Moving along

So things on the house are really progressing. This weekend we started getting the bathroom tiled. We finished painting the bedrooms and only have a few touch-ups to do in them. We will wait on that for a while on that.

The cabinet guys and electricians were there really moving. The cabinets should be finished up in a day or two and the electrical won't be far behind.

We got the tile cut and set in place today, tomarrow I will morter it down. It has been very busy the past weeks.

Busy with house

Our kitchen with all the tape and texture done

So this week we have been very busy working on the house. After work I go over and work here and there, or go to Home Depot to get stuff to work on at the house. The drywall, tape and texture was finished early this week so we were getting ready for paint. I spent a lot of time masking off the windows, figuring out how we would have the shelves in the closets and pantry and doing what I could to move things along.

The front door waiting for paint

The siding also started this week. Most of the siding is done. They have the front of the house and garage left. It would be nice if the lake that is our driveway would go away, I bet these guys doing the siding are sick of wading in the mud by now. In a few weeks we should be ready for our garage floor, at least it is not as muddy as it is outside.

The location of our BBQ this summer...hopefully there will be grass and not mud!

Dad and I thought that we could start painting Friday night (paint a coat of primer), but we had to get part of the closet shelving done first. We worked on that last night, and finished that today. Then after cleaning up all the floors we were ready to spray the primer. We bought 15 (1 gal cans) for a killer price ($35...for all 15!) and unfortunately ran out before we could finish the laundry room or even start the garage. So we went back to Home Depot tonight to get 10 more gal. at the same price...they were all out of the stuff on sale, so we had to buy a 5 gal. bucket for the regular price ($80), bummer. So we will get that sprayed some day this week and then get the white sprayed and then roll the colors in the bedrooms. We should be all done painting just in time for the cabinets to go in. It is moving along very quickly....I just hope I will still have time to work on it in the next weeks (more than just on Saturday).

The house

Sunrise at our new house.

The last few weeks I have been working on the house quite a lot. after working my 8 hours at Jenkins Glass I go over to the house and work some more. I have gotten the house wrap done the exterior doors hung, and just about ready for the siding. The drywall has been going up this week, and we will be ready for paint by Monday. The cabinets are being built, and the tile is getting here on Monday too. Then I will have a lot of work to do inside. We are doing the paint, trim, hanging interior doors, and the tile...and most everything else inside and outside.

It has been making for long days, but we are getting closer.

The living room and into the kitchen. Drywall going up.

Our kitchen pantry.

Temple Dedication

Today was the Rexburg Temple dedication. Because we worked on the temple we were able to get tickets to the dedication. What was really great was that we were in the temple! There were so many people there! We were in the third of four dedicatory sessions. There were flat screen tv's and chairs in just about every imaginable corner of the temple for people to sit and watch the dedication in the Celestial room. Jessica and I were in the Baptistry, almost in the font. If I leaned my chair back I would have fallen down the steps into the font. There were even chairs set up in the Baptistry foyer.

It was a very spiritual experience. It is hard for me to put my feelings into words. It was amazing.

Raise the Roof!

Friday was a beautiful day. Our roofers must have thought so too. They got on our house and really got busy. The shingles were delivered on Thursday, and by Friday night nearly all the roof was done. Only half of the front was left to do, and that was finished Saturday. They sure did hit their window of opportunity because we woke up to snow.

It is really moving along

The back corner...I also installed the patio door on Friday night.

After putting in the patio door on Friday night, we headed up to Island Park. Saturday morning we slid down the hill, played in the powder with the kids and Star, and rode snow-machines. I went with Chris, Jake & Dave on the Lion Head Loop, and to Hebgen Lake. I took along the camera and got some cool images along the way. Hebgen Lake looked really cool, mostly because not too many people had been out that way, you could see one set of tracks out on the frozen lake...I don't think I would push my luck doing the same.

Campsite #21 Picnic Table, Hebgen Lake.

Cement and Windows

The house is coming along great! This week framing continued, rough-in of the plumbing started on the first floor, the basement floor was poured Friday, and Dad and I installed the windows on Saturday. We are really excited! We need to get our roofers and heating contractor started soon, then once the plumbing and electrical are done we can insulate it. I will have the doors hung in a week or two...as soon as we get them.

