The Foreword
In early October 2005 we found out our house that we had been renting was being put on the market (out of our price range) so the look began. We were out that week looking around and had a couple in Grand Coulee that we had spotted and had basically resigned ourselves to one of them (not a great house but in our $$ range). (Oct 20) On the way home we decided to peek at this one in Almira. So up the VERY windy road that was under construction, we felt like we were in the middle of nowhere and arrive in a community that is 6 blocks long and 6 blocks wide. We found the house and when we pulled up we both just sat there.... Neither of us wanted to admit to the other that we had just found "OUR" house. The boys urged us out of the car and we went in and looked around. Pictures just DON'T share the smell of the house (it had been visited by animals and boy they had left their mark). But above and beyond we found a home with a great spirit. We called the owner (investment company) and shared with him our list of questions. Joe (that's the owner person) was great and answered everything that could be answered.
(Oct 23-Happy Birthday Bro.) We took our friend Robert up a few days later to see if we were just desperate or crazy. He confirmed the later BUT also confirmed that there was just something about it. That day we poured some bacterial smell killer that Dana had in his janitorial bag. Wow that helped a lot!!!
(Oct 26) We signed papers on the house. We have a purchase lease contract, with $100 a month going towards equity, and insurance and taxes are included in our payment. Overall considering our credit etc we are pleased. We will refinance in a couple years down to a decent interest rate and having the title in our name would be much more secure feeling.
(Oct 27) PICTURE DAY!!! Mom (Poole) came over to help me pack and wanted to see the house. So Henry, her and I drove the 42.1 miles from Soap Lake up (a much better road). Her eyes got huge as she got out of the car. As she walked through the house you could see her get more and more overwhelmed by my current disastrous decision. She walked out the back door and then she saw the "bones". "Good Bones" she says, the second time through the house. The lightbulb went on and she had ideas and could see the potential. Then we took pictures. (I don't have the pictures here now but will add this weekend.) Went to the Post Office, the gals in there are a kick in the pants. We got our box 103, with a zip of 99103 We got a kick out of that as well. Another coincidence of sorts Dana and I met when we were working at Station #103!
(Oct 29) MOVE IN DAY! Crazy as it seems we moved in that Saturday. Well garage stuff went into the garage and house stuff into the house. The Grand Coulee Ward was wonderful with 17 people showing up to help, WOW!!!
(Oct 31) Water Day... or so we thought! The city came and turned on the water. It was another 10 days before we actually had water in the house. The water main under the house for the kitchen plumbing was holey. and was a bubbling mess in the root cellar. YIKES! So we brought buckets of water from the outside pump to flush the potty etc.
(Nov 4) We pick up the boys from their Dad's house (thank you again Diann!) they had been there since the evening before moving day. We lost a dog at my parents house that next day (long story but Henry has finally accepting that Rocky isn't coming back). Dad, Thomas, and Dana drove to Moses Lake and picked up Jeff's outdoor wood stove thingy. Mom, Henry and I went up and completed what I had started earlier in the week. We are living in the Living Room. Twin bed, with a tall bookshelf fabric backed separating our king sized bed, another book case by the front door. The wood stove is across from the front door. Then we have a love seat, and a couple chairs with a large area rug in the middle and a table to the side. We hung blankets over the windows and the kitchen doorway (which we now refer to lovingly as the refrigerator door). TACKY oh yes!!! But it is warmer, we are in survival mode. I stood outside as my parents left that day and cried, the last time I remembered crying when my parents left me was my first day of college at Ricks. Family alone that night as the house was remotely warming up, Dana dedicated the house (said a prayer) and it was okay. I didn't feel like I had been left to die.
(Nov 6) 1st SNOW! Yes we drove to church in snow, lots of it. I called Vicki and cried and laughed at the same time!
(Nov 7) Big Day... Boys started school at Almira Elementary 3 blocks from our house. Henry is in K-1 there are 7 kindergarten and 3 1st graders. Thomas is in 2nd with 9 students. They are doing amazingly well, I LOVE the principal, the teachers, the secretary, hek the janitor is great. Henry is a different child Mrs. Scammon is an angel!
I spent the day boiling water on our 2 burner propane stove borrowed from Sean and Diann (thanks a million guys!!!) and washing walls. To say the kitchen is disgusting would be an understatement.
Bishop Bastion and Brother Conklin dropped by to access the progress, I think that they thought we were crazy! That night we went to Grandma's 30 miles away, for baths, a saw to get water pipes fixed, and oh um wood.
(Nov 8) Sister Conklin called to see if the RS could help with cleaning on Friday. Bless the Angels from the ward! She mentioned in passing that there was Enrichment that night! Yahoo, I never miss enrichment. Robert and Dana had surprised me that evening, so they took the boys and I got to go to Enrichment. We had YUMMY Philipino food.
(Nov 10) The FIRST melt down Dana was late coming home that night. I was doing dishes with the water I had lugged in from outside, boiled on the propane stove, via propane lantern light. Now anyone that knows me knows that I HATE, LOATHE, DISPISE, truly dislike doing dishes then under these conditions... I yelled at my husband. As soon as I hung up from yelling at my husband the bishop called. (yes mom I appolgized to poor Dana!) He got home late and he fixed the water and we FINALLY had a flushing toilet and running water in the bathtub!!!
