Here is the house now. I’m working on the left side so you can’t really tell. I can’t finish the window and door on the front because John still has the front porch torn up. Lol It won’t really look nice until we get the porch and rails done but those are relatively easy so I’m saving them and trying to wrap up this major stuff before we start school.

Oh! Ignore that couch on the porch. It's a giveaway but the "take me" sign blew off. lol I was able to buy a really nice leather sofa and club chair from a friend that is moving so this one has to go. It's older than my oldest (21) but still looks pretty nice. lol

Here is where I spent all weekend.

And that is VERY high. I’m going to have to rent something to finish the upper trim. I tried one more step on the ladder and it totally freaked me out. Lol

Here’s where I ended. Doesn’t look like 14 hours of work does it? (Yes, it was after 8 at night when I finished the second coat of trim on the window and took this) But the section to the right is all ready to be primed and painted which will go fast since there’s no windows or anything. It rained today so I couldn’t. On these boards, I have to first sand with a flat sander, then, they are beveled on the top and bottom, so I have to go back over the bevels with a smaller sander. It’s a pain in the patoot. Sanding takes FOREVER!

Here is how massive that side wall is. This back section is done (except for finding replacements for the insulation plugs) and now I’m starting back at the front. I’m ignoring the middle because that bay window makes it really hard to reach anything. Not sure what I’ll be able to get to there. If I can get this side done, and the back portion of the other side that’s left I’ll be happy. The back will be easy with the porches to stand on and it’s not in the weather so isn’t in as bad as shape. This was really the worst side as far as sanding and such.

We seem to have wasps all over the place this year. (You should see me trying to stop myself from jumping off the scaffolding to get away from them as they attack me while I'm painting the house!) Skylar has been stung twice and Paige once. Her whole hand was swollen for days.

The most recent sting was Skylars; right in the bridge of his nose. It hurt, but didn't look too awful at the time. Well...this is what he looked like the next morning. Poor kid!

As you can see, it didn't seem to bother him too badly. I think he actually thought it was cool. In fact, I forgot all about it and sent him to the store for bread looking like that. I asked later if it bothered him and he said, "nope!". Now, I'm pretty sure his sister would have locked herself in the house, had it been her.

I occasionally find myself on a "refashioning" site or blog and then get lost for hours checking out all the links and projects. I would really like to find the time to do more of this kind of thing. I thought this idea looked especially easy and turned out GREAT! (These are wonderful projects to make with thrift store finds) Here, she took an A-line skirt, with some lovely embroidery and turned it into a tote bag. Isn't that lovely? See the how-to HERE. It actually looks surprisingly easy.

And no, he doesn't know why I'm taking the picture except that I'm so doggone impressed with his creation! LOL Ya just gotta laugh. I wonde how soon until this project can disappear.

We were in Seattle with the Suarez family (from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine) last week and it happened to be Skylar's birthday. He even got to visit the Space Needle on his birthday! (I'll post pics and blog about it soon)

Since we were at a Convention (WATCH) on his birthday I took him shopping in the exhibit hall and he

picked out this from the Timberdoodle booth (love those guys!).  Find them HERE.

They are movable, posable guys called Stikfas. This is the G2 Alpha Male Outdoor Adventurer. lol Then we got this :

Which is their Stop Motion Animation kit. I wasn't sure how hard it would be to make movies, but we finally sat down with it yesterday and figured it out.

This is Skylar's first movie: The Canoe Trip. He did the movie and I did the title, credits and sound. (I couldn't figure it out until after he went to bed). You might want to right click and open in a new window as I couldn't get the video to embed.

And here is what he did this morning, all on his own. This move is over 400 still shots. And it involves three different programs to put it all together. So, the fact that he can do this, at only 9 years old, is pretty impressive!

I'm sure he'll get better and better as we learn to use transitions, sound effects and special effects. This was just our first attempt. I have a feeling this was a great investment! He even ordered another set of "guys" online with some of his birthday money.

Well, a LOT of elbow grease and a LOT of hours on the porch roof this weekend and I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere. I spent about 20 hours sanding, priming and painting this weekend. Need a second coat on the White/Port accents and the front will be done (except for what I can't reach yet).