Looks great with windows doesn't it?

The back of the house. The funny little windows are in our closet and bathroom.

Our basement...with a floor, not just mud!

One month along

Jan 12, 2008--One month after the hole was dug.

Construction on the house has been going for one month now. It has really come a long way. December 12 the hole was dug and the foundation was poured. This last week a lot of framing has gone up. The outside of the house has really taken shape, as well as the interior walls (aside from the basement).

The muddy basement--each step makes your feet heavier.

I spent much of the week working on melting the ground of the basement and getting the water and sewer lines buried. Tonight Jessica's dad and brother helped me get the rest of the trenches filled in and mostly level. We hope to pour on Thursday or Friday. Our windows will be coming on Friday, so I will be installing them on Saturday morning.

Jess and the kids in our back yard--the kids want to keep the dirt mound there.

The plumber came back today and started roughing in the plumbing and even delivered the jetted tub and kids' shower/tub. In the next few weeks should see the plumbing and electrical get very far. Then the insulation and exterior...it sure is exciting!

House Progress

Backfilling the foundation

With everything else that is going on, our house is also progressing. We started about three or four weeks ago, and it is really progressing. The framers we got are great. They started on Christmas Eve...well, they intended to but the lumber wasn't delivered, so they started the day after Christmas. We had to get them a generator, and thankfully dad had a friend that loaned us his and my boss let us use a truck to haul the generator back and forth. They even worked New Years Eve and New Years Day.

Our new house...so far.

With the set backs we were still able to make some progress. As you can see, the walls are up. We should get the trusses done this week, and the roof sheeted. We have the basement windows installed (temporary, so that we can pour the floor through them.) I will be working on thawing out the basement so that we can pour the floor. I've also got the windows ordered and we should have them soon...needless to say, we are very excited.

Shriners

TJ can really get around now...he sometimes even asks to have his foot put on.

TJ is just about grown out of his first prosthetic. He got it back in August, and you know how kids grow. So Wednesday night we drove down and stayed at the Crystal Inn so the kids could swim in the pool. It was a lot of fun. We were letting them stay up a bit later to swim and get worn out with the hope that they would sleep in a bit...nope! TJ was up a lot of the night, then up at 5am, and Topher was up at 6! I was not a happy camper Thursday morning.

TJ loves this car at Shriners...even if it is just pushing his sister around.

We got to Shriner's early so that the kids could play in the cool big playroom before TJ's fitting. Then I took him in for his appointment. We thought he would be fine...but again our notions were wrong. He wanted his mom! So Jess and the kids came down to join us. He was much happier.

TJ thought it was funny to have his leg wrapped in plastic.

I've tot to say that the people who work at Shriners are really great with kids!

The prosthetic tech (I don't think this is his official title) wrapped his stump in plastic wrap then in fiberglass and he has to hold it while it sets up. Then he uses that to make a plastic sleeve to test the fit before he makes the actual prosthetic foot.

Eric making a fiberglass mold

Bla Bla Bla....anyway that was our trip...We will go back in a week or so to get the new one.

New Year Day Photos

On Tuesday, I went photographing with Andy Duncan, a friend from college. He showed me a great place southeast of Rexburg. We took my father-in-law's Saburban (and just about got stuck in the snow...FUN!) It was great to get out and make some images. I haven't seen Andy in a long time and it was great to catch up too. Check out his blog for his images from this trip...I think his are a bit better than mine. I feel that he is a more successful landscape photographer--Go, Andy, Go.

This is the shot we made from the roof of the Saburban

I think that maybe part of the reason I have gotten away from photographing is my lack of spending time with other photographers. I do get with Theo now and again, but I think that one may need several others in which they can work with to share ideas and thoughts with...to feed off each other. These last two little photo trips have been great...I need to go more often.

I thought it would be fun to take our dog, Star, out with us too. She had a blast! She ran and dug in the snow. I was quite suprised in how good she was too. I didn't have to chase her much, and when it was time to go she would get right into the car...we really lucked out with this dog.

The house we are building is really coming along. The walls are all framed and just about ready for the trusses. We should be pouring the basement floor next week (yea a little backward).

We also went down to Shriner's today to get TJ fitted for a new prosthetic. I'll get photos of that and the house posted soon. Things are just a bit crazy.

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.