What's That Pink Stuff?

Wednesday evening - the last day of June already. Can you believe it? This month has flown for us.
A friend of ours (Marie Mossner by name) told me last week that she heard a saying, that days seem to drag but months or years seem to fly by. That is so true.

Last night after Dan got home he asked if I wanted to go for a drive. He wanted to pick up some insulation for the second bedroom upstairs. We are going to use if for an office. We filled the van with it.



He said what's in the van right there would cost approx. $300.00
We didn't pay anything for it. If you want to know how....call me or better yet, call Dan!

I wasn't at the house until about 5:00 p.m.
Dan and Hank started the day out putting my (funny how I made it mine, huh?) French Door back in. Here is the process as he recorded it.
















Evidently our plumber showed up again today. Actually, he was leaving as I arrived.
That's Butch Penning



He helped put the door in and also worked on knocking plaster out of lathe in the first bedroom upstairs. Thanks Butch!

I started hitting plaster after getting caught up on what transpired throughout the day. Dan thought he was a member of the paparazzi. He grabbed the camera after I had tools in hand and started hitting plaster to the floor and started shooting picture after picture. It was pretty funny actually.

Here are a couple






Then Hank wrapped up his day by filling in the holes in the wall.




Dan wanted me to go upstairs and allow him to hand up the syrofoam through the window.

Here's the load being transferred from van to deck



Ready to be accepted into the window




The stack transferred to bedroom




There was an addition to the dining room I hadn't seen before.
A small refrigerator was sitting in the middle of the floor.
Evidently, Brian Whitson (you know, from Whitson Insulation) gave it to Dan to use.
Thanks Brian!




I was so excited to get out of work today and be able to drive to Ionia. Who would have thought!?
But, I'm looking forward to tomorrow being able to spend the day out there. Even if I do have to knock more plaster out of the wall!

Now I'm off to work on reunion stuff. We have both sides of the family coming in in July - LOTS to do!

I smell BROWNIES!

Report from Dan: He started his day with the men's group in Cascade. Then the room of the day was the kitchen - the outside wall that was sagging!

Close-up of the wall with a spoon Dan found.



Dan's help all day - Hank of course!



His other helper - Dave!



Ok, to the work that took place.
Everything in the wall came out....support was put up first....











Then the mason practiced his art
Block began to go in







Poser/Assistant/Helper




Wall back in place....where's my French Door???!!!



Dave sporting his new truck. Ok, not his...his is in the shop and this is his loaner. Now he wants a new truck! Go figure



Well, I worked all day, met Marie at Carlos O'Kelleys, we strategized for a couple reunions we have this summer then went to our card swapping club.

When I got back home, here's what was at the table. I asked if it was brownies I smelled when I walked in the house. The answer was no from Kayla, so Levi copied and said no. When I asked what he was eating then, he replied, "I don't know!"



I've been assured the French Door will reappear tomorrow!
Will let you know....

Horn Honkin'

I worked today, so here is the report I got from Dan as to what took place at the house today.

Our favorite plumber showed up and drilled holes all day. Why do plumbers drill holes? Because they are nice people and help us wherever needed! And we needed holes drilled to blow in the insulation.

Butch Penning



Dan made a dump run first thing and got a load of gravel. He spread it in the yard to enlarge the drive. He said they loaded the truck so full he smelled rubber at the first stop sign. His mud flaps were dragging the ground!

See where the car and truck are parked? That's where he added it.



Then he tackled the corner of the kitchen that he discovered was sagging. He had to tear out part of the floor, jack up the house, then he took out (one) of the concrete stairs outside. There are two left.
Hank had arrived just in time to help break it up and throw it (BY HAND) into the truck. Evidently Dan didn't take the time to stop and snap a picture of the progress! What's up with that??

After the top step was torn out



Then they cut the deck loose from the house. The wall has to be repaired behind it. The deck will ultimately be removed.

They loaded up the recyclables in the truck.



