It's all about family

So we made it through day 2. I should actually reword that to say 'evening' 2. Bernie and I still work full-time jobs all day and then head out after work to work!! So evening 2 DONE.

It was strange coming to this new house tonight because although I entered into the house alone, there were already people inside. Yesterday the echoes had become quieter and today the echoes were simply voices chatting from a back bedroom. My parents were already there and already working hard. My mom had brought supper. Dad was removing baseboards. Things were moving along.

Yesterday my sister brought supper. My sister and daughter cleaned bathrooms. My boys came to visit and affirm our house. Wow. Family. It is an amazing thing.

In the midst of all this personal work, I am also heavily involved in working with my extended family in moving my aunt to an 'assisted' care space - which is fantastic by the way. So we are packing, moving, cleaning and eventually selling her current home. It is so good to be surrounded by family during this time. My aunt has been single all her life but her family is vast! There are nieces and nephews and siblings who all love her deeply and some of which are heavily invested in her health and well-being.

Sometimes family isn't strong. Sometimes family is painful. Sometimes family lets you down. As humans we are far from perfect. We screw up. We say the wrong things. We act incorrectly. I am greatful that my family still loves me despite all those things.

But even better than that, we have a God who loves us despite all our screw-ups, who wants us to be part of his family. Why am I a Christian? Why did I get baptized? Because I don't have a life that is all figured out. Because I screw up more often than not. Because I still am asking questions about God, about faith, about all kinds of world issues. I belong to the family of God NOT because I have it all together, but because I don't. Maybe our earthly families don't always accept our crap but our God does and wants us to be part of his family. His love and forgiveness are greater than anything we can dream of or imagine.

So those are my heavier thoughts for the day. Heavier but really good!

Now on to evening 2 and the progress we made. Here is video #1. (I had to whisper because my mom was in the other room and she might think that this whole video blogging thing is nuts. Gotta love family!) AND CHECK OUT THAT CLOSE-UP!!

An amazing amount of progress was made today! Our kitchen is now see-through! We can see through the kitchen into the living room and out onto the street. My guess is that those folks walking down the street could also see through our window into our living room and into our kitchen where Bernie was wrenching out drywall. Studs are still standing (no, I am not talking about you, Bernie!) and we will wait to make sure we are good to take them out.

We have pulled out baseboards in the bedrooms. We have removed valances and blinds and anything that could be unscrewed we unscrewed. This reno is sooo much fun that i had my volleyball loving daughter state, "I'd rather be there helping than playing beach!" Yes. That much fun!

So our day came to a close and here is part a of the closing video. (PS. Ok. So the ensemble I am wearing needs explanation. My daughter commented on it when i got home, so surely, those of you who notice details are thinking "First the mistmatched shoe wedding fiasco and now this gittup." I am not totally losing it! I came straight from work and realized that i didn't have a tank top on and the 'paint' t-shirt i had packed has quite a low V and well, we are trying to keep this blog G-rated so I just through the t-shirt over my work shirt. Through on the sexy shorts. Yup. that happened.)

And finally because Bernie wanted you to see at least one of the bedrooms.

Random pics: 1) the beginning (2 layers of drywall deep) 2) well on its way 3) my pops mudding