Life During Reconstruction

Dave and Anna came over last Saturday to help Jef and Dylan work on the ceiling in the family room, and then Kara, Rose and James came over to have Happy Fathers Day dinner since Jef was leaving to go out of town on Sunday.

Of course Anna was a wonderful helper, checking to see if the ladder would work properly. But she was the most help when it came time to help Grandma make some icecream dessert to go with dinner! I tried to download the movie I made of Anna spooning the chocolate sauce out of the pan and into her mouth, but it didn't work, maybe next time! I think you can get the idea though!

And then Anna spent some time practicing the piano. Jef had the grand tuned in preparation for two of the competitors in the Gina Bachauer Piano Competition to come and use our piano to practice. The girls stayed at the Easthams house but after they discovered that our piano, in both sound

and key action, was very much like the piano they would be playing during the competition so they both took turns practicing here as well as at the Easthams. It was such a treat to hear them play, I did not know that such young people could move their hands so quickly and skillfully across the keyboard! I didn't get to hear them very often because they would come over during the day to practice but sometimes I got home just right. Tiffany (seated at the piano is 11, from NY) and Tami (standing with her mom is 12, from Canada). These girls are amazing!!!! Jef got home on Thursday night so he was able to hear the girls practice on Friday. We hear tonight whether they made it into the finals which will be held tomorrow night.

Tomorrow, probably before the sun comes up Jef and Dylan and I will head for Oxford and the Elden E Family Reunion. It will be a fun day, but a long one since we need to come home Saturday night. Dave, Kara and Anna are up there camping out and Rose and James are leaving early in the morning and will meet us up there. We are really missing the rest of our family, especially the grandkids ... it is so fun to be with them in Oxford and I will miss them terribly!

Have Graduations Will Travel

True to his word, and as a fulfillment of a 30+ year old dream, Jef and crew (Dylan & Michael) took the ceiling out of the west side of the family room. The planned 3 day job suffered from what Jef calls 'scope creep' which means the original scope of work creeps larger and larger. Yes, I have a classic example of 3 long days of work, several great ideas that needed to be added to the original design, and just a few things that still need to be done before the ceiling can go back in.... and I still have a family room with no ceiling. Interesting fashion statement, looking up at the nails sticking through from the roof. But when it gets finished...wow! The ceiling came down friday, Jef worked hard through the weekend with help from Dylan (between work and social life...doesn't leave that much time to spend hammering), and me (who can not be totally trusted to climb to the top of the ladder and still function in a helpful manner while holding on for dear life....). It was a trying time for Jef, but still we were able to accomplish quite a bit before we had to wrap it up...Jef left on a trip on Tuesday. Dylan and I left for New York on Thursday, and Michael Iverson bravely stayed home and took care of the dogs.

Rose & James flight got in just before ours so they waited for us and Sam came to pick us all up and drive us to Brooklyn for dinner with Heather and her family. Then he took us into Manhatten to our hotel. It was a wonderful hotel that was directly across the street from the hole left from the World Trade Towers. There is a lot of activity going on there as they work to reconstruct subway and train lines as well as new buildings...all night long...but it was so interesting to watch from our room on the 24th floor. Just like having front row seats! Jef got us all rooms with his Hilton points, Rose and James were on the 26th floor and Emily and family were up on 40 something. We felt very posh!

Friday was Heathers graduation, we were very proud of her. We were so thankful Heathers family saved us chairs on the grass under a huge tree so we were comfortable and the weather was beautiful. Poor Heather was seated out in the sun so eventually she came to find us and enjoy our shade until the graduation speakers ended and we went in to her depatment graduation. (if this picture looks familiar I snitched it off Emily's blog because someone forgot to remind me to bring my camera to the graduation...). Then we all went to Central Park..the Grays to the Zoo, Heather's family to the playground, Rose, James, Dylan and I to find the pond you can sail remote control sail boats on. We never found that particular pond but we found a few others! Dylan and I rented a row boat, Dylan rowed and I just told him when he was going to run into something and since he was sitting backwards I spent a lot of time talking. It was fun and just as he was getting the hang of it so we could enjoy some amount of dignity it was time to head back to the dock and to dinner. Jef was able to drive down to NY and meet us in time for dinner even though he had not been able to come early enough to come to the graduation. Sam hosted us all, it was quite a group and we ate very well!!!

Saturday was threatening rain so we opted to spend the day in the Natural History Museum. The kids loved it and that made it even more fun for us! Emily and Austin had to start for home in the afternoon. We met Rose and James for dinner and by then my feet had walked their last mile! Jef and Dylan went down to the hotel pool with Rose and James while I wisely sat in the room with my feet up. Sunday we walked all over Brooklyn and walked on the Brooklyn Bridge. Rose & James had a flight out Sunday afternoon, Jef left on Sunday evening for Chicago, and Dylan and I enjoyed having Sam and Heather to ourselves for the evening! On Monday after an eventful day flying across the country Dylan and I finally got home again late in the evening.

Tuesday Morning was Dylan's High School Graduation, Grandpa Nix & Pat, Rosalie, Kara & Anna joined me as we watched Dylan graduate, it was great!!! He looked so handsome.

And Wednesday I was rather glad to get back to work, and Dylan started a class at the U of U. Jef will get home again on Friday and hopefully he will be able to work on the Family Room some more.