Return to Photography

I even got out my 4x5 for this trip...I hope there isn't any camera shake (fat chance) from the wind.

On Saturday, I went out photographing with Theo. It was a snowy, windy day...beautiful for photographing...ok so the wind wasn't so great, but it was fun to go out and photograph in the weather.

Theo has been wanting to photograph a dam on the southe side of Idaho Falls, so we explored around there, We couldn't get quite where we wanted to be to photograph the dam, we just need to wait for the river to freeze a little more solid.

We also drove out to New Sweenen school and shot a little. I have been there quite a bit. I really like the old playground toys there.

Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

We are really excited for Christmas! I have a week and a half off work (paid!) for the holiday! So I am trying to figure out what to do. I have a few things here and there to do through the week, but nothing big. I hope to make the time to finally get my website updated...but I am still struggeling with Go Live. I also want to get the brakes done on my Bus...that will take some ambition, the garage is cold this time of year. Then there are some windows I am doing for a friend (if they come in). And there are always the honey-do's and things that I want done that come up (honey-can-I-do's). One thing that I am pretty excited for is on Wednesday night I am taking my family to the Rexburg Temple. The open house starts Saturday, and they are having tours on Wednesday and Thursday for the sub contractors and their families. Maybe I can even get away and photograh for a few hours...give me a call.

We have a hole...and something in it!

This is the view from our back yard...atop a huge pile of dirt

Yep, it has begun. The hole was dug on Wednesday, the footings Thursday, and the basement walls (foundation) was poured today! Sometimes it seemed as if it would never happen, but now it is. We are working on getting bids from framers, electricians, plumbers and other trades. After the framing is up, we will be able to start doing some stuff ourselves, doors, windows, roof, siding....you get the idea. Needless to say, we are very excited.

Jessica and Dad talking with the excavator...they are right in front of what will be our front door.

After the walls set up, they will pour the basement floor...that is if the weather is warm enough...so we've got to pray for mid-30's. I hope that that can get poured next week and then have the holiday to cure...then the framers can do their thing.

Just after pouring the foundation. Jessica just outside the back door of the house.

Thoughts of Elvira

ROADTRIP! Driving down Hwy 93, Summer of '04

OK, before I get nasty comments about the busty 80's 'actress'...Elvira was the name of my '72 Bus! Yesterday, I was looking back through pictures on the computer and came across a bunch of photos of Elvira, the 72 bus.

Sure did take a nice picture

I do miss that one. I am happy with my new bus (I think her name will be Helga), and excited for her potential, but sometimes I get a bit discouraged by her appearance...she's a bit ugly...and I worry that it will be a long time before I can get er painted. I may have to resort to the ol rattle-cans to get by for the coming summer. It will be fun to take the kids camping in Helga like we did in Elvira.

Shouldn't need to take the tent anymore...it's part of the bus!

Rexburg Temple...just about there.

The past 2 weeks I have worked at the Rexburg Temple. We haven't really even worked on our stuff. We have been doing add-on stuff. Just this week alone we were 'loaned out' to a caulking contractor to help out with caulking A LOT of interior stuff. It takes a long time to get a little headway.

It has been an incredible experience working on the Temple. I have had fun, had challenges, and met some nice people in other trades. There are great craftsmen and women putting their skills to work there.

It is also great to be able to see it come together. They are finishing up the murals, and even photographing the interiors for church records and the brochure for the open house.

If you can, make the time to go to the open house (Dec 29-Jan26)

Glass in foot...still

OK, so almost a month ago I got injurted at work right. Well I got the boot sewed up just fine...oh and my foot too. My foot healed up just fine and the stitches came out great. Now the glass entered my foot on the side in the top of the arch, and so that is where the cut and stitches are.

So while it healed I noticed a tightness on the bottom of my foot and it was more tender...in fact, the cut hurt very little. The majority of the aches came from this hardness on the bottom. I just thought that it was damaged tissue or was tight and would heal in time. Well this morning when putting on my boots, I had an INCREDIBLY sharp pain shoot through my arch and up my leg. Then most of the morning and into the afternoon the pain continued ramdomly. So tonight I went back into the community care to get it looked at.

The same doctor that sewed me up before was there again...cool! They took an x-ray, not expecting to see anything as glass will very rarely show up, and there was something there that wasn't suposed to be. So we did a couple more angles, and sure enough there was a piece of SOMETHING there. In the first shot it looked as dense as the bone! Because it was a side shot of it.

