The Shower Unveiled

So here it is, it is finally done, but the pictures don't do it justice because I can't take a picture of the whole thing because there isn't anywhere to stand far enough back to get a great shot, so this is what you get.







This is the corner bench. I do really enjoy my shower, it came together just fine. There is places I would do things different or get more of the thinset out but for my first time it isn't too bad.
Hope you all can get an idea of what it looks like.

Beau's Birthday

We finally celebrated Beau's birthday. He wanted a Lego cake, I didn't get copyright permission but I doubt they'll care, it was his idea to use marshmallows for the white part, I don't know how it tasted but it looked good enough.
We did a bonfire, the kids had fun even though it was muddy.


I forgot candles so we just sang and ate and then they went down to the basement and played, it was fantastic.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAU!!!

Not Me...Monday #5

I can't believe it is already five weeks since I started doing Not Me Monday's. They are fun and something I look forward to. I kind of hope my friends and family enjoy reading them and get to see a little bit of the crazy life we lead here in the middle or nowhere.



I am not baking cupcakes right now for Beau's 7th birthday to take to school, I am way more prepared than that I did it last night. I am not going to put skittles and frosting on top of these cupcakes that would just be a mean thing to do to that poor teacher.

I did not forget to put Anna's library books in her bag this morning, for the second week in a row. She always returns her books on time and I won't be taking them in when I take in the cupcakes as soon as they are finished.

I did not almost break down in tears when I ran out of grout to finish the shower tiling project that I didn't start 3 weeks ago. This project has been smooth sailing there haven't been 12,000 setbacks and I'm not ever going to take a shower in that shower because I this point I don't HATE IT.
I also didn't sigh with exasperation when I didn't go to pick up more grout and for the first time they didn't have the color I needed in stock, they didn't say they would have it for me tomorrow and it isn't now four days later and the shower still isn't finished because I don't have the grout. AGGGHHHH!!!

I didn't curl up in my bed Friday and secretly delight in the fact that all three of my children curled up with me to watch Shrek on TV, we've seen Shrek 12 times and I wouldn't let my children stay up way past their bedtime just to relish in the quiet coziness of it all, that would make for seriously grumpy kids the next day and I wouldn't want to deal with that.

I didn't take several naps this week while Luke watched cartoons because I wasn't exhausted from 2 weeks of 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. working out at the house. There was still way too much to be done for me to take naps and go out to lunch with a friend this week. I would be absolutely crazy to have done that.

I didn't give my kids showers right after school because by night time we are all exhausted or at the other house or something so they were not in serious need of baths the other day.

And finally we don't really close tomorrow (even though it wasn't supposed to be today) because that would mean all of this hard work is finally coming to fruition and I am not in complete unbelief that we are finally at this point. I am also not a little bit upset that we don't have a kitchen thus we have no cabinets to put anything away and well it won't be very interesting for the next few weeks to live in our new house.

I am not at all excited for tomorrow and I didn't stay up last night and post a sneak peak blog at some of the completed or almost completed rooms in my new house.

Have a great MONDAY!!!

A Sneak Peak

So here it is a little peak into our new home, our fresh start, our humble abode, whatever you want to call it, we move in Tuesday. We also now close on Tuesday thanks to the bank. But I'm not bitter, actually I'm just glad it was only a one day bump and we are still on track with everything.
My fabulous shower is still not complete, but well I just couldn't wait to show some of the stuff we have been so busy with. So enjoy.

This is the sink in our vanity, this one happens to be Ben's, it is a custom made counter top out of I don't know what, but I got to pick the color and I like it A LOT.

Here is a shot of the vanity from the bathtub, as you can see my sink isn't quite finished but the plumbers will be back Monday, or they better be back Monday I should say. We will eventually when someone makes up her mind get two mirrors, Ben wants one giant mirror but I am dead set against it. Any opinions?
Okay here it is the most glorious place to sit in the house, yes it is the bathtub, I can't wait to lock the door and have solitude.
And just because one picture might not be enough I took two.
Then this is the floor looking into the closet. You can see the rug outside the shower, but sorry you can't see the shower until it is finished, completed, done, and well that may be sometime in the next century.
Here is Anna's vanity and rug, they do have mirrors, but they aren't up and I'd rather take picture without looking at myself taking the picture. I also like that you can see the toilet seat up, life with boys I guess.
Another shot to see the whole view with her lights. Do you like the soad dispenser, toothbrush holder, yes 62 cents, thank you.
Here is the boys vanity area, again the same soap toothbrush ensamble, can't beat the price.
Here is there bath/shower, shower curtain and rug with matching curtain rings, less than $15 dollars, I know your impressed.
Here it is looking from the other direction I know you can't see the rings sorry could only fit so much in.
So what do you think. Do you like it so far. I'd show you more but well, we don't have a kitchen. Did I mention we move in on Tuesday, oh I did. Well we will have appliances and everything from storage but no cabinets, they were the wrong color. It happens, someday the cabinets will come and it will all be together. For now we will all be together with all our stuff and we will be happy.
On a side note...
Beau turns 7 tomorrow, he is so full of wisdom and brains. I was sweeping tonight with a broom and this was the information he gave me...
Mom, that is the way they did it in the 90's because you know they didn't have vacuums back then so they had to use the broom.
I am not sure what he was talking about but I guess since he wasn't alive in the 90's that seemed like far enough ago. How strange is that.

