Week #39: The week of dust and chaos

This week...

...we ripped out the linoleum floors. Not a fun job! We had some helpers that made it go so much faster. We were so thankful for their willingness to help out. We couldn't believe how much work it was.

Here's the before of the hall. All we've done is paint the hall gray and the ceiling white at this point. See how that far wall is looking really green. Yep, gotta go.

After: This is our first section done. It was mostly Jason and our friend Adrian that worked on this part. This was not a very fun or easy project.

The kids enjoyed helping so much that they wanted to do it before school. I couldn't get them to stop and get out the door for the bus.

Our crew went from a few...(Jason, Paul, and Bishop Pierce.)

to a few + one...(Jason, Paul, Bishop Pierce, Maciah Slaugh)

to a few + two...(Jason, Paul, Bishop Pierce, Maciah, and Emma)

to a few + three...(Claire joined the group.)

...to a slew. (Several other young men showed up-Daniel Cazier, Jonathon Scott, and Christian ) That's when the work went faster.

They got the whole dining area done. Phew! Jason cut the floor into sections which helped A LOT. It reduced the amount of resistance and made it go SO much faster.

Mike Votaw and Adrian Sandoval came the next day to help with the kitchen area. All the kids were super helpful. Emma and Claire worked on staples. Paul worked with the men. Lainey and even Benjamin picked up debris and threw it away.

Benjamin-He was trying to get out of my picture taking.

This is Lainey when it started to get late. She was ti-red.

I was on staple duty for most of the demolition. The Sandovals loaned us a handy tool for ripping them out and channel lock pliers were my friends for several days. Amber Riner came over and put in several hours ripping staples out with me.

Lainey did try her hand at the crow bar and hammer. No, it didn't last long.

This was our house of chaos one night during renovation. We had a neighbor family over for ice cream and Adrian came to help rip up the floor, bringing his kids and two extras with him. That's how we do things!

  ...Jason finished the built-in in the office. It is ready for painting.

Jason takes a break from building and enjoys time on his new bench.

...we took a trip to Standard Paint with Whitney to check out floor and carpet choices. Our quest for the just the right thing is still before us. (Jason's the one that can't decide.)

...my mom and dad came for a visit. It helped to break up the work monotony. We went to Karne Max for lunch. It's a local carniceria with a restaurant inside. We ordered tacos and tortas and papusas - yum!

...Jason put in a real flag pole. We were all very excited. The kids helped out a little before they went to school. 

...Paul received an award at Cub Scout Pac Meeting. He sure is a cute little Wolf Cub, isn't he? (Pictured with Cub Scout Master Chad King and Wolf leader Myella Cress)

...Emma and I attended the service project and women's conference. It was so much fun. We sat with our friends for dinner and the conference. Amber and Taya Riner, Aubrey and Kai Barney, and Angie and Bella Sandoval.

We spent most of our time making these worry dolls because they were so much fun. Here are some that Emma made.

Week #38: Revere Pewter

This week...

...we celebrated Benjamin and Claire's 7th birthday with family. We had a full house and a fun celebration.

Gloves and Hat homemade by Aunt Shawnee

The cupcakes were a hit!

...We painted the ceiling white. I worked on this mostly while Jason worked on the shelves in the office. It wasn't so bad. I always like to see the progress and how the new color changes everything so much. (The color is Chantilly lace and yes, Whitney chose it.)

Emma needed a place to sit to do homework, but I needed the couch covered to paint over it. Compromise? She sat underneath the plastic.

I had a lot of paint splatters on my face by the time I was done.

...Claire and Lainey helped us paint the walls, a little. I let them paint out ahead of me so that I could smooth it over as I came behind them. Revere Pewter here we come! (Whitney helped us with this color too!)

Jason's taking off the trim so we don't have to tape it.

He's working touch up along the ceiling. (See Lainey working so hard to be in the picture? Haha!)

...we welcomed my nephew Jordan home from his mission. Elder Zirker sure looked good. It's amazing how two years seems so long in the beginning and such a wisp of time at the end.

(So, funny story...the missionary in the forefront is related to Jason. I saw his mom Cherie (Jason's cousin) at the mini Erickson family reunion at the end of August. When I saw her walking around the airport before the missionaries came in, I couldn't believe it. What are the chances, right? Sure enough, she was expecting her missionary son home from the same mission as my nephew - Albuquerque, New Mexico. And they even served one transfer as companions. Small world.)

Lainey wasn't so sure about Jordan hugging her.

...we got our family pictures done. A friend of mine from our ward did our pictures this go around. we chose Zae's garden (we go swimming at her house in the summer) as our backdrop and had a fun time trying to get some good shots. Luckily everyone was cooperating. Here's what we got.

Benjamin is making a silly I'm going to get you face in this one, but at least he was joking instead of crying.

Emma, 10

Paul, 8

Benjamin, 7

Claire, 7

Lainey, 4

Jason and I

 We had to get one with Grandma Zae.

...our friend Oscar, the Air Force Recruiter, brought his jet over to show the kids. He was nice enough to give the boys a ride. They use the jet for parades and such.

...we shared some smoothie ice cream with our friends Tyson and Whitney. This couple is seriously so awesome! This is the famous Whitney that picks out all the good paint colors we've been using. Tyson's pretty cool too!

...I went to the temple. It was so nice to be there with Pedro and Leah as they went through for the first time and were sealed together. This was the view going in.

What wasn't so great is how the Taurus battery was completely DEAD when I came out to go home. Luckily Tyson and Whitney came to my rescue. That's the second time that Tyson has kindly bailed us out for a dead battery though. Yes, they teased me mercilessly. Here's the "Oh no!" picture - the one that helps you laugh later.

Despite the gallant rescue, this is what I discovered the next morning when I tried to use the Taurus. It was DEAD again! So I shook my head, took a picture for the blog, and decided I didn't need to go anywhere after all. Haha! What a blessing that I made it all the way home the night before from the temple. I would have hated to break down on the road and be stranded for real.