First Comes the Test, Then Comes the Lesson

In life, we don't always have the lesson first, do we? Wait, do we ever?? I don't think so. I think we always go through a tough time before we understand why. That is IF we ever understand the why.

My husband and I have been in the middle of a new lesson. Patience being a big part of it. Letting go of that idea that we can do anything without anyone else helping is another part of it. 

Last week, we started hearing something that resembled running water in the pipes. While nothing that requires water was on. Hmm that doesn't seem quite right, now does it? Of course we, the kids and I, told Dad when he came home from work. As well as having sent my husband a picture of a puddle that was in front of a door on our house. 

My husband had bought one of those cameras that you use to see behind the walls, that has an LED light and is flexible. We had gotten it to check on other plumbing issues, but now it was looking for a flowing pipe. No matter where my husband fed it through the wall though, he wasn't finding it. Next step was to drill holes in the walls. A couple in the bathroom. A couple in the hallway. Another one or two in the game room and closet. This is when I started to be concerned. He even opened up the air conditioning unit and found that there was a little pond under that! Well, now things are really getting interesting. 

Fast forward and I'm asking the church to pray for us. My husband and I are getting frustrated. With the situation as well as with each other. In theory, we should be able to handle this. On our own. But the more we look, the more trouble we are finding. All because we can't find the trouble! Then he reaches out to a friend in the church. That alone was surprising to me. Then he's asking me to get recommendations for plumbers that have equipment to find leaks under the floors and possibly under a concrete slab. Finally! We are going to get help. Ever want to suggest that to your spouse, but don't want them to feel that they aren't adequate because of it? That was me. 

To the Nextdoor app I went in search of recommendations. Our Neighbors never disappoint. I had a list of places to call within the hour. Unfortunately, I'm calling on a Friday. The soonest, but most expensive one, couldn't come out until Monday. The next in line, both in price and in availability wasn't until Tuesday. Great, a whole weekend of flowing flooding water under my floors. But then I got a notification. There had been a late addition to the list! Jose from Pro1 Plumbing. So I give him a call and catch him on his lunch break. He's willing to take a look, and only charge me IF he finds the leak for sure. He can come within the hour. I feel hope again! 

He shows up. He gets a lay of the house and how the pipes have to be based on where all our water fixtures are. I'm feeling pretty good about this guy. He calls his son and buddy over to help him in the search. They have to have someone turn the water off and on while he listens for the echo of the spray under the floors. He narrows down the area where the leak should be and then they double check to see where the water main comes into the house. All three of these guys are now digging in my front yard that has become a mud pit. I have two puddles now in front of each of my front doors. And he was able to show me water pouring over the slab. Part of the slab even crumbled as he pulled the mud back. 

My husband is at work while this is happening, so I'm having to text him and wait until he gets the messages through his spotty signal. I'm trying my best to keep him informed and also get his decisions on how to proceed. They are talking about needing to cut the carpet and roll it back to better hear the echo. I'm finally getting a price quote too. To find and repair this busted pipe. Which I now know is a gusher after having seen how fast the meter is spinning and how loud the sound has gotten. In my mind, I was determined to talk my husband into just paying these guys to knock this problem out the park. Get it fixed! They have the tools and the know-how. And I really do NOT want to have to rip up floors and tiles and carpet without knowing what we are facing. Not to mention having to possibly buy or rent the tools to cut the copper piping.

By the time they have dug the hole, it is already 4:00 and the heat is getting high. These guys are sweating and clearly tired. The job would take a least 2 more hours. Possibly more. So we all agree that it would be best if they stopped there and just come back in the morning.

Now, we fast forward to the morning after. We turned off our water at their request before they came over. We had moved everything out of the way of the areas they would need clear.

My youngest says, "It reminds me of when we first moved in!" She is so right. That had been my husbands assessment when he got back from work and saw all that the kids and I had already moved. I probably shouldn't have done as much as I did, which wasn't much at all, since my back has been acting up all week.

