The Goin's On

We are full blown into summer fun. The kids are enjoying our mini-lake pool pretty much every day.

They have become quite helpful, actually. I am not quite sure what they are up to. We have been asking them to do more on the house and around the camper and so far they are actually enjoying it and asking for more! I don't remember doing that - the asking part - when I was a kid :)

The house is progressing. John finished framing above the doors in the basement, so we are almost completely closed in (still looking for the front door).

I have been working on putting mud around the basement windows and doors and now caulking around the rest of the windows. I have all but finished the mud work. Seriously questioning my sanity at the number and size of windows in our house - now that I am actually working with them :) Caulking windows is tricky - and messy. Not one of my favorite jobs, but I am learning more and more each window I do. By the end, I may just be an expert!

Bugs. Period. It's just crazy the amount and size of bugs that have died in our house. And let's not even think about those that have taken up residence - yuck.

We did learn about a very interesting wasp - the mud dauber wasp. These wasps are building these mud nests in our house in a few places. When we knocked the nests down, little critters that looked like spiders fell out of the inside. After some research, we discovered that it is actually spiders (or other insects) that the bee paralyzes, lays an egg on and then closes in. Kind of creepy and cool. I like the idea that they are taking care of spiders, but I would rather they build their nests outside of the house.

John has been a researching, thinking, designing machine. He is waayyyy ahead of me and does a fantastic job of thinking things through. Thanks, honey, for all of your hard work.

The stair stringers are being built for us and should be ready this week or next. We will then fasten temporary treads on until construction is finished. I can't wait to show you pictures - I think they are going to be very cool!

------------------------------------
In other news:
We are also preparing for the next school year at home. I was able to go to the local home school convention last Friday and picked up most of my books for next year. The kids are so excited - Hadden even prayed the other night that "school would start soon" or something to that effect.

I am excited, too, and want to spend some time this summer getting organized and plan a rough schedule. I really want to be more structured and organized.

-------------------------------------
Yes, "Annie" is still here. She has endured Lilly and has hung around. :)

-------------------------------------
The last couple of days have been a little bit cooler and we have not needed to run the a/c, so that has been a welcome break. We had friends up last night for the evening and enjoyed sitting out on the back porch (John was leading the chapel service, so wasn't able to be here).

-------------------------------------
Soak this in ...

Colossians 1:10-14
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.