Basement Progress

Slowly but surly we are making headway on our basement improvements.  The markable progress is slow, but it is happening.  Last weekend I did some plumbing in order to reduce the space required for the washer, dryer, and utility sink.  (There's still a little bit of plumbing that needs done if anyone is feeling left out!)  This weekend we primed the closet walls and installed the shelving rails.  We also cut the shelves to size and primed them. Once those are installed, the closet will be ready for paint and doors. 

Florida in Winter

If you are prone to jealousy, envy, anger, or hatred when  reading about perfect vacations...please navigate else-where. 

Otherwise, imagine taking a trip to Florida in the dead of winter.  Think about swimming in the Atlantic Ocean and visting gift shops along the beach.  Contemplate sitting by the pool in the evenings to stay cool while eating oranges right off the tree.  These are a few of the things we did this week!

Grandma and Grandpa Knaab live near West Palm Beach, and since we have not seen them since our wedding, we took the opportunity to visit them. 

We had plenty of beach time.  There were a few jellyfish to watch out for, and a bit of wind, but it was nice to hang out in the surf and soak in the 85-degree day.

   

Lion Country was perfect for our kids.  We drove around to see the majority of the animals, and then entered the park.  All the rides and activities were geared toward young children.  We rode the carousel, went on a boat tour, fed giraffes, fed birds, played in the splash pad, and played miniature golf. 

We got plenty of pool time.  Grandma and Grandpas' pool was a cool 75 degrees, but that didn't stop the girls from jumping in...every day.  The hotel pool was closer to 95 degrees, which lended nicely to parental participation. 

Before bed on the last night in Florida, Caitin said our family prayer.  She was in tears as she prayed that we could come back to visit Grandma and Grandpa again soon.  We really had a great time there.  Grandma and Grandpa kept us entertained with all kinds of stories about their lives.  They have made a great life there in Florida, and we hope to visit again soon!

Klondike

Last weekend I participated with the young men in the Klondike Derby.  This was my first Klondike, and definately the funnest one I've been to!  Along with great food and good company, there were dog-sled races, orienteering, history lessons, and a seige-engine competition.

Our Troop/Team 125 focused on the construction and use of a Floating-Arm Trebuchet for our seige engine.  With design in hand and a willing leader, the boys built this little number:  



The only preliminary requirement of the competition was to be able to throw a tennis ball.  When we arrived at the firing range, we were challenged to throw snow balls over a bank of snow speedily.  No target...no distance challenge (at least not a challenge for our machine).  While we were not built for speed, we were built for awesomeness. 

The actual competition was to fire 3 shots over one bank, reposition, fire 3 shots over the second bank, and then report.  The boys were not quite satisfied with their final shot, so after finally reporting, they went back and fired a final decent shot.  They were launching snowballs about 100 feet, which was farther than any other machine there.

Getting Muddy

All the time learning, I started working the long tape lines with a little blade...despite having a nice new long blade I'd purchased for this very purpose.  A little despair began to hang over me at the difficulty and size of the task ahead.  Then I remembered that new blade, and ventured to try it out.  I'd never held a long flexible blade like it, but after a few strokes I began to get the feel of it.  Within the time it took me to do that first tape line, the long blade allowed me to do three lines.

Next up:  Sanding!

Basement Progress

 I placed sheetrock all around the walls of the closet and then realized I'd have to go farther with my framing before I could actually finish that closet

You know how it goes...one thing leads to another, and then to the next thing, which leads to more.  Pretty soon I'll be adding another level to the house.  But for now, a little extra framing in the basement is good enough.  My inspector is the kind type, but very detail-minded.