Missing Grandma

My Grandma Altine died seven years ago today, Nov. 15, 2001, I won't ever forget the day because it was the day I was due with my firstborn, I was in Alaska, she passed away in Michigan. Beau was born on the 17th the day of my grandmother's funeral, as my mom and aunt and all my family laid her to rest I was bringing new life into the world. The last time I talked to her was one of her last coherent moments. I missed being there I hated I couldn't say good-bye but I know she passed by Beau and got to give him a kiss on her way up. It took me a long time to realize she was gone because of missing the funeral there was very little closure. I think it was three years after her death that I finally made it to the cemetary and got to say goodbye that I felt like I was able to let go because I knew she was in a far better place.
Some things I learned from my Grandma and memories I have. They haven't faded and I pray they never do.
I spent lots of weekends with her and we never missed Sunday morning Mass, one week we just weren't able to get to the church, I have no idea why, but she made us sit and watch Mass on television. I've never since watched Mass on television nor will I probably but it sure showed me how important the Word of God was to her and I carry that with me always.
She also wasn't afraid, at least in my mind, if we were going to cross the road we did it where we wanted and the cars would stop, when she was in a wheel chair if we didn't go when she said oh did we get lectured. The cars always stopped we always made it safely across and she was see I told you.
She forgave, we broke a lot of things in her house, furniture, crystal, and once during a raging game of PayDay I stood up to rejoice and smashed her chandelier above the dining room table. Glass was everywhere, I was in tears because I felt so bad, she just gave me a hug, laughed and we all cleaned it up. Some days I need more of that attitude when my children break things.
She didn't cook much if ever, I only remember soup, microwave meals, or going out to eat, but we did have fun no matter what.
She used to work in a video store and we'd walk to the store get a movie and go back to her house to watch it until she got out of work. She also took us to the movies, the one I remember the most was E.T. because my favorite cousin cried at the end. I remember Grandma consoling her even for the life of me I couldn't figure out what was so upsetting about the whole thing. Now I understand a little more, but the whole alien thing just doesn't bring me to much emotion.
We always ate pudding pops, my kids had one last summer, it all but brought tears to my eyes, she ALWAYS had pudding pops in her freezer for us.
I do miss Grandma, I miss that she never got to meet my kids or visit me in one of my homes. But I know she shared her life with me in ways I will never forget. I know she loved the Lord despite any of her flaws, and I know she was loved by many. For all those missing her today and thinking about her I hope this helps you to remember some of the good times too. And if anybody is going to the cemetary today would you please leave a prayer or a flower from me.
I'm going to go run a bath for my kids and dry my tears now.

P.S. Please pray for Ben's Uncle Gerald he is having difficulty recovering from jaw surgery.

Just About Beau

UPDATED - FRIDAY 11/14 6:30 P.M.
As we are driving home from hockey tonight this is Beau's question...
"Do mice have trouble pooping?"
I was just like huh, what, why are you asking that.
His reply "well because they eat all that cheese you know so I just wondered if it made them have problems."
Entertaining to say the least.