The guys showed up and found the closest point to the pipe they could get and had to cut into the hardwood floors that we have under the carpet. Then they had to get the ShopVac out and the jackhammer. Turns out, the pipe is under the slab. And the amount of water is incredible! They were carting out buckets filled. By the time they stopped, which was some time close to 5:00 I think, they had carted out about 25 gallons at least. 

Once again, I'm glad we decided to hire these guys. There is no way my husband and I could have done this alone. Even with help from our teenage sons. This is a massive undertaking. And we don't have the skillset for it. Our house was built in a time when they thought putting layers of tar and gravel under the concrete was the way to go. This is why the water is staying in place instead of finding its way into the ground. That, and Midland is mostly clay dirt, so water stays around for a VERY long time. But now we can see why the weeds in the front garden bed were springing up mercilessly! They were getting well watered by this leak. The plumbers had to leave again with the promise of coming back on Sunday. 

I was thankful to start putting our living room back in shape. The game room was near or over the leaking pipe and was quite the disaster zone. 

Then we had them here working through the day on Sunday. Only to find there was more than one leaking pipe! This house was built in 1952. Most of the pipes haven't had anything replaced since they were laid. We fixed one out front. And another popped loose near the front of the foundation. Then sometime, probably quite a while back, another couple joints came apart under the bathroom and game room. A sketchy patch job was revealed behind the water heater. And we were thoroughly ready to just give up. I'd love to have just curled up in bed and wished it all away. 

But we have had to juggle refilling water jogs to refill toilet tanks every time someone had to use the restroom. 

We have four kids who are tired of being trapped in either their bedrooms or the living room. 

Then came the big decision. Do we do a quick patch or do we actually re-pipe the house? A patch job won't hold. Not for long. So now, we are going with the saying, "In for a penny, in for a pound." We decided to have them move all the piping upwards through the attic! I'm glad we have a fantastically strong foundation with about 3 inch thick wood over about 3-5 inches of concrete, over a layer of gravel that was packed in, over a final layer of tar. This house shouldn't ever have issues with settling. Whoo! But they have to reroute the pipes upwards now. Yay...

That is what they worked on ALL DAY on Monday. My husband had to take a day off from work. We went without water, which meant having to purchase huge jugs and more bottled water to keep us going through the night and day. We kept the whole family in the living room to limit anyone getting in the way. The guys worked hard and fast, which made us happy. But it was hard on us all. Being confined in a single room. You'd think it was a zombie huddle. With spurts of activity when someone decided to do something. For me, it was incredibly tiring. Though I did manage to finish reading a book. 

Suddenly we think they are at the end of the job. Putting things back together. Cleaning up areas they were finished in. That is when another leak was found. They had turned on the cold water with no problem. Then they turned on the hot. And water spouted from another joint! I was  feeling pretty dead inside. Too tired. Too desperate for a shower. Just too much of everything at once! 

But as we were finishing up dinner in the living room, they were finishing up cleaning. They even repaired the holes in the wall, which wasn't part of the deal we made. They also repaired the drainage for my washing machine hook up that was leaking every time we washed clothes. I'm more than grateful for that! After all, my husband has been too busy to do it and the way he wanted to fix it was too much of a process. After all, engineers sometimes over-complicate things. I've been washing clothes since the plumbers left without any more leaking water! But that was all they did. I probably sound like those infomercials - But wait! There's more! They found out why we had this sewage smell sometimes. Turns out that the pipe that would vent sewage gases up out of the house, is cracked. So when the wind blows really hard, as it has been, it sends the smells right back in. Jose told my husband how to repair that when we are ready.

Time to think

I have been thinking a lot about the lessons we were facing in this. 

We had to let go and let someone else step in to fix something. 

We had to accept that it would cost us a pretty penny and possibly eat up the majority of our savings cushion. 

We had to 'rough it' without water. Again. 

We had to be patient with this plumber and accept that he has been working on the weekend and dealing with his family wanting his time as well. 

