September 23rd through September 29th

September 23^rd through September 29^th: Monday Mom and I both went to work, Chris as a therapist and me as a remodeler.  I started Kory and Amy’s remodel of part of their basement.  They had done most of the demo and so I only had to tear out the dropdowns in closing some plumbing.   I got the bedroom reframed.  The exterior walls had to be furred out 1 ½ inches so I could wire outlets.  After I finished there, I was able to pour the last two sections of concrete at our entry.  

Bedroom #1

Tuesday I got the second bedroom framed and started rewiring. I stopped early and drove Alex and Charlotte to the airport.  Alex has a conference and Charlotte is going to play.  Mom went to work and came straight to Alex and Charlotte’s home.  I had been tending since I got back from the airport.  She stayed the night and I went home to sleep because I had my temple shift and mom got the kids off to school.  She subbed last Saturday for the person that took her shift on Wednesday.  

Bedroom #2

Wednesday I went to my temple shift and Chris tended.  In the afternoon I worked on the rewiring at Kory and Amy’s.  I then went back to Charlotte's.  After dinner, we went to the Arrow of Light program for Bryce and Kate’s son Kimball.  Chris went home to sleep so she could get ready in the morning for work.  I stayed at Charlotte’s.  

Kate and her three kids at the pack meeting.

Kimball and his dad, Bryce, showing off his arrow of light award.

Nana and Poppa with Kimball.

Nana and Poppa with Stanford.

Thursday I got everyone up and off to school, except for Tilly who doesn’t go to kindergarten until the afternoon.  She went with me to Kory and Amy’s where I got a couple of hours in wiring the two bedrooms.  I stopped and got her ready for school and after dropping her off, I went back to work for a couple of hours.  Chris got home from work and packed for a trip to Washington to visit her brother, Craig, and his wife Pam.  It has been six years since they have been together.  I drove her to the airport and then went to Alex and Charlotte’s house to tend their kids.  I got them fed and into bed and then I went to the airport and picked up Alex and Charlotte.   We got back to their home just after 11:00pm.  

Lots of new wiring. We are adding 31 can lights.

Friday I worked at Kory and Amy’s house.  They had a man come and cut a concrete wall to enlarge a window in the room just outside the bedrooms.  I helped him and then cleaned up the mess by hauling out the concrete to the truck.  I then spent the afternoon installing the new window.  Chris will be at Craig and Pam’s home until Sunday.  

Window before.

Window after.

This hall will get new wiring and can lights.

Saturday John B. and I started cleaning out the large storage unit.  We loaded some of the cabinets we don’t think are worth keeping to take to the dump and we moved the ones worth keeping to a smaller storage unit that we will have for the foreseeable future. John B. then took a truck load to the dump and I went home to get Jake off to a Primary program practice.   When John B. got back from the dump, he took over getting Ellie and Jake to their soccer games and I headed back to the storage unit to finish cleaning it out.  When I got done I was tired and so I spent some time watching football.  John B. sent me a text asking what I was going to smoke for dinner on Sunday and so I went to Costco and bought 6 racks of baby back ribs.   We decided to invite everyone to dinner.  So Kate and Charlotte’s family will join Mom and I and John B.’s family for ribs tomorrow.  James was invited but won’t be able to come.  I went with John B. to see Badger’s water polo game in the evening.  

Badger is the tall one.

Sunday I made Swedish pancakes for everyone and then got the ribs into the smoker.  I then went to church.  It was our primary program and John and Jill only have one child, Jake, left in primary.  I gave the opening prayer and it was a very nice program.  We then had a combined meeting to hear about the new child and youth program that will start the first of the year.  After church, I went to the airport and picked up Chris.  She had a wonderful time reconnecting and looking at Craig's art work over the past few years.  He is a Master Printer in lithography and has done a lot of impressive work of his own, as well as collaborating with other artists.  When we were in China teaching English, he was invited to teach printmaking in Guanlan, China.  He helped her to draw her self-portrait on a lithograph stone and then print it.  He also gave her some instruction in painting water colors. 

Chris drawing on the stone with tusche. 

Craig teaching Chris how to ink the stone.

Chris' self portrait.

This is a lithograph of Christ that Craig did.

The ribs turned out great and we had enough left over to take a half rack of ribs to Kory and Amy and to Jesse and Amanda who live next door.  

Six racks of ribs.

Smoking ribs is about a 7 hour process.

Where did they all go?

John B. and Jill's TV/front room.

Dinning off the kitchen.

September 16th through September 22nd

 September 16^th through September 22^nd:  Monday after Chris went to work, I went over to my new project at  Amy and Cory’s and made a list of lumber and electrical items and then went to Home Depot.  When I got back and unloaded, I started to ask questions about where they wanted the can lights and plugs and how they wanted to try and sound proof the ceiling from the noise made by walking upstairs.  Amy decided that they needed to talk a bit more about where to put things.  In the end, we decided to push the start off a week so that they could demo the ceilings so I could put in 9 inch insulation.  So after lunch, I went home and mixed up 5 bags of cement mix and poured the first section between the new walkway and the house by our entry.  Tuesday I decided to get my new smoker / grill set up and try some ribs.  Mom had to work, so she missed my first attempt at ribs.  I did enough for John’s whole family.  They only were about a B-.  They all got eaten, but they were not as tender as I would have preferred.  James gave me a few more tips and I think I know what I need to do next time.  

