Avery Adventures

Kindergarten

2009-09-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

Today Chase started kindergarten! He is so proud to be a kindergartener!! Though he wanted me to stay, he quickly realized he would have so much more fun without me! He thought he was going to learn to read today- but now knows that may take some time. He read a cool book called Henry's first day of Kindergarten and is excited to draw a picture about what he wrote. I am so proud of him and a bit sad he is growing up- where do the years go? Here are just a few things I love about my bugger:

I love that you are a mama's boy

I love that you are particular, even though most days it drives me crazy!

I love that you look for your sister each morning and want to know where she is

I love that you love trucks and somehow bring them to life as you play with them

I love that you know you have so many trucks, cars and tractors, but there is still room for more

I love that you have an insatiable appetite for dirt, worms and bugs!

I love that beneath that quick temper is a sweet sweet boy who is learning his way.

You are all boy Chase and we love you so very much. We are proud of you and are excited as you enter into Kindergarten!

3rd Grade

2009-09-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

I decided today was a good day to start blogging again. I cannot guarantee that I will be consistent, but I want to try. Since I finished my Masters this summer and have nothing else but my three children, husband, dog, house, work, etc to keep me occupied, I figured blogging is a good time filler! So, today my first born started 3rd grade. First borns are great- I am not a first born, so I have no idea what it feels like to plow the path- I had an older brother who did it all before me. But Nolan doesn't, and he is a bit of a worrier, doesn't like surprises and generally has a need to know attitude- in a good way of course! We've been talking about the first day of school for weeks now and then it finally came....... we got up, got dressed, ate breakfast- sord of (I realized later that he was too nervous to eat) and then we went to school. Nolan asked that I walk him to class..... and stay! On the way in, he said "Mom, I am just scared". Poor guy- my sweet first born, who most days acts and talks like he is going to be 27 next week, was scared. I held on to his hand and the two of us walked..... he was fighting back the tears, as was I. I felt bad for him. We made it to class and he has the sweetest most understanding teacher. He cried a bit and then I had to leave. So I told him I would stand outside the door/window where he could see me and when he was ready and felt that I could go, to give me the thumbs up sign. I told him I would only go when I got the thumbs up sign. So, I waited- finally after about 5 minutes i got the sign! I was so proud of him. I emailed his teacher and she told me he was doing good!

So today is the first day of 3rd grade for Nolan and I hope he asks me to walk him to class for a very long time. I love this kid- he is a remarkable sweet, sensitive boy and I am so very proud of him.

CRAP!

2009-03-04T21:08:00.000-08:00

Okay- I know I have not blogged in a LONG time- so I will try to get back into the swing of things- maybe. But for now, here is a story for the record books.
Eating dinner last night, and my three children are having trouble listening to me. We are on a time budget since we need to leave for swimming. Anyway, after telling, and reminding the kids to eat.... finally Chase says, "mom, I an not hungry"....... (okay- here I am really annoyed...) Chase, the REASON you are not hungry, is because you have been eating candy and CRAP all day long! Chase looks at me with his big blue eyes and says, "I have not been eating crap all day long". Nolan says, I don't even think CRAP is a word. Sophie says, did you say crap or crab.!!! I completely lost it and laughed so hard that I was crying..... it still makes me laugh!! So, first so glad that Nolan didn't think that was a word..... clearly he has never heard me say that before!!! I cracked up laughing so hard, that dinner was over and we left for swimming!!

Back to Blogging

2008-10-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

What a crazy time it has been over the past 90 days.

At the end of June as many of you know we moved back into the house. What an ordeal! we now know why people only do one remodel in their lifetime. Anyone who does two is either a general contractor, works for a general contractor or a just plain insane.

It seemed like we had just gotten back into our house and Alan's (Opa to the kids) health began to rapidly decline. The cancer was finally worn Alan down and it seemed that nothing could stop it. Alan lost his fight this summer.

Everybody got back to school in September and it seemed like we could resume some normalcy when the economy started a free fall. Michael's work began adjusting work schedules doing temporary work stoppages and finally started laying off. Michael's job is safe right now but as he has said many times "PACCAR is over 100 years old, at PACCAR we are all temporary."

So it seems that the best thing to do at this point is control what you can and don't worry about the rest. Rally around family and friends and try an not take life to seriously.

We took a weekend trip down to the beach house and had wonderful weather to forget about the daily grind. Here are a few photos

Smiles all around ...What are they up to?

Super Heros - Here they come to save the day...

Chase and Sophie Riding the train at Seaside

We have all made snow angels.
How about Nolan's sand Angel?

Sophie's Remake of the movie "10."

One Pooped Pooch

Making sand castles in ankle deep water...

No matter how many times we

told her it was a family beach,

her mind was made up.

Quick! we need more sand
the water just keeps coming!

Happy Birthday to me......

2008-08-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

So I turned 38 this week- see photo...... it's weird to be 38. Nolan told me he thought I was 29! When a friend of a friend asked recently how old I was, she was surprised and said she thought I "didn't look that age"!! And then someone at work asked how old I was and I asked them how old they thought I was - they said 32! So, all these people may be lying by omission, but I'm going with it!! Here is a picture of me and my three most favorite people in the world...... the best present in the world is being their mom!

Okay- sorry-I can't figure it out- I can't figure out how to make the picture the other way- so would you mind just tilting your head a bit?? Thanks

And here are some extra pictures just because I've been so laxed! Kids- camping recently- making funny faces!

My bugger- Chase!

I know this is totally random and a bit old- its from July 4th- clearly. So look closely at this picture- its funny. Sophie does NOT like loud noises. But she LOVES fireworks. So this is her and her uncle Bouce (Bruce)- she is holding the firework and Bruce has HIS hands over HER ears- we were laughing so hard!!

