My online times are few and far between as a space cadet mindset clouds day by day.

We are pumped to be 3 weeks away from the suppose due date of a good lad, but my focus has been on getting lesson plans layed out (maybe obsessively-like making the copies already COME ON!, as if I care what happens while I’m gone?! HA!), making sure we’re semi-packed to move to the new place (did we unpack? can never find anything in this poorly, yet newly built rental, but at least we’re warm and have a shower right…?), AND trying to keep track of doctor visits, dogs, and pediatrician type hirings…

It’s been a breezy fall start, and have I mentioned beautiful!? I NEED TO TAKE pictures of the half snowed mountains and all the fall colors. SHEESH! Gorgeous sun daily! Crispy air, I shall bore you till the first snow with this descrip!

The busyness has all been enjoyable though and boy are we glad there’s no more coaching, Young Life, or other extracurricular commitments. Just family fun and building!

Speaking of family, Casey’s dad is coming in on Monday to help us push through on the plumbing, heating, and electric. A ROOF NEXT WEDNESDAY and a few more “special order” windows to come in next week and we’re all enclosed. Mom and Dad (Edwards) come in on Oct. 19 too! And Casey’s mom to fly up for a bit of the time too. Might as well have a grandchild party!

Welp, I’m off to work a few more minutes on packing. Here are a few current photos!

We have progress! Tall progress! The best news we’ve gotten lately is that tomorrow morning our “trusses” (main part of the roof) are being delivered and put on tomorrow! We just need a risk taker type of roofer to work 1 or 2 days to get our roof on.

From there it’s insulation, windows and doors, with electric and plumbing quickly to follow.

Our house is a giant right now, but we are planning a wrap around porch from the white insulation level to proportion the aesthetic appeal. To the right of the house will be a carport with a larger deck section that we will one day screen or window in with perhaps a wood burning stove.

It’s so much fun to see quick progress…..just imagine……if we got the logs earlier. But let’s not, and do say we are so pumped right now!

Well, enjoy the pics, I’m sleepy headedly more uncomfortable in the sleep world, so the work days drain.

Third floor bathroom and linen closet layout. The brown “pressure treated” wood is used so that we can put in-floor heat in for about an inch of such.

Master bedroom framing on 3rd floor from today. To the left of it is a door, in which we’ll have a good 3rd floor balcony viewing (the top floor to only have that one side of a deck).

Top of the stairs, looking over to a closet and somewhat of that linen closet.

Our picture window in the master bedroom. The blocking load barring wood in the way is temporary until our trusses are up.

A bit more info on our top floor layout: IT’S HUGE! Like 17 by 15 at least give or take some nooks and crannies. Our plan is to have a full couch up there to compliment the (some day) king bed, and the large/long full bathroom with walk in closet attached. WOO YEAH!

The dogs have a new fenced area to be in (all winter..? yes, during the day) and the puppies have been going crazy chasing each other and getting their daily exercise. Storm is permitted to be unleashed and go wherever she wants all over the property - BECAUSE she comes when we call her and she’s always near.

Bo is denied such a privilege and must “babysit” the pups in the fenced area. Poor guy, but boo hoo to him because he doesn’t listen and runs off for hours and hours!

Casey has started framing the windows, which is quite a calculation of log settling allowance. The logs are suppose to settle (shrink down) at least 3 inches within a year. Thus, our carpenter has allowed for it, and we are following suit with the windows.

It’s sort of funny to post “framed floor” pictures because pretty much only we can visualize the floor’s scene, but still……check out that progress! WOOO!!!!

In other news, we only have a teacher day on Friday, so tomorrow will be a good coast out Thursday. It’s getting quite crispy in the mornings and evenings, still a need to mention pumpkin pie should be eaten by me as soon as possible.

Saturday the carpenter(s) finished framing the main (log) floor and put the next floor on.

As we are waiting for the lumber to deliver later Monday, we (ourselves) will pressure wash the logs inside and maybe outside if possible. Have you seen how tall the house is already? It’s 15 feet but seems like 30, yet the top floor with the roof will actually make it 30 ish. Proportionally it will look fine once we get our wrap around deck, all the way around the house with a carport (equals fake garage) to the right of our basement.

As you enter the front door.

Looking from the kitchen to the back of the house - our bog/meadow view.

The kitchen by itself.

Looking from the kitchen through a wall to see the bathroom and stairs.

Looking from the back of the house out to the kitchen, bathroom, and stairs.

The top floor, with the flannel crew.

From the top floor looking out back over the 70 acres.

About 30 yards out back of the house.

Casey walking the two wiley pups on a beautiful, fall leaved driveway. They love to pull each other (and us) in opposite directions!

