The Girl

Don't have a post for today, but I do have this...
Sunday at the mall with the girl.
Totally made her day.

In Which She Sets Off Alarms

So, yesterday morning I got a phonecall from one of our CSR's here. I work at an FBO (the private side of an airport). We provide fuel for the airlines and any personal or corporate airplanes that are landing in town. He was leaving at 8am to take his wife to a Dr's appt and the other girl at the front desk has a sick kiddo and won't be in today. So, he asked if I could come straight to the front desk when I got to work and cover for him for a couple of hours.

Now, I've covered before and can mostly get by at the front desk for a while. But they do an awful lot down there, from fuel orders to catering, to credit card running. Most of it I'm okay at, but that odd thing that comes in I probably won't know what to do. So, I figured I'd call someone if I had to. No biggy.

I was doing fine for a while.

Weekend shopping

We sure did a lot of shopping this last weekend. We got groceries Friday night, went to the mall for a few things on Saturday, and the library. Yes!!! Then on Sunday, we had to take the youngest boy clothes shopping.
"Do you think we should go to Kohls" Fireman said
"Uh, dunno. What does he like?" I said
"Dunno, the other boys like Kohls" Fireman said
"Boy! What kind of pants do you like?" I said
"Uh, dunno." Youngest Boy
****crickets chirping****
"Let's take advantage of it while we can" I said to Fireman

Spring Concert

Last night, the girl had a spring concert. They sang lots of cool jungle/hip hop songs. Like the Raptor Rap, Go Ape and Cool Cats with lots of fun jumping and hand gestures. Their music teacher is awesome. Can't really see her, but she's on the right having a great time.

Barn Wood, I Think I Love You

Dear hubby got the columns up to support the beam. Looks amazing! We still need to polyeurethane them to make them shine, baby! The bolts have to be drilled. It's nearly done!

Construction update

Our temporary braces are gone!! When the contractor came by to help put up the temporary wall for our job, he raised the dining room ceiling as well. Apparently, plaster starts to sag over time, since it's so heavy. So, our dining room table was pushed back close to the wall to make room for the bracing. The contractor came back yesterday and showed my hubby what to do in the attic and helped him brace the ceiling up. Apparently, you can use a beam to hold up your ceiling, or you can use a beam in the attic to tie the ceiling UP. So, that's what we did for the dining room. I'll update with pictures tomorrow.

We were able to move the table from the wall and I had LEG ROOM, people. :) It was great! That was part of the whole purpose of this. Originally, the dining room archway limited the dining room and no-one had much room.

Today, we are working on getting the columns cut and attached to the beam. Hopefully, we will be able to get one or more up today and I can attach pictures tomorrow!

Our Trip To Chicago

My hubby took the train to Chicago and arrived around 3pm. We didn't try to figure out the bus system yet and just took a cab to our hotel. My first time in a cab! It was crazy, they swerve in and out of traffic, stop short and drive fast! The hotel was beautiful and wonderful. The Hilton Chicago. I forgot to take a picture of that.

We went out for a walk around the south loop, where the hotel is located. We found this awesome library!

Weekend here I come!

I'm just a little excited about taking Friday off. ;)
I haven't taken an extra vacation day in forever. Well, it seems like it.

Today, my daughter had no school due to parent/teacher conferences. Our conference is at 5:15pm. Since my fireman had to work today, she came with me to work! It's great. When she was younger, we've tried this a few times, and it was a little difficult. But today? Awesome. We've had the best day together. I've given her jobs and everyone loves having her. She likes to go up to people working and tell them, "Hey! You're doing a great job!" :) Much fun.

Anyway, tomorrow after hubby comes home from work, we're grabbing the boys and going out for an early breakfast for his birthday. Then we'll take the boys back to their mom's and drop the girl off at my parent's for the weekend and head off to the train station for Chicago! Yes, I'm excited. Yes, I'm going to eat a lot. And yes, I'll take lots of pictures for you folks, whoever's out there.