Beau has started hockey as seen in a previous post. He has been steadily getting better. The second practice he said he wanted to quit...I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact I was a little tough on him that day trying to help but not the way he wanted. So I told him quitting wasn't an option and we went home. Practice #3 went significantly better and I kept my mouth shut. After practice he didn't want to quit anymore. #4 was awesome. I had to leave to take Anna to a sleepover and when I came back he was following the coach staying on his feet, hitting a puck and chasing it and just overall starting to look like a hockey player...albeit one who still spent a lot of time falling down and getting back up.
Then Sunday I took him to an open skate, I had so much fun I hadn't skated for years and was worried I'd be a bit unsteady. But I wasn't and we held hands and skated, I held him up when he'd start to fall. Then I wanted him to do it himself some more (he had his helmet on but not full gear or armor as he calls it). So we skated back and forth he fell a lot and without armor it hurt. Then we started to race, I skated backwards, he was doing really well with this. Beau got hungry only because they had a small concession stand, so I told him if he could make it from one end to the other without falling I'd buy him something. So of course he did, all the way without falling, he got a snickers. He ate it while I skated, he waved everytime I went by and when he was finished he came back out with me. Then we played a little more.
It was so fun, at least for me, he was tired whiney and a little sore from all the falls. He was even grumpier when we got back to the property and Ben was wrestling with Luke and Anna and they were finished. Beau was bummed he'd missed out, wrestling with dad is the best according to him.
So I was feeling a little miffed, I thought we'd just had a great time and maybe he didn't so much.
Well HE DID, yesterday after school he gave me a thankyou card with a note saying how much fun he had skating with me (even if he said his favorite part was the snickers.) It was so cool, it really made my day and allowed me to see how much Beau really did appreciate our time together.
This was a conversation I had with Beau last night on the way home from CCD.
Beau "Mom, soon I'm going to get a car."
Me "oh really"
B "yeah, maybe a brown chevy or something like that."
"dad likes chevy right mom"
Me "Yes, he does, but you can have your own opinion"
B "well what else is there, what doesn't dad like"
Me "Toyata, isn't dad's favorite"
B "well, maybe I'll get a brown one of those"
Me "well you don't have to get something dad doesn't like"
B "why doesn't dad like it"
Me "the company is owned by another country"
B "Oh, well what is owned in the United States"
Me "well, Ford...Dodge"
B "oh I'll get a Dodge, I like those, well what about a jeep does chevy make a jeep?"
Me "no jeep is it's own company"
B "well what country owns Jeeze"
Me "It's Jeep, and I'm not sure I think it is American"
B "oh okay, by the way when can I get a car, like when I'm 18"
Me "I don't know we'll see"

Then Beau goes back to talking about the radio and what music he wants to listen to and what song is on and who is singing it. Life is never dull with Beau around.

Not Me...Monday #4

It's that time again, to not tell you about everything I didn't do this week. Thanks MckMama for starting this game.
I did not just spend all day shopping alone, in solitary, by myself. Because we didn't need a whole bunch of stuff for the new house that I didn't want to have in before the appraisal on Thursday. I didn't find some serious great deals, and I wasn't at all giddy about some of those deals. I mean 75 cents for three brand new halloween costumes is not a bargain at all. I didn't talk to random strangers all day long just because, my dad does that stuff not. I didn't take myself out to lunch at a Chinese buffet that is what my dad would have done. My dad didn't rub off on me at all.
I didn't find the greatest bathroom get up for my kids for under $15 including the matching rug. That would just be too great for me to even comprehend.
I did not do any Christmas shopping nor did I find the bean bags I've been looking for. My day did not go marvelously.
I did not get helped by every person available at Home Depot because I can find everything I need without help. I didn't need anyone to lift down the shelves, I think there were some bored Home Depot employees today.
I did not come home to happy children that were ready for bed, Luke wasn't asleep on his daddy's lap and daddy didn't earn big bonus points for all he accomplished today.

The tile did not come off the entry way of my shower and three pieces did not break, that would be a tragedy and require some immediate attention. I did not say a bad word when this did not happen and then ignore it and go about doing whatever I wasn't doing to begin with and leave the problem for another day.

I am not looking forward to moving into my house next week and getting my belongings that have been in storage for 8 months. I wouldn't get my hopes up like that. (the electrician and plumber better get their acts together, or they won't like me)

