount of money spent even though the problem isn't being fixed)... and now that we have it "back" we're happy to fix it properly (yes - even if that means spending more money!)... and that might not have happened if the Lord had given it to us sooner in the process.
It seems like all these things that were standing in the way of me being 'ready' for Baby (work, car, EI - oops - that isn't solved yet!) yard, nursery... one by one they are dropping away and leaving me facing the fact that in 3-7 weeks I'll be holding our newborn child in my arms and thinking "Wow." :)
Oh - one more thing to take care of: a yard sale on Friday and Saturday... we need more room in the garage to store stuff - so it is time to off-load our "treasures" onto other willing buyers. :) So if you're driving by - stop in and pick up a few video games, computer desks and stoneware plates (can also be used for self-defense!). Kurt is also putting in a sidewalk to encircle the parking area at the back of our yard... it is cute to see him jump on the slabs of concrete to make them even. It's like a tantrum: but not really. :)

So there you go: I haven't just been sitting here watching the count go up and giggling - although the fact that it is nearly 1000 is amazing. Kurt says I should do something to celebrate. Not sure what - but I'll commemorate it somehow, I'm sure. :)
Thanks for reading, everyone! :)

The Front Yard is DONE!

It's done! (For the most part...)
Here is the before (for those who don't' remember the last front-yard post):

And here is the after:

The digging, trenching, edging, laying of sprinklers, placing the rock, grooming of the trees, laying of a whole lot of sod and rolling it (to make sure it doesn't roll up) in the middle of a gigantic downpour is DONE!

80 yards of sod in all (720 square feet), and he used all of it!

Finding out that one of our drain-pipes was clogged - nothing like unclogging a downspout in a rolling thunder-boomer! (I took this from under the safety of an umbrella... chuckle!) I don't think his boots have dried yet...
It is important that the lawn get rolled with a heavy roller so it doesn't curl at the edges. The drum is filled with water to make it heavy... and it is easy to "lighten" when transported. So back and forth he went while the lightning flashed and the thunder boomed and that blessed, wonderful heaven-sent rain kept on falling... and falling, and falling! We haven't had to water yet (and the lawn looks great!)
I took these pictures from the front-door and out our front-window. Notice he changed to flip-flops? :) Smart guy!
Now about that other small job we had to get done... what was it, again??? Something that needs to get done before October... shucks - can't quite remember... (lol)