After work, I picked up Kayla and we went out to Mindi and Seth's. They needed a sitter for a couple hours tonight, so Kayla and I filled the bill. Once we did that, we were supposed to go to the house, check out the progress, then follow Dan over to his Dad's to drop off the truck and give him a ride home.

We dropped the truck off about 8:45! So dinner was a quick meal from Taco Bell. There's two strikes, right? Dinner at 9:00 p.m. and Taco Bell!

Here's Kayla sitting in the truck while Dan finished up at the house.



Funny thing - she was sitting in the truck and I went into the yard to take a couple pictures. She leaned forward to wave at me



When she did, she accidentally leaned on the horn! I think I did a side-step, she found great humor in it!

Tomorrow the plan is to finish up the corner of the house he started today, shore it up and put the wall back together then permanently install the French Door.

Then, if there is still time, work on the electric some more.

I'll be at Jo-Ann's, cutting fabric and more fabric and more fabric.

Droning......

The droning of a bobcat has filled the weekend. My head is still buzzing!
BUT Dave and Gina's driveway has been removed! Well, up to the concrete section anyway.

You can see the two parts of the drive in this photo. Part of it is concrete and part of it was asphalt (if you can't distinguish, look below). The asphalt is now gone!





The weather report this morning was for some severe thunderstorms and for awhile there were tornado warnings, so Dave started in first thing. We got ready and went to church. When we returned he was still at it.

They had a family birthday party at 3:00 this afternoon and I had a baby shower. So, lunch was helter skelter at best. As soon as we returned from church Dan jumped into his work clothes and went out to help with the drive. It had started to rain and they were trying to get it done before the worst hit.

That's what they did until time for the Boening's to go to their party.

By the way, we did not see a movie last night. By the time Dan cleaned up and we got out of the house it was time for it to start and we didn't want to miss the first part of it. So we went to Walgreens and got a few necessities and came 'home'. Dave and Gina sat with us awhile and we rehashed the days events and did a little strategizing for next week.

They tell me we may get insulation this week. ALL they have to do is finish drilling holes in the walls for it to be blown in, put plastic up and finish the wiring. Doesn't sound too difficult, does it? I'll be at Jo-Ann's measuring fabric for the next three days. Maybe by Thursday they'll have it ready!? For insulation, that is.

But, here is the driveway as it looks now.

Bobcat

We woke up this morning to the sound of the neighbors weed wacker and the bobcat.
Dave went and got it at 7:30 this morning. He wasted no time in using it either.

He rented it from Caledonia Rent-All.

He started with the old pool area and smoothed the dirt out.







Levi and Gideon started their day out this way.



Levi has been climbing into the baby toys and playing - it's pretty funny. He now knows it will get a laugh out of us, so he does it more frequently. (I do believe those are knees dragging the floor!)




Then, the next project was pulling up the posts from the old fence.

Dan placed the strap on the post, twisted it around several times, then Dave used the bobcat to pull them up.
















Meanwhile, I was getting flowers delivered from the cutest blond haired, blue eyed boy you've ever seen!

First, he hand picked them...




Then personally delivered them to me!




Then the big boys tackled the driveway.
Here Dave is cutting with the saw a line in the asphalt where they will take it out.







Onlookers, Bystanders, and Cheerleaders!



2nd Shift has arrived



In the middle of all that, they digressed to take out the flagpole Gina wanted removed.



(That may show up in Ionia replacing a much smaller one!)

Levi didn't let any of that action stop him. He found a new toy.






When that got old, he pulled out the sidewalk chalk.



Then the drive started coming up...









They got the truck full and took it to Crushed Concrete, I believe it is called. It is out on 100th and Pease Ave.













It wasn't all work....we let them each have a two minute break.




Levi enjoying all the equipment.









While I am typing this, I can still hear the bobcat out in the driveway humming away, removing large pieces of asphalt. It probably won't stop until there is no more light in which to do it!

Our plan was to go out tonight, possibly see a movie. We've been wanting to see Prince of Persia. It starts at 9:05. I think I hear the shower running - we may see it yet!