I guess I should post something as it has been a while. We have been so busy with our job up here in Silverdale that it is hard to think of anything different. But I do have some news... I GOT a NEW SEWING MACHINE!!!! I absoutely LOVE it... I have been having so much fun... just got it on Friday at my first sewing class. I can't expound too much right now because I am making some christmas presents ... after christmas I will post some photos of my fun... I also got a new job... Quality controller. That would be what I named it... for what I am doing. I am going through the finished units and checking for boo boos and smudges in the paint and missing shelves and handles... etc... It is a good job for me because I tend to be nit picky... ( I 've been told that) ( I don't like being that way but it helps in this case) On the second unit I dicided not to be as nit picky or they would never get it done. LOL (does that mean little old lady or laugh out loud???) oh well it gets me out on the jobsite. OH GUESS WHAT ELSE???????
WE HAVE SOME ASPHALT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is the best thing I have seen in sooo long... The Lord kept the rain away long enough for them to get it done. and we still have sun. woo hoo!! And now the workers can park out of the dirt and mud. I'll try and post photos after I get home from Minn, ... thats right ..we are going to visit Julie and Ryan for THanksgiving. Well thats all the exciting news I have , and I know it isnt much but its my news . I love you all ...who ever reads this. Thank you Julie for talking me into this as it does feel like a sort of journal... just not a private one.LOL? Later everyone

My Puppies left the next (Boo Hooooo)

This is the last week my babies are here with us and it is sooo sad... When Sparky left I felt like my heart was torn. I can't believe I got so attached to these puppies. They really are so dang cute!!! I miss their puppy breath and their kisses.... Fortunately Kiah lives upstairs and I usually see her every day. That helps , altho she is almost twice as big as sparks was ... His new family named him CLEETUS. But he loves it there and they spoil him rotten. (Im glad). All of the puppies have gone to super homes this time, and I can really tell they are loved.

Sparky is loving this bone.... They all had a good time chewing on their first bone. Some looked almost bigger then them. Sorry you have to suffer with me I really miss them and think they are sooo precious and cute, cute, cute. I guess it is because my younger grandbabies are so far away and I need snuggles from them...

This is Kiah on the right with her new brother Biscut... They get along soo good, He is very protective of her. Here is a better one of her face below, Isn't she cute?

Left is Samwise... Powerful fighter... and sooo sweet

And over to the Right is Teddy gettin all into his food. I wish I would have had my camera when I first saw him ... it was sooo hysterical. He had his nose buried into the dish and had all fours into the dish and I said Teddy what are you doing, he looked up and his whole face was covered in dry food bits... and he just looked at me and stuck his nose back in the food so this was as good a shot as I could get... Oh and he was also digging thats why it is all over the place... I couldnt get upset , he was so dang cute. Jasmine is back to her same old self. This shot is a few days after the puppies were gone, and she still had milk... she suffered for a while as she wouldn't quit nursing.

Now she is totaly back to normal and acts like her old fun self. AAHHH she says.... And life is good again.

My First Grape Vine!

Well, its not the first time to can grape juice, but it is from our own vine. And I do mean Vine. I looked out the window and saw grapes growing and hadn't realized we even had many at all.

Sooo I told Rich I was going to pick a few grapes. Luckily I took 4 grocery bags with me because I filled them all full up to the top of the bag with no room to spare. Of course I am thinking I don't want to do any canning right now but I was committed. This was Sunday before we left to go back up to Silverdale. So I had to gather up the canner and the juicer and bottles, etc... When I started canning the next day... I had forgotten to bring the jar lifter and lids... can you believe it??? Well then right in the middle of a batch I had to go to the store and purchace lids and NO WHERE could I find them... I drove all over town and finally the last place had them Whew... I was a bit worried. Then I couldn't find jar lifters so I bought this oven mitt and that was all I had to work with to keep from boiling my hands.

It didn't work too bad. I'd have scrapped the whole project if I would have had too many batches. I figured since I am always telling my kids they should can and stuff I better do it myself. Even though you don't have much space you can still be inventive. I have such a small sink and NO counter space so I washed the grapes in the tub. I was really getting into this...except that my back was killing me by the timeI was done.

Here are some shots of my spacious kitchen and sink and then the beautiful photos of my work.

You can see the amount of space I had to work with. But I have to say It was certainly gratifying and well worth it as the juice is out of this world. You'll never buy a bottle that tastes so good.

My first batch........ arent they beautiful and all because of one vine of grapes. Who'd a thunk!

LATER!!

New Fly over of the apt project

Here is the project well underway now you can see the first four buildings have roofs and the one is sided. They are starting on the siding on the long one on the left this week. The one in the back where it looks like dirt, they have started framing... woo hoo. And the entrance and some sidewalks have been poured. Hopefully by the next fly over we will see asphalt. Then I will really WOO HOOO!!!
later...

Puyallup Fair

This is outside Old Country Buffet, where we ate dinner prior to going to the fair... We also waited here for Rich to go get the van after the fair and the girls were acting silly. Karissa won that pig ... isnt it cute.