(Nov 11) we packed it in and spent the weekend at my parents house. But not before the lovely sisters came and scrubbed my kitchen. The five of us scrubbed and cleaned inside and out, then laid shelf paper. We unpacked most of the kitchen I can't begin to tell you how much better I felt not cooking out of boxes and cooking from my cupboards. Thank you Terry, Joette, Heather, and Kelsey!!!!!!! Oh thank you to Thomas who kept us in buckets of water and whatever else we needed.
(Nov 13) Primary program in Ephrata Ward. The boys were perfect and adorable! We drove home to snow tracks in the yard and wood on our porch. Thank you Elders!!! We got home to a mess it was dark and cold and I had to make a call for RS (I was in charge of cannery trip). The orders and checks were NOT where they were supposed to be (they had fallen behind the desk), the lighter wouldn't work after crying for minutes I threw the candle and the lighter. Dana thought that I was laughing so he had ignored me....
(Nov 14) Dana is coming home and gets a flat tire, the jack had accidentally got taken out in the move. Jeff and Dawna saved us!
(Nov 15) we FINALLY figure out how to get a permit for the Electricity. After a trip to Grand Coulee to get a new tire. I spent the day at Grandma's house a hot shower beats the sponge bath anyday! Electricity... the last people in the house blew up the electric meter (girl speak for it's really messed up)
(Nov 16) Dana comes home early to be there when the inspector gets there. We crawled up in the attic. It is HUGE up there! 20 feet wide and the entire length of the house. BEDROOMS! YAHOO! Hung some storm windows that hadn't been hung. There was (heavy on the WAS) a tree that we could see needed to be topped it was in our power lines, it had thorns, it had berries and it was ugly. Dana and I chopped it down by hand! We failed the inspection. Jacob (my brother) and his brother-in-law Timmy both work in the electrical field so they advised and came over on Sunday the 20th.
(Nov 20) didn't have the right parts with them so... another week with no power.
(Nov 21) I woke up with a cold! Surprise... not!! Cleaned the house nothing exciting.
(Nov 22) Freezing cold, the fire won't stay lit, we packed it in! I called Dawna and we spent the night here (from where I type!). Dana got to sleep in YAHOO for him. The boys got to watch TV and I ummm I confess I slept and slept. On our way to mom's house for Thanksgiving.
In early October 2005 we found out our house that we had been renting was being put on the market (out of our price range) so the look began. We were out that week looking around and had a couple in Grand Coulee that we had spotted and had basically resigned ourselves to one of them (not a great house but in our $$ range). (Oct 20) On the way home we decided to peek at this one in Almira. So up the VERY windy road that was under construction, we felt like we were in the middle of nowhere and arrive in a community that is 6 blocks long and 6 blocks wide. We found the house and when we pulled up we both just sat there.... Neither of us wanted to admit to the other that we had just found "OUR" house. The boys urged us out of the car and we went in and looked around. Pictures just DON'T share the smell of the house (it had been visited by animals and boy they had left their mark). But above and beyond we found a home with a great spirit. We called the owner (investment company) and shared with him our list of questions. Joe (that's the owner person) was great and answered everything that could be answered.
(Oct 23-Happy Birthday Bro.) We took our friend Robert up a few days later to see if we were just desperate or crazy. He confirmed the later BUT also confirmed that there was just something about it. That day we poured some bacterial smell killer that Dana had in his janitorial bag. Wow that helped a lot!!!
(Oct 26) We signed papers on the house. We have a purchase lease contract, with $100 a month going towards equity, and insurance and taxes are included in our payment. Overall considering our credit etc we are pleased. We will refinance in a couple years down to a decent interest rate and having the title in our name would be much more secure feeling.
(Oct 27) PICTURE DAY!!! Mom (Poole) came over to help me pack and wanted to see the house. So Henry, her and I drove the 42.1 miles from Soap Lake up (a much better road). Her eyes got huge as she got out of the car. As she walked through the house you could see her get more and more overwhelmed by my current disastrous decision. She walked out the back door and then she saw the "bones". "Good Bones" she says, the second time through the house. The lightbulb went on and she had ideas and could see the potential. Then we took pictures. (I don't have the pictures here now but will add this weekend.) Went to the Post Office, the gals in there are a kick in the pants. We got our box 103, with a zip of 99103 We got a kick out of that as well. Another coincidence of sorts Dana and I met when we were working at Station #103!
(Oct 29) MOVE IN DAY! Crazy as it seems we moved in that Saturday. Well garage stuff went into the garage and house stuff into the house. The Grand Coulee Ward was wonderful with 17 people showing up to help, WOW!!!
(Oct 31) Water Day... or so we thought! The city came and turned on the water. It was another 10 days before we actually had water in the house. The water main under the house for the kitchen plumbing was holey. and was a bubbling mess in the root cellar. YIKES! So we brought buckets of water from the outside pump to flush the potty etc.