We have an insurance man coming to look at the house at 9 in the morning (NO I did NOT know that was going to be the case when I started this project - I about died when he said he had to come take pics of the house!). I actually hired a friend's 14 year old daughter to come and clean for me and she did an amazing job! Whew! There was no way I could do both and I really wanted to get this far on the outside this weekend. That's the first time I've ever hired anyone to help me inside and boy, was it NICE!

Here are the colors a bit closer. Stil, ti was getting dark and they're not true colors. And I need a second coat on the Port so it won't look so "raspberry" as it does right now. But you get the idea.

These windows are all going to be replaced as soon as we're done painting so I did a "not very good" paint job on the trim (didn't sand or anything) just so the house didn't look awful until we got around to putting in the new windows.

This week I'd like to finish that little back wall piece, do the rest of the top trim and get the bottom back piece done. I can only fit in 2-3 hour stints during the week, so that'll probably be about all I get done. I find I do better if I have a specific goal in mind. :-)

Blogging is becoming far too difficult, I keep hoping as the start of another year begins we will get back on track and I will be on here more regularly.

Things around here continue to move along at a feverish pace. 1G21 is preparing to return to her university, as she is busy writing book two in her series, it is now approximately 75,000 words, we will begin major editing over the coming months. Release for book two is scheduled right over the first anniversary of book one, May 2009. For now, she is busy writing, we juggle the usual annual preparation for returning her to school as we sort dorm supplies and gather necessities. I know she will appreciate the solitude of her dorm for writing, while also missing her siblings and the comforts of home. You can find her book here: www.jessicalynncampos.com, I know, it blows all sense of anonymity, but oh well.

2G16 safely returned from the UK mission trip a changed young woman! The experience was awesome and in today's world of technology she has made international friends she emails regularly. Her group was able to share the Word of God with many young people in Wales while expanding their own personalities as they stretched themselves in unfamiliar territory. It is amazing how the hand of God can work, simply because they were "Americans" they were quickly accepted and drew complete strangers to them, enabling them to share. What a blessing! God blessed her with His care, even as He allowed her camera to break--requiring her full attention to the task of missions rather than any photography.

Reading continues for 3B9, and what a challenge it is!! We juggle multiple reading curriculums in an effort to tackle this incredibly difficult skill for him, and it is a daily challenge. If anyone reading this has found a way to teach an autistic spectrum child to read, I would appreciate any help. There are days I am incredibly frustrated as he seems to completely grasp a concept one day and the next, it is gone. Other subject areas are going along well enough, I am thankful that he is incredibly bright and his memory is phenomenal. He is enjoying more science material and is becoming a wonderful help in teaching his younger brothers.

As for younger brothers? Well, 4B3 and 5B1 are becoming quite the clowning duo!! My morning wake-up has become their giggles as they go back and forth in their room entertaining one another, they will do almost anything to get a laugh out of each other. I have found 4B3 standing on his head with legs completely up in the air, as his brother is giggling wildly. And 5B1 misses no opportunity, as he has learned how to "bounce" anywhere possible: the crib, his bouncy chair, shopping carts, high chairs, even while sitting in the middle of the family room floor, he can bounce anywhere. And it is so adorable, a smile naturally comes to anyone who sees him happily bouncing everywhere he goes.

If you are wondering about our school plans, we have continued with various things throughout the summer, but I am in the midst of major planning now. And of course, before any official beginning to the next year's curriculum I want everything in the house in order. So I plan to paint the kitchen in the next couple of weeks. Always something!! I may very well have some family come and visit soon too, so the next month will be incredibly busy as we knock out more of life's tasks as the next year gets into full swing. I am so thankful for health, my hubby's job, my wonderful children, my reviewer job, friends, and family. As much as I complain about this old house of ours, I am thrilled to have a roof over my head and a kitchen that needs painting. And paint. We have been incredibly blessed, and I am so very thankful.

So what are you thankful for these days? Have you been busy with home improvements this summer? What about vacation, did you take one? Are you all set and ready for this school year? Talk to me!! Any encouragement to getting back into regular blog entries will be greatly appreciated. ;-)    HUGS!!!

