Snapshot Summary #44

Monday
1 - August, 2011

The finished curtains!!

Chloe showing the pattern on the fabric. I was so thrilled to find this fabric. I fell in love with it at once and since I had already painted was looking for just such a compliment for the windows.

The boys caught some baby bunnies hopping around the yard.

Friday
5 - August, 2011

After play practice (I don't think I have mentioned that Mary, Jacob and Abi are rehearsing to be in The Wizard of Oz at The Five Flags downtown Aug. 12 and 13th)Abram and the three older children went to Guttenberg to visit Great Grandma and get some work done here and there. Baruch, Chloe and I painted the living room! Yes, it is the summer of painting.

I gave Chloe one of the sample bottles to use so if/when she spilled it would be a smaller clean up. I painted three walls buttercup yellow and one Historic Blue. I am planning to do some rag rolling with a lighter shade over the Historic Blue but ran out of time, you will see why when you read tomorrow's summary. :)

Saturday
6 - August, 2011
Today Drew started sanding our dining room and living room floors. He didn't get too far before he realized that the sander we had was not going to cut it for the living room. The dining room had been refinished 10 years ago and since we didn't put a stain down it was easily sanded this go around. We had never done anything to the living room other than about 4 years ago rip out the carpet. Well, we had Steve replace some boards too. Otherwise I don't think any previous owners of our 1917 built home had done any refinishing. The stain was NOT coming off so. . . I was sent on a run for a drum sander. So when I got back we had both sanders flying! For a while anyway, until I needed to get lunch ready.

Notice the dark floor to the right. We think that was the original stain put in when the house was built.

When I started painting the living room I took down the light switch cover. It is brass and in need of some polishing. I googled brass polish and read here at Jules blog about making your own. Here are the results

I took Jules advice and decided to make enough polish to bury the switch plate. Chloe helped me stir the flour and vinegar together

And then she helped me stir in the salt.

And mixed well. Please note the black poster board in the background. It is another story altogether. You will have to check the blog tomorrow for that story :)

At this point Abram and Abi caught wind of a project and joined in. Well, as soon as I brought the switch plate over I remembered I was suppose to do this in plastic or glass but NOT metal pan! So we switched it. . .

I wish I had gotten a better before picture.  Anyway here the kids are pouring the polish over the brass plate.

Cover it well.

Here are the brass screws.

I got a pretty good before picture of one of them.

These were covered as well.

I decided the brass polish should have plenty of time to work is wonders.  The smell of the vinegar made my children think the reaction baking soda and vinegar have, which caused me to suggest paper mache, which turned into this. . .

Monday
8 - August, 2011
After the paint dried they fired off the volcano!

Drew decided that I should put down the poly urethane, telling me how much better I am at making very little splashes, spills etc. when applying it. So I put down the first coat and then he talked to a friend who chewed him out for not making me wear a respirator. So here I am putting down the second coat, wearing my respirator!

Drew's awesome sanding job sure looked great as I spread the urethane over it. I think I got the way more rewarding aspect of the work. The wood looks so beautiful as it is transformed from dusty looking to clear, vibrant and full of life!

Tuesday
9 - August, 2011

The wood floor got two more coats today. One early in the AM, the other after supper. Low and behold there are air bubbles in spots :(  This means fine sand paper and another coat. Refinishing has improved the floor a hundred fold no matter what!!

We uncovered the brass objects. The pictures don't do justice to the improvement.

Then we went to play practice.  All the children are looking forward to dress rehearsal tomorrow.  The older three because they are thrilled to be in a play and the younger three because I am taking them to watch it!!  After play practice we headed out to Swiss Valley to check out the damage the heavy rains had on one of our favorite parks.  Incredibly extensive damage occurred 13 days ago. The devastation amazed me. The POWER of the water rushing through the park amazes me still! The pavilion we had church fellowships at - completely GONE! The cement slab remained, we found pieces of the pavilion scattered. Roof here, pillar there.  The creek itself looked cleaner, wider in some spots.

cement slab

picnic table

pavilion roof and picnic table

Wednesday
10 - August, 2011

My Emerald citizen, flying monkey and munchkin had their first full dress, dress rehearsal, even though their costumes weren't 100% complete ;).