Back In

2008-06-27T21:56:00.001-07:00

We moved back into our house a few weeks ago. I know I have not been very good about sharing photos- mostly because I am a bit overwhelmed with everything at the moment. So, here are some photos of the new digs! Okay- so I jut checked , and apparently in our desire to move back in we forgot to take pictures before we moved back in- so here are some pictures, complete with clutter due to our current moving in status. To my OCD friends, I hope this does not make you crazy- please know I am working on it!!

Nolan's new room

Chase's new room, previous loft/playroom

new kitchen/range

Sophie having fun on the waterslide- crazy girl!Chase on the waterslide!

Chase's best friend

2008-06-22T19:47:00.001-07:00

Chase's best friend is Santa. Far cry from his older brother who tells Chase to tell Santa what he (Nolan) wants!! I know its only June, but Chase loves Santa and today he was writing him a letter. This is what he said (verbatim as he sits here next to me "writing" to Santa): I want an excavator that can change into anything with a firefighter truck and it can turn out a fire and I wanted a cat with a house, a fire fighter house. I want a fire fighter that can change into anything with a ambulance hat. I also want an excavator that can change into a fire fighter. I love you mamma. I want ayot of stuff. I even want a monster truck that can change into noise. I even want one that could change into a firefighter with an engine.

Now, this was especially cute when he looks at me with his cute big blue eyes with blonde hair and really believes in Santa. I think it is so cute and wanted to remember this little piece of him. He talks about his best friend alot!!

Today was Nolan's 7th birthday- so hard to believe he is 7 years old! Nolan misses school and has written his teacher a letter letting her know that on the last day of school he is the only one that did not yell "WOOHOO" - he wanted to let her know that he was not happy school was over since he won't get to see her everyday! Cute!!

A complete transformation!

2008-06-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

Its been so long since I blogged that I almost forgot my password to sign on! Sorry to those who like updated information more frequently! It's going well. This is a process and I am here to say, it is hard! We have had some challenges, but we have managed to make it through.

Our entire family- both Avery's and Burgstahlers have had a hand in our home- we are eternally grateful for all the hard work everyone has done to help us with this big project! This past weekend our yard was completely transformed- it truly was amazing! The photos do not do it justice, so in a nutshell, from Friday afternoon until Sunday at dusk, we managed to move 24 yards of dirt from the front to the back and 2200 square feet of grass, one wheelbarrow at a time! Here are the photos:

Boys working hard!

Getting it perfect!

Nolan and Kaylee hanging out

A complete transformation
Its all coming together

Watering it all down

Nana's Fire Pit

2008-05-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

So Mady now has a fire pit...Yes it was free how do you think Nana got a fire pit? Most of us would go to Target or Costco and some of you might even got to Walmart...but that is a different rant. Nana went to a gravel company....Apparently gravel companies make small gravel by grinding larger rocks between to cones. They grind the rocks and crush them into gravel using the cones. Apparently these cones wear and are eventually discarded. Enter Nana who absolutely must have on in her backyard. So a half ton one inch thick steel cone arrives that cannot be unloaded by hand....No fear we will just tie a cable to the the back of the motor home ( Our current residence)and the other to the half ton cone. One we have this done it is simply a matter of doing 0 to 60 between then motor home (Our current residence) and the front gate...about 17 ft. away. It works...at least close enough for government mules. Now we have a FREE fire pit in Nana's backyard...this of course obligates us to drink wine and makes smores. (if there is spelling errors in this it is the wine not the smores....)

Nolan did his smores and bailed early but we caught Sophie and Chase in the act.

I like to catch mine on fire and blow them out like a birthday cake, but don't ask me to eat them

Dearest child this is your right of passage...Here is how you roast a marshmallow...

Mmmmm....Smores.........

Mmmmmm...Chocolate

What I can have ANOTHER SMORE....AKA MELTED CHOCOLATE...your kidding right I have already had 5...

No need to help I git it...

You title this one...Is it

With the cost of fuel these days...

You know your a REDNECK if...

Here's to hoping Summer shows up soon and you had a safe and fun memorial Day weekend...Now back to the wine...

Nolan

2008-05-24T08:07:00.001-07:00

I have to write this down before I forget it. The other night we were talking at dinner and one topic of conversation was Nolan leaving first grade and going to second grade. I was telling Nolan that I thought it was a good idea to learn who the second grade teachers are so that when they post the list of which students are in which teachers class, he will be able to put a face to a name. After all of this Nolan said, "so do you think its a high probability that I will pass first grade and go to second grade?"!!! Yes, Nolan, I am pretty sure this will not be a problem!!

House pictures- really!!

2008-05-21T20:58:00.001-07:00

Okay- I didn't mean to tease you the other night! Long story short, I thought I had the house pictures, but apparently I did not have updated ones. So without further ado, here they are!

New Living Room

Hardwoods are in, formal living and dining
Kitchen

Kitchen cabinets are here!! WAHOO
View from the back

Laundry Room (orange and green- it makes me happy!)
Media Room

Chase turns four!

2008-05-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

I know, I know- I NEED to post pictures! I will talk more later, but I think most people just want to see..... its going well and coming to an end!! Meanwhile, here are some photos, inlcuding Chase's 4th birthday!

This is Nolan running down Nana's hill with the little ones in the garden wagon- all three laughing hysterically!!! As were we!!! Rest assured, no one was hurt!

Excited- finally!

2008-05-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

I just have to write a quick post, because today is a significant day for me. We went to our house today, primarily to measure shelving for our pantry. No get this, one of Michael's friends at work loves to do woodwork. He asked Michael what he was going to do with all of the hardwood floors we are taking up. We didn't have a plan, so Michael brought them to "Thornbury". So a few days later Michael shows me these really beautiful shelves made out of my hardwood remnants! Now, this is the ultimate best thing ever for many reasons. First of all, what a wonderful way to recycle these hardwoods. Second, and most important to me, is that I get to keep my hardwood floors, they will just be shelves in my pantry. That just really made me happy! But back to my title- as we were measuring and looking around - for the very first time I felt excited about my house! It was nice to finally feel this way.... that's all!