By the way, we are in full force fall with chilly nights and mornings. Hot chocolate time! We shan’t blink for it will be over in 2-3 weeks - THE MOUNTAINS ARE HALF SNOW RIGHT NOW!!! WHAT!?!?

For those of you who are meteorologically interested - we usually see the first real snow around Halloween. With our weird, rainy summer some are calling for a mild snow winter, others are calling for a ridiculously snowy winter. We’ll see!

Goal: to move into the house in the next 3-4 weeks. Oh, and to have a baby any time in the next 3-4 weeks….

LOG CABIN (main floor) COMPLETE!!!!

Needless to say it has been WAY TOO busy with the house, but finally, FINALLY the logs are all up, and we even have the main floor framed with the next (and last) floor half way done.

The good thing is our carpenter (besides Jesus, ha!) is really good and efficient! He is motivated to get it done and has proven now twice that he means quick business. YES!

Well, sorry to make this quick. Between the dogs in such a mini-house, the building, and supposedly a job, I certainly wouldn’t mind more time relaxing online (with the actual computer, not just the great iphone), and while were at it on this wish list - MORE UNINTERRUPTED sleep. Guess I need to get used to that one……:)

Only 4 and 1/2 weeks until the baby! WHOA! WHOA! YES!!!!!
Side Bar: Can’t remember if I posted a pic of our little rental house…..

Anyways, I’ll leave you with some pictures from the last few weeks:
Casey and his dad did get a really nice wood shed done, even though he had to fly out before the house got underway.

We had to peel a bit more of the bark off most of the logs, do some “appearance” sanding to our liking, and organize them before lincoln logging them. Put together just like lincoln logs with “saddle notches”!

We used a large crane for the first half of the logs. Then when it got too high, we used a mini crane from inside the house.

Four guys, including the 2 who own the log milling business helped us (Casey) put it together. I did a lot of sitting, enjoying, and photographing.

Here’s one random quip of a pregnant stand. Not too big then, the last 2-3 weeks the belly has gotten more and more uncomfortable - - more so accommodating for the baby of course and finally. No complaints here after feeling good for 8 months!

Before Casey’s dad left we did have a great weekend berry picking (north about 3 hours) and going to the Alaska State Fair. Here’s me with one of the infamous, yearly overgrowths of vegetables. They had huge pumpkins and squash too.

And I’ll end the pics with a goodie of our two girl dogs: Storm and Scout (the mini girl, I call Bo-junior - she looks like him more with the same nose and furry soft fur

Hope all is well with your worlds. Watching That 70’s show now and unwinding. It is the weekend you know - starting on a Thursday night for my mind at least!!!!!

Dad! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We hope your day is a wonderous Friday of celebration, enjoyment, and happiness!

We also hope your epic adventure to Brian Wilson next week is one of the greatest trips ever!

You are a great dad in leadership, love, faith, example, intelligence, and fun! Thanks (to you AND mom) for showing the great example of raising kids too! About 6 more weeks till your grandson!!!!!

Glad and mom are back from Africa safe and sound, and we can’t wait to see you in another month and a half.

School’s over at 1:45 and as fast as we can, we get on the road north 25 miles to Willow. Blowing off school at that time daily, we’ve been at school for 2 weeks now and for me, it’s quite the exact same for the 4th year in a row, somewhat boring, but easy.

The only hard part is trying not to stand or spaz around the classroom too much. When a seat is taken it’s an immediate “ahhhh, nice, thank you rest”.

The belly is being more basketballey and it’s starting to be more of a hinderance to comfortabilty. I fear that the baby will be here before we know it, , yet I look forward to him with joy! Keeping busy with school has certainly thrown track of time out the window.

And what better time to add more joy (the baby) to the fall spirit, the holidays, the Brian Wilson trips, and good times. I love this time of year. Summer is needless to say great b/c there is no school! But I am enjoying this fall start, the thoughts of hot chocolate, apple and pumpkin pie, pre-Christmas researching, family, and skipping school for a whole 2 and a 1/2 months.

In other updates, the puppies are cuties (of course) getting taller and lankier in stature, and the logs are still, still, STILL, not cut nor put up. The log guy “feels bad about it”, but does that help us in any way? Some log milling pump thing broke and he had to order one from out of state for $1000 *extra* cost to himself on rush delivery. Let’s just put it in my bitter way for a second, “Maybe you shouldn’t have HAD to take your daughters camping the week you were suppose to get our logs done.” Ridiculous, it’s called business and partially our fault we didn’t put a “delivery” date on the price quote. That now ends my complaint.

Casey’s dad is still here (until Friday night) and has been framing up the basement walls while we’re at school. He’ll try to rough in the electric hopefully to a point where we only have to do one final wire for it to be good to go (but the other floors of electric will have to hired out or we’ll rehire him in October). Not only all that good stuff, but he has been taking care of our dogs so they are not cooped up all day at our rental. Bless his heart!

