06/16/2003 Newsletter

The office is wired up for phone, network and electricity...

We are using recessed lighting in the office View more pictures from the office remodel View pictures from memorial day

06-16-03

These past few weeks have flown by. We've continued working on our basement office project, which now encompasses two rooms instead of one. I should say the office doesn't encompass two rooms, but the project does. We finished all of the electrical work, framed up the remaining walls and finally figured out an economical solution to getting heat and A/C down there. Yesterday James and John went and bought 28 sheets of drywall, so our next step is learning how to install and tape drywall, I'm sure we'll be experts when we're done. This project seems to be taking a long time for some reasonmaybe it's cause we are on a deadline. We are hoping to have it done by the end of this month so we can move James' office down and paint the baby's room. Cross your fingers for us.

We have two new additions to our household this summer. John moved in at the end of May. He just signed his contract for the National Guard and will be leaving in January for Basic training and then he'll spend a year and a half at DLI learning Arabic. In the meantime he's actively looking for a job and working on getting his Bachelors Degree finished. We enjoy having John with us, my dishes have never been done so quickly and James loves having someone to pal around and play video games with. (I don't like to play fighting games, but James and John make a pretty good team!)

Jenni moved in just this last week, she needed a place to stay as she starts her new job. So far I think she really likes what she's been doing. She gets to interact with young girls who need a lot of help and encouragement, I think it's a perfect job for her. We are happy to be blessed to have so much room in our house so that we can help both her and John out as they are making these transitions in their lives.

Last weekend James and I attended a Childbirth preparation class. It was interesting, I think that James learned quite a bit about what the birth process involves. He got pretty grossed out when we watched a birth movie and they showed the placenta afterbirth. I have to say that I didn't really learn much that I didn't already know through reading books and talking to other women who have had children, but it was good to be able to take a tour of the hospital and to have a down-to-earth run down of what actually happens. I figure that there is no possible way for a class to teach me what it will be like, since every birth is so different. We only have about 6 weeks left so it's starting to become more real as each week passes.

On Friday the 13th, James and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. To celebrate we treated ourselves to a nice steak dinner and went to watch the movie Finding Nemo. We also made a romantic trip to the Home Depot and bought lumber so we could frame up the rest of the basement walls. We enjoyed the evening together and figured it would be the last really expensive date that we go on for a while. Speaking of anniversaries... Congratulations to Grandma Jean and Grandpa Lynn on your 50th anniversary. We are only 48 years behind you, and are looking forward to each one.

Well, that wraps up this letter. I hope you are all well and happy. We love you all and think about you often.

Love, Miekka and James