After work Drew keeps plugging away on the cellar doors.

Friday
12, - August, 2011

I dropped my performers off for their very first EVER play performance. We were even one minute early, 5:59 PM! I headed out to look at a couch I saw on Craigslist. It was gorgeous, a love seat, which is what I wanted, and the price was right, well, after some negotiations. It was 6:50 and I was almost home. Drew, Baruch and Abram were on the river canoeing. An extreme urge came over me to see my babies perform (even though I had tickets for Sat.) I headed straight to the theatre and Chloe and I loved every minute of the wonderful performance of The Rising Star Theatre Company's The Wizard of Oz!! I am so so so so SO glad I went with my gut and came to the show. It was awesome to be there.

Snapshot Summary #43

Thursday
14 - July, 2001

Our neighbors came over to play today. Their dog came to play with Banjo. Everyone had a fabulous time. I loved watching the dogs interact and I will tell you Banjo slept well after Lundy went home.

Wednesday
20 - July, 2011
We floated leisurely down the Wapsipinicon River today in our tubes, stopped at just about every sand bar we came across, enjoyed an amazing lunch and plenty of nourishing snacks ;). What an enjoyable way to spend one of the hottest days of the summer!

Thursday
21 - July, 2011

Abi's Amazing Squash plant!!


Friday
22 - July, 2011

We enjoyed having Gilbert, Russel and their mommy here for a couple hours this AM. They even brought cookies!! 

Gilbert and Mary

Russell

Saturday
23 - July, 2011
Drew is rebuilding our rotted out cellar doors.

Baruch still enjoys catching birds bare handed!

Chloe's in her new shades

I started painting the dining room today! It is a cornflower blue. Pale with a touch of periwinkle! (I know it's not the most flattering picture of me - but I wanted you to see the beautiful color!!

Sunday
24 - July, 2011
Yeah!! We see the new baby again!!

Drew really enjoyed getting know Russell's papa - Jonathan. It is so sweet to share fellowship with other like minded believers. Thanks for spurring us on Dylhoffs!

Mary and Russell

Monday
25 - July, 2011
If you come to the fair before 3:00 - you get in free. Free is our language so we were there!! It was HOT, it's always HOT on the fair free day. It was SO HOT it might have been unbearable if we hadn't shared the good time with friends. Hannah, Rachel and Elizabeth (and their mom) joined us.

Our friends took off around noon. They had been helping us look for the Marine both as a couple years ago the Marine recruiters were handing out water bottle to people who could do "X" number of pull ups OR if you were a girl hang with your chin above the bar for "X" number of minutes. Anyway we couldn't find it and I didn't know where else to look.  Drew suggested one of the buildings and low and behold - there it was. Abigail has been thinking of that water bottle AND practicing her pull ups for the past month. She blew their socks off by setting the record for hanging - chin held high for 1 minute and 40 seconds!! WAY TO GO GIRL!!

Tuesday
26 - July, 2011
Finished paint AND started new curtains!!

Friday
29 - July, 2011
Family Time - enthusiasm lacking OR is it just bed time??

BTW - notice the three colors on the wall behind the couch. I bought little sample bottles to help me decide what to paint the living room as it is next on my project/painting list.

Sunday
31 - July, 2011
We went tubing again today with the addition of Cob's new Kayak and Pa and Grandma's canoe. The river was much higher since we had that huge rainfall last week. It was a blast for the kids who weren't worried about losing someone in the current like Drew and I were :)!!

Here is Cob in his new kayak - before he lost his glasses. No really, this was taken just moments before a tree grabbed them off his face and threw them in the water - no kidding.

And here is a photo of Mary just moments AFTER losing her glasses to the rivers amazingly strong current. Here one minute, gone the next!! Wow did this turn out to be a pricey tubing trip! Seriously, two pairs in one day, in less than four hours. Thankfully Walmart was having a lens sale and their replacement cost wasn't out of this world.

At the end of the trip

Chloe changes out of her wet swimwear into her dry clothes

Abram, embarassed to be caught changing. He got his underpants up JUST in the nick of time.