House Update

2008-05-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well a six month project is down to about 6 weeks. It is strange that with as many photos as we have taken we seem to have missed much of the interior construction. I will have to go over and take some photos this afternoon.

Framing, electrical, plumbing, and insulation is complete. In fact most of the house has now had sheetrock installed. A few other small projects to do Monday and Tuesday and then taping, mudding, sanding and texture. We could be painting by middle of next week, or possibly the weekend...hopefully.

Here are a few photos. We'll post more of the house tonight and of Chase's 4th birthday party.

Another inspection

2008-04-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

Electrical inspection has been completed. Although it passed, of course there is another surprise. I've come to expect these surprises, but it comes with a price tag and alot of annoyance on my part. What I learned with the electrical inspection is that it is done by labor and industries, not the city of BL. One of the things the electrical people are concerned about is safety and they are conscious of things encroaching in your space. So with that said, one of the things that are not allowed per the book of rules, is the inability to have some wall sconces on a part of the hallway I wanted. Okay fine- whatever. I will get over that- just annoying that's all!

We also have to have an enclosure in our venting system. The venting system was not enclosed before and it has to be now (also some extra bucks). Again- annoying- but clearly nothing I can do about it!!

Other than that, things are coming together. I do have to say that so far it looks great! So despite my complaints, the actual project and house is looking good!! We went and checked out some "estate homes" the other day (for decorating ideas, etc), and we were very pleased with ourselves that the upgrades we chose to do on our home, were in these homes too!!

I have some new photos I will upload a bit later.

an AH- HA moment

2008-04-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

So, a few weeks ago, Michael and I are at Home Depot (we frequent HD alot these days), and on this particular day, we were in the market for canned lights (recessed lights). We are putting in quite a bit of recessed lighting in our home, so of course we are trying to get the best deal but yet maintain great quality! There are quite a bit to choose from. So, we asked the person in the lighting department to help us, as we had a few questions. So, the HD lighting person kept asking us is this "New Construction" or "Old Construction". We kept hearing this term, and in fact we had been at another lighting place just before this and they asked the same question. Now, for a long time I took this to mean that there was some mysterious date that signified a difference between New Construction and Old Constructions. Nope, that is not the case. This is what they mean when they ask this question: is there drywall in the place that you are putting in your canned lights? That is what it means, your house can 5 days old or 50 years old and that particular question is really all about drywall. This is why this process drives me crazy- there are all of these codes word and phrases I have to figure out. I think it would be easier to ask if you are putting in canned lights in existing construction (not removing drywall and basically just putting a hole in the ceiling) or is there no drywall and you have to attach the canned lights to the beams/wood. Maybe its simple to everyone else, but this particular issue took me several weeks to figure out- then it was like "ah-ha", I get it now!!

My kids talking!

2008-04-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

I want to write some things down that my kids say, because they crack me up. I tend to forget them by the end of the day, so before I forget, these are the funny things my kids said today;

Chase: "Mama, do Hummer's drive good in the mud?"
Sophie: (I have to preface this by saying that we are working on her not whining and "using words instead"- so:
Mommy: "Sophie, use your words please"
Sophie: "Okay mommy, DON'T DO THAT PLEASE"! This was funny to me, because it was crystal clear!
Nolan, while at his baseball game: "Nolan, did you hit a homerun?" (rhetorical question)
Nolan: "Not necessarily mom, it all depends on how you look at it".......!!

That's all for today-

Communication

2008-04-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

As promised, I would continue to blog! This blog has become part of my "to do" list! Sometimes that its nice and sometimes, there is this overlying pressure to "blog"! I really wanted this blog to be a documentation of our journey. Mostly it has been. It has been unbelievably stressful in so many ways, stretching and growing in other ways, and just plain hard in most ways! For me, it has been really hard to see my home so torn apart and people who don't know me come and go. I understand that this is THEIR job site, but it is my home- a place where we have made our family and made our memories. It makes me sad sometimes when I see something different knowing it will never be the way it was before. I am looking forward to my "new house", but I will always miss my "old house". There is a part of me that is relieved that it really is the same house so I can retain those memories for a bit longer!

Anyway- until recently, I thought I was a good communicator- that is- I thought because I used alot of words when I talk, that in it of itself made me a good communicator. It does not and I have come to this realization. Sometime last week, Glenn and I determined we were having major communication issues- in fact I said "I think we are having a few minor communication issues", and he responded " A FEW!" (the inflection in his voice meant I was being generous with the term few!) Anyway- that turned out to be a good conversation with Glenn- in fact I have to say it was our turning point. It could not have come at a better time, because our project is now getting to the point where we really need to understand one another!

I used to work with this gal who came to our non profit from the corporate world- she was intense to say the least. She would always say- when communicating there is a giver and a receiver- and sometimes the giver is not giving properly and sometimes the receiver is not receiving properly. I say this because I have had to remember this these past few weeks- AND I am sometimes the giver and sometimes the receiver and just because I like to use alot of words, does not mean I am giving all the right information! I have much to learn about the mantra "less is more"!!

So overall- I think we are doing well- we have worked through our communication issues and we are done demolishing things and things are going back together and I am liking what I am seeing.

Here are some pictures:

Daily view from the front (sorry neighbors!)

Nice backyard, eh?

New addition.... we have walls and a window!
Coming right along....
The other side of that wall is my kitchen!!

Good Night!

Still here......

2008-04-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

Lest you think we have stopped the project, we haven't- just busy!! This week I promise to update you more, with titles like:
1. Communication with the contractor (this should actually be a book, but I will refrain and keep it short!)
2. More sweat equity.......
3. The floors - I have had a really hard time deciding on flooring- but alas, the decision was made. (It's late and I can't think of anything witty!)
4. And finally- RV living- stay tuned for this one- just the fact that we are living in the RV in the backyard is good enough- but oh, there is more!!

