Hello all, greetings from Lincoln, Nebraska :) We are on our way to Breckenridge, CO. with the boys for the rest of this week and over the weekend... then we will go into Denver on Monday thru Wednesday since Jer does have work to attend next week, so for Jer its work related but its also going to be a wonderful vacation for all of us, boys have been WONDERFUL travelers!!! We are so lucky!!! Blade was really good, he napped some of the trip but overall he was a trooper!
So before we took off today, we saw our house complete, YEP the bricking is all done!!!! We are so so happy with how it turned out, its more than we ever expected, I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!, its just AMAZING and its full of old character which was our intention:) Its one huge step to have complete so now I hope the inside will keep moving and we can be living in it soon. The wall boards were all hung in the last few days so that is offically complete too! It finally feels like a house... no more empty wall space with just boards... actual walls are up :) So now we are up to finishing the HVAC and plumbing, then to plastering to start when we get back since there is lots of clean up to do before that can begin, but its getting closer and closer... Im getting nervous cuz now I actually have to start picking out paint colors, flooring, and all the finer details.
Jer told me great news today... all the trees we cut down and cut into lumber... we can use them for our flooring in the addition as well as the "false beams" we are putting in the ceiling, so that was EXCITING, its going to be perfect for that room.
Our intentions at the beginning were to use that lumber for the attic but the "brainstorming" kicked in one night when we were looking at "laminate wood flooring" and so we ran it by our contractor and he loved the idea... so I was excited to hear that we could do that.
Unfortunately... no W.W. news this week, I won't be weighing in this week due to our vacation :( I was going to weigh in this a.m. but ran out of time since Mitchel's orthrodonist appt. took longer than I thought and I had a TON to do before we left for our trip... hate the thought of missing a week but, I'll suck it up and hope for greater loss next week!! Mel, I will miss you this week!!! Once again I apologize for not weighing in with you this week, and looks like next week I won't be either unless you go into the DBQ meeting with me... Best of luck to you this week!!! I'd like to be down to my 10% loss by the end of Aug. and if I make it then I will finally have a achololic drink :) Tonight I did splurge and had chicken strips but no F.Fries... and what was even harder was when the boys and Jer had nachos and cheese but I had a few and called it quits... will power is the key, right? I even had points to spare at the end of the day so I stayed within my limit.
My heart is with my dear friend, Kim ... who lost her husband due to a long battle of cancer. I went to the Funeral yesterday, it was very hard but I tell you this... as weird as it sounds it was the most beautiful ceremony I have ever attended, its was everything Warren would of wanted, and touched us all just like he did... WHOA... ok can't write anymore getting teary eyed... just thinking about it, but anyhow my heart goes out to her!!! Live each day like there is no tomorrow, all of you!!!!!
So ok ... one week ago yesterday the new store opened in our building, REALITY hit me hard this week but I know its for the best and life goes on, but some people in my life... no names mentioned... needs to realize that its still hard, and its going to be for awhile. I think for myself the more I go into Tammy's store the better I feel about it but its still very hard to comprehend, I just feel like I should be doing something when I walk in there... but over the last week I feel good about Tammy, she will do great here and just hope that the community supports her. I just miss everything about it!!
So I will close on a happy note... things are going to be well I know it! Once this house is done I will be LIS again, I promise that to all of my friends, and the crazy chaos will slow down, right? I have MANY good things coming and I have everything I have ever wanted right in front of me and thats all I need and can't take any of it for granted!

I wish you all a great weekend!!! Some great things are coming for all of us, right? Love you all!!!!