Demolition & Dinosaurs

Talking to John it sounds like the boys are having a great time, nothing but destruction and fast food. What more could a guy ask for? There are a couple of kids from the ward who come and help each day just because he's "learning a lot and likes doing it." I was very impressed and have to say my opinion of teenage boys went up. The main floor is now down to the wood, with the exception of the island holding the kitchen sink. I've heard about some of the things they have been finding in the walls and ceiling and am relieved to find that rats wasn't listed. They found an old Nalley's Chili bottle, which solidified John's belief that this house was destined for him. Pry the most interesting thing they found in the ceiling was an old English Text book from 1928. Craziness!

Living Room by Entry

Wallpaper under the nice paint job in the spare bedroom.

Spare bedroom-stairwell leading into the "scary basement"
John bought the appliances yesterday and found a great deal on a granite countertop. :) Today they started tearing down the chimney which is a lil nerve racking to me. We'll just hope it doesn't rain until they get the roof all patched up. Overall John was very pleased with the progress and how well things were "working out." He mentioned a few coincidence's that kind of struck him as very convenient. The biggest being that the places where the support walls are going to be just happen to have support beams in the right places in the basement. The 2nd is quite funny to me, but we have a couch John was planning on putting on the curb to give away. (It's actually one he took from someone who was throwing it away a few years ago.) Anyway he brought a saw in and set it next to the couch and what do you know, he found it to be the exact height level making it a great support and buying that ugly old couch a little more time before it's tossed out. For more than one reason I do believe someone is watching out for him.

As for the girls and I we are having a great time. The girls for the most part are getting along really quite well. This evening Maddie and McKenna played very cooperatively and nonviolently for a good 20 minutes I was both impressed and very proud. McKenna spent most of that time as Maddie's pet dog, or as Maddie's patient, but hey it works!

Earlier Today we ventured up to Ogden with Gregg, Shelly and their girls to the Dinosaur park. If it hadn't been for Susan's postings about her little boy and his love of dinosaurs I wouldn't have even remembered there were 3 different periods, not to mention ALL the Different Dinosaurs. There are a lot of different dinosaurs that look just like the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Brontosaurus that are very different and found in different places in the world. As you can tell I learned a lot and wished I could've spent the time reading about them all but I was mostly chasing after kids. I was really excited to see the Dinosaur Bones, something nostalgic about Dinosaur Museums, although I remembered the skeletons being a lot taller. (I know I was a lot smaller back then) We walked in and McKenna looked up and immediately declared it "too scary". Tyler required me to carry her through the museum...not an easy task while pushing a 4 yr old in a stroller, but as soon as we got outside she was off and running. Towards the dinosaurs growling, roaring and holding her hands out in front of her in the Offensive position. She'd do it every time she saw a dinosaur I'd start laughing. I think the highlight was the park they had with Dinosaur slides and small statues to climb onto. For my girls they still ran to the swings and spent a good 5 minutes on those, always a favorite anytime, anywhere. Thanks for inviting us to go along Shelly and great idea Gregg!

This might be the last update with demo pictures for a while since I was told they cut wires that carried power to most of the house. Pictures on the rest will come...just need to figure out how to Download them.