I just got back from DC- my annual International Adoption conference. It was a very good conference, extremely busy...... but the blossoms were out, and they were really gorgeous! So that was fun, but also the reason why I am pooped! More this week- stay tuned!!

Myriam's Kitchen

2008-03-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

First things first. Myriam gave me the crud as she was recovering. I however, recovered in one day. A double shot of NyQuil chased by a little tea with honey and rum, capped off with about 9 blankets and an equal number or layered clothes a good night sleep and back to business.

Anyway her kitchen. I cannot believe she left this off. I am going to try and get a photo or screen print from Glen to show the kitchen. In a nut shell it will be
20 x 20
11 ft. island we are debating whether or not to reduce the island from 11 ft. to 9 ft.
17 drawers, (at last count) 18 cabinets, 3 sinks, 1 ins-ta-hot water boiler, 1 custom built hood
1 pot filler

(I had no idea what a pot filler was; I always assumed it was the hired help in the back room who flushed the pot and baggies down the toilet and jumped out the window when the cops came) but incredible there can be a pot filler in a kitchen to. it sits above your stove and allows you to fill our COOKING POTS with water and not have to move them to the stove when they are full. Can you believe it just because e get older and our muscles begin to degenerate they have found yet aother must have. I figure I will have to save about 22,000 trips with a full pot of hot or cold water to save the cost of a pot filler. It makes me want to jump out the window when the general contractor shows up!!

and lets not forget
34 ft. of counter space. yes 34 feet. folks that is four feet longer than a bowling alley....and with it being 20 ft x 20 ft. I am thinking no gutter balls.

Raising the Roof

2008-03-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

So, I have been under the weather lately- I had that terrible flu/crud thing that is going around- you know the one that makes you feel like dying. I am happy to report that I am on the mend and doing much better. Anyway- hence the reason for not blogging in a while about the house.

So, the house- it currently has a giant hole in it, with no roof, and the entire back wall is gone. It is kinda funny, because from the front of the house you really can't tell much of anything going on, other than it is really messy. But once you walk in- uh- there is no assemblance of any kind of order. The demolition part has been really hard for me. It's kinda like with your newborn, no really tells you how hard it is those first few days/weeks/months! It is really hard to see your home being torn apart- especially with no sight of anything getting better. However, today I learned that we are almost 25% complete! Although it does not seem like ANYTHING is anywhere near "completion", apparently it is! So that is a good feeling I guess.

So far we are on schedule- so that's nice. I guess there really isn't more to say- the pictures are worth more than any words I can put to them! Enjoy!!

A room with a view ( view from our "loft")

Michael is putting together a slide show of before and after pictures. The before pictures are sad for me, because I will never have that again and I already miss my house, my kitchen etc. I know the "new house" will have nice things, but I have no memories with that yet, so for now, I will just miss my old house and look forward to my new house!

Beverly Hills 90210

2008-03-23T13:08:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I went to CA for a weekend with some college girlfriends. We had such a great time and it was truly so much fun to spend the weekend with some great girlfriends and reconnecting. Some of us had not seen each other since college- and it felt like no time at all had passed at all! We stayed in some swanky hotel in Hollywood, shopped, ate, talked, stayed up way too late, reminisced to our hearts content, laughed so hard my stomach still hurts and cried! Thanks girls for such a great time!!

We also went to our Alma mater- TMC. So here's the thing- Sweayze dorm looks much the same as when we were there! And we felt like we still look that young!! Seriously- we did- we know we don't, but it was weird to picture ourselves at TMC, walking around like we were just there!!

Thanks ladies- I can't wait for 2010!!

I have to post this picture- I know the girls will appreciate it- and of course there is a story. This is Sprinkles- Rhonda insisted that we go here and have cupcakes. So, after Carla and Fran diligently got us there- (thanks ladies- you two are the best navigators ), we stood in line, outside, for about 30 minutes- for CUPCAKES!!! They were tasty though- you were right Rhonda!! We cracked up at the sign being so small, and apparently they are huge in Beverly Hills!!

Courtney and Heather were great at spotting LOTS of stars- I think I would have only recognized Oprah or Dr. Phil- it has to be super obvious for me!! I think we should take the red, double decker star sighting tour bus next time!!

Out of Time Out of Patience and out of Money

2008-03-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

OK the last couple of weeks has been absolutely crazy. Michael his dad, brother Bruce, brother in-law Dave and Nephew Joe attacked the house we vengeance last week emptying rooms pulling up carpet and pads and finally ripping out Sheetrock...lots of Sheetrock. We literally removed two tons of material from the house, so says contractor Glen who keeps track of such things.

The concrete foundation and stem walls are in and have past inspection. Next came the patio slab and sidewalk. The contractors have also filled in the 16 inch deep ruts in ours and our neighbors yard. Next we paid for the infamous wort case scenario drain. More money to be spent at a later date.

OK enough of the remodel. the family is officially out of the house. The kids moved out about 10 days ago. Michael moved out last Friday and Myriam came home from her California college reunion of six to ten close friends and landed in the RV early Monday morning. So far it is OK. Only had to go 4 days without hot water and the kids only had to retreat once to the RV to give Nana and Opa some space. You have to give the Burgstahlers credit all this time with just the two of them and overnight five people moved in and disrupted the balance of the universe.

Nolan is dealing with the concept of TV without TIVO, "How come we have to watch commercials" How come I can't fast forward, there's nothing on TV. Michael will be hooking up the Wii today or tomorrow so he will be able to escape reality soon enough.

Sophie will not go over to the house. Not sure what she thinks about the whole thing, bit it's evident she is not comfortable there anymore.

