Six Months Later...

I have totally gotten out of the habit and have not kept up blogging. I had to look here the other day to find a video that Sully wanted to see and I realized what a treasure of memories we have here. I didn't want the rest of the story to be undocumented. So, I will try to keep with it. Keep on keeping on.

To make an attempt to record everything that has happened over the last 6 months would be impossible. I am reminded of the words of the prophet Mormon, "nevertheless, they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of what was done among so many people in the space of [six months]" (the "six months" is my addition) (3 Nephi 5:8). 

So, I thought I would compose a few themed posts to cover the highlights.

Today's installment: Reno-with-Roy Update

 

Roy prepping the concrete floor.

Sealing the stained concrete

I love it!

Testing out the movie screen  (we're missing the patio this time of year).

The painting of the basement

Finally getting rid of the butterscotch color

Paint makes such a difference!

Painting the baseboards

While replacing baseboards we found out why the girls' room is always so cold in the winter -  previous owners slapped the drywall directly onto the concrete wall on the east side in their room. Now we have another project...

Finished baseboard in the game room (the room previously known as the vampire room). Roy is a fine craftsman. Those corners are so precise I hardly had to calk. 

Next on the punch list: new door trim, build a linen closet (converting the closet on the left in the picture above), and new carpet.

These Weeks

The past few weeks in pictures:

Spring is upon us. 

Noble planted a little peach seedling in the corner of our garden a few years ago and has nurtured it even though I told him I wasn't sure it would produce anything. This spring for the first time it blossomed. It is beautiful.

I see this little tree as a metaphor for Noble's life. We have been trying to teach him a lot of things in his life about what is true, how to live and find joy. I hope like his peach seedling he will give place for those teachings and nourish them...and see them miraculously blossom and produce good fruit.

 Thank goodness for the two little boys who live at our house! They bring so much joy, and excitement, and wonder (and sometimes exhaustion). We all love them so much! I am forever grateful that Heavenly Father had two more in store for us.

Asleep in the same bunk.

Lunch time with Abner and  his buddy (the Kemp's youngest) and big sister.

Climbing the hammock in the warm April sun. 

Showing off his work from preschool.

One of the things I will sorely miss when my kids are all grown - little kids' soccer games. Here is Abner with his team. (Notice the kid with the pirate hat.)  While our other kids have ramped up slowly when it comes to sports, Abner is already a force to be reckoned with on the field. He scored a hat trick (3 goals) in his first game.........after he'd finished crying for half the game on the sidelines about not wanting to play (first-game-ever nerves).

 It is the sweetest thing in the world to still have a couple of kids who want to snuggle up and sleep.

 Our animals are fat and happy.

Literally, Pluto is fat from her winter of leisure (mostly spent in the house and garage, eating). With the weather warming up she is on the prowl on the easement once again...keeping the rodent population at bay.

River has made a miraculous transformation (coinciding with the acquisition of his new shock / vibration training collar). He is now able to roam with relative freedom around the house and yard, and behaves himself around little children and new people. He has learned that life is MUCH better when he's not constantly on a leash or in a kennel.

Nature appreciation

We had a couple of moon rises this past month that were sublime. Here is one I tried to capture with my phone.

A Near-Miss

Last night Noble had a run-in with the neighbor's dog line (like a zip line for dogs to exercise). It was dark and  he was running full-tilt across their yard. Next thing he knew he was thrown to the ground by the throat. Today his throat is swollen and his tongue too where he nearly bit it off. Ouch.

 More Reno With Roy

A few boulders had to be moved to finish the back patio. We had to transport them to a new home in the yard. This was Roy and Mike's genius solution to moving them. It was pretty effective.

The Vampire Room is officially gone! Demo day in the basement.

More demo. Roy rented an industrial sized tile remover and the boys went to work chipping up all the tile in the basement kitchen. Roy says that he found the one thing the previous owners did that was built right: the tile floor. Unfortunately for us. It was a bugger to remove. And it made a TON of dust. I hate that part.

Mike spent about 6 hours yesterday grinding / buffing the residual mortar left from the tile. What a mess. But we are now down to the bare concrete floor. Our plan is to make a finished concrete floor in the kitchen / soon-to-be game room.

Meanwhile Upstairs...

While the grunts worked away in the mud and the dust downstairs, Jessie was upstairs getting ready for prom. Thanks to Holly, who helped us line her dress. It was lovely. 

Jessie didn't get out of work scott-free though. She started her day pulling weeds. Her date told us later that in between morning and evening sessions of prom (ha ha - one of the things I love to hate about high school dances is the all day activities they plan with it) he was home pulling weeds as well. Our respect went up for this kid...or at least for his parents. 

