Good bye Old Friend

For the past couple of years, our heating system has not been working well. We knew we needed a new one but we don't think about it during the summer. Our system was over 30 years old and only had a 10 year warranty. We knew we were on borrowed time.

With the basement work going on we decided it was the best time to put a new Gas Hydronic Heating System in. We have a home that was built in 1884 so the radiators look perfect in our home. They have always provided great heat.

Once we started removing walls we had great access to the old system. We scheduled in Sanitary Plumbing and Heating from Olympia to do the work.

They were able to remove the old black pipes hanging from the ceiling (about 15 inches) and replace them with Pex tubing. They were also able to install the Pex into the floor joists so they won't be visible anymore.

It took them 5 days to remove the old system and install the new one, but it was worth it. When we turned the system on we could hear the water filling all the tubes. Within minutes the radiators were warming up. The house was 52 degrees when we turned it on so we knew it would take a while.

Our new system is 90 to 95% efficient which is great compared to the old one, and it is very quiet. We will use it to heat the tile floors in the basement when we get them done.



There will be walls around the heating system to hide it later on.

I would like to add that the crew from Sanitary Plumbing and Heating were fabulous! They were very professional and a great group of guys to work with. Thanks You Larry, Steve, Aaron and Eual. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing work done.

So if you are cold and need a place to warm up, come on over.

Baked Potato Soup

Ever since Jenny took me to Red Robin and had me try their Baked Potato Soup, I have been on a mission to find the perfect recipe. Well, I combined a few and I think I made what Gary and I think is quite good.


One bowl of this is all you need to be full. I also made a sausage Tortellini Stew but I forgot to take a picture of it. We were too busy eating!

Labor of Love

No, I am not talking about childbirth! As many of you know, Gary inherited 2 tree farms from his dad when he died several years ago. Gary has been actively learning about trees, the kind of wood they produce, planting, thinning, management etc.

When we went down to help in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, we saw huge piles of trees that were going to be destroyed. To both of us it was an incredible waste to see perfectly good trees being sent away. But. that's what happens when the government is involved. All that was needed were some people and some wood mills that could take these trees and turn them into lumber to rebuild houses. Sounds quite simple doesn't it??

Well, Gary has a lumber mill and he has cut down many trees. (a lot of them in Louisiana) He cut down some on his property in Thurston County and he milled the wood. He cut it and set it out in our backyard to dry. Last summer he cut it to the size he needed and brought it down to Provo to use on our house there.

We realized a few weeks ago we had some gutter problems. We needed to put in the proper fascia and have new gutters installed. Gary went out to his waiting lumber pile and got all the wood he needed. I painted primer on the boards and Gary has been installing them.

Painted & ready to be cut to the right size and installed.

The fascia boards are cut specifically to fit against the angle of the house so the gutters will hang straight.

We still have plenty of wood to replace the trim around the windows but that will have to wait until next summer.

RAIN!!!

I thought it rained a lot in Chehalis, but it really rained here in Provo Thursday. Of course, it was while we were out running some errands.

.39 of an inch in 5 minutes
.66 of an inch in 10 minutes
.87 of an inch in 15 minutes

These rainfall amount broke previous records from 1945 and 1954.

Gary was dropping me off at a bookstore when the rain first hit. I just took a little more time shopping!

Friday we took advantage of the extra water in the Provo River and went on a raft trip. More on that later.

When the first number is a 7

Michelle and Derrick have trained Dayton so that he won't get up in the morning until "the first number is a 7" on his clock. If he has to go to the bathroom he has to do it himself. Once the first number is a 7 he can go and wake them up. Before he goes to bed at night they remind him and for the most part he is very good about it.

When staying at our house we try and keep the same rules. Dayton & Daphne sleep in a bedroom upstairs near Nana and grandpa while Michelle sleeps downstairs. Dayton and Daphne also have some chores at my house. Dayton helps me feed Carly and Daphne helps me feed Allie. They get such a thrill out of watching the dogs go crazy over their food.