OK, so an inch may not seem all that big, but when it is a sharp piece of glass in your foot...it is!

My options were: Amputation...No, just kidding; cut it out there and hope that the huge piece (see photo above) was all that was there; Monday go into a Pediatrist where they have equipment that can see a 3-d image at different depths, to get out all fragments. So, we decided to cut me open and get it out tonight. I don't want to risk breaking it any more, and if need me I can go to a specialist later.

So again I was in pain as the local anastesia went in and I could feel them opening up my foot looking for the glass. Then I heard a distinct tap-tap-tap. I knew that sound! He was very careful not to move it too much as to cut any unnessary tissue or tendons, however he did have to sever one tendon in order to free the piece of glass. But he did manage to get it out intact, and it looked that there were no fragments (cross your fingers!).

A rare photograph

I was going through some of my slides from when I took color photo a few years ago, and found a sweet image. There is not anything phinominal about the quality or subject matter other than it is my two busses. At the time, I owned the red '72 and the green '79 was my friend's. The green one is now mine...and sadly I don't have the red one anymore. I think I was without a bus for about a year and a half. When I had the red, I never thought that I would sell it or that I would end up with the green westy. I was really excited about the slide, I had forgotten about the shot, and wanted to share my discovery with everyone else. Notice that this photo was before the mural was painted, and also before I got the VW for the front of the '72.

What looks better? The spare on the front or without? I am debating on taking the spare tire bracket off and putting on a VW emblem. I want to paint the '79 like the '72...but with green and white. Think it would look good?

"The Cat" and the "Things"

Tonight was our ward's Trunk or Treat activity. We had a potluck dinner (soup and bread), games for the kids, and trunk-or-treating for the kids too...rrright! This year we dressed up our kids as The Cat in The Hat and Thing 1 & Thing 2. Creedance's hair turned out really cool. I was surprised how good TJ was when Jess painted his face. He was even excited to have it done! I thought he would have been kicking and screaming. They had fun, and just think...we get to do it all over again on Wednesday.

Yet another injury

I really need to find better work. Don't get me wrong, I do like working with my hands and building things. But this has got to stop happening!!!

My stitched-up, swollen foot.

We were loading up to take garbage to the dump at work on Thursday, and I stepped on a piece of glass with one foot, and shoved my other foot onto it...accidently of course! Yes I do enjoy hurting myself just to get time off work....I don't think so! Right after doing it, all I could think was "Why can't I just stay not hurt!?!"

I managed to get my boot (which the glass shot right through) and sock off before going to the emergency care center. There was a piece of the glass about the size of a quarter sticking out, I wanted to get some pressure on it, so I pulled it out myself...that bummed Jason...he wanted to pull it out (SICKO!). So the doctor cleaned out all the glass (I HOPE!), sewed me up (8 stitches), and sent me home. Jason got some killer shots with his camera phone in the exam room of them fixing me up, If he can get them off his phone I'll post them.

I was able to borrow some crutches, as I can't stand on the foot at all yet (the cut is on the bottom) and they hurt the pits! I didn't go to work today, and I really hope I don't have to stay home on Monday too. I get really stir-crazy!

She's Alive!

Saturday afternoon, I got all the vaccum system figured out and the westy fired right up! Wahoo! I can't believe how strong this engine runs! There are still a few electrical and heating things to work out, but she's running good and it feels good to have it in. I can't believe that I was able to put an engine into a car and it WORKS! Kinda cool, I think that I need to take her for a cruse today.

My 100th Post!

Lime Steak with Chips

On Friday night we had lime steaks with salsa. I got this from a guy that is working on the Rexburg Temple too. He is a Brazilian guy, doing the finish carpentry, so maybe this is a Brazilian dish??? Anyway, we really like it, and I wanted to show what it looks like. I am still playing with serving ideas. Like maybe with a pasta, or a rice side....anyway you have it you need the fresh lime salsa to dip the steak in. YUM! Jason tried it as a wrap, he liked it that way. I still haven't nailed the amount for spices (Lime and Kosher Salt) for the steak every time, sometimes it is better than others. We've got the Salsa down pretty good (Tomatos, bell peppers, white onion, chives, cilantro, lime juce, & Kosher Salt), the secret is to let it sit overnight (in the fridge), it gets better when all the veggies have soaked together.

