WOW 4 & 7 Already!

October is a big birthday month in our house.

Wesson White

Shawn Patrick

Wow really explains it all. As their Step-mom their birthdays are a little different for me, just because I wasn't there when they were born, but at the same time, I was in class with Patrick when Shawn was born and remember him being the proud daddy showing his baby's picture around. I remember being on Facebook and watching Wesson crawl across the floor for the first time.

When Patrick and I started dating Shawn was 4 and Wesson was 1. It's crazy to look at them and think about how far we have all come, in the last 3 years together.

We love you boys! 

Happy Birthday!

A trip to the cabin

It's a peaceful place in northern Missouri that Patrick and the guys refer to as the hunting lodge. They go there to fish and hunt and do manly things. I go up once or twice a year and enjoy the peace and quite and the gorgeous scenery.

We'll we broke it lol. We brought the kids up with us. Peace and quiet I did not get, but hey we had fun. Me and the 7 Male types.

Here is Gabe in the tractor. Wesson didn't stay put long enough for me to get a picture. They were so excited about the huge tractor.

The big boys being Patrick, Chris and Greg were more concerned with getting a new roof on the Cabin.

We mostly working....there might have been a small photo shoot :)

Here are the rest of the guys shooting stuff, while the roofing was happening. Tony, Scott, Shawn, Gabe and Wesson.

And there was some fishing of course.

Life

Wow it has been so long since I have updated this blog. Honestly other than home renovations there hasn't been much going on. The other renter did move and the house is ours. We have been working our butts off fixing different things around the house. This is out other blog if you want to see what we have been doing with the house. http://rutherfordhomestead.blogspot.com/

In the meantime I've stayed busy with work and school as usual.

Patrick got a new job! He's working at Menards now.  We were so excited to have two incomes again. 

I took Gabe to the dentist for the first time. First they cleaned my teeth and Gabe was right in my face watching everything they did. Then it was his turn he got in the chair and they counted his teeth and gave him a new toothbrush. He was really excited and he told everyone for the next week how he had 10 teeth on top and 10 teeth on bottom. I'm so glad it went well!

Shawn started first grade. I think his favorite part is that he is old enough to be in cub scouts now.

It's happening

Wow, I didn't think this day would come. The first renter moved out...now I have been told the other one will move out in two days. I'm crossing my fingers but I am NOT holding my breath. There is so much to do

1.Cleaning
2.Stairs
3.Painting
4.Light fixtures
5.Removal of Second Kitchen.
6.Replace all painted over outlet covers
7.Shower curtains etc for second bathroom
8.Fix real Kitchen
9.And of course moving our stuff

thats my little list. The house needs a lot of work but I knew it was going to be a fixer-uper so this is just my movin list.

Ok so we got in there and tried to replace a vanity and found so much more so the bath is going to be a project.

The other renter is 95% moved out and should be done soon!

Improvements will be on our other blog!

In Sickness and Health

Wow we'll let me just say that Patrick and I have been married for just a little over 2 months and life is making sure that we can live up to our vows.

for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health

10 days in Patrick gets hit by a car

16 days in I find out I have a UTI and strep at the same time

31days in I still have strep and now Patrick does too

46 days in he gets laid off

It has been a bumpy ride and I am just trying to keep positive at the moment. Patrick is fine. Who knew that he was tougher than a car. I just cant tell you how grateful I am that he is ok. I think we are both over the Strep thank goodness that was such a pain in the butt. Now for the money. We will be fine but of course there is stress there always is with a loss of a job. I am just trying to keep the flow of money up and Patrick is finding little jobs to do while we wait to hear from potential employers.

Moving or lack of...

On May 26th we gave the renters of our new house their 30 days notice. They were on month to month leases and agreed to move should we ask them to. Since June 26th (technically 31 days) at least once a week one of them tells us he's moving "this weekend" sometimes both of them, and yet nothing. Not to mention the guy who hasn't paid a penny since we gave him his notice and was way behind to begin with.

It has been a constant battle with them always telling us they have a place lined up and then they don't. Recently it has been "I have to fix up the place first" and "I have to wait on the utility company". Quite frankly I don't believe any of it, and Patrick and I are very aggravated. There is so much stuff that he could be working on out there if we could get just one of them to move out, not to mention the amount of stuff that could be done if both of them were out.

The next step would probably be to do all the eviction/small claim stuff, but honestly I don't want to have to do that. Why is it that people cant just do the right thing and move out of other peoples houses when asked? Why must everyone overstay their welcome?

The frustration continues...

Duck House

As you know we have three little ducks but right now they have been cooped up in a brooder in our dining room. Except for an occasional outing. They really love it outside, they are ducks, and I feel bad not letting them out more, however recently the mallards have figured out how to get out and run around the house. I came home to them sitting on the couch the other day, so I am wanting this project over sooner rather than later.

We didn't really want to put the babies out to totally fend for themselves especially with the predators around the property, I really wanted them to have some kind of hutch or something.   

We found a blog that a lady made of a floating duck house. We decided that a floating house would be a wonderful idea and decided to give it a go on our own. 

Cutting the boards down to size.

Patrick and Gabe putting it together

We made the front higher so that the rain would run off. 

We wanted to keep it as waterproof as possible when we painted it so we bought Rust-Oleum Deck & Concrete Restore, and we we thought that olive green would go nicely on the pond a little camouflage for the ducks.