One morning Dayton must have gotten up with Daphne a little early. Since the first number wasn't a 7, they snuck downstairs and the dogs followed. I heard some laughing and found this downstairs!!







Somehow the kids fed the dogs cat food instead of dog food, maybe it was easier to get open. Allie was not feeling so well that morning and she was a little heavier than normal. So, I now have the dog food and cat food labeled so Dayton knows which one to give them. I also try to be a little more aware of when the kids wake up in the morning.

Happy One Month Adelynn

STP

On July 17 & 18 the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (200 miles) was held. Gary and I have each done the ride, sometimes in one day and sometimes in two days. I have to say the one day ride was a little easier. It's really hard to get back on the bike on the second day, let's say a little painful! Of course once I was on the back of the tandem and I let Gary do all the work. We were actually stopped in Longview for riding over the speed limit! Luckily we did not get a ticket, just a warning.

Gary & Trevor had plans earlier this year to ride the STP. They did a couple of training rides, the Lewis County Historical Ride and Redhook Haul Ash. Since Adelynn was a little stubborn and decided to be 11 days late it messed up the plans a little. I came up with a great idea to have a small bicycle repair stand set up out front. It was last minute decision and we were able to notify the coordinators of STP so they could bring riders to us if needed. They were aware of who Gary is so they knew he could fix a bent fork, frame or almost anything.

Professional??

The first repair was quite easy, a waterbottle cage had come off. Gary had that one fixed and off in no time. The next one was a little challenging and took about 2 hours. The rider had a broken axle on his rear wheel. It was a very old bike (30 years) and Gary didn't have an axle to replace it, so he looked around his warehouse and found an old wheel they used for heat treating. It was the perfect size. He also repaired the rear derailleur and made some other adjustments.

The rider and his friend took a little nap in our front yard and Trevor was kind enough to share a couple of Corona's. They each took a quick shower, but it was unfortunate they had to put their dirty, smelly riding clothes back on. They were staying a couple of miles from us for the night so they were in no hurry.

As it turns out, the rider had just bought the bike at Value Village for $30. I am not sure he realizes the wheel he got costs a lot more than the entire bike!

Our house in right about the middle of the course and we love to watch 10,000 riders come by. They are dressed in wild outfits and many try to do something to stand out. We saw all kinds of bikes, brands and styles. We actually saw about 10 Kleins!

While Gary was busy repairing the wheel Trevor took over and did some flat repairs. The riders should be able to repair their own flats but it was fun to help them out.

Trevor was quick to change a flat.

We had a sign out in our yard for one of the Labor & Delivery Nurses at Evergreen Hospital, Emily. She was the nurse that helped Jenny through her labor the night before Adelynn was born. She got off work at 7:00 am and the new nurse grabbed her before she left because Adelynn was on her way out. We never got to see Emily, I hope she saw our sign.

Next year Gary and Trevor are planning to ride. When I asked them what we would do about having a repair stand Gary replied "You can learn how to do it"! I can't even change a flat!

Michelle's Blog

I know that most people who look at my blog also look at Michelle's. Please make sure you look at her most recent post "To Ashton, Love Dayton". It will definitely bring tears to your eyes.

Derrick & Michelle McKay Blog

Fun with the Grandchildren

While Dayton & Daphne were visiting we tried to make sure we set aside lots of time to spend with them.

One day I took them out into our backyard for an "adventure". They had fun walking through the tall grass and climbing all of grandpas equipment.

Dayton operating the levers on Nana's lawnmower. He did get a chance to drive it too!


Dayton on the Genie manlift


Daphne on the Genie manlift.


Dayton in the cab of the dump truck.


Daphne looking pretty.


Dayton climbing a rock mountain.


Daphne stopping to look at the flowers.


The kids on the trailer. They had the most fun playing here.


Daphne discovered a bug. Look closely and you can see it.


Daphne in the tree. I hope mom doesn't see the bugs beside her!


Dayton licking the beater.


Daphne found Aunt Laura's cat slippers.


