One other change

The Bedroom is also nearly complete as well and we are glad to be back in our own bed!

 This shows the old wallpaper - stinky carpet and former windows

This shows the new wood floor and walls and painted bed!

How is that for a change...or changing my outlook!

Soon after the cooler weather hit - we discovered what we wondered about.

Just how warm or cool will the sun room be when winter hits and the sun does not!

We found out by closing the folding partition and leaving a thermometer in there

Lets just say it was quite a contrast - even though there are three heat runs and return air in there - all that glass - even with storm windows on...just are not warm.

And besides all that - that folding curtain was just dark!

So for the last week I have been installing and trimming out a french door.

(I did have great help from my builder David)

Here is the transformation

Brown Door

New French Door!

(I will be listing the folding door on Craig's list if you are interested)

Apple Cider Time

November rains came in this week and it is very close to the end of harvest season.

Dale and Jan invited us over to make cider - so we gathered the "fam" and went out to their farm.  We had some great sunshine so it was nice to be outdoors

 Dale And Jan have a secret formula - the secret is the type of apple trees they have, although they planted them 50 years ago - they lost track of the type of apples they are...except for the delicious ones - which are obvious by their appearance....so they do not really know the apple type - just the formula by buckets of apples from each tree.

 The we rode the gater with the apples back to the garage,

 These Gaters can be dangerous - so Judah thought it best if he took the wheel

(note the warning behind him...these things are deadly)

 Then it is important to sort the apples - getting rid of spiders and snakes that may have snuck into the buckets or the apple trees!

 Dale has a homemade grinder to get the apples to the pulp stage.

The Pulp fills the bucket

Then it goes into the press

And Out comes the cider!

 You can even stick your finger in it.

 The we strain it into the jugs!

Don't you wish you had apples like this!

A few more pics from Boyne

I could not finish the Blog this AM so here are a few more Boyne pics

 A little "Battleship, Noah!"

 And Some Trains for Judah

And Fun For all of us!

Fall "Time Out" for Family

With All that is going on in our lives it is important to take some moments to savor - so thanks to Bett and Loren we were able to head to Boyne Mountain for some R&R and fun, and to celebrate Clayton's Birthday.

Road Trip!...Yeah!

 The Colors were Peak!

 WE hit the Road with our wheels whenever it stopped raining...or we walked!

I did not get pictures of Clayton Mountain biking..as the camera did not go with him...he was back before the walkers...and did not get too lost!

Michelle - Noah - and Broden climbed the mountain...Judah encouraged Grandpa to take him too - but a few steps further and he wanted to be carried.  So he went back to the chariot and rode back to the Condo with Elizabeth and Nancy...as it started to rain again


Birthday Breakfast!

That is one big Pancake...He ate it all too!

 We had Birthday presents!

We picked apples on the way home

It was a great time for keeping life in balance

We Need new "win-der's" (windows)

I really did not plan to buy a project - but upon closer inspection - we deemed that some of the windows needed to be replaced.  ("We need new winders") is tag line from Jack's wholesale windows...be we did not go with them - we went with Menards and Jeld Wen - and Doug and Kens winder - insterlation.

For family and friends too distant to appreciate the work, I share it here with you

 Two down one to go in the primed master bed room

 Doug!    What!..Oh you"re taking a picture...I forgot to smile!

 can you find Ken in this picture

 Doug & Ken's motto  "If they do not fit - we make them fit!

Seriously - by the 1970's you would have thought a square window opening would have been the norm

We mean business!

 Oh please just let us sit here and read the ads and eat and watch you work!

Okay - we will strip wall paper!

We are enjoying the windows...they look so much better - even without the trim installed.  However

Our whole house is in disarray!

The office has mattresses and doors stacked against the wall

The spare bedroom has a box spring and other night stands in it

Our bedroom is just primed and no trim or furniture

the bath room is stripped of wall paper

The living room has widow trim with nails sticking out of it in front of our other dresser

The family room has a dresser  in it and flooring stacked to be put in the sun room.

Or course with new windows - no blinds are up - so if anyone is looking they can see us run from one end of the house to the other in all manner of dress or undress - looking for clothing and other accessories...and if we need to keep the lights out for obvious reasons - there is a good chance I will impale some portion of foot or toe on a nail from the wood work piled in front of the dresser as I search for socks or other things

But at least we are having fun

Judah's 2nd Birthday

With No one looking - Judah finds the licorice Grandma Nancy put on the package

 Even though he tasted the ends of all of it - he eventually shared his stash!

The gift from Adam and Sandra and Tahlia

 Ahhhh That looks cool

 It is so hard to open the card first - Broden was a great helper to help get things open

Judah says...Just sit on the gift - then Borden cant get to it!

 Olivia helps get to the boat!  Bath time will be great!

 ...And Wheels!

 And Trains

 Lots of them

 We can all play

 But this is my cupcake!

The only way to eat it....is face first!

Happy Birthday Judah!