I'm Listening

Do you ever feel like every thing that does or doesn't happen is God trying to teach you a lesson. I have been feeling it profoundly lately, and at times I want to scream "okay I get it already" but other times I have an ahhh moment.
Tonight was one of those times, I've been completely frustrated with Ben and all his recent mishaps. Even though I realize most of them are silly mistakes or accidents that are unavoidable they have still been frustrating financially and stressful with every thing going on trying to build a house. So there have been moments lately that I just want to go crazy with him. And then driving home tonight I had an aha moment where I realized it could happen to me too and maybe I need to be more thankful that more hasn't happened to me along this crazy journey we've been on.
Tonight on the way home from the property it was 11 pm and the boys were almost asleep in the car I was going 60mph (the speed limit) and I didn't have my brights on (whoops) I was thinking about everything i did get done and everything I didn't get done when there are three deer on the road in front of me, I knew there was no way I could stop I did slow down a little and they were all just evenly spaced apart that I could thread the needle through them. It was almost too easy like I was just being guided right on around, now why can't it be that easy for Ben. I know I didn't do anything right I was going too fast, not paying attention, and I didn't have my brights on yet I went right through.
So yes thankyou God, I hear you, I will try to be more patient and maybe pray for him more that these mishaps come to an end and we get the house built and find comfort in our new home. I will try to let go of my anger and worry about finances and worry about today and not tomorrow.
These little lessons have been happening to me all week even as I typed this after 11 at night Anna is just getting in bed and she yells down. I hadn't gone up the stairs to give her a hug and kiss. I had kissed her goodnight down here and told her I loved her, but that wasn't enough. I was typing didn't she know it was my blog time I wanted to go up and give her an ear full about just getting in bed and going to sleep I'd already kissed her, but I realized she won't ask to be tucked in forever and some day I am going to miss it, so I kissed her I hugged her, and I rolled my eyes that she had the dog curled up in bed next to her, the stinky dog that really needs a bath. I was just about to tell him to go to his kennel but before I could she says, "mom I love when Zip cuddles with me." Okay so cuddle go to sleep enjoy these moments of childhood.
I could go on and on tonight about these little lessons that my attention is drawn into the tinier details into the things that matter, but it is late and I have so much to contemplate and I am tired.
Also three pieces of tile fell off the wall and broke and another five pieces just came off, in the entry way of the shower. SO my was complete tile job is now not complete and I have no idea what lesson I am supposed to be learning from this.
Anyone got a suggestion on an entryway that isn't tile?
Good night, God Bless.

Good Saturday Morning

Well, I can't believe it is already Saturday and I haven't even posted since Monday. We have been so busy at the property or house as we should call it. Mon. Tue. and Wed. we were out there until 11 at night working, the kids went to bed in their sleeping bags in front of the fireplace. They have been a bit crabby this week but it is crunch time and we will all get back on track very soon. Only 9 more days until closing and 10 until our household goods arrive.
I finally finished tiling the shower and returned the tile saw. I still have to grout it but I needed a break from my bathroom, I spent a lot of time in there. The floor has been grouted the vanities have all been set and now we are waiting on the plumber. I do need to paint the shower ceiling and paint the trim for the shower but I have to wait for some special paint. So in the mean time I've been painting trim, cleaning up, and helping with the concrete countertops. The island counter is poured and turned out good, now we just have grinding to do and that is all up to Ben.
Today's agenda is a full one again. We will empty the trailer of trash, then fill it up with some firewood, pick Anna up from her sleepover, clean all the extra thinset from the tub and shower, get it prepared to grout, grout it, paint trim, paint more trim, and then paint some more trim (there is a lot of trim), lay the linoleum tonight right before leaving and any other little jobs that crop up.
I'm taking a huge shopping trip on Monday for groceries, mirrors, rugs, and other minute details that haven't been attended to. I'm trying not to think about the costs, I'll go inexpensive but details add up. We're doing fairly well on our budget for the house so that is a positive.
Now we need a few extra prayers, it seems the electrician has gone AWOL, and that is a real problem because Montana laws are very rigid in electrical work. So please pray we are able to find the electrician or get a new one in the next 3 days so we are ready to go by Thursday when the appraiser comes. We are already getting appraised without cabinets or countertops or trim up. So here we go we are onto the ten day countdown which is really only 5 days because all has to be ready by Thursday morning.
I'll post some more pictures soon, I promise.

Not Me...Monday #3

Thanks to www.mycharmingkids.net for hosting this even though she just had a baby...amazing.

I did not spill a cup of coffee in my lap at the car dealership, that would be something a child or a man would do. I was not the one that wrapped a zipped winter vest around my waste to hide the mess. I most definitely didn't go to Wal-mart looking ridiculous like that and I sure did not spend $15 on new pants and a new shirt because I did not need them to go have lunch with Beau because I wasn't out of bread again. I did not proceed to a friend's house who wasn't home to change my clothes because I wouldn't just barge in someone's home uninvited and unexpected just to get the coffee stained jeans off. I also would never let Luke run around chasing their cats while I did not change. I wasn't embarrassed at all by the whole experience.

I know it wasn't me who had a complete and total meltdown when the cabinets finally came for the kitchen and they were the wrong color. I didn't spend most of Halloween day in tears as we tried to figure out what to do, that would just be silly. And I wasn't at all relieved when I learned we can still close without cabinets in while we don't wait for the right color to be built and delivered because living in a house with no kitchen cabinets would just be crazy, and I'm not crazy. I also love having the whole wrong set of cabinets sitting in my dining room to stare at me every time I walk through taunting me, no I really like to have all the space used for such a good purpose.