Chase is good as long as wherever he is he has his trucks and dirt. He loves going over to the house to knock holes in the walls surprise surprise.

Myriam just got back from a weekend trip to California to visit with her college girlfriends. and Michael just dodged a two month assignment in Mississippi then another in Renton. Had he been assigned to the new engine plant it most likely would have been until late May and who knows about assignment extensions.

I have posted some photos and will probably post a collage later.

Afterthought

2008-02-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

Michael said I ranted in my last post. I told him it was quit therapeutic for me....... clearly I need more therapy!

My thought this morning is this: When I go to the store, I have a choice to buy a name brand item or the store brand. In most cases the name brand is going to cost more. I tend to be pretty frugal. I see this drainage system the same way. Both drainage systems - the "french drain" versus the elaborate drain, will provide the same result. It still doesn't make sense to me why we have to have this elaborate drainage system, just in case of the worst case scenario- which is what?? We have had plenty of rain this year and in years past, and again, we have no water under our house. The elaborate drainage system will also result in having a 2 1/2 foot manhole in my backyard. Now that sounds safe with children around doesn't it?

So I have to believe that the inspector always buys name brand things and thereby expects me to do the same thing.

Our first inspection

2008-02-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

I have been told numerous times that this is a stressful process... its true- it is. Today was not such a good day. I find this blog to be therapeutic at times and "another thing to do" at other times. Today, it is therapeutic.

Yesterday we had the inspector guy come over and although he liked the stem wall, he mentioned that he thought we needed a drainage system in our backyard. Glenn thought this would run us about an extra $1000 based on the type of drainage he would put in. Apparently the inspector dude needed to talk to his boss- and today the result is that we need some kind of really fancy drain with all this elaborate manusha to the tune of $4500. Okay, fine. But here is my issue with this- bear with me: First of all, we have had lots of dirt removed from the underneath part of our house- and there was NO WATER there. We live on the high side of the street (I know this probably has little to do with anything, but for some reason it makes sense in my mind that we are not prone to having water fill up our yard). Our house is 10 years old and this drainage thing was not required then, so why is it now? All of this together, to me does not warrant this elaborate drain system the city wants. According to the inspector guy, he wants this particular type of drainage system "for the worst case scenario". Um okay- that makes a ton of sense- Mr. I work for the city and my job is to make as much money as I can for job security. Really, there is no reason for this drainage system that makes any kind of sense to me. Then to top it all off- we are stuck with this inspector throughout this process..... and there is only one other guy who works this area and they conveniently share an office. Nice.

When we delicately questioned why this type of elaborate drainage system- (that you bet your bottom dollar I will be showing off to anyone who will listen) rather than the other system, that would probably work for the second most worst case scenario as opposed to the WORST case scenario, the inspector answered that we could question him once, then call his boss, then he would shut our job site down and require a city engineer to do land surveys and also require soil samples which is $6300 and in the end we would still have to do what HE is saying, so really he is saving us time and $6K....... okay. I am left with everyone wants more money and they have us where they can do that. I hope that I can change my attitude on this, otherwise it is going to be a very long 4 months.

Hopefully the inspector hasn't found my blog, but once I am done with him, I am gonna send him a letter- maybe I will send in an editorial to the local paper. To bad his isn't an elected position- I would stand in front of his office just to make a point that I don't' think the city is very fair. The fact that he isn't even willing to listen or negotiate the type of drainage system tells me we have a flawed system.

So, its been a bad day...... mostly because its the culmination of it all. We are barely two weeks into this, my house is a complete mess, I have 15 yards of dirt in my back yard that is slowly making its way into my house, and everyone wants more money. Now let me say this, we have paid ALOT of money for this project so far, and so far it stinks. There is nothing worse than being this far into it knowing that the city can completly back you into a corner for apparently no good reason.

I am going to go eat chocolate chip mint ice cream now.

Digging, Mounds, Demo, and our first Inspection

2008-02-27T20:52:00.000-08:00

Things are moving rapidly..... here's an update, I will leave the photos to Michael, since I just cannot figure that out!

So, last week they began digging out the area for the new foundation and then they put in the stem walls (those create the foundation, so says Michael). The other morning I was getting the kids ready and right around 8am the jackhammer started going! It was loud!! I didn't really have a warning about this, but it was a gentle reminder that there is no turning back!

I know I go back and forth on the stress level thing, which I think is to be expected. Today we had our first inspection of the stem walls. I was a bit surprised that this would happen so early, but then again, there are alot of checks and balances through this process. Today was just such a day. We were not expected to be here, so Glenn waited here for the inspector. I guess it all went well, with the exception that we need to dig a trench for water flow........ and of course there are dollars attached to that. Nice. See, that's where the stress comes in.

Do the math;

How much dirt do you get

when you dig a hole 30ft long

8ft wide and about 5ft deep.

Answer: MORE THAN I CARE TO THINK ABOUT!!

We have mounds of dirt in our backyard and are trying to get rid of it. If you know anyone who needs some fill dirt, have them contact me- we have a ton!! I actually listed it on Craig's list- which I have been doing alot of lately- I actually sold my kitchen- isn't that funny! I sold my entire kitchen, cabinets sink and all- cool. Anyway, I digress....

We have started the inside demolition process. Michael will post some pictures of graffiti throughout our house. Michael also says that the house looks like a transient crack house that has been shut down...... not that he has any experience with this, just what he has gleaned from watching MSNB Investigates with me! Seriously though the house is a mess- another stressful part. The kids are moving out this weekend.....my mom said she would take them- that was kind of her! It is amazing how quickly a house can be torn apart. We also got our SAM today- Store And Move container. So, we are systematically moving out and starting the demolition project.