Dutch oven Breakfast.

Another one of my favorates. Whenever we go camping with enough other people to validate filling a 10 inch dutch with food. Two weeks ago at the Pocatello Pump, we camped with Milton and Liz, and we made breakfast. A while back I started adding the peppers for looks and smell, then decided that I like the flavor too. It is hash browns & egg topped with cheese, bacon and peppers. There are a lot of variations that can be done with this. Jessica's uncle added pieces of sausage into the poatao & egg mix. It is gooood! But you need at least 6 adults to finish it off, we still had too much.

Topher had a blast and can't wait to camping there again!

Where we were camping (Mink Creek) there was a little stream and a rope swing. Milton was helping Toph and Creedance on it...hung just inches from the water. I am suprised they didn't get more wet than they did. They had a blast!

Progress on the Westy!

Friday night. The new(er) engine on the stand, and my new (sweet!) exhaust below the old nasty stock exhaust.

So today was pretty exciting. Mike Oswald, a fellow VW junkie from Rexburg, came down and helped me switch out my Bus engine. I worked on it last night pulling all the wires and disconnecting the air cleaner and vaccum lines. Then today we got the old one out and the new one in. This was an adventure whereas the floor jack I borrowed from my dad leaks--a lot! We had to keep pumping the arm while trying to shift the engine into place. It looked like 2 monkies..........

Where did the engine go?!? Just before putting in the engine.

We could only get it in and bolted to the transmission, couldn't put the rear cross member on because the engine mounts that are on it were trashed...both pairs. So I got that ordered, and next week I will put them and the exhaust on. After Mike left I worked on new fuel lines (gas on the arms burns a little bit!) and wiring. Now I wish I could remember where ALL those dang vaccum lines go! I can't believe the cluster they are!

New(er) engine on the leaky jack. It's amazing that we got the engine in...at one point I bench pressed it while under the bus, just to get it into place.

I also have a Eberspacher BA6 gas heater coming next week...I have no idea when or how I am going to install that. But when I do...Goodbye to Cold winter drives in the bus...in fact--Hello winter camping! (I hope!) That would be pretty cool!

There will still be a lot of work to do on this bus...which I think her name is Helga (thanks Andy)...Like paint (The mural has to go, sorry), a new pop-top tent (I'm going with a Hemp/Cotton Blend), Wood panneling on all doors and headliner (sweet!)...and I'm sure there will be MANY MANY more things that I want to do with it, but first I have to get it up and running, it will be my daily driver too.

Wish me luck!

Busy Month

So I have intended to post for the last month or so...but have been too busy. A week after the really great ride down Wolverine, Kyle, Dave (Kyle's dad) and I rode it again. That time we rode the trail that Kyle and I attempted when we got really lost. We didn't get lost, but it did get dark much quicker than we thought it would. We rode all of wolverine in the dark. I ended up using my cel phone as a flashlight...that kind of sucked.

I got injured at work again...ouch! I was cutting a 2x4 on the table saw and the cut off piece was kicked back at me and (I think) broke my finger. It swelled up a lot and still hurts. It only took a week for the flap of skin to heal up, but like I said...it still hurts.

That caused problems for the next weekend at the Pocatello Pump. I did have fun climbing and then camping at the Pump. I got a couple of t-shirts and a gift certificate for new climbing shoes. Milton & Liz brought their little camper, and it was great to have to sleep in that night. Maybe next time we will have our westy up and running and we can camp in it.

Over the past 2 1/2 months I have had nose bleeds EVERY DAY. I got a little tired of them, so went to an ear nose throat doctor. He said I had a deviated septum and so On Thursday I got a nose job. I had a long weekend, I spent it being doped up and a little out of it. While I had time on my hands...even though it felt that my hands were detached, Jess and the kids and I went to Divide, Montana to bet the engine for my bus.

Next Saturday, a guy is going to come help me install it. So...I am really excited for that. The bus has sat in the garage for too long. It is time to start cruising in it. Come to think of it, it still needs a name...any suggestions?

Kyle on one of the VERY FEW SHORT climbs on the trail (maybe 200 yards along the 5 miles).

We went for a ride down Wolverine Cr. again this morning. I really like the morning for a crisp ride, however I don’t think that this particular trail is the best for an early ride (we started down it around 7am). The sun glared through the trees making it difficult to see the trail a lot of the time. Other than that it was a good ride.

