Update
Well, we survived the holidays. We've been really busy with home improvement projects over the past few months, and for some reason, we just keep starting more... Eeeeek! I will be so glad to have these projects done that we are currently working on, and enjoy some non-construction time for a month or two.
We hope you had a great Christmas. We certainly did. We were able to enjoy the company of most of our family (minus the family in the southwestern part of the state, as we weren't able to make it), and lots of our friends. Seems like you can never get enough time with friends.
The kids must've been remarkable this past year, as Santa and Mom and Dad teamed up to bring the kids an XBox 360 and about 9 games for it. I guess, just another day in the life of spoiled parents (and Santa), spoiling their kids! :)
Mom and Dad Leibbrandt got me a digital camera similar to Haley's, so I will be taking lots more pictures at sporting events and such. My old camera couldn't zoom enough and be clear at the same time, so this one will be a MAJOR improvement! I can't wait to share some photos with you! Mom and Dad Blundell gave me some money to buy some of the medical dictionaries I need for my transcription, and a washboard (SO CUTE) to hang on my wall in the new laundry. I got a ton of other great stuff, too, but it would take all day to list it all!
Jason hauled in some major gifts this year, too. He got some new tires for his pickup, some money to help with home improvements, some new wrenches, a Ford shop stool (super cool), a new version of the old Atari (with 60+ games on it), plus a new, bigger air compressor for his shop. I'm sure I forgot a few things, there, too, but you get the point; SPOILED!
As for the kids, they each had gifts for each other, and I'm always impressed at the heart that each one puts into the gift. The thought of practicality, need, heart, and more that comes from the heart of my kids is remarkable, to say the least. Some were handmade gifts, like ceramics that Shelby made, some were jewelry items, and lots more. They all got lots of goodies, for which they are really grateful.
We do have one Christmas celebration yet to come, with Uncle Jerami and Aunt Miranda, so I'm sure they won't want for much for a long time to come....!
In other news, the laundry room is done, and we're hopefully going to get cupboards to place in it very soon. It is so nice having it on the main floor, and where it is much more easily accessed has made a huge difference in our household routine!
We're onto Shelby's room, and the stairs, now. And we still have yet to complete the new main floor bath. We have had a lot going on, and just keep getting diverted into other things. Shelby's room has been in need of a makeover, but there were some "underlying" issues we had to tend to first. Jason was speaking to Gary about building a closet for her, and they agreed that they needed to level the floor first. See, Shelby's room originally was a porch on the house. It was later enclosed to a bedroom. Near as I can tell by the records, and the stuff I have seen in the construction, it was in the early 1990s when that was done. They never leveled the floor; just carpeted over it and made it work. So, needless to say, a closet build was going to be kinda weird with a sloped floor. (Granted, it is not a steep incline, but nevertheless...) So, Jason and Gary spent a couple days tearing out flooring, reinforcing, and reinstalling a new, fresh, LEVEL floor. Meanwhile, I had bought paint for Shelby's room way back in June of last year, so I decided that since they had things out of the room, and out of my way, I'd just get the painting done while they were at it. So... here we are, a week later, with a brand new floor, freshly painted walls, she got new curtains and bedding from Gma E and Gma D did some overhauling on the curtains to make them work better. We have a new closet built (with some built-in surprises for Shelby), and the sheetrock is on the new walls. Mudding, taping and sanding later, I'll be ready to paint the last of what I need to in completing it. Then, Shelby and Jason have some ideas on a special bed they can build, and more. However, we've locked her out of the room for a few days, while we get the finishing touches on the stuff we are working on right now. She will surely be amazed when she sees it again, as we've done 3 days work or better, since she's seen it! Fun stuff!!
So, as you can tell, we have been busy. Throw into the mix some Shelby basketball, some travel basketball, doctor appointments, sports practices, church events, choir rehearsals, homework, and the every day, uh... yeah. Busy, for sure.
I will try to get some great photos of Shelby and her basketball team, and share those with you. Haley and her BF Tristan have been together over 10 months, and we totally feel like he is one of our family, already. He's fun-loving, and ornery, just like the rest of us, so he fits in like a glove! And Mr. Spencer is getting new glasses, too -- I will definitely share photos of that when they get here. They tell me a couple weeks, and Spence can't wait!
Ok. I know there's a lot I missed in what's been going on around here, but I'll have to post more later. Everyone's in bed, except Jason, and he'd stay up all night watching Pawn Stars and Storage Wars, so off I go!!!!!!