Tomorrow they will be pouring the cement for the foundation. I gotta tell you- Chase is LIVING for tomorrow. Chase LOVES trucks- he is all boy- in fact he has about three large trucks that go with him everywhere- they are large- one is so large, he can actually sit in. But it makes him happy, so most days the large trucks go back and forth between our house and my moms with him. Anyway, he knows we are getting cement and that cement comes in a BIG truck. Every time he sees a cement truck, he asks if it is coming to our house. So far, the answer has been no.... but tomorrow the answer will be YES!!! He will be ecstatic I am sure!! We'll post some pictures of him for you!

I will let Michael post some pictures, I think I covered it all....... it is hard to remember to capture everything that can happen in our lives during one days time!

Just an Update

2008-02-20T21:46:00.000-08:00

I had many great titles for this post, but as the days go by and time runs out for posting, I can simply only title it an update. Some of the great titles we had that sadly didn't make the cut are: "16 hours and counting", "we got the permit " (I know this one was kinda boring) "What do you mean we got our permit 2 weeks early- the city doesn't do ANYTHING early", "OMG- we are NOT ready"...... you get it!!

So, I see when I last left you, we were dealing with the city. We figured we had some time, and of course the parting words were, please don't call (emphasis on the please part). So we didn't and waited patiently. On Friday Glenn calls me. Now, generally he doesn't call unless he has some news, and generally he needs something, so generally it's bad news. Its noon on Friday and I see that he is calling and I begin to panic (silently). I asked him what could be wrong, but then he says that he got the permit and needed to come out right away becuase he needed tostartimmediately, and then it all started running together. We were NOT prepared for this!!

But somehow I managed to pull myself together and ask some pertinent questions, but ultimately was left with, we are pulling out of the gate and taking off!!

We spent the weekend moving and preparing the yard. (Like how I say "we") Really I did stuff in the yard and told Michael and his brother (who by the way is my new best friend- love ya Douglas!!) He really has been a trmendous help to us/Michael (there I go again). Anyway- we managed to get it all done and ready, only to not have the excavator show up. I still am not sure what the story is on that, but anyway- it finally made its way here today. And now I have a giant hole in my yard, with a 5 foot drop from my back slider straight down. And lots of mounds and piles of dirt...... which the kids love.

So that's it in a nutshell. I felt compelled to update. I will try the picture thing again, I am just not so good at posting pictures- I am never quite sure where they will show up. Nolan was in a first grade musical last week and I have been meaning to put pictures of him up too. The kindergartners (I am not quite sure how to spell that and my spell check is not working...) and first graders at BLE had a BUGZ Musical..... they were so very cute! Nolan was chosen for a speaking part too. They had the musical at the Sumner High School Performing Arts theater- kinda fancy! It was cute.

Waiting.....

2008-02-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

We are currently waiting for our permit from the City of Bonney Lake. I am going to give the contractor a name so I don't need to keep calling him "the contractor"; I'd also like to protect his identity a bit. My reasoning for protecting his identity is really very simple- I am withholding my thoughts on him until we are completing finished with our project. So, I am going to call him Glenn. So last writing, we were turned away from the City, unable to submit for permitting, until we get a few things. Glenn gets what he understood those things were, goes back to the City last week and is turned away again. Apparently there was a misunderstanding with the lady at the City (I would name her too- but I have no first hand information on her- it is merely hearsay, via Glenn.) Glenn thought she wanted only bona fide trusses information with a supporting letter, via PDF. Nope, she wants ALL information bona fide - meaning there had to be some official stamps from the company and everything on whatever documentation he was submitting. So, Tuesday of this week, Glenn returns to the city for the third time and is finally able to submit our drawings for permit! YIPEE- Huge step. I had asked Glenn earlier to find out how long the permitting process would be. He was afraid to ask at this point, but since I am currently his walking paycheck, he knew better than to leave there without some kind of indication as to when the permit would be completed. She said, the city lady, that since there was only her in the office, it would take about 3-4 weeks AND (quote) "please do not call, or have anyone else call on your behalf or the owners behalf as this will only deter me from my real job and that is to provide permits for the residents of the City of Bonney Lake." I can assure you if you call, you will be placed at the bottom of the list..... Okay- she didn't say the last part- but she may as well have- Glenn is actually scared of her!!! So we wait patiently for our permit.

Meanwhile, Nolan received a VIKING award today! (Bonney Lake Elementary Vikings). Last week we received a letter inviting us to school for an assembly to honor the students getting Viking awards. So, here is Nolan receiving his Viking award this morning from his principal- we are so proud!! His award was for being thoughtful and it was awarded by his teacher. She said he is a "thinker" and always finds herself saying "WOW good thinking Nolan!" (I cannot figure out how to get the pictures down here- so they are stuck up there..... I am so not a good blogger)

Oh- I also wanted to tell you something that Sophie said, which I thought was funny. I was putting her to bed tonight and we were talking about who is a girl and who is a boy. I was asking her things like is Nolan a boy or girl, is Chase a boy or girl, etc..... After I went through just about everyone we knew, and she would tell me correctly if they were a boy or girl, I got to the dog. I said Sophie- is Anjuu a boy or girl- she thought a moment and said "lady- Anjuu is a lady"!! This totally cracked me up!

8 months pregnant

2008-01-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

I told myself this was going to be a good week. Apparently I didn't chant enough, because we have had some challenges....

First of all, I would like to say that I feel like I am 8 months pregnant.... no not because of how I look, rather, the feeling of when you are 8 months pregnant for the first time. Suddenly you realize the bliss of pregnancy is over and the baby HAS to come out, one way or another. The thought of a human being coming out of your body in the coming weeks is an overwhelming feeling..... and scary to boot. I feel that way with this project..... we are way to far into it to turn back- THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN..... which is a really scary and overwhelming feeling. Everything that you have heard about remodeling is true- the process really stinks.

On Wednesday, I got a call from the contractor saying that the engineer had signed off and he wanted to me with me on Thursday. We agreed to meet during my lunch break and we went over all of the changes etc. I signed off and then the next step is to bring the documents- drawings etc to the city of Bonney Lake.

