Snow?! SERIOUSLY?!

When you wake up to an alarm on Saturday morning *UGH*, roll over to shut it off, and notice out of your half-squinted eye that your phone is telling you it's TWENTY ONE DEGREES outside, you know it's going to be a long day.

Eight A.M. meeting, Ross tells us to stay busy and we'll stay warm! HA! THAT sounds optimistic! Truthfully, it wasn't bad. My fingers wouldn't stay warm, and other than that I was ok. We started framing the exterior walls of Roberts house...it's amazing that Ross can now call out a list of six names, and we can build a HOUSE together with very little supervision! The things I discovered this week are: I can BARELY lift a box of nails...those things are HEAVY. Snow can accumulate on you even when you're working and moving. And Stiletto Hammers are my new best friend.

I know...I know...you're asking what a Stiletto Hammer is. A Stiletto is 14 oz of Titanium lovliness that I could never afford. Our construction supervisor was telling us one day how he wrote to Stiletto, and he sent him four hammers when he was building his own KCCHA house. So, Ahren gave it a shot! PRESTO! Four gently used Stilettos headed our way...and MAN does it make a difference! 7 oz lighter than my previous hammer. My hand still swells and bruises, but the actual hammering is SOOOO much better! So THANK YOU Stiletto Tools...you have made us very very happy! :)

We worked mostly with Anna, Josh, Julie and Robert this week. We ate lunch with One-Gun and Josh, and while Anna was paying we noticed we were in the PAPER! (Well, THEY were in the paper!) :) It's a great article on the front page of the Kingston Community News! I can't find it online yet, but if I do, I shall link it in. Otherwise, you're gonna have to drive to Kingston and pick up March's edition for yourself!

Lastly, I've been having a panic attack about hours. We are required to build 30 hours a week. End of discussion. At an optimistic minimum, Ahren and I are personally required to do 20 of those. Ten can be volunteered. But, if they aren't volunteered, we owe them. Thankfully, some students from North Kitsap come out and help at the build site and that gives us five of those hours. Here's where it gets tricky: Ahren and I work opposite shifts, which rules out weekdays because someone is always home with the kiddos. Saturday and Sunday we have somewhere between 1 and 6 children. My parents are out of town a lot, Ahren's parents live out of town, and all of our friends have kids. ARGH!!!! It is VERY nerve wracking. My friends have been talking me down off of an anxiety ledge for days. So, I have to at the very least find 8 hours of child care every saturday so Ahren and I can BOTH work...16 down...14 to go. See the problem?! :) It's all worth it...no question. But the scheduling is crazy, and I'm not going to see my husband until June! SO, if you're handy with a hammer (or not), or feel like having a child invasion some Saturday...you let me know! :P I know it is worth it...NO QUESTION. It's just getting through. I have the summers off, so we'll be able to give our child care providers a mid June through August break, so that will be nice. The rest I guess will work itself out. We are not the only people who struggle for hours...most everyone does. The greatest rewards often require the greatest sacrifices. :)

Sadly, my camera won't sync with my computer. I have some EXCELLENT "look at us getting snowed on" pictures, and some of a wall raising. So as soon as we figure all that out, you'll see 'em here first! :)

So until next week, as always:
Your Happy Homebuilder,
Heather