So how did we get from this...
To this...
March 28, 2012
from there to here
I was scrolling through some pictures tonight and a funny thing happened, I stumbled upon some pictures that had a few less chickens in them and I found myself having a hard time remembering what it was like. What it was like to leave the house with just a few minutes notice. What it was like to fit in any size vehicle. What it was like to not have to shop in bulk for the weekly groceries. Ya, its hard to remember those days, but alas there are photos of such days so they must have happened. Pictures don't lie...do they?
So how did we get from this...
I have no idea, but I wouldn't trade it for anything...well, most days.
So how did we get from this...
March 26, 2012
A "little' more diy please
Whelp, this last weekend we decided to get a little more of our DIY on. The agenda was simply the windows in the basement. And we had 2 helpers and 36 hours to get it done in. We had a few problems to overcome in the process but in the end we DO have two HUGE windows in the basement ready for walls to be built around them to house four male chickens.
Our first Problem:
Cobys Dad was one of the helpers and he brought his back hoe over from Libby so we did not have to rent one. It started beautifully when he loaded it onto the trailer to head over to our house, got here and it would not start. They worked on it for 2 hours and could not get it to start. After calling around we were able to locate one in Great Falls that we could rent and were already heading into get the saw to cut the windows so why not?? Well the original plan was for Jerry to dig while Coby and his cousin Tom went into get the saw, but without a back hoe there was no work to do. They got back to our house with the equipment at 6pm, just enough time to give the chickens a quick ride. (in their PJ's cause thats how we roll)
With no day light left we decided to get an early start the next day and hopefully get it done in the only day we had left to complete the project.
Problem #2-6:
My job was to entertain the chickens without a playroom and the ability to go outside in the yard. Not only that but it snowed on Thursday night (Problem #3) and was only about 25 degrees (Problem #4) so a walk to the park was out and I did not have a vehicle as our suburban is in the shop awaiting a new transfer case (Problem #5) so I set about my task with great hopes of a day at the dinning room table of games, coloring and art projects. About 9:30 I start smelling a VERY strong smell of gas and look up to see we are sitting in a VERY grey haze. (Problem #6) UGH!! So I run around and get fans and windows open to air out the house at the same time telling the chickens to get their stuff on because apparently we ARE going for a walk!! Some explanation, the saw we got was supposed to be better because you can cut from the outside and cut out the gas/exhaust from getting into the house, well, their first cut was off of a existing window so there was no way to keep the fumes from getting into the house. So we evacuated and took a walk around town, as we were walking I was telling the kids to take deep breathes in and out, we must have looked silly. We decided to go into the craft store just to look around and thaw out a little when the wonderful owner took pity on us and ushered the kids to the back room and proceeded to help them get their "craftiness on".
(Side note: These were taken with my new iphone and I think I can officially say I am a Mac lover now.)
After the crafty adventure we came back to a still stinky and slightly hazy house, I re-positioned some fans and we quickly had a area where we could breathe once again.
The men worked till dark but got BOTH windows done!! It was a cold wet job but we now have 2 fabulous egress windows in our basement ready for this next weekends DIY fun!! Hoping we wont have half the problems from this weekend. Isn't DIY-ing fun. :-P
Our first Problem:
Cobys Dad was one of the helpers and he brought his back hoe over from Libby so we did not have to rent one. It started beautifully when he loaded it onto the trailer to head over to our house, got here and it would not start. They worked on it for 2 hours and could not get it to start. After calling around we were able to locate one in Great Falls that we could rent and were already heading into get the saw to cut the windows so why not?? Well the original plan was for Jerry to dig while Coby and his cousin Tom went into get the saw, but without a back hoe there was no work to do. They got back to our house with the equipment at 6pm, just enough time to give the chickens a quick ride. (in their PJ's cause thats how we roll)
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| Being Carried out by Grandpa for the back hoe ride |
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| Mikayle did not like it!! |
With no day light left we decided to get an early start the next day and hopefully get it done in the only day we had left to complete the project.
Problem #2-6:
My job was to entertain the chickens without a playroom and the ability to go outside in the yard. Not only that but it snowed on Thursday night (Problem #3) and was only about 25 degrees (Problem #4) so a walk to the park was out and I did not have a vehicle as our suburban is in the shop awaiting a new transfer case (Problem #5) so I set about my task with great hopes of a day at the dinning room table of games, coloring and art projects. About 9:30 I start smelling a VERY strong smell of gas and look up to see we are sitting in a VERY grey haze. (Problem #6) UGH!! So I run around and get fans and windows open to air out the house at the same time telling the chickens to get their stuff on because apparently we ARE going for a walk!! Some explanation, the saw we got was supposed to be better because you can cut from the outside and cut out the gas/exhaust from getting into the house, well, their first cut was off of a existing window so there was no way to keep the fumes from getting into the house. So we evacuated and took a walk around town, as we were walking I was telling the kids to take deep breathes in and out, we must have looked silly. We decided to go into the craft store just to look around and thaw out a little when the wonderful owner took pity on us and ushered the kids to the back room and proceeded to help them get their "craftiness on".
(Side note: These were taken with my new iphone and I think I can officially say I am a Mac lover now.)
After the crafty adventure we came back to a still stinky and slightly hazy house, I re-positioned some fans and we quickly had a area where we could breathe once again.