(Nov 4) We pick up the boys from their Dad's house (thank you again Diann!) they had been there since the evening before moving day. We lost a dog at my parents house that next day (long story but Henry has finally accepting that Rocky isn't coming back). Dad, Thomas, and Dana drove to Moses Lake and picked up Jeff's outdoor wood stove thingy. Mom, Henry and I went up and completed what I had started earlier in the week. We are living in the Living Room. Twin bed, with a tall bookshelf fabric backed separating our king sized bed, another book case by the front door. The wood stove is across from the front door. Then we have a love seat, and a couple chairs with a large area rug in the middle and a table to the side. We hung blankets over the windows and the kitchen doorway (which we now refer to lovingly as the refrigerator door). TACKY oh yes!!! But it is warmer, we are in survival mode. I stood outside as my parents left that day and cried, the last time I remembered crying when my parents left me was my first day of college at Ricks. Family alone that night as the house was remotely warming up, Dana dedicated the house (said a prayer) and it was okay. I didn't feel like I had been left to die.
(Nov 6) 1st SNOW! Yes we drove to church in snow, lots of it. I called Vicki and cried and laughed at the same time!
(Nov 7) Big Day... Boys started school at Almira Elementary 3 blocks from our house. Henry is in K-1 there are 7 kindergarten and 3 1st graders. Thomas is in 2nd with 9 students. They are doing amazingly well, I LOVE the principal, the teachers, the secretary, hek the janitor is great. Henry is a different child Mrs. Scammon is an angel!
I spent the day boiling water on our 2 burner propane stove borrowed from Sean and Diann (thanks a million guys!!!) and washing walls. To say the kitchen is disgusting would be an understatement.
Bishop Bastion and Brother Conklin dropped by to access the progress, I think that they thought we were crazy! That night we went to Grandma's 30 miles away, for baths, a saw to get water pipes fixed, and oh um wood.
(Nov 8) Sister Conklin called to see if the RS could help with cleaning on Friday. Bless the Angels from the ward! She mentioned in passing that there was Enrichment that night! Yahoo, I never miss enrichment. Robert and Dana had surprised me that evening, so they took the boys and I got to go to Enrichment. We had YUMMY Philipino food.
(Nov 10) The FIRST melt down Dana was late coming home that night. I was doing dishes with the water I had lugged in from outside, boiled on the propane stove, via propane lantern light. Now anyone that knows me knows that I HATE, LOATHE, DISPISE, truly dislike doing dishes then under these conditions... I yelled at my husband. As soon as I hung up from yelling at my husband the bishop called. (yes mom I appolgized to poor Dana!) He got home late and he fixed the water and we FINALLY had a flushing toilet and running water in the bathtub!!!
(Nov 11) we packed it in and spent the weekend at my parents house. But not before the lovely sisters came and scrubbed my kitchen. The five of us scrubbed and cleaned inside and out, then laid shelf paper. We unpacked most of the kitchen I can't begin to tell you how much better I felt not cooking out of boxes and cooking from my cupboards. Thank you Terry, Joette, Heather, and Kelsey!!!!!!! Oh thank you to Thomas who kept us in buckets of water and whatever else we needed.
(Nov 13) Primary program in Ephrata Ward. The boys were perfect and adorable! We drove home to snow tracks in the yard and wood on our porch. Thank you Elders!!! We got home to a mess it was dark and cold and I had to make a call for RS (I was in charge of cannery trip). The orders and checks were NOT where they were supposed to be (they had fallen behind the desk), the lighter wouldn't work after crying for minutes I threw the candle and the lighter. Dana thought that I was laughing so he had ignored me....
(Nov 14) Dana is coming home and gets a flat tire, the jack had accidentally got taken out in the move. Jeff and Dawna saved us!
(Nov 15) we FINALLY figure out how to get a permit for the Electricity. After a trip to Grand Coulee to get a new tire. I spent the day at Grandma's house a hot shower beats the sponge bath anyday! Electricity... the last people in the house blew up the electric meter (girl speak for it's really messed up)
(Nov 16) Dana comes home early to be there when the inspector gets there. We crawled up in the attic. It is HUGE up there! 20 feet wide and the entire length of the house. BEDROOMS! YAHOO! Hung some storm windows that hadn't been hung. There was (heavy on the WAS) a tree that we could see needed to be topped it was in our power lines, it had thorns, it had berries and it was ugly. Dana and I chopped it down by hand! We failed the inspection. Jacob (my brother) and his brother-in-law Timmy both work in the electrical field so they advised and came over on Sunday the 20th.
(Nov 20) didn't have the right parts with them so... another week with no power.
(Nov 21) I woke up with a cold! Surprise... not!! Cleaned the house nothing exciting.
(Nov 22) Freezing cold, the fire won't stay lit, we packed it in! I called Dawna and we spent the night here (from where I type!). Dana got to sleep in YAHOO for him. The boys got to watch TV and I ummm I confess I slept and slept. On our way to mom's house for Thanksgiving.
posted by Uncle Dana at
12:15 PM
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