Just Another Update

Last night, hubby and I watched Being Human and Harry's Law that we had DVR'd Monday night. Oh, DVR, how I love thee. I love that we can watch our shows together whenever we have time. I still have a new Bones on there that I haven't had a chance to watch. Tonight, I will get to enjoy that. I wait till my hubby is at work to watch it, because while he doesn't mind the show, Temperence is too 'analytical' for him. But, as an accountant, sometimes I really get her.

Not much done on the construction, my hubby is working on grinding out the wood of a 6th beam, for the purposes of capping one of our interior walls. It's too heavy to tie in, but if he hollows out part of the wood, he can slide it onto the edge. It'll really tie in the look with the beams. The wood is just so pretty and there is so much character to it. This job is going to take him some time. I'll have to snap a few pictures of this job to post. It's an interesting thing.

I'm getting excited for this weekend! It's my fireman's birthday and I'm whisking him away to Chicago for the weekend. We're going to take the train and he doesn't know any of it yet! He just knows he has to pack for the weekend! :) We've never done the Chicago thing, so I'm jazzed. The food! The museums! The food! Anyway, I"ll be sure to take pictures as well.

Off to the dentist...yipes!

Girl Time

Every third day, my fireman works a 24 hour shift. On these days, the boys go to their mom's for the day and it's just me and the girl.We have fun.

Last Friday night we had pedicures and watched The Princess Diaries. Lots of fun. Last night, we watched Princess Diaries II. Equally fun.

I highly recommend having a daughter just so that you can have an excuse to watch movies like this.

Construction

We've been undergoing serious construction on our house. When my fireman asked me to marry him, we had to figure out how to fit 6 people under one roof. He had always planned on redoing the basement and adding some bedrooms and a family room as two of his three boys were sharing a room. Once we decided to expand the family, the job had to get serious. Last summer/fall we stripped the basement to the blocks and built 3 nice sized bedrooms, a bathroom, a nice family room and a laundry room. It's all carpeted and painted, the trim isn't done and there's no door on the laundry room, but hey, it takes time. We even dug out window wells on the side on the house and cut into the walls to give each room a window. Color the boys happy creatures. The girl got one of the bedrooms upstairs and the extra room is now a study where the kiddos can get online for fun or homework. There's an extra computer downstairs for the kids as well. Kids fight over things like that!

ANYway, our newest job, (except for the trim which we are waiting until summer for)(don't remind the fireman!) :) is the living room. We busted down two walls to the living room! Yay! Fun times! There was an archway going from the living room to the dining room that we opened up entirely (phew, arm room!) and the connecting wall that went down the hallway? The LOAD BEARING one? Gone. Course, we had to put up a temporary wall, cause it kinda holds up the house. So... we got this loverly barn wood that fireman sanded down and I polyeurethaned until it shines, baby! Gorgeous! It's finally up now, but then we decided instead of regular wood colums holding up the beautiful beam, we are using the same barn wood there too. So, when it's done the livingroom will be a nice open great room and already we have soo much more room! It feels like a different house. I already love it. We have a plasterer on call so that when the job is done, he is going to come over and patch up the ceiling. Cause, you know, when you take a wall down, there are like HOLES in the ceiling. I can see my attic! Gasp!
Weird.

My hubby made the black strapping that attaches the beam to the columns (when they make it up there). Apparently, the beam has to go up BEFORE we can put the column up. So, once we have them ready, we'll cut to size and jack up the beam a 1/4 inch and slide the column in and drop it on them. Drill the holes, bolt them in, and viola! Done! Easy for me to say, my fireman is doing the scary stuff! BTW, forgive the messy living room.

This picture shows a little more of the wood; it's on the hallway side. The picture is not very good, but hey, I'm learning. Pardon the Finding Nemo towel covering the window in the bathroom. We replaced the window in there and haven't put up any curtains yet. Nemo keeps our modesty from the neighbors.

Fresh Start

Well, since I've been here last, my fireman and I got married. I have 3 new step-sons. And a house under construction.

I have a new job, at an airport and I love it. Life is good. Life is different. :) And I have very few moments to myself anymore. However, I do carve out time to read.

Oh, and took a class and learned to ride a motorcycle, then promptly bought myself a little Vulcan 800, red. Lovely.

I love to bake and plan to post some of my favorite recipes incase anyone cares. And some of our home remodeling. If only for our benefit in the future.