This is dinner.

Still a few hours to go.

Wednesday we went to the temple and spent the morning enjoying the peace and spirit in the House of the Lord.  I was able to do a sealing session with Ken and Eve Winkfield and their son and his wife.  We served with Ken and Eve in Bolivia and Guatemala.  Thursday mom went to work and I mixed 9 bags of cement and poured 2 more sections of concrete.  

This is day 2 of the concrete work.

Day 2.

When mom got home, we loaded up the car and drove to Heber where we met our good friends Mike and Merlene Ellington, who served with us in China and Guatemala.  We then transferred our bags into their car and drove to Vernal.  We both wanted to visit the Vernal Temple and so we had made plans to go together.  We found our motel and went to dinner and then went and saw the new Downton Abby movie.  It was a great evening.  Friday we got up and went to the temple.  It was a nice session and the converted tabernacle makes a beautiful temple.  We then drove to Dinosaur National Monument.  We visited the monument many years ago.  They have new buildings and we were impressed with how much there is to see and do.   We then had lunch, ribs and fish, and headed home.  The scenery was wonderful, the company was great and we enjoyed our quick trip to the Vernal Temple.  

Mike, Merlene, me and Chis ready to go to a session.

The back side of the Vernal Temple.

Dinosaur National Monument.

The way the earth was moved around is very interesting.

They have found thousand and thousands of bones in this quarry.

Allosaurus.

This is a replica of the most complete dinosaur that was found at this site.

Lots of bones in them there hills.

We loved the scenery.

The vistas are amazing. 

Red rock also.

The flowers in Vernal were spectacular. 

On the way, home we realized that the nountians got there first snow of the season.

The trees are starting to turn.

Saturday John B. and I mixed and poured 9 more bags of concrete.  I only have 2 more sections to go.  I found some metal roofing on KSL and went and bought enough to cover the bottom of the deck that covers our patio.  It will keep water from dripping onto our concrete as the snow melts this winter.  We have to try and not fall on any ice this year.  

Saturday's concrete pour.

Sunday we had ward conference and then we went to dinner at Alex and Charlotte’s home.  Life is good and we are very blessed.  

September 9th through September 15th

September 9^th through September 15^th:  Monday mom went to work and I got the glass doors installed and finished all the electrical.  Most of the original plugs and switches were ivory color and so I had to install new white plugs and switches.  I also installed the can lights in the cabinets with the glass doors, the cabinets on each side of the TV, and over the window seats.  

I got the glass doors and the lights done on the cabinets in the music/craft room.

I wired the lights in the cabinets and over the window seats.

Tuesday I spent the entire day installing rollout trays in the TV/front room.  Mom went to work.  Wednesday we spent the morning in the temple for our shift.  In the afternoon, I finished installing the remainder of the rollout trays in the music/craft room.  Mom started cleaning up.  

Laundry bins in the base cabinet.

John and Jill wanted to preserve the height chart for the kids, so I put a frame around the chart.

Thursday I spent the day installing tile on the extension of the firebox and I got about half of the tile around the fireplace installed.  Mom worked till noon and then came home and continued to clean up.  This includes cleaning out the cabinets and washing walls.  Everything is covered in saw dust.  

Half way through the tile for the mantle.

Friday I finished the tile around the fireplace and then I moved all my tools to the deck off the dining room.  Mom worked cleaning until she had to go and tend Kate’s kids.  

Tile around the fireplace tile installed.

Saturday I grouted the tile around the fireplace and then organized the boxes that I keep all my tools in.  John B. spent all day doing paint touch up.  Mom went to substitute at the temple for someone who is going to take one of her shifts.  I got cleaned up and went to the temple to meet the Holmans and the Winkfields, two couples that served with us in the Guatemala temple.  Mom joined us when her shift finished.  We had lunch in the cafeteria and then spent an hour and half talking.  It was so great to see them and reminisce about out time serving together.   When I got home from the temple John B. asked me if I had seen our patio.  I had entered upstairs, so I said no.  He said I had better go and take a look.  I found a new Traeger smoker on our patio.  It was John and Jill’s thank you present for finishing the remodel project upstairs.  I have a little bit more paint touch up and still need to install the new front and back doors, but the inside in ready for them to move into.  Judy Lever, Jill’s mom, came and spent the afternoon cleaning the kitchen so they can start moving in.  

Saturday morning John B. and I enjoyed eating the first meal in the new kitchen, breakfast burritos from Betos.

All cleaned out and just a little paint touch up left to do.

The walnut top oiled.

The walnut mantle, countertops, and shelves oiled.

Just waiting for the glass shelves.

Walnut top oiled.

Organizing my tools.

Sunday after church we had our monthly family dinner at Alex and Charlotte’s house.  It is always fun to be with family and enjoy good food and good conversation.  

Family Dinner at Alex and Charlotte's house.

I am happy with the way the remodel turned out and I think it looks fabulous.  Monday I am going to start a remodel project for a family in our ward.  I need to stay busy at least the days mom is working.