Good night -- Best wishes to all on a happy and prosperous 2013!!
~JB
We hope you had a great Christmas. We certainly did. We were able to enjoy the company of most of our family (minus the family in the southwestern part of the state, as we weren't able to make it), and lots of our friends. Seems like you can never get enough time with friends.
The kids must've been remarkable this past year, as Santa and Mom and Dad teamed up to bring the kids an XBox 360 and about 9 games for it. I guess, just another day in the life of spoiled parents (and Santa), spoiling their kids! :)
Mom and Dad Leibbrandt got me a digital camera similar to Haley's, so I will be taking lots more pictures at sporting events and such. My old camera couldn't zoom enough and be clear at the same time, so this one will be a MAJOR improvement! I can't wait to share some photos with you! Mom and Dad Blundell gave me some money to buy some of the medical dictionaries I need for my transcription, and a washboard (SO CUTE) to hang on my wall in the new laundry. I got a ton of other great stuff, too, but it would take all day to list it all!
Jason hauled in some major gifts this year, too. He got some new tires for his pickup, some money to help with home improvements, some new wrenches, a Ford shop stool (super cool), a new version of the old Atari (with 60+ games on it), plus a new, bigger air compressor for his shop. I'm sure I forgot a few things, there, too, but you get the point; SPOILED!
As for the kids, they each had gifts for each other, and I'm always impressed at the heart that each one puts into the gift. The thought of practicality, need, heart, and more that comes from the heart of my kids is remarkable, to say the least. Some were handmade gifts, like ceramics that Shelby made, some were jewelry items, and lots more. They all got lots of goodies, for which they are really grateful.
We do have one Christmas celebration yet to come, with Uncle Jerami and Aunt Miranda, so I'm sure they won't want for much for a long time to come....!
In other news, the laundry room is done, and we're hopefully going to get cupboards to place in it very soon. It is so nice having it on the main floor, and where it is much more easily accessed has made a huge difference in our household routine!
We're onto Shelby's room, and the stairs, now. And we still have yet to complete the new main floor bath. We have had a lot going on, and just keep getting diverted into other things. Shelby's room has been in need of a makeover, but there were some "underlying" issues we had to tend to first. Jason was speaking to Gary about building a closet for her, and they agreed that they needed to level the floor first. See, Shelby's room originally was a porch on the house. It was later enclosed to a bedroom. Near as I can tell by the records, and the stuff I have seen in the construction, it was in the early 1990s when that was done. They never leveled the floor; just carpeted over it and made it work. So, needless to say, a closet build was going to be kinda weird with a sloped floor. (Granted, it is not a steep incline, but nevertheless...) So, Jason and Gary spent a couple days tearing out flooring, reinforcing, and reinstalling a new, fresh, LEVEL floor. Meanwhile, I had bought paint for Shelby's room way back in June of last year, so I decided that since they had things out of the room, and out of my way, I'd just get the painting done while they were at it. So... here we are, a week later, with a brand new floor, freshly painted walls, she got new curtains and bedding from Gma E and Gma D did some overhauling on the curtains to make them work better. We have a new closet built (with some built-in surprises for Shelby), and the sheetrock is on the new walls. Mudding, taping and sanding later, I'll be ready to paint the last of what I need to in completing it. Then, Shelby and Jason have some ideas on a special bed they can build, and more. However, we've locked her out of the room for a few days, while we get the finishing touches on the stuff we are working on right now. She will surely be amazed when she sees it again, as we've done 3 days work or better, since she's seen it! Fun stuff!!
So, as you can tell, we have been busy. Throw into the mix some Shelby basketball, some travel basketball, doctor appointments, sports practices, church events, choir rehearsals, homework, and the every day, uh... yeah. Busy, for sure.
I will try to get some great photos of Shelby and her basketball team, and share those with you. Haley and her BF Tristan have been together over 10 months, and we totally feel like he is one of our family, already. He's fun-loving, and ornery, just like the rest of us, so he fits in like a glove! And Mr. Spencer is getting new glasses, too -- I will definitely share photos of that when they get here. They tell me a couple weeks, and Spence can't wait!
Ok. I know there's a lot I missed in what's been going on around here, but I'll have to post more later. Everyone's in bed, except Jason, and he'd stay up all night watching Pawn Stars and Storage Wars, so off I go!!!!!!
Good night -- Best wishes to all on a happy and prosperous 2013!!
~JB
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