Back on the grid

Hey - it's been a while.  Got back from a work related trip (11 days).  It was awesome - but incredibly draining.  I must be getting old!  Now back to family life & the build.  While I was away I was reminded about how fun & resilient teenagers are despite all the garbage they deal with (and there was so much we found out about that it was almost overwhelming - a suicide of someone a few years younger than them barely fazed them compared to what they live with).  But they were a blast & we had a lot of very significant conversations.  And a little fun too!

It's getting into the off & on rainy season here - so building will be hit & miss depending on what I am working on.  If I can get the framing finished this week, the roof should be on within a week.  That would really help to have it at lock up so I can work whenever (outside siding when it's dry, inside when it's wet out).  We'll see what happens.   Our windows & doors get delivered next Wednesday.  There's quite a lot of pressure in doing this while working hard at our jobs & caring for a large family and it seems like we're always getting tempted to violate our priorities - there's always more work to do at my job or the build.  Fortunately SuperLu's job has very defined work hours with virtually no take home work - predictable is good for her in that area.  My job never seems to have the same schedule from week to week - and unfortunately I don't get paid for all the extra hours.  I guess it's a small price to pay to do something that I enjoy & find fulfillment in.  But due to the extra, we're having to revisit our boundaries and firm them up again.  The pressure of the moment makes it tough to stick to it sometimes though.  Ultimately I keep trying to remind myself that the house will get built and that people are more important.  There just doesn't seem to be an end to people that need counsel/direction/a listening ear/prayer/support/etc.  Don't get me wrong: it's good - just never ending.

Anyway, I'll post again soon.  Maybe once I get my bonus room walls up (hopefully by the end of Saturday!) & I can post a picture.

Later,
I.B.