Ryan’s week!

As I stated earlier, Ryan and I left the beach a little early so that he could audition for a play at Fort Rucker.  The Missoula Children’s Theater (look it up and support!!) sends 2 people and one small pickup truck to many towns to help children learn and put on a play.  The audition was the most organized thing I have ever seen!!! ( I will use many of the tricks they used to “control” groups of kids!)  Ryan was given a speaking part (BAD DOG-Fitting don’t you think?) and spent the next 4 days in rehearsals.  Most days while he rehearsed I spent time in my disaster of a classroom or at the Dr’s  with Dennis.  I finally took Preston and Grant with me on Friday to help move and arrange the furniture.  After just 5 days of rehearsals these kids put on an hour + long musical/ play TWICE today.  It really was amazing and Ryan truly loved it all.

The play was a wild west take-off on The Wizard of Oz called The Wiz of the West.   Ryan played one of “Hawk nose Halley’s” gang of dogs.  She is like the Wicked Witch of the West.  His character was called “Bad Dog”.  He did a really good job and looked so cute, handsome? ….CUTE- he WAS a dog!  They did not “let” you take pictures during the show but had a nice photo shoot time after each show.

The entire cast: ages 5-18!!!  The bottom row is all 5-7 yr olds!

Hawk nosed Halley (without her nose)  with MAD DOG TOP DOG and BAD DOG

With some of his fans after the 1st show

Isn’t he THE CUTEST!!!

BTW he also filled out another online acting thing so we got a call last week to go to Atlanta to meet with casting people.  Right now we have very few weekends free but I guess I will be driving to Atlanta soon to see if he is “marketable”!  He will start his next musical theater class in a few weeks and will audition for another military (Christmas) production in September.

He is ready to move to California!!!

Another busy weekend

At least we have not been to the DR this weekend but Dennis’s symptoms continue to change and not really improve :(  We did go to the Montgomery Biscuits (minor league) baseball game with our church family for Family Faith night.  He made it through fairly well.  Both Preston and Grant were picked to compete in the funny between inning activities and both LOST :(! 

 

Grant in blue….lost his head!!

Preston had to ride a bike and throw newspapers through hula hoops held by kids on the dugout. 

It was a fun night and the Home team Won!

Saturday was consumed by Ryan (next post) and then we have church, a party and construction clean up at the house on Sunday.  AND GUESS WHAT?@!  School starts for ME on MONDAY!!!!! UGH…NOT ready!!

In sickness and in health

Dennis and I spent some of our 20th wedding anniversary at the doctors office for an ear infection….and it was NOT one of the kids.  Dennis has a severe middle and outer ear infection.  It is the most painful kind (said our ENT—and Dennis!)  He has been battling this thing for over a week now and is finally off the heavy pain meds.  He started with drops and then after a trip to the ER, started taking oral antibiotics. When he still was not better after the weekend, we went to an ENT who changed the meds.  THEN later that night (our anniversary), he could not spit out water after brushing his teeth and one eye would not blink.  After I decided he was NOT having a stroke, we went to bed and I checked on him throughout the night.  The next day we were back at the ENT’s office to find out that he has a kind of facial paralysis like Bell’s Palsy that is due to the swelling in his ear canal!   We now have to put drops in his one eye and tape it shut at night!! He has missed 4 days of work so far and has only missed 3 in the previous 19 yrs.  He is finally out of the bed and can go places with us.  Hopefully he is on the mend.  Prayers still needed!

I have been a chauffer, chaperone, party planner and doctor.  My life is in a state of controlled chaos.  LAST weekend, I went to the beach on Friday to chaperone a church group, came home Sat morn to go to my 25th high school class reunion (that I planned for the same weekend), took Dennis to the ER afterwards and then drove back to the beach Sunday morning.  I called every 3 hours and made the boys check on dad and feed him (ramen noodles and grilled cheese-I need to teach them better).  Ryan and I came home earlier Monday so he could audition for a play and then we had a revival a church each night PLUS the other 2 dr visits and trips to Walgreens for meds!!!!  Dennis was in bed 24 hrs a day at that point.  He finally got out of bed on Wed and Thurs…tried to go to work on Friday and was home by lunch!  Next post…THIS WEEKEND!!