Rusty and Kyle...

I rode it with Kyle, Rusty (in town for the weekend for his brother, Chaun’s mission farewell), Juan (Rusty’s brother-in-law) and Chaun. They were good company to have. I was able to get a few quick shots, I would like to get a wider lens and spend more time up there and get some action shots of riders coming around the hair-pin turns and off the jumps…there are some good ones. However there are many spots where the later precedes the prior by very few feet. Enjoy—I did!

Chaun...don't know if he will get to do much riding like this on his mission.

Wolverine Cr. Trail

Kyle on the first run, just 1/2 mile to go

Last night we went bike riding with Kyle again. This trip was much better. We knew where we were the whole time. Kyle found a map that helped us understand where we were lost last time...we still don't see how we eneded up where we did when we did. The only explination that Kyle can come up with is Devine Intervention.

At the end of my 21 minute ride. The snake River in the back. (Camera-phone picture)

We got up there a little earlier than originally planned, and we were waiting for Milton and his family to get there. So we did a run of Wolverine Cr. Trail as soon as Jess and I got there. Another guy, Adam, came with us on this run too. We started right at the Wolverine trailhead (as to avoid ANY climbing), which gives us a killer fast ride. The three of us got down the trail pretty good. It had just rained and so was a bit muddy, I wish I had some clear lenses to keep the mud out of my eyes, but the rain knocked the dust down nicely. At one point I was coming up to two muddy ruts (double-track), and opted to ride the center as to stay out of the water. Just as I was almost past my front tire slipped into the left rut and my rear went to the right! I was able to get my pedal unclipped just in time to avoid spilling over. It was a good run. We did have to ride up hill for about 2 miles to get back to the campsite.

When we got back, Milton had just gotten there and we loaded up for another run. So we got dropped off at the top again. It was beautifull weather but by the time we got to the top again it was starting to get a bit chilly. So I turned on some good tunes and headed down. I wanted to see how quick I could get down. It was a blast! I was flying around corners, over rocks and stumps...it was great. I miss that feeling of finding that flow with the trail. When I got to the spot I almost ate it on the first run, I opted to stay on the right side of the right rut. Well I hugged it a little too far right and went over pretty hard. The ground was nice and soft from the rain, but I was a bit muddy...oh well. Then just as I was coming out the bottom of the trail (It gets REALLY rocky and loose at the bottom), I lost control and slammed my leg hard into a wall of rock and heard a loud pop (over the music blasting in my ears). I rolled down the last 50 yards of the trail and realized I blew the rear tire. I hit that rock hard. But hey! I got the flat at the end and not the top.

From the trail head to the bottom--21 minutes--5 miles. It was a blast! I'd love to try it on a long travel full suspension bike and not my hard-tail...

We got a ride back to the campsite and hung out and cooked burgers. It was a great night. We still got home earlier than the last time too.

My Thoughts on my Symes Amputation Project

Waiting for his new foot. The little thing on the end attaches to the prosthetic and holds it on.

So here I am laying on a sofa and you all are sitting in a big leather chair writing in a notebook...likely drawing picutres and not really listening...Ha Ha! Anyway. So I do continue photographing TJ's experience with his amputation and prosthetic. But I worry that the images seem or will seem like just snapshots of somebody's kid. I always want my portraits of children (and candid images) to be more than just snapshots. It is easy for them to become snapshots...

Playing out front. He rides this backwards all the time. It seems easier for him to get on this way.

Also it is difficult for me to go with Jess & TJ to Shriner's hospital for the visits. I can shoot his life here at home...but then those begin to look like the snapshots. Then when I am at Shriner's with my camera I feel a little funny with the camera, kind of like when a new father is videotaping his wife in Labor. Not too many people at that hospital worry about photographing their experience there. Maybe some of the people think I am a little morbid? I know I shouldn't let that bug me, but sometimes I think it does a little.

Topher and TJ playing in "Their Bus." Topher is always telling me that it is his...not mine.

This project is also such a long one, and I don't know what I want for the final result will be....maybe there will not be a FINAL result. This seems to be a project that will simply continue. Maybe I am to photograh this only for my son to have for himself. Maybe the presentation will be his to create.

