Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Still no pictures, but sit down, I will tell you a story

Back before I started blogging I used to send out a newsletter via e-mail every month. It was a great way to keep track of our lives from month to month. Since our laptop died I haven't been posting because it is so lame to post without pictures... but I don't know when we will replacing the laptop so... I have to start somewhere, I feel so behind. Let's start in September, close your eyes and picture this... OK open your eyes now, you have to keep reading.

September was the last month of my pregnancy, there I was, big and pregnant, bossing everyone around. Calling the electrician and plumber and wearing maternity clothes so there was no doubt... this addition must get done... the sooner the better. It was a flurry of activity, everyday. I was feeling great and trying to get as much as I could done each day. I would stay up late painting, listening to my Ipod. Matt was also doing alot of painting but he was using a paint sprayer so he was getting ALOT more done than me, but with more profanity (just barn terms) because the paint sprayer kept breaking. My old rolling method never failed but took about 10 times longer.

We knew the cold weather was supposed to come so we (when I say we, I mean me) were pushing hard to get the outside of the house painted. Matt painted the whole outside of the existing house in a day. There was still SO much to be done. I was in denial about my looming due date (more about my severe case of denial later.) That Saturday my mom called and said, "What are you doing?"
Me, "Just trying to get all this painting done." heavy sigh.
Mom, "Are you washing the sheets of the guest bed?"
Me thinking, "no, mom, I just told you we are painting."
Me, "No, why?"
Mom, "Because I'm on my way."
Me, (I may have squealed with delight because she was coming days earlier than she planned.)

So the next day, after church (hey, the ox was in the mire) we painted the trim on the whole house (Jenn even came and joined us.) It was sunny and lovely but the next day, du, du, dun. It got COLD and might have even snowed a little, I can't remember the snow, just the cold.

So all week I called emergency girl's days in which my friends came and wielded paint brushes, caulk guns, and sanding blocks. (My mom is a stickler for sanding in between coats.) We taped, we caulked, we primed, we sanded, we painted, we sanded, we painted. In that order. It was so great to have the help. On Wednesday night a crew of people decsended on our house. It seemed news of our plight had gotten out and the young women and men had taken pity on us and made us a service project. Matt directed while they swept the garage, moved heavy stuff (treadmill anyone), taped stuff off, ate the pizza sitting on our counter (teenage boys will eat anything), we even had a few trusted individuals painting trim. It was chaos. Tom, the carpet guy was there until 8:30 laying carpet in what would be our new bedroom. All our bedroom furniture was in the front room, including our bed, in preparation for more new carpet the next day. At about 9:00 we were in the front room visiting with the last few stragglers who had come to help. I felt a twinge. "Hmm, " I thought to myself, "I better get my feet up and stop these pains, there is sooo much to do tomorrow." TO BE CONTINUED....