Hard to see the swelling of the ear but you can see the redness and swelling of his face around the ear.  I won’t post a picture of his lopsided smile and half-wrinkled four head :(  I posted on Facebook that he now has a lopsided smile and drools but I’ll keep him!  It has been a wonderful and eventful 20 yrs.  3 kids and 7 military moves!  and it has FLOWN by!  Here’s to the next 20 years!

The Roof!

After a few acts of nature, the trusses were finally delivered and ready to be raised to the top of the house.  They had to be lifted with a crane.  I will try to post a video…we’ll see.  We now have a(n open) roof!  The house is getting bigger and looking smaller all at the same time.  It is now feeling more closed in even though the roof and walls are now covered yet.  They still have about 2 weeks of construction before the rest of the plumbing/electric/fireplace has to be done. 

 

 

Will load the video in a separate post…stay tuned

It’s a wrap!

The house has been boarded and wrapped.  We are now waiting for the roof trusses to be sent.  Hopefully Monday.  I have to pick out fixtures and shingles this weekend!

In other news I have a new favorite thing…Jen and Bree..you will LOVE it too.  PINTEREST!  check it out.  You can look at other people favorite things and PIN them to your boards.  You can keep track of ideas and things you like from web sites.  I used to tear things out of magazines and then have a stack of torn up paper to sort and file.  This is the same but for the 21st century!! I am still a “baby” pinterest user and learning slowly :)  My classroom was moved to the POD without me so that was nice.  I hope.  I know it will be a mess and I only get one extra day of pay to sort it out (before I report back to work-soon UGH!)  My kitty has been loving me being home all day.  She goes in and out all night and wants to play all morning.

who knew playing under the dishwasher could be so fun?!

Ryan has been taking golf lessons and my dad bought him his own set of clubs.  He is loving it.

I am also working on my 25th class reunion and a beach trip I have to chaperone the same weekend!

 

Here are a few pictures of the house

hard to tell but they framed my big heated tub and my shower :)

Garage from back

right side

Left side

Can’t wait for windows and my front door!  Roof next week!  Thanks for checkin in!

First Photo Shoot

I think scheduling and dressing a presidential photo shoot would have almost been easier.  Dennis asked what to wear and I said white t’s and blue jeans to go with the construction theme.  He and the boys started in on it being too hot, not having worn jeans in forever and that now most construction workers wore shorts and boots-not!  So we drug out white t-shirts which should have been easier since the boys all wear white t’s under everything.  How bad could it be?  WORSE!  Preston’s were stained (how? I have no clue), Grant’s was wayyyy too short, Dennis did not have one etc.  We were fussing about pants and shirts when Dennis decided to wear OVERALLS and NO shirt!  I will not post THAT picture!  We were all crying we were laughing so hard.  Finally we were all dressed in some way, shape or form and off we went.  Overlook the stains, wrinkles and size problems and I think the pictures are cute, I mean nice.  I wanted to take the first pictures before they boarded up and wrapped the house which they did the next day!  We just made it!  Aren’t the hats cute, I mean-great!

 

It was really hot!  Ryan wilted.

Framing: Days 3 & 4

They said it would take 21 framing days but I think they have accomplished a lot.  The walls are all up and most windows and doors have been framed.  I have been busy working on the kitchen and laundry room layouts as well as bathroom tiles.  So many choices!!

Right side of house being framed

From Kitchen

View from my sink right now

Looking BIG!

Preston had a bit of a mishap on the 4 wheeler.  Thank God he was OK…just a bit banged up and shaken up.  He was thrown off and the 4 wheeler flipped the other way!  Praise the Lord!

The bay window in the kitchen eating area

Ryan on the back porch looking in the “window” to the living room

They braced all the walls until the roof is put on