Grandparents

They show up.

Even when it's windy and the dust blows so hard we can feel the grit in our teeth.

They show up. 

Even when the temperatures drop and the sky turns dark well before they arrive home.

They show up.

Even though they showed up for the other grandkids the night before.

They show up.

In rain and snow and heat and wind, every season, every year.

Recitals and track meets, basketball games, and band competitions. Every graduation, every 4-H event, and everything in between.

Grandparents show up.

They keep folding chairs and stadium seats the back of their car so they're always available and have a few extra bucks in their pickets in case the concessions stand serves popcorn. They cheer, hug and smile for a picture with the grandkids before heading home to rest.

They show up.

Even though they don't have to. As an adult, I now realize most of life is just about showing up.

It's support and care, encouragement and love without saving a word.

Because when my kids look into the stands and see a familiar face, they know unconditional love.

I know, because that's what I felt when they showed up for me.

Do they know the impact they have just by showing up?

Written by Leslie Means

Yes, we do!

Soccer

Football

Gymnastics

More soccer

Concerts

Wrestling

Trap Shooting

Basketball

Cross Country

Birthdays

More Basketball

Play Day

Baseball

Tee-ball

Calla doesn't do things yet, but we like to visit.

Back To The Basics

 Jim has started the demolition of the basement bathroom. The first part is taking everything out and redoing the plumbing.

These two photos  the best before pictures we have. 

Vanity is out and the mirror ready to go. One of the problems we are having with this project is where to put the stuff we remove from these rooms and cupboards and closets. Some places are getting crowded. 

There was a little closet where Jim is working that held our paint cans, and painting stuff, and most of it needed to be thrown away anyway. That space is going to be in the bathroom to fill in the notch where the door is now.

The shower is gone. 

 

This view is from the inside of the bathroom. The closet on the left side of the photo will be narrowed just a bit. 

We hired someone to come in and remove the concrete floor. 

The house filter and soft water system had to come out so Jim can redo the floor drain under them. From here you can look right into the bathroom.

Starting to dig.

Perhaps those reading this blog don't need to see all these photos. They are a reference and storage place for ourselves as well. 

Step By Step

Jim had to replace the landing at the bottom of our stairs because he was furring

(In construction, furring are strips of wood or other material applied to a structure to level or raise the surface, to prevent dampness, to make space for insulation, to level and resurface ceilings or walls, or to increase the bean to a wood ship. Furring refers to the process of installing the strips and the strips themselves.)

that back wall in order to install the insulation that was never put there. The contractor, who I am suspecting didn't do a very good job building this house, used 2x4s, the short way leaving an empty 

1 1/2" space, instead of the long way which would be a 3 1/2" space and room for insulation. This, Jim did, put the insulation in, shortened the landing and made new risers for the stairs. With a router, he made a very nice riser out of oak because it was cheaper than the other, even though he hated to paint it white, but that is what we are going with for trim. 

We took a video of Jim sliding it in. I know it was in the camera, but somehow it wasn't on the computer when I went looking for these photos. 

Very nicely done.

And, we are not doing flooring next and the photo is in my phone on my computer, so you will have to wait. 

Bathroom next.

 

To Sleep Or Not To Sleep

I came across this comic in my photo sorting. It represents a real truth in my marriage at least. Anytime I ever wanted to tell Jim "something important", he would promptly fall asleep.  I used it once in a while on purpose when Jim complained he couldn't get to sleep. That is a "walking on eggshells" moment, since I couldn't let him know I was doing it on purpose. It worked if I did it right. 

 

 

The Ceiling's The LImit

Jim is working hard to get this section of the family room completely finished so we can move things out of the bedroom behind the door. That will be a problem because I won't want the space to go back to the mess it was. 

We picked out the ceiling tiles we wanted about a year ago when we were thinking this project would only be basement ceiling replacement project. Summer happened and nothing was done in the basement except the popcorn ceiling and the paneling taken off the wall. 

Then plumbing happened. 

The first stage of the plumbing replacement is done and Jim has the walls re-sheetrocked and painted and he's ready for the ceiling. Our basement family room had three lights. One in this smaller area, and one on each end of the larger area the size of our living room. Jim decided there would be LIGHTS when he was in charge so he put wiring in for 6 of those flush LED lights.

And, speaking of wiring. We've always wanted lights under the deck, so Jim wired for a light outside the basement door. It didn't work. Now, what? Years ago when we built the deck, Jim disconnected the flood lights that were there and put can lights in the soffets and wired them differently. He kept the switch in place to use someday for those under deck lights and didn't think about it for years.  

After investigating the no power to the new light, he found the wire he disconnected wasn't run the way he expected, so he had to run new wire down from the switch in the kitchen (you can see the hole next to the phone thingy if you look closely) down through the wall and through the uncovered 

joists to the new light. 

After the ceiling is finished this mess has to be cleaned up. 

The grid is all up and part of the ceiling tiles in.

The ceiling tiles slide in nicely. This one goes around the stairwell.

Four of the six lights are up and running. 

To install a light:

Cut a hole in the ceiling tile

Clean up the hole with a utility knife.

Show the photographer the hole for a picture.

Insert light in the tile and slide it in. 

Discover you need to connect the light before sliding the tile in.

The ceiling is completely finished. 

Flooring may be next. We picked out our color and I didn't take a photo. 

I may yet. 

 

Finishing Outside Basement Wall

Our basement is the "walk-out" variety and the builder didn't insulate the walls. Jim took out the narrow boards and put in 2x4s so there would be room for the insulation. That makes the walls a half inch wider than they were before. 

Jim tarped off the rest of the family room so no one can see the mess that's behind it. 

Or maybe so it wouldn't get the mess dirty.

Sheet rock in the laundry room with new outlet positions.

The foot of the stairs, before and after insulation.

Ready for sheetrock...

... and painting, Jim's least favorite job after mudding.

When the original sheetrock is off, Jim is rewiring switches and outlets so they are more user friendly. We want to put lights under the deck and by the back door, and the time to plan and do that, is before the walls are finished.