Bad Ride at Kelly's

OK, so...get this! Last Friday night, Kyle and I wanted to ride Wolverine Creek Trail up past Kelly's Canyon. So we go up with the families, our wives and kids would drop meet us at the bottom of the trail and we would have dinner and hang out and throw rocks at the river. While we are riding they will drive down (it takes a while by car--bumpy road), and wait a little bit. Well, Kyle and I also wanted to do the Buckskin-Morgan trail, then connect to Wolverine via part of Hawly's Gulch. Kyle printed off some pictures of the area on Google Earth. Really cool. So when we dumped out at Fenceline onto the road, rather than backtracking onto Hawly's, we (after checking out the Google earth pics), that we could cut strait East (we think it was strait East) along some other roads and trails to the road to Wolverine. Well, I have no idea where we ended up...but it was thick and not very used. Somehow we ended up very lost, when Jess called to find out where we were...then my phone died...then we got back to a place we had been an hour earlier...made our way back to Fenceline...then made our way back up the road to get to Kyle's truck or Hawly's...well we ended up at Hawly's...but at a TOTALLY DIFFERENT place along it than we thought we would hit....WEIRD! So we rode down to Table Rock Camp Ground, got onto the road and got down to our wives at the bottom--at 9:20pm. It was quite dark by then and we were very tired...rode 20 miles and for more than 2 hrs. It was a long night. And the kicker is that we didn't even get to ride Wolverine...what we really wanted to ride!

Here's a completly unrelated photo...well, it is kind of nearby where we were riding. The week before this fatefull ride I shot this while out with Theo...I kind of like it. But lately I have been quite discouraged with my photography. So I haven't shot much. I have been quite busy with work and side jobs this summer too, so there has been little time to go out...I'm about ready to put my camera on the shelf for a while...

TJ's first prosthetic

Monday we were at Shriner's Hospital with TJ so he could get his prosthetic foot. We were very excited. He thought it was pretty cool too. But he is a bit frustrated with it. He seems to get really upset when he has it on. He can stand up with it, and take a few steps with help. He needs to get used to having it on long enough that he will get up more and move around on it by himself. But he seems to get upset quickly. He will catch on soon enough.

I came home on the Salt Lake shuttle Monday night so I could work, and Jess & TJ stayed for therapy until Wednesday. It is always tough with her gone. It is really hard on the kids...yea dad is great, but I'm not Mommy. It was good to have both of them back home.

Redfish Lake

Just two weeks after getting back from our trip to Michigan, Jess and the kids went to Redfish with her family. They go every year...in fact I think that there has only been two summers that her dad, Chris, has not gone up there...in his life. Jess missed it the first summer we were married, that was not much fun. Anyway, I had to stay home and work. I took off enough time for the trip back east. It was a lot of fun for them. They loved the beach and water. Topher even knee-boarded! I was impressed, I wish I could have been there to see it. I guess he was really enjoying the ride, waving to other boats, and checking out the scenery. I'm proud of my boy!

Family Reunion Time!

So it is family reunion time. This year our family is traveling to Detroit, Michigan. We decided to leave a little earlier, Sunday morning rather than Monday night. We wanted to take our time coming as we knew that it would be much quicker going home. We stopped in Nauvoo and Carthage Jail on Tuesday and Wednesday. That was really great. The last time I was there I was 13, and Jess has never been (needless to say neither have the kids). We saw the brick yard, blacksmith shop, Brigham Young's home and a few other places. We also got to see the Nauvoo Pageant, that was really well done. The Temple is up the hill behind the stage, and they have all the lights on the temple turned off. At the end of the show, they light up the Temple while playing audio of Pres. Hinkley speaking of the Nauvoo Temple. It was a really great experience. I hope that our kids will remember a little of it at least.

At Carthage Jail.

We then drove the rest of the way to my Brother's place in Detroit, we got here really late, but then we were done driving...at least until Sunday morning. We will be driving back in hopefully 2 days...maybe 3. We will see how far we make it Sunday night. I would like to be through Iowa...but that is a lot of miles!

Independence Day Ride

There is some sweet single-track at Kelly's

We started off our Independence day early with a ride at Kelly Canyon. It was a great ride! Kyle even pulled his 5-year-old son on a trail-a-bike. We had a lot of fun...until we got home. We were later getting back, and Jess was quite mad. It seems that we never have good a good July 4th. Looking back it seems that we have always had a rough time that day. I guess I should just work on all holidays...maybe not....anyway it was a great ride.