I have to keep telling myself that! If you're wondering where I've been....it's HERE:

This is what WAS our front porch! I'll spare you the details but, suffice it to say, one thing leads to another.

Anyhoo...since there are only so many warm days left, I'm getting a bit worried about getting this project done. I'm trying to work in the mornings and sand/paint in the afternoons.

Here we are with things getting even worse. Did I mention I'm the only one doing this? My husband is in harvest now, so the porch will remain that way until late August! lol Actually, I finally broke down and hired a young man to help sand, but he's working on the massive wall on the left side (that you can't see) This is all my "handiwork".

This is the nifty bench handy hubby made me so I can reach up to the corbels. Unfortunately, it is about six inches too short. I can reach everything except the front soffit board, which needs sanded as well. I'm just going to ignore it for now, though.  Oh!! And there are birds in that hole on the left, so we can't cover it up until the babies fly out. They freak me out because they rustle around when I'm working there and I always think they're going to come out and attack me - or Momma Bird is. She's not happy about this whole thing. But I'm not happy they're there, so we're even. lol We'd covered the rest of the holes w/fiberglass long ago and it held up well. This one still had a plug, which fell out.

 I painted the bottom front. Yay! I've decided that, for my mental stability as well as physical well-being (sanding is HARD, hot, dirty work!) I'll have to see progress and paint as I go.

Here are the colors. The body is Mochachino, trim is Chocolate Cupcake, Accents are Port and Porch rails and inside windows are Creamy White.

I actually got the body coat on the top front last night. Between MORE sanding, scrubbing the filthy corbels and moulding, priming and painting, I was on the porch from 2 - 8:30 pm!! I didn't take a pic yet, because it doesn't really look that good w/o the window trim done. Today is shot with activities, but I' hoping to get the rest of the top completely done this weekend. May be overambitious, but one can hope! lol Actually, my family was making fun of me last night because I wouldn't come in until I had the front painted.

There are times when a small house would be infitely more desirable. This is one of those times. :-) Still, I know that by doing this ourselves we are saving between $20,000 and $30,000. (Is that CRAZY or what??!! I think I'm in the wrong business. No. I wouldn't want to do this for a living)

Print off a coupon for free 22 oz Zout at www.trymefree-zout.com

~D

This summer has certainly held many "firsts" for our family, and over the coming days it holds a tremendous amount of firsts for our 2G16 as she has embarked on her first mission trip!! In a mere twelve hours from when I write this, she will be flying out to the United Kingdom to serve full time missionaries on the field there in whatever capacity is necessary. This will be her FIRST airplane flight, and FIRST international airplane flight, FIRST trip on her own beyond her history of summer camps, FIRST mission trip, and FIRST trip with no other people she knows beforehand!! God has called her into quite a growth experience over these next two weeks. I appreciate your prayers on her behalf.

I am avoiding focusing on my motherly concerns for her right now, I'm doing my best to focus on God's calling in her life. I am so thrilled that she heard...and obeyed! What a blessing she is to our family. The last year has been filled with many confirmations that this trip is what God wanted to do in her life right now. I pray that she is a blessing to everyone she works with, and that the witness she and the entire group offer to those around them will bring others to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. I pray that she will be blessed by that true blessing: witnessing firsthand someone else finding salvation for the FIRST time!!

Suddenly, the FIRST book written by our daughter, FIRST exposure to publicity for our family in the book effort, and planning this FIRST mission trip pale in comparison to the firsts my 2G16 will experience. We have been very blessed and pray that this summer reveals many blessings for your family.

We have continued learning a bit about the United Kingdom, and are enjoying a clock up right now so we can follow 2G16's time while she is away.  Reading study continues in earnest for 3B9 and is finally coming along fairly well. Study of business practices and all things publicity continues to take some of our time as we push 1G21's first book. And I am busy with continued organization of the house and the last of the odd jobs around the boys' bedroom transfer that began more than a month ago. I don't even want to look back to see when I actually STARTED that job!! Things are moving along well enough overall, though.

Has your family decided on a particular curriculum for next school year? I'd love to hear about it!