November 5th through November 11th

November 5^th through November 11^th: Monday, I tore down all the sheet-rock on the drop-downs that covered the duct work for the heating and air-conditioning system.  Mom and I then loaded up the truck for another trip to the dump.  

The drop downs before tearing down the sheet-rock.

Drop-downs demoed in order to make both rooms the same height and to raise the height 3 inches.

Demo in our bedroom.

Demoed the window over the sink in the kitchen.

New window, 1 foot shorter to allow for the counter-top height.

Mom helped clean up all the sheet-rock that I pulled down from the duct work.

In the evening, we went to dinner at “Crown Burger” with Wally and Martha Cooper.  They have been our dear friends since we were both restoring old pioneer homes in Salt Lake City's marmalade district.  Wally is an architect has been working on the plans for the apartment, so we can get a permit.  It was so fun to talk and laugh with them.  Tuesday, we drove the 3 oldest of John and Jill’s kids to school and then spent the day framing and trying to decide on finishes for the floors and bathrooms. Wednesday, I worked on framing the new bath until the delivery from “Home Depot” arrived.  

Can lights for the apartment.

Sheet-rock and studs for the apartment.

Then we went to lunch with my brother Van.  He had picked up the plans from Wally so I could get them into the building department.  In the afternoon, I took the plans in and found out that last month Bountiful city adopted the same statute as Salt Lake City passed allowing Accessory Dwelling Units.  So the long and short of it is we have to apply for a conditional use permit to have an apartment in the basement and there will have to be a hearing before the planning commission.  So I got the application for the conditional use permit.  We went and watched Miles’ basketball game.  His mom, our daughter, Charlotte is the coach.  She played 4 years of college basketball.  

Our daughter Charlotte is our grandson, Miles' basketball coach.  He is holding the Gatorade water bottle.

Thursday we went to the Rec. Center and got free walking passes because we are both old.  Then we went to the elementary school for Charlotte and Kate’s kids because it was grand-parents day.  We had a muffin and read books with them for an hour before school started.  We then went shopping for appliances.  At about 10:30 am we got a call from our son John telling us that the engineering department at the city wanted a site plan and the square footage of each floor of the house.  If they did not get it by 1:00 pm, the application for the conditional use permit would not make the commission meeting on the 19^th and would be bumped to the 26^th.  I immediately went home and started measuring the outside of the house and how it sits on the property.  John came home from work and he and Jill got their signatures notarized on the conditional use permit application. I got the plan done and got two copies made and walked into the building department at 10 minutes to 1:00pm.  Chris met me there with the notarized application.  They then told me they needed measurements of all the walls in the new apartment.  I went home and got what they needed and got the plans back to them by 2:00 pm.  They said they would get it on the agenda for the 19^th.  We rented a storage unit because we learned that our shipment of “stuff” from Guatemala would arrive next Tuesday and we have no room at John’s house.  In the evening we went to the play “Honk” and saw John and Jill’s daughter, Ellie, play the part of Grace.  It was a really fun production and very professional for 5^th and 6^th grade students.  

Our grand-daughter, Ellie, played Grace in the play "Honk" in the 5th and 6th grade class production at her school.

Friday we moved two truckloads of things from our old unit to the new unit.  The new unit is in Bountiful and is big enough for everything we have in the old unit and the shipment coming from Guatemala.  

Our storage unit after moving 2 truck loads to the new storage unit.

We then went to the temple. We met the new temple president and made an appointment to talk with him in a few weeks.  We went and saw the movie, “First Man” in the evening. I fell asleep. 

Posted on the front lawn of our son's home.

Saturday we went to John and Jill’s son, Moose’s cello concert.  

Our grand-son, Moose, playing his cello at his recital.

Click below to listen to Moose                        Moose playing his cello.

I then helped move a chicken coop for our daughter, Kate.   It took most of the afternoon.  

This is the chicken coop that we moved from their neighbor's back yard.

5 new chickens came with the new coop.

In the evening we tore out the hearth of the fireplace in our apartment. 

The fireplace hearth is demoed,

Sunday we drove down and visited our son, James’ kids.  It was fun to spend some time playing games with them. 

It was only a skiff of snow Sunday morning, but it counts as the first snowfall.

James and Kirstin's 3 kidos. L to R Rigby, Campbell and Emme.

We then drove to the primary program for Kate’s ward.  Kimball sang a duet with another boy and did a great job.  It was a very nice program and I felt the spirit.  

Primary program with Bryce and Kate's kids.  L to R Stanford, Kimball and Abby.

We went to tithing settlement and then had dinner with Kate’s family. 

Swedish pancakes are always a hit.

Reentry is a bit strange and a real adjustment but we are enjoying going to all the activities that our grandchildren participate in and supporting them and just being with them.  We are learning quickly how to be grandparents and it is a real joy.  But we miss being in the temple almost every day and we miss our good friends and everyone we worked with in the temple.  Life goes on and our goal is to find joy in the journey.