This is the girls at the fair. Amanda, Karissa, Jessica, and Brittany. Kaitlyn was in a bit of trouble and couldnt go. Oops!! We had a fun time and the girls rode lots of rides ... we looked at piggies and all kinds of things. Ya gotta love the Puyallup Fair!!!

Rich's 63rd Birthday

Dear Friends and family came over to celebrate with this momentus occasion. After all it is not often we see a dinosaur... (sorry Rich I couldn't resist) We all had a fun time telling jokes ... the kids and adults alike played with the puppies, as you can see in some of the photos.
This is what 63 looks like... Not bad I'd say!!

This is a pic of our Workers from the Apts. We all went to lunch on Rich's birthday. He was not happy about it but endured it well.... I stretched his parties out for 3 days... and he diserves it.

Some time I am going to figure out how to lay this out the way I want it to go but not tonight (this Morning - I mean) so till I get better I guess youre stuck with this. Hopefully Julie will come and clean it up for me (hint hint) or Josh or who ever - Just somebody help me I am not computer savvy

This is the only building so far with any siding. This one is a set of 5 condos. Mark wants us to live in one of these when they are completed enough for move-in. Then we will really be on site. Maybe next month?

New Puppy Photos

The photo with all of them sleeping is so cute, and they all have names. Starting from the left is Sam wise, Kiah, Maxie (black one), Sparkie, and on the bottom is Teddy . Don't tell me you can't tell who is who... a mother knows her babies...I know - you all
under - stand this right???

Julie says I need to add more stuff but I don't know that what I am doing is sooo exciting. I will add some updated photos of the puppies and the apartments. The puppies are 5 1/2 weeks old already... that went by so fast... altho I am tired of washing and cleaning up after poop and pee. Good thing we set a sheet of vinyl down under our little pet fence. It has been a great lifesaver for the floor. It cleans up easy especially if I line it with newspaper. The puppies are getting the cutes personalities. They are so surprised at every new thing they discover that they can do like a simple bark they will jump afterwards, then try it again. All of them are very cuddly... I worked hard at that I love snuggly puppies. All of them are sold but one and I think it may be gone too. I really wanted one myself. ugh!!! but 3 dogs is too much for even me.
General Conference this weekend was so wonderful... I can't even begin to discribe it the way some of you do. But I was just as touched as were you. This weekend was Rich's 63rd birthday. We had a small party Sat evening. It was fun visiting family and friends, and using our house again. I was so pooped that Sunday was a blissful day of Conference and rest. I rented one side of the duplex yesterday, so I needed to be in Yelm, I decided I should spend the night in my home and go to humanitarian today... It felt so good to be able to do that again. While we are in Silverdale I have been sewing book bags and dresses and rec. blankets and turning them in on the weekends. At least it keeps me connected

More puppy pictures

These photos were taken from a pilot Mark hires for his larger projects. I love to get them to show the progress. Both photos were on the same day but look so much different in the opposite sides huh?. The apartment we reside in and have our office in is right across from the tallest building on the top photo... the one in the corner of the aptws with a red vehicle in front. Now you can see a better view of the project. Thanks for looking, I will share more photos as I get time and try to every couple of days.

APARTMENT LIFE

Hello all, here are some shots of the apts Rich is building for Mark and Linda (my sister and brother-in-law, up in Silverdale WA. That is near Forks WA for those of you who are reading the Eclipse series by Stephanie Meyer. Havent been there yet but plan to.
We started this project a little over a year ago. We experienced a few setbacks and weather problems last year but finally the project took off and as you can see from the following photos, we are doing quite well. There are 6 buildings and 118 units. We are only in the foundation stage of the 6th building and the others as you can see are in various stages of framing. Some of the shots are of the same building just to show the progress. It has been fun learning so much about building. Rich worried he wouldn't know what he was doing but he has proved himself over and over again. He never ceases to amaze me. Well this is enough for the first time Love you all!!


What a gorgeous Blue sky!!! - IN WESTERN WA!!
This one is just across from the apt we live in .

The one above and below are the same building

just some of the rockery

Where Rich's red truck is, is where our apt is - convenient huh?




some of the early times

Puppies We Have Puppies!!!

Jazzy's little cuties

I think they're all there

Hey here are some photos of the babies who are now three weeks old born on Monday Sept 1st 2008, right as soon as we got home from Idaho. (I guess she was crossing her legs till we got home, poor thing) I need to post some later pics but these were on the computer already... Aren't they adoreable?

We're doing this again ... I can't believe it and this time there are 5 of them ... 2 girls and 3 boys. 1 black and white girl and 1 all brown girl and the rest are brown/some white - boys... wow when you read that back it sounds funny huh? Well thats how it is. Anyway they are starting to growl at each other in play and I feed them a little once a day to help mommy. They are little peeing and pooping machines. I hardly have time to myself...its a good thing they're cute!!! More later...

Sooo tiny, there were 2 runts

They look like a mini monkeys