Tyson at the end of Hauly's Gulch

After getting back we took the kids to Jessica's aunt's in Blackfoot for a get-together there with her family. That was fun. They had a pool and slip-n-slide for the kids, and lots of Jessica's cousins for Toph & Cree to play with. We got to visit with her aunts & uncles & Grandpa. It is always fun to see them and catch up. I like Jessica's family.

Some of Jessica's cousins: Sadie, Grace, McCade & Austin

We also went to the fireworks... not really my favorite, I hate being around that many people (things like that really seem to bring out the rednecks too!). But it wasn't too bad, the kids had a lot of fun, and we got out just as they ended, so the traffic wasn't too bad.

Two temples in one day

Tuesday was pretty cool. In the morning, Jason and I were at the Idaho Falls Temple installing art glass in the top of the Celestial Room. You see they are raising the ceiling of the celestial room 30-40 feet from where it was, which is where it was before...like a long time ago. In addition to raising the ceiling, they are adding windows on all four sides (which can barley be seen from the ground) and windows that will be back-lit above that. These upper ones shine into the Celestial Room...to add more light and beauty. Too bad there will be a big chandelier in the line of sight, and so these will be a little difficult to see from the ground. We were only there to install...the contractor would have guys to get the glass up to us...I don't really like that. Sure, it is less packing of heavy glass for me, but inexperienced guys carrying glass that is $150/square foot--not a good idea. So needless to say some of the pieces got broken. Long story short, it should all be none...eventually...by the time the Temple opens back up on Tuesday.

When we got to the point that we were waiting for them to get the big pieces up to the top of the scaffolding, we left to install a window in the Rexburg Temple. This window was very pricey. It is fire-rated glass, it creates a 2-hr fire wall in between the 3rd floor and the Celestial room. It was really heavy, and we were able to pull some strings and use the elevator (yeay!) to get it up to the 3rd floor. After getting it up there, it then took 30 minutes to determine exactly where in the opening it had to be set. Then Jason and I slapped it in...really fast. We had a BBQ to get to! It is great to have jobs pressing just before a holiday! It is also amazing how fast we worked, knowing that we had to get home to play. It was also really cool that in one day, we worked in two temples, installing glass in two celestial rooms!

That night we had a great time at our BBQ. Tyson & Suzanne; Rusty & Michelle; Milton & Liz; Kyle & Brandi; and Jason & Carol all came. We had 12 adults and 15 kids (7 and under) at our place. It was pretty crazy....but it was a blast. I did stakes with the lime and kosher salt...they turned out great! Yum Yum Yum!

Jess & TJ back from Utah

TJ was glad to be home too.

Wednesday night, Jessica and TJ drove to Salt Lake. TJ had a check up on Thursday morning at Shriner's, then Jess had a family reunion. They came home Friday night. I had the two older kids with me Wednesday, Thursday and Friday...and I gotta say I really missed Jess and TJ. Ok so my parents had Toph and Creedance Thursday and Friday...I had them each evening, which isn't difficult, but I missed my wife and baby boy. Here's a few more images in my ongoing photography project.

Tim, a wound care specialist at EIRMC, cleaning up TJ's stump...I love Jessica's expression in this photograph.

The trip was a bit frustfrating for Jessica. We were thinking that in 2-3 more weeks we would be back down there to start the prosthetic, then just a week later would have it and TJ would be learning to walk on it. But now we are looking closer to the end of July that we will be down to cast for the prosthetic, and another 2-3 weeks until we will have the foot. So it will be closer to mid to late August. TJ is so ready to walk...but he can't. He can't even step on the stump because it is so much shorter. It is tough for us...but it is also difficult to 'look a gift horse in the mouth.' Shriner's has been such a blessing for us, and they have been so wonderful to us with everything. Just kind of hard.

We have a very active little boy!

The last window...almost

The last window to install. 10' x 11'...quite big.

Friday we headed up early so that we could get the last window finished. Well so it is the last except for the storefront entryways. We have been holding off on this window because the general contractor needed to use the opening to get the lifts out of the building. Well, we were told that they would be flying them out first thing in the morning. We had at least 2 hours of preparing the frame to install it, and we wanted to use our lift to get the glass up to the second floor. We had to get the window closed up by the end of the day, because they did not want to temporary it closed again. Well, as construction projects go, things did not go according to plan. The crane that was going to be used to fly the lifts off the second floor, was not available until about 3:30. It would then take an hour or so to move the lifts, and another hour or two just to get our frame set...let alone the time to glaze it (install the glass in it). We were not about to stay that long on a FRIDAY! So as far as I know they had to put a temporary in. So Monday we will tackle it and get it all finished. Then we can focus on the entry ways, and Gary can finish caulking the exterior.

