My Dad

My dad
Born January 31, 1946-Died December 29, 2008
My dad earned his PhD just this past year, something that he always wanted. He was my live in babysitter for several years, and loved his grandchildren very much. He was the one I always called when I had questions regarding my remodeling endeavors. He taught me what I know about remodeling, car repair, loving family and God. He lived his life as an example of God's love. He loved his grand babies very much, and cherished every minute he had with them. He thoroughly enjoyed watching them and loving them. He was a positive Christian influence, and glorified God knowing the each of them accepted God as their Saviour. He was there as the youngest decided to ask God into his heart.
I will miss my dad dearly, but know that one day I will see him again. I heart warms knowing that he is in Heaven basking in the Glory of God.

25 Things About Me-Holiday Edition

Welcome to the Holiday edition of 25 Things About Me.

Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire post and paste into a new post. Then change all the answers so that they apply to you.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper...I love to wrap, just like my Grandma
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, too much money to buy a real one every year. I bought my pre-lit artificial tree after Christmas one year for $9.00
3. When do you put up the tree? Anytime after Thanksgiving, when I have time. No less than 2 weeks before Christmas
4. When do you take the tree down? When I get tired of looking at it, one year it was up until Feb. Usually the first week in Jan.
5. Do you like eggnog? NO!!!, Unless it is a full glass of rum with a splash of eggnog.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? The one I remember most was a family gift. It was a VCR.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My sister
8. Easiest person to buy for? Myself! Other than that, my youngest son.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? More than one. Have a Precious Moments one, and one from Ecuador, as well as others.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Neither.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A pot. My first Christmas married, my new husband bought me one pot for Christmas....that was it.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I don't really like Christmas movies.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Who hasn't. Of course I have
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Biscuit covered Sausage rolls. aka Pigs in a Blanket. They are only made for Christmas morning.
16. Lights on the tree? White lights. Much easier now, since my tree is pre-light.
17. Favorite Christmas Song? Greensleeves or Little Drummer Boy
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home, unless I have to work. I work every other Christmas, only problem with being a nurse, people are sick 365 days/year
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yea!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel
21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The "I want this". I am very lucky, my kids have only asked for 1 thing each (Twin 1 just wants family form Florida to visit, Twin 2 wants 4 packs of gum, Son 1 wants Nintendo DS-actually he has wanted that for 2 years, son 2 wants a pirate ship)
23. Favorite Ornament theme or color? Birds. Not realistic looking feathery birds, but glass Christmas birds. They have to be small, about 1-2 inches long.
24. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? Being with family. I don't care what we eat. Usually we have two main courses, ham and lasagna. Don't ask-it's a thing about where I grew up.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? What I really want every year, my kids to be happy and to be with family.

If you do this be sure to leave a comment so we can all stop by and check out your list.

What are the odds??

I did the plumbing yesterday. I have all the new plumbing installed. Had a bit of a problem, another pipe broke. Looking at the bright side.....if plastic pipe broke just by working 3 ft further down the line, then it needed to be replaced. Better it happen while I was working on it, then to burst open once the water was turned back on. My new shower base also came in, so off to Lowes to pick it up. Picked it up, as well as the materials to build the walls around the tub....Finally, or so I thought. I got it home (No, I didn't check it in the store. To check you need to destroy the box. Think----Box = Protection) I got it home, opened the box-looks okay, no major scratches or cracks. Went to put it in, got it in. Oh, how pretty. Stepped on it......CRACK. What? Maybe it's the floor underneath the cracked. Looked at the floor underneath, looks good. Looked at the bottom of the new shower, a place I did not look before. Pieces are cracked and chunks are missing. Looked on the floor, thinking I may have done this. No, the missing chunks are not on the floor. I can't believe that my second new shower base is also damaged. So off to Lowes again today, after taking my youngest to the dentist, taking back the second new shower base and am going to buy yet another new on, this time I am going for the cast iron shower base. It is about $200-$300 more, but I bet they will not be busted before I even get them installed. Am still trying to look at the bright side (is there one..lol), better now then after getting the walls done.
Mom-guess you will not have a new shower when you come, but at least the bathroom will be functional.
Yes, I am more than a little upset. Yes, there is something else I can do in the bathroom, I can put up a new wall, reinstall the sink and toilet, and put up a new medicine cabinet. But all of that is only going to take 1 maybe 2 days at the most. (I only work on the bathroom between the hours of 10am and 1:30pm Tues, Wed and Fri). I want the get the tub done now....See, I am in the mood to do it, and every delay just makes it that much harder to stay motivated. I guess this time next week, I will have the tub, and will be installing it. In 1 week, the walls will be going up. All of this is dependent on the new base coming in in 1 week. I guess I will use this delay to put up Christmas stuff. Time to get the house decorated.