Friday- the day actually started off well, because I went to Starbucks (normally this is a great start to the day anyway, but read on....) anyway, I pull up to the window and the lady in front of me had "paid it forward". What! I exclaimed!! I was so overwhelmed and caught up in the moment that i thanked the Starbucks person and drove off...... that's when I realized that I should have paid for the guy behind me!! By the time I realized my fa paux, it was too late and I spent the rest of the morning drinking a coffee that I felt guilty for having. FYI- if this happens to you, first, try not to be behind me in case I get that overwhelming feeling, and secondly- pay for the person behind you- be prepared- you will enjoy your coffee much more!! So, I plan to start my Monday morning with a cup of joe at Starbucks and will be paying for the person behind me, regardless of how many drinks they order!!

I had to say that , because the day did start off well. The contractor calls me at precisely noon and tells me he is just leaving the city building with our drawings..... this means nothing to me, so I say, is this good or bad? To which he says- that is very very bad....

I try to gather my wits about me so I can listen to what he is saying and try to retain a bit of it since I will have to transmit to Michael (I am also realizing at this time, why I always have to the bearer of the news...) Anyway, apparently we "get" the worst possible ogre of a person we can get at the city. The long and the short of it is since we are moving a load bearing wall, she needs some additional information about the trusses. Now the contractor was expecting this, but said that normally the information that she was asking for comes after the permits are submitted and during the inspection period. She also hands him a 30 page document that needs to be completed for the city.... a new 2008 requirement we find out.

Remember the tree that fell last weekend..... well, since it would have hit our house if we had the addition, we wanted to have the rest removed--- we have had many trees fall. So, doing our due diligence, we decide to remove them before the next one falls. That was today. So, the tree guy is half way up the first of 4 trees, when the contractor calls me and blurts......" the city requires a permit for any tree you want to remove on your property that is over 6 feet high". Oh my gosh- are you kidding me?? We quickly get the guy down, apologize profusely and tell him we will straighten it all out.
We call the city, explain the situation and learn that we can have an exemption because we are in immanent danger since we have had so many trees fall..... so Michael runs over to the city and gets an exemption permit and now the trees can come down. I know you are asking- why get the city involved? How are they going to know. Normally, I would brush aside the rule following person in me and think- ah they will never know.... except that, since we will be having so many inspectors here over the course of the next few months, I didn't want to take any chances in having to answer where all the large 100 foot trees have gone....... and I know the city will ask, because when the contractor told them that the deck had been removed (it is listed as removed on the drawings) that they wanted to see the wood! Totally serious.

I know what you are thinking- how could we have not known this information. Well, unfortunately, this is part of the process. The city/county/state etc, are not the easiest people to get information from. And this is also the stressful part- you just don't know what the city will want until you ask them, and you can't ask them what they want until you have a ton of detailed information for them. Seems kinda cyclical, doesn't it??

Seriously, ANOTHER tree.....

2008-01-20T20:50:00.001-08:00

So I was putting the children to bed, when all of a sudden, Michael says, "what was THAT??!!" I said, "uh- I don't know, what was what?" he proceeded to tell me it sounded like some cars crashed in our backyard..... looked out the window to see, the above tree in the middle of our yard...... AGAIN! This is at least the 4 or 5th tree (we stopped counting) to fall in our yard..... this one did not hit the house, it is about 4 feet away from the house and 4 feet away from the fence. So far, only one has hit the house. Iyayaya..... this is not what we need right now!! What a mess.......

Sledding

2008-01-20T20:26:00.001-08:00

We took the kids sledding yesterday. Most of us had fun... Chase stopped having fun when I pushed him. Now, let me explain-- I think that pushing is part of sledding, he apparently does not. So we went up the hill and he was all ready, so I thought, then I GENTLY pushed him..... he completely misunderstood and thought I PUSHED him, which I didn't. However, there was no changing his mind! Even this morning, when I asked him if he had a good time sledding, he said "No", when I asked why, he said, "because YOU pushed me"! Later I found I out that I pushed him when he wasn't ready..... again, I thought he was ready..... it's all a matter of perspective!!

By the way, I am not really good at this blogging stuff. As you can see I can't seem to figure out how to get the photos to the right off of here. Any ideas??

The Politician

2008-01-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

A few people have told me that my blog is sorda boring..... not that I am boring, just that the blog itself is boring and they added that I should post things about my children. So, although I do have an update on the house thing, I thought I'd first start with why we believe Sophie will be a politician some day. For those that only know Sophie by her pictures and have not had the pleasure to meet her and interact with her, here is your warning to never ever vote for in her for any office, because if you did, she would be the stereotypical politician who does not listen to her constituents, namely her parents, AND she is a really great debater! So there is your fair warning- she will never listen to you if you vote for her!!!

Last night we meet with our contractor, who by the way is growing on me as the days go by. We went over line by line (yes, tediously, line by line) everything they will be doing..... it took SEVERAL hours. Anyway, one of the things we were able to do is save money- my favorite thing of course! We saved money by deciding what things WE want to do. This includes things like removing the baseboard, installing the insulation in the walls, taking out cabinets, etc. Most of this stuff is easy enough for us, but most importantly, it saves us some money that we can use elsewhere!! I keep reminding Michael that this whole thing started with me wanting to redo the kitchen and so it is only fair that all the left over money go directly to my kitchen area!

This is going to be a great week (if you say it enough times, you actually start to believe it!!) Anyway, the engineer is suppose to be done by Wednesday of this week, which means we can submit our plans to the city for our permits- which will really signify the beginning of the project!!

I have to say, I am a bit overwhelmed by this whole process. So far it has all been on paper, so we have been relatively removed from the whole thing. In about 3-4 weeks, I will have a "crew" in my backyard, digging and building........ that might be a little stressful for me.

