Construction: Framing

Matt and our friend, Josh, that we hired to frame, began framing the basement the last week in August. The framing project was completed in about 2 1/2 weeks. Pretty fast if you ask me. They had help on Labor Day framing up a wall on the upstairs, and then both weekends Tyler came over and helped with framing and trusses.

Walk-out basement

Front porch wall

Inside view from the garage

The garage interior walls are framed up...and the port-a-potty moved to a new location off of the road

The garage walls being constructed

View from the master bedroom into the bathroom and on into the closet

View from the master bedroom doorway down the hall into Jemma's room

The view from the kitchen into the dining room and family room

The trusses being put on

The finished product...well as far a framing goes.

Worst Week Ever

Is having your children sleep in the bathroom considered child abuse?

The last week of August is not one I remember fondly. 

Sunday afternoon Matt and Bennett left after sacrament for Grace, they had dentist appointments in Logan, Utah the following day.  After church I gathered Jemma and Jacks and headed home.  Once they both realized that Matt and Bennett were gone, the meltdown began.  They howled and cried the entire way home...Jemma sobbing the the backseat "Worst Day EVER!"

I finally got them inside and Jacks began complaining that his stomach hurt and then promptly fell asleep on the armrest of the sofa.  I carried him to bed praying he would sleep the rest of the night...it was 5pm.

At 7pm Jacks flew out of his room (past the bucket I had placed by his bed...just in case...and past the bathroom) to throw up all over the living room carpet.  And thus began the next few hours of Jacks throwing up about every 15 to 20 minutes.

At about 10pm I moved Jacks into my room on the floor between my bed and the bathroom.  Jemma decided she wanted to sleep next to me, and that was okay until about midnight, when I awoke just in time to catch Jemma throwing up into her blankets.

I decided the best course of action would be to move Jemma to the bathroom floor.  Jacks finally fell asleep at 2am and Jemma finally gave up at 4am.  I decided at 6 am it might be alright to fall asleep for a little while.  Jacks was wiped out Monday, while Jemma perked up a bit. 

Tuesday I forced Jacks to school even though he was crying...it was school picture day.
 (Am I mean?)

After school on Tuesday Bennett developed a cough and said his chest hurt.  That night he started having a hard time breathing.  By Wednesday morning he was in a full fledged asthma attack. I made an appointment at the Dr. office and then took Jacks to school.  I came home to pick Bennett up right as Jemma throws up.

When we get into the Dr. office Bennett's oxygen level was at 79% on his finger (which is usually a bit lower than when taken on an ear)  but they raced the oxygen tank in and immediately started the oxygen and then the nebulizer.  We were int he office for a couple of hours while they tried to get his oxygen level up to where they wouldn't have to hospitalize him.  It's common to hospitalize someone with oxygen level below 90%.  They never did get his level above 85% but instead gave me a huge list of instructions to try and get his oxygen level up at home and then I was to meet at the office again that night at 5pm to check his level.  In the mean time we did have to go to the hospital to get a chest x-ray.  The dr. thought he head pneumonia or a collapsed lung.

At 5pm we headed back to the office and Bennett's oxygen level was at 85% not great, but a lot better.  And he did have a lung collapse.  He had a lot of mucus in his lung that was making it stick together.  They prescribed and antibiotic to go along with his nebulizer, steroid, and inhaler.  We continued this through Thursday and he rebounded pretty well.  By Friday he was ready to go to school. We had to take in albuterol for a nebulizer the school nurse had so he could get treatment at school also.

Friday morning dawned...with me throwing up.  I felt so bad for Jemma and Jacks.  I felt terrible, so I can only imagine what they felt like.  I felt a little bad for making Jacks go to school to get his pictures taken...oh well...he survived.  My stomach bug wiped me out good.  By Sunday I was still not feeling quite well yet.  It was a good thing I still had Labor Day to recoup before Jemma and I started preschool on Tuesday.

Worst Week Ever!

Boating

We went boating at Blacktail Reservoir. It was pretty fun to have everyone together (minus Heather and Grandma Julie).

Bennett's first time up.  We had to do a little bribing to get him to try.  I am now $10 poorer, but it was defiantly worth it to see Bennett up...and somewhat enjoying the experience.

Jason purchased an air chair.  That thing was pretty fun to watch the guys ride.  They could get up so high out of the water and watching them flip (whether they meant to or not) was pretty exciting.

Bennett's Birthday

This guy turned 7 this year. I can't believe how big he is getting!

For his birthday he requested a party with his cousins. So the Hammonds, Nulphs and Washburns met at headquarters in Idaho Falls at Grandma Julie's house. We surprised Bennett by going boating earlier in the day and then having a small surprise party for him. He is a boy of little reaction. I couldn't tell if he was surprised or not! But I had fun thinking that he was a tiny bit surprised.

Thanks to Heather and Grandma Julie, Bennett enjoyed a rainbow cake for his birthday.  I think it turned out pretty spectacular. 

Construction: Retaining Wall

The last weekend in August Tom and Tyler came over to Lander to help us put in our retaining wall. We decided on the boulders instead of the dry block. I'm pretty happy with the out come. I think they did a pretty good job.

Can you think of a more awkward spot for the port-a-potty?
 

Snake

 

This thing plagued me for a good part of my summer.

It took residence in the bush in the front yard.  I would walk down the sidewalk and would catch it slithering back to its hiding place.  Yuck!  I hate snakes!!!  It gave me the hee-bee-gee-bees (?)  every time I saw it.  I might have also had a nightmare or two in regards to being infested by snakes.

Matt and the kids tried catching it a time or two, but the sneaky little thing was uncatchable.

Finally, one day I saw it and called to Bennett and Jacks, who came racing with their cage.  Bennett grabbed its tail and began pulling it from behind the bush.  The thing held on pretty tight and Bennett had to give a good tug or two.

I, of course, stood in the middle of the yard screaming and encouraging Bennett (in my shrill screaming voice)  to capture it but to not get bitten by it.  I have to say, I think I put on a pretty good show for the neighbors. 

Once the snake came out and was being hung by it's tail, it was pretty upset and kept striking at Bennett.  Now that I look back with a more rational mind, I probably shouldn't have let Bennett play snake hunter.  On the bright side the snake was captured, and then released far, far, away from my house.

Ewww!