A Dishwasher Of My Own!!!

(Alternately titled: My husband, my hero!)

Yes, boys and girls, I Sarah McCallum just loaded a dishwasher installed here in MY house!!! I cried, I literally cried. I cannot explain the tremendous relief to have this machine at work for me! It is currently set up here in the basement, but it can be moved to the kitchen when it gets done.

Many things were accomplished here today, which makes for an exhilarating day! Our drywall help was here for 6 hours. I was gone for 3 hours of that time, on a supply run. I was delighted to find many walls well underway upon my return.

Don has been super busy here all week, but he's pretty much been working non stop for the past 12 hours today. We both woke up at 6:30 this morning. That is a big gripe of mine. Saturday is the ONLY day we get to sleep in, and if it isn't us waking up and not able to get back to sleep, it's the kids awake and making noise at 7. (we have to wake them up by 8 on Sunday)

So, Don has: run a couple of phone lines, ran a couple of thermostat wires, direct wired my dishwasher, plumbed the dishwasher, kept track of 4 kids for 3 hours and all 5 for 2, helped the drywall guy, got our printer up and running, ran electricity to our water heater, (it used to be heated only by the wood stove, but when the stove cooled down too much, no hot water. Not cool!! Yes all my McCallum readers, I know the water actually was cool.) He is currently setting up our whole house vac, and finishing up the 220 wiring for our stove.

We will both be ready to fall into our wonderful new bed and pillows. I am so glad we ordered it! Don says the only downside is that we didn't buy it 2 years ago. It has helped his back A LOT! But that's a whole other post.

The first load being washed!

Friends With Appliances

It has not been a week since I posted!!!! I can't believe it's been that long, but yes, we've been busy. I do have a list of things to blog about in the back of my Bible Study book. That tends to be the time I get ideas, so I just write them down so they don't distract me any further.

Anyway, one HUGE thing on my mind here of late it all the things this "adventure" of living in the basement is teaching me to be thankful for. Things like:

• Flooring
• Walls
• Stairs
• Cupboards
• Storage space
• Countertop
• Dishwasher
• Garbage disposal
• Clothes Dryer
• Kitchen sink

All the above are things I do not have and REALLY miss. If it's any indication, I almost got weepy when I was washing a friends dishes, a couple of weeks ago, in a SINK!!!!

This week I got the privilege of baby sitting for a friend 2 mornings. Not only did I get to interact with a petite little 2 year old girl, but also Jesse had a buddy to keep him busy, said friend lit up my days with cheery flowers, I didn't have my own "To Do" piles screaming at me, AND I had a dishwasher, clothes dryer and a kitchen sink at my disposal!!!!!! It was heaven! And worth the multiple trips to the car to lug in tubs and baskets of dishes and wet clothes.

Sometimes

Sometimes, sometimes

I’m justRunnin’ so fast that I can’t touch the ground

I’m spinning faster than a merry go round

I find myself in the lost and found

And

sometimes, sometimes I’m justCallin’ your name and I don’t know why

Holdin’ my head cryin’ “my oh my”

Up and down like the tide

But you’re the Same yesterday,

and tomorrowwon’t change all your excellent ways

Same yesterday, and tomorrowwon’t change all your excellent ways

Sometimes, sometimes I’m justBeing so good I can hardly stand it,

Everything goes like I planned it

Hold that thought while I get candid

Sometimes, sometimes I jumpOutta the pan, into the fire

Get my foot stuck in the mire

Lord you must get tired but you’re the…

Same yesterday, and tomorrowwon’t change all your excellent ways

Same yesterday, and tomorrowwon’t change all your excellent ways

You’re the alpha,The omega,The beginning,And the end,

You’re my Father,You’re my BrotherYou’re like no otherMy best friend

Same yesterday, and tomorrowwon’t change all your excellent ways

Same yesterday, and tomorrowwon’t change all your excellent ways

Sung by Nicole C. Mullen

I can't seem to rustle up a video of this, and it's really hard to get the song with out the music, but this song has been a lifeline for me the past couple of weeks.

Today, it proved true again....Great thing; my mom kept the kids overnight and Don and I had lunch out together!

Not so great thing; we were run into in a parking lot, while stopped and Don was laying on the horn. The guy told his insurance agent it wasn't his fault........

I am so glad God is constant!

Because We're Spoiled Like That

Yesterday, I was playing my daily round of Mario Kart with Jesse. I happened to have some Whoppers, the candy, left over from Bible Study the night before. Between races I grabbed a few and popped some in my mouth, and some in Jesse's.

So there sat Jesse on our comfy couch, mom by his side playing his game of choice, being fed candy every time he open his mouth. "Man!" I thought, "is this kid spoiled or what?!!!"

Shortly thereafter, my mother called and offered to keep ALL the kids from Friday at noon until Saturday afternoon.

Who's spoiled now?!!!

I Am Invincible!!!!.... Or Not

So, I waited too long and had to cram for Bible study yesterday morning, but it really turned out well. We were working on Love, as in the fruit of the Spirit, and there were so many rich blessings! I enjoyed not having to move on to reality so quickly. It was a blessed time!

With that done, around lunch time, I headed to town to do a couple of errands I missed doing on Monday b/c of the flu.

I was feeling fine, liked my clothes, hair and makeup done, the sun was shining and I was out to conquer the world! All that after a stop at Subway. Once back on the road I reached for my drink and the cup folded and FILLED my lap with cherry Coke.......