Works for Me.....

I am fairly handy around the house. My dad and grandfather taught me to do quite a bit of home repair and I thank my mom for the courage to try myself. For most people it can be quite scary. What works for me it simple....doing it myself. My dryer broke, I diagnosed it and fixed it. I figured that it was already broken and worst case if I didn't fix it, I would need to buy a new one. Best case, I would fix it for a lot less. I ended up fixing it for $10, and a little time. Same thing with my washer...Best case happened again, this time it didn't cost anything, just a sock in the drain motor. I found a great website that gives detailed troubleshooting and fixing instructions it's called RepairClinic.com. Check it out http://www.repairclinic.com/ it really works for me!!

For more things that work, check out Shannon and her friends at http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/

Monday Morning

'Tis Monday morning, and back to the grind stone for the kiddos. They were excited to get back to school, and see all their friends, yet dreading the schoolwork the will surely follow. I woke early, made the lunches as dropped them off, as I do every school morning. I then got my morning Starbucks (Venti Caramel Macc, no foam, extra caramel, with whip.....the employees know me so well that I don't even have to tell them what I want, they see me and just start making it...Gotta love them) and came home to make soap. I really wanted to make it with the girls, but the bathroom took over. Since I only had 2 hours this morning before I have to head back to school, I made it. I can't wait till tomorrow when I get to cut it.....exciting. It really is easy, and only took about an hour, and it will yield about 12-18 bars depending on how I cut it. Now I just have to get the bath fizzes made....teacher gifts. Gotta go, almost time for school (I am a recess monitor at my kids' school.)

Giveaway

I just found this site that is having a holiday giveaway...check it out
http://pankratzfam.blogspot.com/

Getting it done

Well, even though I was working this weekend, I was able to get some more done in the bathroom. As you can see, I have the flooring down. I still have a little trimming, and need to tape it down, but it is down. It looks much better in person. Now that I have the floor down, and have to wait for the new shower base to arrive, I will do the walls. I should have the walls done on Tuesday, with the plumbing done on Wednesday. Then the shower base should be back in....then the fun begins. I doubt if I can get it all done before my parents come from Florida...but at least it will be functional again (minus shower).

Flooring

I am finally installing the sub-floor. After we all ate our turkey dinner, I started. I have the new sub-floor down, and am almost ready to apply the thin-set mortar to install the Duarock floor. I have chosen to do it this way to prevent potential water damage.....better safe that sorry. Unfortunately, I unwrapped the new shower base only to discover that there is a major flaw...there's a crack in the base. The biggest problem is that it is a special order item, and it takes a week to come in. So tomorrow I will need to take it back to have a new one ordered. At least I have other work that I can do in the mean time...ie plumbing and walls. I probably will only do the plumbing, but who knows, I may tackle the wainscoting walls. This time tomorrow, I plan on having the new vinyl flooring down. We will see, depends on how long it takes at Lowes for the return/re-order. Need to get a going and get that Duarock down so it can start setting up (mortar takes a while to dry)

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. Personally, today I am reminded how lucky I am that I know how to do the bathroom. I am thankful for my dad who taught me, my mom who encourages me to tackle things that I may fear that I can't do, children who enjoy helping, children who all have accepted Christ as their Savior and who love the Lord, a job that pays the bills and allows me to be home with the kids during the week, a home that I can afford, and life in general.

Check out this Giveaway

Hey, here's another giveaway to check out. This is for Black Friday. There is a new drawing every hour on the hour starting at 7am. Go grab your number now.
http://kandykissesboutique.typepad.com/

Giveaway-Womp’Em Sticks

Head over here for a great giveaway
http://crazydogslife.blogspot.com/2008/11/whomp-em-sticks-review-giveaway.html
They are giving away Womp’Em Sticks.