And for me, in particular, I had to accept that my weekend plans were effectively erased. I try my hardest to write my plans in pencil, but the weekend is the only time the kids and I can truly get out of the house and possibly do things. Not gonna lie, spending time at the park was looking really nice... But we couldn't do that. We had to be here for the workers getting things done. We missed church too, while waiting to hear from the plumber on Sunday morning. Not knowing when he might show up. 

I had my moments of doubt. Had moments of thinking we messed up in our choice of plumber. That maybe this was just a bad dream. No, wait, that was just my wish. And yes, even wondering why this was happening to us at all. 

But I will say this. There was so many things that were evidence of God's goodness. Things that I can be thankful and praise-filled about. 

1. Even with the water turned off, we could still use the restroom and flush the toilets. 
2. This plumber was no-nonsense. Honest and blunt with us. 
3. My in-laws weren't here while this was going on.
4. The prices we were facing, while still high for our income, were nothing near as high as they could have been. 
5. God gave us what we needed, included enough money to purchase extra water and microwavable foods to keep us going until the repairs were finished. 

There is a song by Micah Tyler called Even Then. I heard him in person once, and he explained the story behind it. The heartaches and trials his family were facing were still more than what we had here. Part of it says, "Even when the waters won't stop rising... You're with me even then." The waters were rising under our very feet. But God got us through. And sent the right person to fix it. 

Lost Photos of a Great Memory

If you are like me, you probably have a hard drive full of digital photos and then printed photos in a box. Ever since my first camera, I have loved taking pictures. Of people. Of places. Of things that I've seen. Some are so random. The best ones are of people when they weren't even looking my way. And sometimes, I even forget about photos. So stumbling on them again is like a flood of memories coming back.

But there were some priceless ones that I recently found. From our trip to Israel. We had asked another member of the tour group to use my camera and capture the moments of my husband and I being baptized in the Jordan River! 

Why was this such a big deal for us? 

My husband and I were baptized in our younger years. I, in the Presbyterian church. My husband, in his childhood, at a Baptist church. Neither of us making a conscious choice, but rather doing what our parents expected of us.

Personally, as I became an adult who was getting back into the Bible and really dedicating myself to the Lord, I came to realize that I needed to be truly baptized. To show that I really had given over to God and was ready to live the way He called me to. But when I came to this choice, we were not in a church that we called Home. And baptisms were not frequently offered. So I kept waiting. 

When were signing up to go to Israel, they offered us the chance to have the pastor that led the church group we went with, to baptize us. In the Jordan River. In Israel! My husband and I both jumped at the chance. First off, it was Pastor Ed Taylor of the Calvary in Aurora, Colorado! He had been the pastor we listened to at home. His church was the one where my husband rededicated himself to the Lord and we called that church our Home away from home. So that was an honor for us both. But even more so, was that we could be baptized in the Holy Land. What an amazing memory to make. For me, to make it with the man I loved, was the best part of all! We decided then and there, that this was where we would really and truly live like Christians are called to. No more halfhearted efforts. 

So having these photos, reminds us of that decision. 

What was it like? 

Cold. And dirty. 

You know that story of the Syrian, Naaman, coming to Elisha and asking to be healed of his leprosy? Elisha told him to go wash in the Jordan River. Naaman was furious! (2 Kings 5:1-14) Want to know why? That is the nastiest water! Smells bad. Your feet squish in slimy mud (even with my water shoes). There were what felt like rocks and sticks as well. And when we went in March, that water was freezing cold! I was glad it was so quick. I was shivering, with teeth chattering by the time I climbed out. The two pastors (father and son), had to wear wet suits to stay warm enough to get through all of us who chose to be baptized.

We were asked why we were doing this. For us both, it was to say with a deliberate mind that we wanted to do this. That we made the choice for ourselves. And that we were proud to have decided this. 

To say that I was nervous would be an understatement. First off, I felt very exposed. Secondly, I'm a bigger woman about to be dunked by a pretty thin guy. I was kinda worried he would lose his grip and it would be an ugly sight of me trying to regain my footing and come back up. And lastly, I did NOT want this water going up my nose! I was almost holding my breath the entire time we prayed before the dunking.

