Getting there

 weekend updates

Finally, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! phewww. The last six weeks have been a bit CRAZY. A pipe burst in our house and we have been in and out of the house while they have been repairing everything. Until today, it looked like a tornado went through. If you know me at all, you know I do not do well when the nest is out of whack. Joe is eternally optimistic, and has tried his best to keep everything in perspective. Yes, it could have been worse. Yes, it will all be repaired. Yes, we are all healthy. blah blah. IT HAS BEEN BONKERS, and dealing with contractors is such a waste of time. They never show up on time and half the time when repairing the item at hand they mess up something else. We have had broken blinds, spilled paint, lots of rescheduled appointments, cracked furniture, strangers in and out, the list is a mile long. But, we worked hard today and got furniture back in place, the walls wiped down, laundry done, groceries bought, pictures hung, and it is slowly starting to feel somewhat normal again. Before the house mess, we scheduled landscaping. Here is the finished product. Having the exterior looking good has been so nice. We had the house power washed and the deck stained too. Home ownership is a lot of work! The floor guys finish up Tuesday and then I can hang curtains again and put food back in the pantry. One exciting thing is that they painted our stair banisters black, and they look great. What a blessing our beach vacation was during all of this as well. It was great to be gone while the workers were here. I wish I was still there, but it does feel great to be back in our own beds, and I know in a few weeks we will be putting this not so fun experience behind us. I am so thankful for such wonderful friends, neighbors and family. People have called and come by and cooked us dinner and kept the kids and sent funny cards and just really helped encourage us. THANK YOU so much. We love you all.