House Extension Update: March 2022 (The Roof!)

The beginning of March started strong! I actually took a trip by myself to Florida for a college reunion with my girlfriends. During my trip, Mike Sr. and Sue came out from Augusta. It was amazing having them both here to help with the house and the girls. Mike's dad is a workhorse! He worked super hard and was an amazing help to what my Mike thought was the hardest part--tying the existing roof into the new portion. Once I got back from Florida, they stayed another week. The first two weeks of March were very busy!

It started with completely removing the makeshift roof that Mike and I had built. The tarp came off, the the plywood and two by fours stripped off, then it was ready for walls :)

The last picture with NO WALLS. Thanks Natasha!

First wall goes up!

After the walls went up, a few guys helped to get the gable end secured. It took a little longer than expected, but we owe a lot of gratitude to our friends who have been so generous to us. Mike Sr. who came for two whole weeks to help. Ben, one of Mike's college roommates who came from Arizona not necessarily to help, but ended up being a Godsend at the perfect time on vacation. Also Jaydee from church who took multiple days off of work to get this big task accomplished and brought his boys Drayton and Jairson to assist.

The next phase of building was HUGE! It involved six trusses and about 15 people who graciously came to help. There was a team of about five people down on the ground to lift the trusses up to the second level, and about 8-10 people on the platform part to receive the trusses and help get them tied in. Only a few could do the nailing and securing, so everyone else was very patient in their helping. It was one of those things that may not have seemed very hard to one person, but we could NOT have accomplished this without everyone's help! 

Thanks to Mike Sr, Ben C, Mitchell, Jordan, Alex, Tucker, Kawika, Jaydee, Drayton, Geoff, Ka'i, Mattaniah, Caleb, Ben L, and Jonathan. 

After the trusses went up, Mike (and Ben and Mitch) had to finish the roofline with the same shape.

This was the weirdest part, but it had to happen to make the shape right and for the water to run off properly. After everything was set, the plywood went up.

This is the view from the street.

This is the upstairs.

This was Mike's least favorite part--being on the roof--but he was a champ! I even helped him get the tarp laid down.

The next phase we will hire professionals to get the tiles up on the roof and secure them with watertight materials. If Mike didn't have a full-time job he could have done it no problem, but with these big jobs it's getting harder and harder to work them into the margins.

Here's what the house looks like now at the end of March with all of the tiles in place and ready for the roofing company.

Sanctification Through Motherhood

I found this is my journal from March 19, 2021--almost a full year ago. It still rings almost exactly true for me. Though Cary is slightly easier now that she's four. 

Today is St. Patrick's Day and the girls just made cupcakes for our tea party with friends. Mike has been off of work for the last three weeks working on our house remodel. The roof is almost complete, and I couldn't be more proud and grateful of his work and for the help of so many dear friends. These years are so special and sweet, and also entirely frustrating! But I want to focus on the positives. I want to model for my family the love I have for Christ because of His great love for us. Anyway, here's the post from last year!

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I’m coming to the realization of the ups and downs of the human life—our limitations, our need as created beings. I feel like I’m on this constant roller coaster of feeling and emotion, of learning, of physical health. That’s what life was intended to be for us—a constant realization of what we don’t possess in and through ourselves.

I’m slowly getting it. Christ came to fulfill our greatest need—restoration with our Heavenly Father. Without him, we can’t have a right relationship with our Creator or share in the inheritance he’s planned. It’s amazing to me though, how much he does allow us to experience through our limited understanding and finite existence.

Some days I feel euphoric—taking in the beauty of the created earth. Gratefully and humbling accepting my lot as wife and mother. Other days, I wonder why I’m here. I wonder why I’m not motivated to do something remarkable or substantial, or why I don’t seem to have the time to myself to have a rational thought. To be quite honest, I haven’t had the desire to write lately because it has seemed like such a chore. It’s been about 5 years since I’ve found it enjoyable.

The point of this entry is to remind myself of the gospel. The point is that my emotions will feel different at different points in motherhood. My thoughts toward and about God may change with my circumstances. My attitude to serve and love will be dependent on how I feel physically sometimes. But that’s the beauty of the gospel, isn’t it?

God’s word is true regardless of how affectionate I feel toward it. He is enthroned on high whether or not I’m dying of a brain tumor. His plan for his people is in motion even if everything seems to go wrong in their lives. And likewise, he is good to allow us the opportunity to feel this range of human emotion. How will we celebrate the mountain tops if we don’t walk through the valleys or trudge through desert wastelands? How will we enjoy smooth sailing if we don’t experience hiccups every now and then? Our perfect life isn’t promise here on earth. Our true rest is coming!  Yet it’s amazing to me that life (for the most part) is wonderful. I do enjoy the gifts he’s given. I trust his plan for eternity.

Motherhood has taught me so much about myself already. The most evident is my selfish and self-seeking heart. Yes, it’s easy to care for an infant or toddler who needs you for sustenance. My struggle has been as the girls have gotten a little older (still they’re little—3, 5 & 6). I’m realizing that I’m not the only one with ideas and desires. I’m raising little humans who also have sinful hearts. The struggle for power and voice and influence has already begun.

Motherhood is sanctifying work. I’m constantly scheming how I can get time alone—to think, to plan, to rest—then I feel guilty for making myself scarce. There’s a constant internal battle going on saying it’s ok to detach. Put those earbuds in, pass those tablets out, turn that show on, have friends over to distract them. But sometimes the real issue is my heart. I want Me time, and instead of turning to God for strength, I seek rejuvenation in other things. Instead of humbly washing feet (and clothes and hair and bottoms), I grumble and complain because I’m being inconvenienced. Lord, forgive my selfish heart.