So much for that bubble!!! Thankfully, it dried for the most part before I had to get out of the car, the seat was leather so it didn't absorb and keep soaking my butt, and my jeans were dark.

I didn't care much for the sugar coated inseams, but all in all, I guess it wasn't so bad...

Can life ever change on a dime!!!

Because We Share Like That

Remember the flu Don had Saturday???? Well, thankfully he was up and going Sunday so we were all able to go to church together.

Monday morning ..... not so much... I ached all over when the alarm sounded at 5:30. I was still able to function and get Don out the door, but by 8 when I took the kids to school, I was miserable.

Thankfully, my mom lives much closer now and I was able to call and have her bring over some Sprite, and take Jesse home for the day.

My biggest complaint of the day was that the sun was too bright. Light and noise were overwhelming. I don't know how Don handled being sick on Saturday with all the banging from drywallers and building a wall inside, plus 5 kids!!

I am happy to report I feel mostly better today. Still kinda achy.

I need to catch up on my Bible Study. Reading was the LAST thing I wanted to do yesterday!

Oh, and a guy from our church dropped by last night to help Don. They cut back the trusses so the stairs would fit. This was a job Don was apprehensive about doing, and I think it really helped him to have someone else there for feedback.

Happy Valentines Day!

It is the end of another day that "I saw going differently in my head".

Nothing disastrous mind you, but I find here as of late I hold SO loosely to my own expectations that sometimes I don't care enough. Kinda a coping mechanism in a life that is rather "fluid" to say the least.

Thankfully we had set aside last night as our cozy family time. Don worked overtime this week, to help settle some of the overwhelming load he is dealing with at work. We all CRASHED big time last night. It was so nice to relax and be together!

Today, we had planned to get 2 walls build down here and install the stairs. Also, we called our "by the hour" drywaller, and set up for him and his helper (wife) to get started in our laundry room.

Well, plan one, didn't go down as we thought. Don woke up with the flu, and had me call my brothers, Micah and Aaron, (who were going to help) and let them know he would not be "bossing" them today.

Our drywalling duo did show up before 1oAM and in four hours they had the laundry room drywall hung, as well as half the dining room!!!!! Yea!!!!! I am sooooooo excited to see some progress!

It was recently noted, I had not written about the house for quite some time..... pretty much nothing had changed until today. We did get our cupboards ordered and picked up.... they are still in boxes in the office. I did brave out and open on last weekend. (I was scared after all that time and $ I wouldn't like them) I am happy to report they are lovely!

Don's workload since the new year has been quite heavy. We knew even during Christmas break this would be the case. He put in 8 extra hours 2 weeks in January, and then this week.

He did get some pocket door frames hung, and is working on figuring out our A/C duct work and also a central vac!

Back to today. I was rather derailed when I realized the wall/stairs thing wasn't going to happen, but Don was noticeably miserable so my pity party was short lived.

After lunch Don said he did have some things for the boys to work on, so they were called and came over. Once they finished the odd jobs Don had for them they even tackled the original job "the wall".

I am pleased to announce they did get one section all done!

So, here I sit with more drywall done than I had guessed, a wall, tulips, ice cream cake, a mellow hubby, and kids buzzed on obscene amounts of candy from their "friendship parties" at school.....does no one just give a card anymore?!!!! They were eating candy all day.... and it's still not done!!!

I wonder how many days of Don staying in bed we can afford!

Oh, we did have another guy come in and he is bidding our siding and drywall. I am praying, praying, praying he will be affordable! It would smooth out so many wrinkles in our life right now!

PIFG Winners

At approximately 10:20 AM CST Jesse chose the winners of my giveaway.


All (5) names were written on strips of paper, tossed like a salad in a pink John Deere cap, and then I had Jesse chose 2. The 3 names left in the hat were the winners! (it may not be scientific, and it may be a tad backward, but we were going for fun and unusual)











Congratulations to :

Rachel at Unexpected Blessings

Peggy at Sharing Life With Peggy

Valerie at As Our Time Gose By

I am now off to the library to deliver Valerie's CD!

Lurkers Come Forth

Pay It Forward Giveaway

About oh, 2 months ago I was the lucky winner of a Starbucks gift card in a PIFG hosted by Lois Lane II. Thanks to my winnings I was able to enjoy a decadent "White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha"!

As implied by the name of the drawing I am responsible to "pay forward" this opportunity, so I am hosting my first giveaway!

Rules below:

1. Leave a comment to get entered into the contest. I will draw three people who will win the prize. I will e-mail you that you won and mail you the prize.

2. The three people who win will host their own PIFG and do the same. Now, naturally, this prize needs not to be extravagant, just a simple treat in the mail. You choose the prize you want to give.

I have chosen to give CDs. I have one Steven Curtis Chapman "all about love" here and ready to go. I thought it appropriate for the upcoming Valentines Day holiday. I need to get out and pick up two more.

I will leave this open until Tuesday AM (2/10). I hope to get them out that day if I have addresses, and you may even be able to enjoy them for your own Valentines weekend!

Please Pray

I am requesting prayer today for a friend whose husband has died. Please also be praying for the daughter who is a friend of Marlene's. They were born 8 days apart. My heart aches for their loss.

50% Gross, 50% Funny