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.

Nanakuli Baby BBQ (late post)

It's been a while since my friend, Robbie, threw me a shower at the beach, but I never got around to posting any pictures of the day's events.  Here are some photos I wanted to post to keep it fresh in the memory.  Lily, is such a blessed and loved little girl.  We were so humbled by the generosity of our friends!

This was something I wanted to try.  I wanted the name thicker, but it's still cute!

Gifts!

Robbie's beautiful diaper cake...

Time to open the gifts!

Millie made the cutest Hawaiian print skirt with a headband.

Cheese :)

Mommy & Daddy

All smiles

Beautiful paintings for the nursery from Auntie Kim.

Arley holding baby!  She passed down a ton of clothes and toys!

Uncle Ben and Mochi

A guys game of horseshoes.

Guys can attend a Baby BBQ too, we just didn't call it a "shower" :)

Birthday Weekend

I had the most wonderful birthday weekend this year!  My amazing and wonderful husband brought a chocolate cake into my homeroom on Friday.  My kids went nuts.  Chocolate frosting literally flew across the room (landing on the wall).  If you want to make 6th graders go crazy, just show up to class with a large chocolate cake in hand.

Although it was crazy, it was such a nice surprise!

On Saturday, we had the ND game watch at the Chupp's condo in town.  It was fun!  Kim also brought a lovely cake to that event as well, and yep.... you guessed it... I was able to celebrate my birthday all three days of the weekend!

On Sunday, I had a soccer game at 11:00am.  Forty minute halves are killer, but I'm getting in better shape every week!  After soccer, we invited everyone to iTrampoline in Kapolei.  We jumped for an hour and a half, and it was absolutely AWESOME!  Nothing is better than being with a bunch of adults, jumping off the walls (literally), toppling children, participating in slam dunk contests, dodgeball battles, and doing tricks into a foam pits.  Most amazing birthday in a while!

Forgiveness Friday

I woke up this morning feeling more refreshed than I've felt in a while.  I think it has to do with the fact that I went to sleep at 8:45.  I should try that more often!

I realized last night with a pounding headache that I didn't post my Thankful Thursday blog.  I figured it'd be all right since I'm calling this one Forgiveness Friday.

I'll start with the things in front of me that I'm thankful for:  my cup of coffee, not having a headache, the fact that it's Friday, and the weather (right now at least) is brisk and cool.

Yesterday was not hard, but it was rougher than usual.  I woke up feeling awful, I was zoned out most of the day at school, mounds of paperwork are piling up on my desk, some students frustrated me with their sassy attitudes, other students frustrated me with their questions, we had a meeting after work that just rubbed everyone the wrong way, it took 30 minutes to get the paint I needed from Home Depot, and I left the house in Makakilo after dark (which I don't like).  In all of this, what did I do?  I complained, I whined (like I'm doing now),  gossiped after the meeting at work, I took Advil and slept.  What I didn't do was cry out to Jesus and pray.  Forgive me, Lord.

You know the awesome part about yesterday though?  It happened, and today is a NEW day.  I will choose to see the positive in people and circumstances today!  It also helps that it's Aloha Friday.

Here are a few things I haven't mentioned, but that I'm truly thankful for in the past few weeks:

• Jordan and Henry installing our new sliding door in the back (as a surprise)
• Hillarie and Jacob Clark welcoming baby Benjamin into the world on Tuesday
• My sister, celebrating her 21st birthday on Tuesday also
• Camping two weekends in a row with our friend, Leigh
• The drywall being completely finished in our house and painting well underway
• Sabine, Ben, Jordan and Kim for willingly coming to help us paint
• Our junior high Sunday School class that's been a joy to teach so far

Here are some verses that speak of community and our part in it.  May you be encourage just as I have been.

Hebrews 10:25 

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Romans 15:5
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Deuteronomy 15:10
Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

I hope anyone who is reading this has a wonderful day!  I'll be posting more pics of the house progress very soon.  Have a wonderful Friday!!  Walk as though you're forgiven, and rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS!

Thankful Thursday

I have so much to be thankful for today.

First off, I'm feeling much better than I did the past three days.  I was fighting a fever, an allergic reaction to an unknown source, a scratchy throat, a headache and chest congestion.  After going in the ocean yesterday, taking medicine consistently, and sleeping for about 14 hours straight the night before, I think I've rounded the corner. Praise GOD!

I'm thankful for:

• Modern medicine that reduce painful things like a fever
• Friends that I can share life with
• Children, and the happiness & energy they bring 
• The summer, and a job that allows me to enjoy it fully
• REST and A/C

Yesterday morning I went to Waimea with Robbie, Raquel, Neil and the boys.  It was a lot of fun, and just what the doctor ordered for my sickness--fresh air and salt water!  The boys had a blast as usual.  They were quite the jumpers.  Once they started jumping off the rock, they didn't want to stop!  

Asher had to wear goggles like his brother, even though he's scared of the water.

Maybe next time Ash.

Ez thinking about who to bomb with his sand ball.

Maddox preying on the easy target--Asher.

Ezekiel about to jump from the rock!!

Then, at 5:00pm, Uncle Frank, Aunty Tam and Jared brought the NPC youth over to the house for a pool/pizza party.  It was a wonderful day; the only hiccup was when a police officer came and told us we couldn't park on the road in our cul-de-sac.  I'm pretty sure it means someone from our neighborhood called the cops on us, and that makes me sad.  All the neighbors seem super nice, and I thought everyone liked us.  Oh well.

The girls didn't last long in the pool.  It's pretty cold!

Not sure what game this was...

Uncle Frank was exhausted, haha.

Chicken fight.

The Winners!

Pastor Mike talked about our hope in a BIG God last Sunday.  I think it's awesome that the only reason we know LOVE is because he first loved us.  We are able to love because God our father modeled it for us by sending Jesus to suffer his wrath in our stead.  [1 John 4:7-12].  That's why I think modeling and teaching by example is so important.  I am intrigued by the fact that we can't do anything to earn God's favor.  It seems so foreign.  Everything in our culture tells us that in order to be accepted, well-liked, loved, or promoted we must meet a benchmark or quota.  It tells us that me must measure up to a specific standard.  Then, and only then, will we receive the prize,the admiration, the praise, the bonus paycheck.  

It's only natural that we would carry over this thought process to our relationship with Christ, but the beauty of the gospel is that there's nothing we can do to be accepted by him.   There's nothing we can say or think that will make God like us more than he already does.  We simply acknowledge him as our savior and trust him with our life.  I like this quote by pastor Mike Ohara:  

"We are saved by grace for God's glory expressed through good works.  It's not a balance of grace and works.  It's ALL grace.  Works is a by-product of grace."

So, I'm thankful for grace too.  Without it, I'd be dead in my sin.