Helping grandpa set up the new pool.


Enjoying the pool.

For the most part the weather was good while they were here. The kids enjoyed going outside and just playing. They didn't need anything special, they just wanted to be outside looking for anything.

Oregon Zoo

While Dayton & Daphne were here we wanted to take them to the zoo. We had never been to the Oregon zoo before so we decided to give it a try. Michelle was up in Seattle holding baby Adelynn so it was a great time for us to go.

It was the first warm day we have had in quite a while. Which meant that the animals were laying around and not as active as we would have liked. We brought the stroller and grandpa was great about pushing them up hill.


The kids really enjoyed the underwater exhibits. They were out of the sun and it was cooler so Nana & Grandpa enjoyed them as well.

Dayton looking at a sea lion.

A mean looking alligator.


Daphne petting a goat.


Grandpa showing the kids how to operate a servo motor that controls a dinosaur.


Dayton "donating" $1 to a hooded vulture.


Dayton popping up inside a gopher display. Daphne wasn't tall enough.

We had a great time at the zoo with our grandchildren. Luckily after about 3 1/2 hours they were ready to go home. We never saw everything but we saw what they wanted to see. Daphne wanted to see the pigs and Dayton wanted to see the tigers.

Gary's favorite was the Ocelots, they look a lot like a large "Murray the amazing Wonder Cat".

Grandbaby #3 is here!!!!

Adelynn Sophia Williams

7 pounds 11 ounces

June 24, 2010 8:04 am (11 days late!)

Happy Nana.

Daphne just loves her new cousin!

It was a long night for Jenny and Trevor but worth every minute of it (easy for me to say!). Adelynn is perfect and absolutely beautiful. Trevor was there for Jenny every second of the labor and delivery. I offered to sit with Jenny so he could go play golf (very early, before real labor) but he wanted to stay with Jenny. So after I dropped them off at the hospital I did what every waiting grandmother did, I went shopping!

The 24th is a common number in our family: Kirsten was born on the 24th, Ava was born on the 24th, Gary and Kirsten were married on the 24th and Michelle was born on the 24th.

Kohl Children's Museum

While I was in Chicago Michelle had a list of things to do for me. Having the list actually helps us decide what to do and it kept us from sitting around.

One of the places to go was the Kohl Children's Museum. I had never been there before and suggested I could just take the two by myself. Michelle had been there before and said Dayton & Daphne go in two different directions, and she was right.

As soon as we walked in they both went their different ways and we didn't see each other for quite a while. Every now and then they would be in the same exhibit, but only for about 3 minutes.

Dayton's first stop was the room with all the water toys. I think this was by far his favorite. I tried to put an apron on him to keep him dry but he didn't like it. He didn't seem to mind getting wet.

A bucket over Dayton has just filled with water and is dumping the water near him.

Dayton cranks the elevator to carry the balls to the top. There they dump into water and when the water level rises they go over the falls.

Then Dayton fishes them out and puts them back in the shoot. He spent a lot of time here.

Dayton working on the engine of a car.

When he pedalled air would fill up a big balloon overhead.

Painting a house.



In the music room. You put the puzzle together and when you get it in the right order it plays a song.



Dayton playing with the drums and cymbal.



Shopping. Look at all those cookies!

Dayton getting Nana lots of treats at the bakery.

Dayton ran out of money at the grocery store and had to stop at the ATM.



Just like a married couple. Mommy with the baby and daddy reading.



Heavy Equipment Operator



Sitting down for a spot of tea.



Dayton is starting to read.

I was exhausted by the end of our visit, and we had only been there a couple of hours. I will definitely go back there again. It was awesome. The exhibits change every few months so it keeps the adventure going. Dayton and I didn't make it through the entire place. We will have to bring grandpa through with us next time so he can explain how it all works.

I know Michelle has the same post, I just wanted to beat her! She had Daphne and I had Dayton which is why most of my pictures were of Dayton. So keep an eye on Michelle's blog for part 2 of this incredible museum trip.