Prom 2016

In the Bleak Midwinter

Here is a glimpse at the past several weeks - busy holiday weeks - with the Melton family.

At a local assisted living home with what seemed to be about half our ward - while our kids performed Christmas piano music for the residents.

Tillman

Sully & Grace

Untitled from Angie Melton on Vimeo.

Untitled from Angie Melton on Vimeo.

Making pomanders with Grandma Melton - always a favorite tradition

I discovered on Christmas Eve that our tree was actually sprouting new buds! Unbelievable. At this point (3 days into January) we made a decision to leave the tree up for now. We can't bring ourselves to get rid of it when it is thriving - and apparently the tree thinks it's spring. Maybe we'll take it out and plant it when the snow thaws. Ha ha ha.  

The numbers for our Sullivan family Christmas Eve dinner grew this year to overflowing - almost 50. There was no longer room in the inn - so to speak. We were able to schedule a church building last minute to accommodate the Sullivan crowd.

But then I had to figure out how many potatoes we would need to peel to feed that many. Logistics. Luckily we buy the 50 pound sack of dirt crusted Idaho potatoes every fall from the neighborhood high school marching band members - so we had plenty. Tillman and Noble helped me peel them. Noble really got into a potato-peeling zen. I had to stop him from peeling interesting shapes & sculptures because too much potato was going to waste. At one point he asked, "If peeling potatoes paid really well I think I would like that job. Do you think it could be a career?" Oh I love this boy.

Potato shark

Here is part of the crowd at the church and the stage set for the nativity. Some people were disappointed that the nativity would not be housed in the barn as has been family tradition, but this venue had it's benefits. While there were no neighing horses, and candles, we were all warm, and Mike's Mom (who is allergic to horses) and Great Grandma Gertie were able to attend in comfort.

I'm not going to say this little angel was the best part of the night, but... oh, Little E. melts my heart.

About a week before Christmas Grandma Gertie came by the house. We talked about Christmas Eve plans - and as she was leaving I got an idea and asked her, "Grandma, would you be the Angel of the Lord for the nativity?" Always the good sport, she said she would. Beth wrote her into the cast - and there you go. Here she is with the angels and shepherds and Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus.

Christmas Eve family devotional. 

As per their tradition, the four oldest slept together in the basement family room, and watched Lord of the Rings. The little boys had their own "brothers' room evening" (something Noble implemented with Tillman when they were little - like Family Home Evening - but just for themselves).

Meanwhile, Mike and I were up late to make sure Santa made it. As we finished preparing for Christmas morning I looked out the front door to see that a quiet snow had been falling (another foot would fall before midday on Christmas). Everything was so peaceful it filled me with happiness and wonder. All was right with the world.

Mainly for Grandma and Grandpa Sullivan's benefit (since they weren't here to make Christmas morning rounds)... 

The little boys in their shared Christmas gift

New long boards for the big boys

Jessie got a pass to Snowbird and a new helmet and goggles

Grace with American Girl "Grace"

After opening gifts we spent Christma morning digging out (and digging the neighbors out) and roasting a turkey for our Christmas Day feast with the Meltons and some of Mike's cousins' kids whom Mike invited last minute.

December 26 we drove to BYU  MOA to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit with Jacque, Howard and Tim. I took this picture of Rockwell's painting of Icabod Crane before I got busted. I loved it!

After the museum we stopped at Zao (one of our favorites) for lunch.

...this was the mirror in the bathroom.  :)

Not everything went like a fairy tale this Christmas break....speaking of breaks...The main water line to the barn broke. We spent the coldest days of the winter so far hauling buckets of water for the horses, and then digging in freezing, sticky mud to help repair the line. All respect goes to Roy, the man with the will, the skill and the drill - he saved the day. Mom and Dad, you may want to write a little something extra for him into your will for his many sacrifices. That's all I'm going to say.

The muck crew.

Noble's contribution

We've watched our share of football of course. Who were we rooting for? It goes without even being said...

The man and his dog (River wearing his team colors - a timely Christmas gift from Santa)

Mike's new obsession - making wings. He prepared 4 different varieties for the big New Year's Eve game. Finger licking good.

Sully spent much of his Christmas break reading. Here he is with one of his new Minecraft series books.

New Year's Day we took those who wanted to go snowshoeing/hiking/sledding up at Neff's Canyon. I always want to plan a more adventurous day of snowshoeing, but somehow life gets in the way - and we end up compromising on a shorter (more well-beaten) path. It's all good. The sky was beautiful and the sledding fast!

...and the pho at Oh Mai afterward was so yummy!

We wish you all a happy 2016!