Flooding

There was hint of flooding this summer but it didn't end the same as 2008.  It was odd to watch the water rise and know that we would not be nearly as directly affected by a flood this year.  Our neighbors on Eastmoor packed up their houses in preparation and I'm sure the preschool staff were making plans if necessary.  We just got to drive around and take pictures this time around and thankfully the water didn't end up going over the spillway.

Grandma and Grandpa went for a hike with us on Woodpecker Trail to see how high the water had gotten.  It was covering part of the trail at one point.  Sylvia noticed the change since her spring field trip with preschool.

We also took a field trip of our own out to the dam.  We checked out the outlet from a couple of different views.  Sylvia really wanted to go right down by it so daddy took her on a ramble down the rocks.

The water was also rising at church so we stopped by there.  They were in the process of building a berm and the kids loved all the machinery.  We were able to let them get pretty close by playing on the church playground for a bit (which is fenced in).

Goodbye 804 Eastmoor Dr.

It's taken me a little while to figure out what to write for this post. We sold our house on Eastmoor Dr. to the city back in October. Since being offered a buyout, we knew that the house would someday be torn down. When we moved out, there was little left in the house. We took our kitchen cabinets, appliances, closet systems, doorknobs and even the carpet. It really didn't look like our home at that point. Over the past few months, we've seen windows and siding removed as well as the interior walls. The kids, especially Sylvia, have enjoyed watching the backhoe tear down numerous houses in our neighborhood over the past three years. Sylvia would sometimes ask if the backhoe had gotten our house as we drove down Eastmoor when we were living there. We explained that we would live a new home before the backhoe "got" our house. It has been a great lesson and reminder to us that the things of this earth are temporary. Because of Sylvia's interest, we knew we wanted to watch our house be torn down. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it but it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, when we got a call around 6:15am on Monday, February 13 letting us know that they'd be taking it down in about 45 minutes we knew what we had to do. I don't know if we've ever gotten the kids ready so quickly. My parents met us at the house and actually stopped the demolition crew from taking their first bite. We were expecting more notice, but I think it may have been nice in the end to not have time to think about it too much in advance. It was a cold and snowy morning and we, especially Drake, were thankful that our neighbor across the street invited us in to watch most of the demolition. Sylvia said a few times that morning, "They haven't gotten my bedroom yet." The rest of this post is spoken through pictures and I think they say more than enough.










One last thank you to everyone who supported us through the flood and helped us re-finish our house. Your efforts weren't a waste. We actually lived on Eastmoor longer after the flood than we did before. It was a wonderful place to begin raising our family and we're thankful for the years we spent there.

I'll leave you with a few quotes...
"My favorite thing about my house is the people that live there."
"It's not the house that holds the memories. They are in your heart."

Spring Break Demolition

We spent as much time as possible enjoying the beautiful weather outside over spring break. Entertainment was provided by the backhoes and bobcats tearing down the houses on either side of us. Sylvia found our two play hardhats for her and Eric and took them outside while we played.
Sylvia's picture of a backhoe.
Sylvia got a hand-me-down big wheel from her cousin, Katie, last fall. We saved it until she was potty trained and that day is finally here. We've taken a few (very slow) trips around the block. She likes to stop and ask lots of questions as well as gather leaves and things to put in the seat container.
Someday soon he'll be able to keep up with big sister.

Room with a View

We awoke this morning to the sound of a backhoe demolishing our neighbor's house. The house on the other side came down yesterday so we weren't surprised although a man from the city informed me this morning that the crew wasn't supposed to start before 7:00. While watching out her window, Sylvia said, "When I used to be a baby I called the treads wheels." She's so much more educated now :)
Diaper changes have been difficult for awhile now with Eric but they are completely impossible today. I'm sure he's thinking, "Why lay down and cooperate with mommy and daddy when there's a giant dump truck out my window." Sylvia calls it the ABCD truck. Eric is becoming quite the climber.I love that they are both up on their tip toes to see.

Free Summer Entertainment

Lots of houses in our neighborhood have been torn down recently with many more coming down soon. Sylvia loves watching the backhoes and bobcats at work. She even knows the difference between treads and tires. This house was across the street from us. Sylvia keeps asking which houses the backhoe is going to get. She even said, "The backhoe might get our house." Well, the backhoe will probably get our house...but not till next summer. I'm thinking it will be a good reminder that earthly things are only temporary.

Warm Weather is Coming

Luckily this summer has not been too hot so far, because we are currently without an air conditioner. Tonight Dan poured a new concrete slab for our post-flood air conditioner which is larger than the one we had before. Sylvia was determined to try and move the wheel barrow. We attempted to put her hand print in the concrete but she did not cooperate.

Preschool; Under Construction

Last time I updated you on the preschool the water had just receded. There is now drywall up and painting is underway. Things are progressing well and we can't wait to move back.

Welcome to Preschool


My Office


Room 9


Room 7/8


Room 5/6


Storage


We are currently holding preschool at Hope United Methodist Church. Although it is more work for our staff, we are very thankful to have a place to meet. The teachers did a great job of turning an empty basement into a wonderful preschool. I'll try to post pictures sometime so you can see all their hard work.

House Update

The last time you saw pictures of our house it was all soggy and wet. Well, it has since dried out and we are in the process of rebuilding. My wonderful family "gave up" their family reunion to come work on our house in July. They hung the insulation and drywall (with Fransico's help), scraped the "cottage cheese" texture off our ceiling, picked away at wallpaper, removed dead bushes and landscaping rocks and had lots of fun...I hope. My dear aunts also helped me organize our preschool storage room which my teachers are very thankful for.

Thank you all so much for your help and for being "God's Hands at Work."


These pictures show the house after the mudding and taping was done but before we painted. We need one more coat of paint in our bedroom and then we're done painting. The remaining work that we (I should say Dan) are doing ourselves is...

1. Hanging kitchen cabinets & installing the counter top and sinks
2. Installing bamboo floors in the family room
3. Tiling the entryway and kitchen
4. Hanging interior doors, closet doors, and trim

The plumber installed our water heater and is going to do some work on the 2nd bathroom. The electricians should be there tomorrow to finish up and get our power turned back on. We've been using temporary power since shortly after the flood. Our carpet is ordered and will be installed as soon as we're ready for it. We have a couple of estimates for furnace and air. I'm sure there are things missing from my what-needs-to-be-done lists but things are progressing.

Here's a quick tour of the place. I'm going to label these pictures because the whole place looks the same and you wouldn't know which room you're looking at. Our small group Bible study has helped us out a ton as well. You can see a few of them in these pictures.

Living Room


Sylvia's Room


Guest Room (I just bought a daybed with a trundle that pops up and makes a king from craigslist. I am so excited about this bed because I wanted one but I didn't even know if they existed and then I found one for pretty cheap on craigslist. I am addicted to craigslist.)


Our Room


Family Room


Kitchen


Garage


Here's what the house looked like before the drywall.










We think we'll be able to move back sometime late October or early November. Then we'll have a nicer place for my Grandma to sit when she comes to visit.