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| Our house looking like a construction site |
 |
| Digging so they can cut the second window |
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| Pulling the concrete out |
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| Now its ready for framing in a window. |
March 19, 2012
Some things just dont add up...
I was in the kitchen and I heard Cole start to cry from the other room. I said to myself "Uh-oh, Cole is crying." and from around the corner comes Mikayle shaking his head saying "I not hit him mom." Something just doesn't add up, you see just this morning I watched him shoot Cole with a nerf gun...
March 16, 2012
move over betty crocker
I was up late one night, just thinking of things to fill my day,( because apparently being mom to 6 just is not time consuming enough) when I got the bright idea to make bagels and scones. So the next morning I got out my trusty netbook (dont know how people cooked without these) and found the recipes then started in!! I was surprised to find that scones are fairly easy to make. They turned out fabulous if I do say so myself. Here are a couple pictures of the experience and if you would like a recipe I am a sharer of recipes. ;)
mmmmmm this yummy scone could not get into my belly quick enough!!
The bagel making was postponed due to running out of flour and time, I will update you when I get to those. :)
Meet Cole-Bertta
This is what happens when you ask your chickens to keep CN6 occupied during a mass floor removal...
Poor Cole. Its so said and funny at the same time. These will be in his highschool graduation slide show.
A true labor of love
Our floors. Oh my our floors. One of the first things we saw and was hard to "see past" when we first saw what would soon be our new home was the royal blue carpet, and the carpet in the kitchen. Well, we decided to prioritize our DIY projects as there were several that needed our attention. Flooring was NOT in the top 5, but it quickly raised to numero uno last month.
You see carpet in the kitchen with 6 chickens running around is just not a good idea. So we decided to pull up the carpet and just live with what we thought was going to be the 1950's linoleum we found in one small corner. As we started pulling up the carpet we noticed a small bit of hard wood, probably original to the 1910 house. Well then we got ambitious and decided to tear up the 1980's pergo flooring, only because my amazing husband tried a few pieces and it came right up. So we dug into THAT project only to get a third of the way done and realize they started using some pretty intense glue at that point, glue that was obviously some kind of "hyper-breed" that when left alone for a few decades bonds like cement in an effort to keep everyone in the 1980's era of home decor. Well, my husband not to be defeated by said "hyper-breed glue" decided that he would cut the remaining floor out.
And so what started as a "lets just see what we have under this nasty carpet" moment, ended with a blow torch, hack saw, and 2 emergency runs to the ER of DIY-ing (The Home Depot) We now have beautiful floors that are very anti-1980's and I could not be happier. Moral of this story...NEVER. and I mean NEVER. EVER. Let anyone tell you the 1980's were great!! I have blisters to prove it, and so do my husband and chickens.
I believe the following can give a bit more insight into the world of "the Bennets flooring adventure".
Ah yes, what a labor it was, but one that was completely worth it in the end. My husband would like to claim that we are done DIYing for a LONG time but alas, its onto the next big project, the #1 on our DIY bucket list...the basement.
You see carpet in the kitchen with 6 chickens running around is just not a good idea. So we decided to pull up the carpet and just live with what we thought was going to be the 1950's linoleum we found in one small corner. As we started pulling up the carpet we noticed a small bit of hard wood, probably original to the 1910 house. Well then we got ambitious and decided to tear up the 1980's pergo flooring, only because my amazing husband tried a few pieces and it came right up. So we dug into THAT project only to get a third of the way done and realize they started using some pretty intense glue at that point, glue that was obviously some kind of "hyper-breed" that when left alone for a few decades bonds like cement in an effort to keep everyone in the 1980's era of home decor. Well, my husband not to be defeated by said "hyper-breed glue" decided that he would cut the remaining floor out.
And so what started as a "lets just see what we have under this nasty carpet" moment, ended with a blow torch, hack saw, and 2 emergency runs to the ER of DIY-ing (The Home Depot) We now have beautiful floors that are very anti-1980's and I could not be happier. Moral of this story...NEVER. and I mean NEVER. EVER. Let anyone tell you the 1980's were great!! I have blisters to prove it, and so do my husband and chickens.
I believe the following can give a bit more insight into the world of "the Bennets flooring adventure".
We had HIGH HOPES at this moment...
And then they were quickly dashed.
CN5 trying his best to look like he is helping and NOT getting into
Daddy's tools that he was told not too.
One, gorgeous, and I mean GORGEOUS four by four area of hard wood flooring, if THIS had been all over the house I would have been elated, but alas, there have been too many additions onto this house and unfortunately one of them happened in the 1980's.
CN6 not too sure of the new floor.
The finished project, without the mammoth island, we decided it was just too big for the space.
Ah yes, what a labor it was, but one that was completely worth it in the end. My husband would like to claim that we are done DIYing for a LONG time but alas, its onto the next big project, the #1 on our DIY bucket list...the basement.
March 15, 2012
Chicken Labor
I stumbled upon these pictures as I was looking for a different picture and thought I would share, for those of you who know what its like to have a day without laundry I thought I would post this little photo opp for your viewing pleasure...
You can never start them too young. Cole helping me fold the daily laundry.
You can never start them too young. Cole helping me fold the daily laundry.