Welp, as I am thinking of Africans and other family around the world tonight, and I now say farewell to blogtime! Enjoy your Indian summers or even fall creeping ups of crispy, orange mornings.

Bo and Grizz chillin at the property! Bo recently had a throw down with the neighbor dog (at the old house - NOW SOLD!) and he was nursing a cut leg.

Grizz has a huge mug compared to Scout, and compared to Bo or Storm at his 12 week age! HUGE paws too, and he’s a sweet, shy boy, but curiously adventureous (sound like a classified ad for a date).

Scout is a scrawny pup with ears bigger than her face! (Storm was like that for a while too). She’s has super furry, soft puppy hair and will probably keep it like Bo’s shiny coat.

Storm and Casey taking a needed rest. Storm stays near us at all times, thus she is rarely ever leashed at the property. Good girl!

We have full electric and intense flowing and freezing water now at the property (water spicket included)

The whole first floor (half basement) is framed up and half electrified, but no windows. The stairs are open to below too, and the logs are backed up again due to equipment failure. Next weekend, then?

This recent week, our first week back to school, the wood shed has slowly been going up. Just today, we (the guys - not me…) finished squaring it and started the “Denali Green” roofing.

We’re watching Owning Mahoney on a rainy evening. Four dogs tucked in, and apple pie and ice cream. Farewell for now!

We’re all settled into our rental with the 2 puppies, Bo, Storm, Casey and I, and Casey’s dad. Cozy, cluttered small place, but nice to have shelter, water, 2 tv stations by static’ky antennae.

Our log guy was (ridiculously, but over it now) 2 weeks late on getting our logs peeled and cut to the specifications of our simple house design. So we’re hoping it’s this weekend, that we get a sweet crew of dudes up to our property to put it all up in a few days of work.

I can’t wait! I’ve been waiting and getting pumped for a log house my whole life, and of course the last month has been like, come on, come on. WOO!

Tonight I am finally online after literally 2 weeks (it seems?) of not even touching the mac laptop! But I have to admit I have been freeloading and reading emails on my iphone, but not responding….:) hee,hee.

I’ve missed relaxing and connecting! There are some updated pictures I need to post, but I’m just not getting to them, argh.

In other thoughts, I do say my stomach is large(r) and in charge(r) to my awkward dressing of school clothes - no matter how much people obsess about me being small. The doctor hilariously said, “that’s what fat people say b/c they are jealous”. Casey and I laughed so hard about that one.

Besides 3 days of high schoolers giggling and only looking at my stomach, this week has actually been a nice quick and easy start to school. Should be! Considering I teach the exact same schedule for the fourth year in a row. They are all so pumped and excited to see a mini-teacher child of Mr. Sanford and Mrs. Sanford, a bit too much (……attention I guess, and weird).

Well, the puppies are all quiet now, Casey and his dad are at the property finishing the wood shed (looks very cool!), and I need to settle some more of our stuff into this rental. Clothes especially…..where are they? Better yet, where are some that fit. HAHAHAHAHA!

Hope all readers are well and enjoying your indian summers or maybe even cool fall days approaching!

Me and my stomach on our “main floor” (too large of a post, but click on it?), the floor that will have the logs. I painstakingly waited for it to load “full size”. Since I’ve been the picture taker, there haven’t been any real pics of my pregoness, but soon I shall post a real one. Our friend Phil is in the basement window there.

We’ve been having interesting skies lately, and today it hailed pea sized hail with weird heavy downpours and thunder.

Just needed to post some construction pictures here!

Been moving into the rental slowly, but surely, don’t call me shirley as our house is to close next week! School also happens next week….

Super tall foundation, for a super tall lookout over the forest and mountains!
Casey and his dad taking care of plumbing business! So far the hardest part of the job yet.
Lots of people to pour the concrete! A big day of progress to see go down.
Yesterday’s progress of framing the basement rooms. Looking from one of two bedrooms across to the bathroom/mechanical room.
Casey checking out our back yard bog.
Took a break to hike (by our old house) to dying salmon, while waiting for concrete to dry. It’s like watching paint dry.
Quick snap of our RV living on our new property for the last 3 days. Fun!
Realized I didn’t take any outside pics of our rental, but this is the living room. Brand new place too! Cool!

Bo and his girl Scout all tucked in! We have 2 puppies left to sell, as our one friends backed out of their puppy take. Who wants us to ship them one>!>?, hee, hee, haw.

After a last hoorah today with some teacher friends, I’m going to watch Chalk as I prepare for the hilarious world of starting a new school year. It’s by that dude who did Supersize Me. Any teachers or anyone in public education (h.s. especially) out there need help jumpstarting the humor of our world, you should make it a ritual every fall to watch!

Happy midweek all!