Quotes to Consider:

A stream without banks becomes a swamp. It is your job as parents to build the channel in which the stream will run.  
--Dr. James Dobson, Bringing Up Boys

Home. Sweet. Home.

What I didn't mention publicly during all of this work being done on our house, was that we couldn't live at home while it was being done.  In order to get the support beams under to lift the house, all of our plumbing had to be torn out.  And our propane had to be disconnected.  (So no hot water or stove.)  Not to mention, our house was up on blocks-----!!!
So for 12 weeks we lived in the basement of Paul's parents' house.

The older kids' "room."

Our "room."
(Have I mentioned we don't ever ---ever---- make our beds?)

Gideon's "room."  (About 5 steps away from ours.)

And let me tell you, I was dreading it.  Not because it was with Paul's parents (although I would have much rather lived with my own parents, in the house I grew up in), but because it was with people.  I go for days without talking to another adult besides Paul, and I'm okay with that.  I like it, even!  Having other people in my business, and knowing when I'm doing my business, and most of all, knowing when and how often I don't do anything at all was really making me nervous.

But I guess it's just another way of knowing that God was in this plan....  Twelve weeks, and no problems.  In fact, we worked out a pretty sweet deal of me cooking and Doug and Janice cleaning up.  And I took naps.  A lot.  They were so helpful and accommodating, even though I'm sure our circus drove them nuts on occasion.

The only thing I did miss, is that for 12 weeks, I didn't feel like Paul and I got to have a real heart-to-heart conversation.  Some things you don't want to do in front of anyone, even people you love.

We moved back in last week.  It started as an overnight "campout" (plumbing was operational, but no hot water and no stove) last [a week ago] Sunday night, and turned into a "we're not leaving."  We had to borrow Elizabeth's (Paul's sister) shower and kitchen the next night, but by Tuesday the electricians had our hot water tank hooked up and now it's HOME-SWEET-HOME!

Our propane still isn't hooked up.  Apparently there's only one technician to lay line for this whole side of the state, so it was over a month out.  So it will be the end of this month before we get it.  We checked in with other companies in the area, but I can't justify the $600 price difference.  We're going to learn to love (or possibly loathe) the electric skillet and crock pot!  

I can't wait to show off pictures of the basement!  We are doing final touches to get everything finished and operational and life-can-begin-again, but by the end of the week the essential stuff should be done.  (Other stuff will be done over the winter, or over the next several years.)

........Just in time to leave again for a vacation we've had planned since February!!!