Well, we'll keep you posted!

Engineer

2008-01-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to get you up to speed on our process.... sorry for the lag time here!! So last Friday as I was leaving work, I noticed that the contractor has been trying to reach me.... so I call him and he says he has the final drawings completed and needs to have us/me/one of us sign off on the project..... okay I suppose I can do that. So we meet at Krispy Kreme's- got a few donuts for the children while I was there. I was really nervous to sign off on this without Michael, but we had talked and in the interest of time, we decided that I COULD DO THIS!! So, despite the fact that I really don't know what I am looking at with these drawings that are as large as my kitchen table, I signed off. So now, the drawings are with the engineer. Once the engineer signs off, then we can submit to the city for our permits. So we are moving along. The contractor hopes to start by mid February or so.

By the way, I think I have a taker for all my wood- sweet!!

Everyone is interested......

2008-01-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

Seems that everyone is interested in our project..... like the city, the homeowners association, etc! Don't get me wrong, I am glad they are interested, but it sure seems we need alot of approvals! Today we met with the architect. We have actually met with him before, he and his crew were here a few weeks ago measuring (everything- even things they aren't going to touch). Once the preliminary drawings are completed, we are allowed up to 3 revisions. A revision includes as little as one line being drawn up to a complete re drawing..... so it is in our best interest (as well as our budgets) to get all of the revisions in one fell swoop. Our contractor is good with this, he has helped us to avoid many ongoing revisions. So, today was the last of our revisions. We left there with the architect only needing to do a few minor things on the inside- like moving my extra large island over a few feet. I am concerned the island will be too large--- this keeps me up at night. I digress..... once these revisions are completed, then we will have the final drawings and then will be ready to submit our plans and drawings to the city. In our area it is taking about 2-3 weeks to get the permits to when we can start the demolition/building.

The other people who are interested are the homeowners association. I have to be honest, I am more afraid the HOA will say no to our project than I am with the city not approving our project. The funny thing is that Michael and our contractor have complete faith in the HOA, but are more concerned with running into issues with the city! Luckily I had submitted our intentions of our remodel to our HOA several months ago. I tracked down the gal who is in charge of the "architectural committee"- she happens to live around the corner. When I got a hold of her tonight to let her know we know have a complete set of drawings for the outside, she said "if you can get them to me tonight- we are having an architectural meeting tomorrow and I can get you approved by tomorrow"!! WAHOO- so I quickly ran them over to her house and as we chatted, I explained the "scope of our project" ( our contractor uses this term all of the time and I am cracking myself up that I just used it!! could also be the Tylenol kicking in- I have a really bad cold.....) anyway- she said that it sounded fine and that I can consider ourselves approved by tomorrow afternoon!! WOW- that was WAY easier than I thought!!

The next step is the city- certainly it will not be as easy as Sky Island's Architectural Committee!!!

The Children

2008-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of the children :)) Sophie and Chase are in the same preschool class and were in a play. Chase was a shepherd and Sophie was a star. I thought they were pretty cute. My mom made both of their costumes- good thing she is around otherwise my kids would look nothing like they are supposed to for their school plays and other things. I also added a picture from Christmas morning...... these are my kids waiting for mommy to wake up....... I thought they displayed an amazing amount of self discipline!!! Poor kids...... and then the last one is of Sophie putting "make up" on her face..... nice huh?? She is so naughty.

More tomorrow- we meet with the architect tomorrow.

How we got here

2008-01-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

How exactly we got to this point of remodeling our house, is probably like most people. We really like where we live, we wanted more space and upgrade in the kitchen, and move some things around. We did look at buying another house for quite some time, but we just couldn't settle on anything. And plus, the price of houses these days are pretty darn expensive! So, we decided that remodeling was the way to go. Essentially we are taking the roof off of part of the house, adding another room upstairs, extending our lower living area out by several feet and doing a major kitchen renovation..... should be fun.

Right now, we are in the design and permit phase. Our contractor (which b the way- the choosing of a contractor is a post in itself- for another day), anyway- he says, we will likely be permitted by the end of the month and then the labor work starts. We have actually been working on this for several months - we decided to remodel in the summer and then slowly started deciding what we wanted, and soon realized it was more than just a kitchen remodel!

Anyway, since this is an expensive project, we are trying to cut costs as much as possible. Michael and his brothers and nephews recently took out our back deck- the first of many demolitions! Here are some photos of that!

Getting Started

2007-12-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

Blogging is new to us. Our first real attempt was during our trip to China AKA our "Journey to Sophie!" We kept a blog of our trip in an attempt to include friends and family photos side notes and the whole thing.

Going to get Sophie was an amazing thing that deserved to be recorded forever. Today, I am not sure why we decided to do this; it is not like our lives are so incredibly exciting that the entire world needs to know about it. We have a house two cars and three kids (only 0.6 more kids than the typical family or American dream or whatever statistic tells us Americans have 2.4 kids!!

I guess the real reason we are trying this is because it really is a new medium for communication. Everyone is so dang busy now that the art of cummunication has changed. Instead of writing letters, we made phonecalls, instead of phonecalls we e-mail and now instead of e-mail we BLOG. I look at it as self inflicted spamming. If you want to check in and make sure our lives are just as boring or even slightly more boring than yours you can do it without reoccuring e-mails. By the way if oyur life is more interesting than ours please provide details, I am not above living vicariously through others.

Myriam will probably fill you in on lots of other things like kid photos monthly highs or lows and we will probably both use it to vent about our upcoming remodel of the house.

Okay- My turn here- I really like Blogs- I find it an interesting and fun way to keep up with people..... so if you have a blog- send it to me and I will add it to my favorites and check it out now and again! Anyway, my reasoning for doing this blog is to capture and document our major house remodel project. I think it will be a great way for us to remember this time, although it is already a stressful process! So, stay tuned and follow our journey with us, if you'd like!