These insulated units were quite heavy to pass up through the window. That's me in the red hardhat.

Temple

So I finally remembered to take the camera up to the job site. This shows the big window in the front all done...except for one of the largest insulated units. Today we installed 6 window frames that will not have glass...they are in front of louvers and kinda silly to have but whatever. We are now down to just one more door frame with a couple of sidelights and the big window on the 2nd floor. It is really great to see it nearing completion. Everyone who can should go through the open house.

Almost There!

We are nearing completion on the Temple. Last week we installed the BIG frame on the front of the Temple--about 8' wide and 30' tall, and today we installed a tall narrow window that is on the northwest corner--about 3' wide and 40' tall. They were challenging.

We had a lot of difficulty setting the final insulated glass in the large front window. My boss, Gary, was on the lift with the window (4' square) and Jason and I were inside in a very precarious position poking our bodies out of little excess holes. The top section of this large frame is not in a room, more like a crawl-space that will be lit at night to shine out the stained glass window...anyway so only 18" from the inside plane of the window is a painted wall with two small cut-outs. We could not get the glass to the frame from the inside but all the glass sets into the frame from the inside. The plan was that Gary would lift the glass into us and we would take the balance, then get the glass inside on an angle, and set it from the inside. But Gary could not even get under the glass to lift it. So Jason and I just looked at each other and out the window I jumped onto the lift with Gary to get the glass up. Did I mention that this was at 6:30pm after starting at 6:00am. We were tired and had to get this frame closed up before we went home, and we wanted to get home.

The frame I am talking about is the large area of plywood in the center of this picture. That whole area is in one room (for the most part) that is 2 stories+ tall. Beautiful! I will post some pictures that show the glass soon.

We are now down to one more window, 2 entry-ways, and 6 frames (with no glass) left to install. The last window we have to wait on as that opening will be the exit for the lifts on the 2nd floor. We have started on entry ways, and we are also waiting on other junk to get done for the 6 frames. There are also other things here and there that have to be done there, but we have really gotten a lot done in the past months. It has been really amazing to see so much transpire there. It will be a beautiful building.

One more cool thing I was told today... Gary told us that we will be able to get tickets for the Dedication! We can get one for ourselves and a companion. So Jess and I will be in the temple for the Dedication. What an opportunity!

TJ is home!

I stayed at the hospital with TJ again last night, I wanted Jess to at least have the chance to sleep through the night. He did quite well, he was a bit grumpy, but slept for most the night. His fever did not spike once, and so our family doctor released us this morning. It took a while to actually get out because they had to arrange an in-home IV, but we were able to get home before 2pm. It is nice to be home with him and not confined in the hospital.

The in-home care nurse came to get us set up with the IV stuff and so for the next week or so we will be giving TJ his medicine ourselves. We also will be going into the wound care specialists to have his dressings re-done each day. It looks so much better than it just 2 days ago. The wound care doctor removed all the excess skin and got it all cleaned up today. We may be back to doing the wrappings ourselves soon.

This has been an anxious few days, but we never felt really scared. The doctors and especially the nurses made us feel such at ease. One nurse in particular, Mickey, was just so wonderful to us. I havecometo really respect nurses and all they do...they are the ones that make the difference! The doctors are great, but the nurses are the ones there right when you need them.

TJ Update

This last week Jessica was worried about how his leg looked and so took him into the doctor to have it checked out. Well, it has gotten infected. Our doctor prescribed an antibiotic, but he couldn't keep it down. So Thursday night, after a wound specialist in our ward took a look at it, we took him into the ER. They put him on an IV to get the antibiotics into him, and we have the wound care specialists working on it topically. It is looking so much better, and TJ is in much less pain. He is doing much better and we may be able to bring him home Monday--unless we go to Shriner's then. We have a check-up scheduled for Thrusday, but that may be moved up...we will have to play that by ear. Everyone has been so wonderful to help us through this...our family and friends near and far...Thank you for your prayers.

Here are some more photos:

Our little TJ is such a good sport

Sometimes it is difficult to wrap, because of TJ's "help."

"Hand, Foot & Leg"