Is it strange that I worried I'd throw his back out? Thankfully, I didn't. Thankfully, he kept hold. Thankfully, it was a smooth journey back upright. And praise God, I've announced in this small way, I'm His child! And I will live like one to the best of my ability through His grace and mercy.

We can rejoice. Not because getting dunked makes us saved. Not because it changed us physically, emotionally or maybe even changed us spiritually. But because this reminds us to be accountable.

If you haven't, I highly recommend you give your life to God. If you have, but haven't been baptized, maybe you should consider it. It is a symbol of going under as a sinner, and coming up washed clean. Then live it out!

The Struggles Are Real

It is hard to feel sympathetic towards others in pain when you, yourself are suffering. Especially on a daily basis. I do feel bad for those with pain. For those with deformed spines particularly. I can have a real sympathy for them.

I know only too well the hardships they face doing the simple things in life. Everyday is a process. Pushing myself to keep going. Striving to get things done. Pregnancy made things so much harder, both during and then after. I've sought help from several doctors over the past several years. More than once, I've heard words that essentially meant, "I can't help you." One doctor even told me, "You are a strong woman. Learn to live with it." I still have a double curve. My arthritis has spread throughout my body. In some ways, my research has made me more of an expert than most of the real 'experts'. A disc slipped. Crushed the nerve under it. Then I found out I had Degenerative Disc Disease. 

 Degenerative discs are when the discs in the spine are under pressure and begin to "dissolve". I know it runs in the family as my aunt had to have a rod put in to support her lower spine. I had one doctor suggesting we should do laser surgery to remove whatever was causing the pinching of the nerves. If that hadn't worked, he wanted to just insert rods again.  

We never got there there. I had my baby, life moved on. And so did we. Went to a new town. My neck lost its natural curve, causing migraines and headaches. New doctors said I was beyond help by them and the scientific knowledge and equipment they had access to.

Back when searching for answers was important to me, I was really feeling like a walking disaster. I had depleted my PTO at work. Between child care, vehicle issues, pain and inability to walk... I felt like a lost cause most days. 
I got so tired of the life that meant telling my kids, "Mommy can't right now." I'm still not wanting to socialize because I don't like those pitying looks or "poor you" comments. I'm tired of seeking answers and coming to dead ends. Of wanting relief and finding only more pain.

I have learned of all kinds of pain relief methods. Some that work for me. Some that don't. But it gives me options to suggest to others who are in a similar situation as I am. 

Epsom salt baths

Heating pad and ice pack revolutions

Over the counter medicine is round the clock on my hardest days, but I've been warned about liver and kidney damage. 

Stretch and walk as often as I can. 

Through everything, pain persists. Sleeping, sitting, walking, reclining - sometimes it just doesn't matter what I do. However, I can proudly say, I'm surviving through it. I'm living life as best I can. Day by day. 

For all of you out there who have back problems - I feel your pain. I understand every ache. I know what you go through daily. It may never get easier unless you take drugs or have surgery. No, it will most likely get worse. Every day it gets harder to roll off the bed. To stand and wash those dishes. To lift that bag of groceries. To sit at a computer for 8 hours. To smile at those you pass while pretending you are okay. But we can't stop. As much as I want to give up or as often as I question, "Why me?" I have to remember that I'm needed no matter what. I have to keep trying and be patient. As my husband often reminds me, we have to wait on God and His timing. It's hard. Very, very hard. I'm usually very patient. More so than most. But I do struggle daily.
Keep on trying. Don't give up. Answers will come. Whether they are what what you want to hear.... that remains to be seen. But don't give up.

Catching Our Breath Yet?

I feel as though the whirlwind of activity hasn't stopped yet. We finished the tiny house. Got my sister-in-law settled in. Did school for a week. Sent the boys off to camp. But still the fast pace didn't slow down. 