There are not only 13 days until closing, and there aren't only 9 more doors to paint, trim to paint, windows to put in, and countertops to be built. Nope we are much more ahead of the game than that.

I also am done tiling. I don't still have a wall of the shower to go and the doorway to figure out how to tile. I know what I'm doing. I haven't spent 56 hours measuring and cutting and thin setting, it was someone else. I also didn't grout the floor at 10 last night after I put my kids to bed in their sleeping bags in front of the fire place. I didn't ask Ben for help when I started to panic because of all the warnings that I was given about the grout not wiping off the tile easily. No I wasn't worried at all, and didn't appreciate Ben coming to finish the grout with me at all. I don't love to work alongside my husband. Putting grout on vertical surfaces is also very easy to do, there is no running or settling that takes place.

I am not looking forward to finally being settled in our new home in less than two weeks.

Luke's Halloween

Luke's day was FANTASTIC. It began as spiderman at 9 a.m. and then donuts and rice kripy treats, and punch. What could be better. After Anna's party he was tired and he let me know by throwing a fit as we left every store we went to in search of the stinkin cowGIRL hat. So when we finally got back to the school as we were walking into the building he put his head down and went to sleep. Now what? The librarian seeing my quandry made up a little bed for him in the library and he slept there for the next hour, talk about good dreams. He woke up a little grumpy because well...I wasn't there and the librarian brought him in. After an apple and some monster toast made lovingly by his older brother (Beau really was being great to him), he got in a better mood and made five monster puppets.
Then we went to the playground ran off his morning sugar to get ready for the evening. He lit up lots of faces with his "TRICK OR TREAT" especially at the care center (nursing home). His highlight was the kittens too as is visible in the pictures below, he isn't the gentlest but he LOVES them. Batman was his idea weeks ago when we first visited them, the kids had no idea we were getting them last night. Well neither did I, but thankfully Jim gave me a heads up earlier in the day so I could have the camera ready.








What a great day they all had. I'll post group photos later, right now I have to go get a tile saw and kitten food.
Happy All Saints Day!!!

Anna's Halloween

Anna's day started as a flower, her class all dressed as something in the forest made out of paper bags, very cute. We spent a couple hours this week helping out. She worked hard on it and the whole class had a great time.

She enjoyed treats with her class and little brother and then they went outside to play, we had already paraded through the school in costume. Then this happened see the look on her face...I'm not sure if it was sugar induced or just a halloween trance...but look down at the next few pictures.
See her face says the same thing...I think I fried my brain with SUGAR...but this little treat sure brought out the best because we coaxed out some smiles later.
This profile is just too perfect to not add.
Then the full length view of her costume, she looked in the mirror and said "I look cute." No vanity here. She loved her hat too. That was my half hour wal-mart run in between halloween parties, mom to the rescue.
SEE THIS SMILE>>>
This was almost a smile.
And then there is this with the hat down low and reveling in her jack-o-lantern being lit up.


I'd say she had a good day, we will pay for it a little today with sleepy children, but we'll give them a little sugar and all will be well in the world.

Beau's Halloween

Well I couldn't adequately describe all three of the kids days in one e-mail, so I split it up. Beau's day started with wearing his t-shirt that says "this is my halloween costume" he wears it a lot. His Halloween party at school was at noon, Luke and I volunteered at the monster puppet table, they had stations, bobbing for swinging apple rings, making monster mud, monster toast, face painting, and pin the nose on the pumpkin were a few of them.
Then he went as Obi-Won, after the initial issue with no blue light saber because his cheap mom wouldn't buy one because we have one it storage, he was happy to be a star wars guy. He framed his face with his hands for every picture, don't ask me.
In these he is say "May the force be with you" so every picture has his mouth open at the end, real attractive. He doesn't care. He was having fun.
He loved his jack-o-lantern, it was a scary one, because they aren't supposed to be happy, Luke and Anna were crazy for making theirs happy.
Trick-or-treating at our friends house.

A better smile for this shot.
Can you see what is being put in his bag...it was the thrill of the night. Thanks Amber and Jim, they have done a lot to make our life in Havre a happy one.
Beau's quote of the night came at the mall trick-or-treating...someone dressed up as the headless horseman complete with a real pumpkin jack-o-lantern head...Beau kept repeatedly saying, loudly I might add..."that is ridiculous, what is he doing, that's ridiculous, so ridiculous, why would you do that, that's ridiculous." I think it is safe to say Beau will never wear a pumpkin on his head and if he does I will show him this blog.