Keeping Busy

I have been really busy the past week or so. Every night for at least the last two weeks, one or both of us have had something going on. On top of that, I've had more than my usual schedule of speaking assignments.

I was asked to give the Enrichment lesson last Thursday at HFPE - 15 minutes on the Spiritual Nature of Financial Mgt; Tuesday night at girls camp - 15-20 minutes on Self Worth; and Sunday I have my first ward conference so - 15 minutes on 'The Strength we gain from having a firm testimony in the Restored Gospel.' sigh... needless to say they are/have taken considerable study and preparation... and I'm far from being read for Sunday.

In an effort to keep my children happy, we've had a number of outings this week.

Tuesday morning, Bob and Diane stopped in with donuts before the kids and I headed off to the park to play and do some visiting teaching (a dual purpose outing); Wednesday I met some friends at Bob and Diane's and we went swimming and played on the playset for a couple of hours until everyone of nap age fell apart; this morning we met playgroup at a park (see picture below of some of the playgroup kiddo's) and played for a few hours before going to the grocery store to stock up on supplies; and Friday, my college friend Liz and her four girls are coming for a visit.



Next week I want to get out to a local Museum downtown that has a butterfly quilt exhibit (that ends the 30th), and still need to get back over to the Natural History Museum for their bug exhibit. We're also going to swim at least one day and go to the Zoo on Friday.

With all that's gone on this past month, it's been hard to remember it's summer - you know, when things are suppose to be slow and lazy... swinging in a hamock sipping lemonade. I'm hoping these little trips - mixed with an occasional afternoon movie and mid-day ice cream treat help to slow things down even for just an hour or so, and allow the kids a chance to do fun kid things.

Progress

The back and front both have the first coat on - trim still hasn't been done ... today they are doing the first coat on the sides of the house.

In the beginning...

There has been a request for pictures of our house before they started painting...

They are HERE!

Back in April, GR and I started calling painters to get bids on having our house painted. The choice of who to go with was 100% determined by price – mixed with my feelings on their level of competency.

A week and a half ago, the painter’s wagon/trailer appeared outside my front door. When I last talked with the painter he said they would more than likely start the latter part of the second week in June. Well that’s when the trailer showed up. Then last week on Thursday (a week later), a truck and a group of men parked in the driveway for about 30 minutes, unloaded ladders and left without a word.

Monday morning at 8 am they arrived and got to work washing the house and making the needed repairs. In the process they found termites, behind a piece of trim board under Sam’s far left window… YUCK!! I called the pest control place I’ve used before and they came out Tuesday. Thankfully, there is no evidence of termite infestation anywhere else on or around the house. So they will treat that spot with a concentrated chemical, and then they will treat the entire house for the bargain price of $850. The treatment will last for 10 years, and for $75 each year, he’ll come out and inspect it to insure the critters are getting zapped.

For nearly a month, I’ve had a book of Benjamin Moore paint chips to look through. The painter and his crew just finished up a house over in the general direction of the old town house that he said looked really nice and suggested that house color. GR was hoping for a darker color and so I asked Gerry to test a darker color … GR wasn’t real happy with me when I told him I went with Adirondack Green, and not the color we tested on the house (it was one shade darker than Adirondack Green).

So by sometime next week, our house will no longer be grey with cream trim, it will be Adirondack Green, whitish trim and plum… Bottle of Bordeaux … doors.