After we came back from getting my sister-in-law, we had a busted water pipe to fix. While I hope we never have to do that again, at least we now know how to! It was pretty epic. There were roots crowding the pipe junction that caused it to break. So working to fix it included cutting the roots with a chainsaw. Quite the interesting experience...

My daughters made a joke by placing this prank tape across the bathroom door while we had the water turned off.

We learned about this flexible pipe that can connect the two ends, but also allow for the possibility of roots to push it without breaking it. 

We wanted to help boost the signal for my in-laws to use the internet without disruption in the tiny house. So my husband bought Cat5 cable and thought he would just run it through the attic space. That turned into my next project...

Remember the game room ceiling I painted? Oh wait... I don't think I had shared that post with you just yet. Well, I painted the popcorn ceiling to be like a galaxy in the game room. Now I'm in the process of fixing this to look like a black hole in that galaxy. 

At this point, I keep thinking of that one song by Johnny Diaz.

Ever have those days? When you just need that reminder to stop and breathe? I've been feeling that. We are trying to get back into the groove, but it is a steady stepping process. Sometimes those steps feel like one forward and two backwards, but we keep pushing. A lot of things happening. I hope to have many posts to show some interesting projects, so be patient with me. And remember, just breathe.

Finishing Touches in the Tiny House - Almost There!

This past week, we tried not to slow down. Though Saturday I had prior commitments that had me working a yard sale in our front yard. We have sealed cracks amazingly well though. I know, because we have had some heavy thunderstorms this past week that dropped loads of water and tested our build. Not a single leak was found! So happy about that. 

We started the painting. I have decided I'm not a fan of matte paint at all. I prefer semi gloss. Matte feels like chalk on the walls. And messes with my OCD. Makes my skin shiver and nails feel funny too. Not sure why. Oh, and it cracks when over imperfections in the walls. That part surprised me too.

My husband agreed to do an accent wall, so we bought some Strawberry Red by Benjamin Moore. I am really liking the color. Might just do the closet in the same since we should have enough.

We also began installing the flooring tiles. We went with a peel and stick version. Though, we may get the additional glue later for the ones that are on cracks of bowing boards. We have noticed that some wanted to pop up in the corners. The hope is that we will finish the floor tiles today. At least in the main room.

We have decided that the tiny house will have a crown molding and baseboards once we finish the painting and flooring. We still need to add the closet door, adjust the main door that keeps getting stuck, add door frames for both, add the deadbolt to the main door, paint the ceiling after I finish the putty... I think that about covers the rest of our to-do list. Oh wait, have to finish putting the face plates for the electrical outlets and switches. I'm in the process of painting one of them. So until next time!

Pressing On With the Tiny House!

So, so, so close! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and no, it is not that of a train! After stopping two Thursdays back to go help the in-laws move a truckload out here, we are finally back to work. You wouldn't think that driving about 6 hours to load a moving truck full of furniture, then driving another 6 hours back to unload that same truck into a storage unit would count as a break. However, that is exactly what it turned into. As much as it could be, it broke us from the routine of working in the tiny house just enough to give us a second wind. Even better, was that after unloading the truck, the in-laws were even able to help put up some pieces of sheet rock, also called drywall. 

So what is the latest news on this project? So happy you asked! 

We have had to fill in gaps around the roofing. Using expanding foam to accomplish this. It isn't the prettiest, but no one will see it and it keeps things like dust or bugs out. So win-win for me! I have noticed that moths aren't flying around inside anymore, which is wonderful.

Had to pull up one of the floorboards and readjust it as it started bowing upwards a bit. We have another board to finish that same process with before we start laying flooring.

We installed both ceiling fans, all the electrical plugs and the 2 light switches. Don't forget to stabilize the area that a ceiling fan will hang from. We did that by screwing in extra 2x4 boards. Ready for the best part?? We have even hooked up power! It is so nice to turn on those fans while working outside in the heat.

We have put up all the drywall! No more insulation to cough through and no more drywall hanging. We even signed inside some of the walls, while adding our favorite bible verses. Mostly about building houses! 

I added putty around the seams and over screws to give the walls a smoother appearance when I paint them. I can't tell you how much I miss the various tools my dad always had. I'm also glad he taught me how to do the job right. I didn't appreciate it much when he was teaching me as he was such a perfectionist. However, now that I'm doing it myself, I can understand the 'why' so much more. I'm not as proficient as he always was, but I'm still doing the best I can. Today, I plan to do a final run with foam and putty.

An added bonus was the hatch door my husband installed to the ceiling. In case we need to get access to the attic space, there is a small opening that we can shimmy through. 

We have more confidence in getting this done quickly. Even with losing a day because of strong rain storms.  Our goal is to be finished and move-in-ready by the 17th. However, I am hoping that just a few more days and we can call it complete. The flooring may take a while. And then painting... That will be a process. But most of this is going by quicker than we anticipated! Which makes us glad. We also look forward to having our boys back home. They have been busy helping to clean and make repairs to their Nona and Aunts house. I'm proud of them for doing that. 

Until next time!

The Tiny House Insides Are Getting Fleshed Out

One little thing at a time... That is what I tell myself. I also have to keep reminding myself and the others that there is a purpose for all this! Sometimes the cabin fever hits a little hard and the attitudes flare up. So we have to consider what this is for and the overall meaning of why we are doing all this. This week was by far the hardest on us all. My husband and I even came close to exchanging words that don't fall under Christian curse words level. Don't know what Christian curse words are? Tim Hawkins has quite the list. My go-to is honey sugar ice tea for the biggest needs. Otherwise I say something simple - oh, fudge! But when my husband used a real curse word - something even his coworkers think he is incapable of doing - I had to tell him to reign it in or my red-headed temper was going to come loose.

With that being said, we have moved into what was supposed to be the final week of work. We have to move in increments, but that works for me. I'm worn through. However, it has meant that we missed the deadline and have to adjust the moving plans as far as storing things in the tiny house goes. 

It is like adding muscles, tendons and skin to the room. Weird analogy, huh? We did an anatomy class recently. Still got that on the brain.

Monday, I finished all the painting of the rafters that were already hung. I also put up the insulation we had on hand. Though we did not get the standard version my dad used to get for the houses we fixed up, I learned the hard way that it still had fiberglass and caused a painful itching of the skin and scratching of the throat. I thought this new kind was something more organic, therefore safe to breathe in and didn't need a long sleeve shirt while setting into place. Next batch I added, I covered as much skin as possible. I wished I had a turtleneck shirt, but then I'm one of those people who have an irrational fear of wearing turtlenecks... so.... yeah. 

Tuesday and Wednesday kinda blur together for me... Then again, that is how most of my days have been. I take steps, finish tasks, and forget anything that isn't directly needing my attention. Tuesday was when we got the delivery of the drywall. We had to carry them into the tiny house to keep them from being ruined.

The next day, the delivery of 18 packs of insulation arrived. I spent that day installing 8 of those packs myself. It was hot, itchy and I couldn't finish due to needing more of the crack sealing caulk. My husband and I ended up working when he came home from work until it was so dark that I had to use my cell phone flashlight to see. We found out that the size of wiring my husband bought was too short. So he couldn't add the final wiring. Which led to me not being able to install the rest of the insulation. Which also meant we could not finish the drywall in time. Not that we had enough time anyhow with darkness falling so quickly. 

I'm glad for how much we were able to accomplish. While we didn't reach the goal, we had to accept that it is what it is. We are at the point where the boys can't really help us, especially with the 3 trips the kids have coming up. So my husband and I are doing the work alone. And that is after my husband has full days to work at his job.

Helpful hints for this week:

1. Don't let the stress get too high. Harder to do than it sounds. We took too big a bite when we thought that we could complete this project within a set time. And because of that, we got too stressed out.

2. Even if you think it is helpful, don't remind your build partner that saying the same phrase over and over isn't going to change the facts. 

3. Keep a calm head. Even when others around you can't seem to. Silence might be your best friend. How about what most of us heard as kids, "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all." 

4. Order at least one extra... While carrying the sheetrock boards inside, the boys snapped one. Thankfully, we have extra. And we needed to cut some pieces. So we will still make good use of everything. But better to be prepared than without. 

Until next week! We are once again setting a goal. Two more weeks. That is when we hope to have this finished. Let's see if we can. And if we can't? Well, we will do what we can.

From Outside to Indoors, the Transition in Work on the Tiny House Begins!

Every house needs sturdy walls. With a layer outside and a layer inside. We had to complete those outer walls before moving inside to do the inner layers. 

Monday we finished the bulk of the large side wall. My in-laws sent us a jigsaw, and let me tell you right now - it is amazing! Made the intricate cutting so much quicker and easier. We were also blessed that the rain that fell was light. Otherwise it could have been bad for the roofing that was still exposed. It would have made the yard too muddy to be working in. But! I'm glad for the light rain. We had less dust blowing into our eyes this time around.

Tuesday was when we hung the siding on the front triangle of the building. As much as possible, we are trying to line up the patterns, but at this point, we are also just wanting to get it done quickly.

Wednesday was the day we finally finished the roof! I really don't ever want to have to do roofing again. We put the in last shingles as well as the ridge caps pieces. It isn't entirely uniform, but we went with what we had and it works just as well. Besides, how often is someone going to be looking up here. Except the birds of course.... They loved watching us build for some reason. I think they were checking out the new surface they planned to drop a load on. Devious creatures that they are.

Thursday we finished the back triangle part of the siding and one of the upper pieces along a side wall. Not much, but it was progress!

Friday we started putting in the wiring for electricity.

We need to install 2 light switches, 4 electrical outlets and 3 light fixtures. While my husband is doing electrical work (he is that kind of engineer after all), I had begun painting the boards black that will be the rafters along the ceiling.

Why black? It was the color I had lots of after painting the galaxy on our game room ceiling. Besides, my hope is to incorporate an eventual steampunk theme in the tiny house. Black rafters might just be perfect for the idea I have....

Saturday we had to take a break to run errands. But as soon as we could, we were back to work. At least until the dust storm came in.

I had just moved wood and swept the dust away from the porch. But within an hour, it had come back with a vengeance. And then some! Thank God we were able to finish putting up all the siding around the building.

I think God had been giving us mild weather until we accomplished this part. Why do I think that? Because after the dust storm, we had rain come down heavy. And woke up to a hearty cold on Sunday morning! 

While we cut the pieces for the siding, I started collecting the little cutouts from it. I told my husband that I have an idea of how to decorate my Little Free Library that we plan to build next. So he started cutting them to look more like rounded doors! But I'll share more on that with you when I finally get to build it.

 

Sunday was our last day of more than a couple hours to get things done. We have to be finished by this upcoming Wednesday. My husband and I installed the wiring from the main house to the tiny house. Not so easy as the photos might lead you to believe. While he dug a trench, I painted rafters. Then together we had to pull the cables through a tubing that would protect them underground. 

Helpful Hint: Want to know a great tip on this? It involves lubricant. Yes, lube. We happened to have some on hand. Never use the stuff though. If you pour some down in the tubing, the cables typically run in a lot smoother. We didn't do this initially, so I got one of those hardcore workouts. You know the one. Looks like someone playing jump rope in a squatting position by themselves. I had to shake the tubing while my husband shoved the wiring in. Once we added the lube though, it started going a lot smoother!

It was such a cold day, we lit up the fire pit. It was so nice. But it made me wish we had hot dogs and marshmallows... 

So thankful we made it that far. We have the wiring inside going to each electrical box, with an additional one that we hope will be hooked up to an air conditioning unit eventually. We also hung most of the rafters. I have to go back and finish painting them during the day. We were scheduled to get a delivery of sheet rock on today, but rain prevented that. Lord willing, tomorrow! This little home is going to start looking like one on the inside! See you in the next update.