The Work Goes On

Update on Project Draggin' Wall: 

 We started Saturday morning, laying down mortar and the first layer of blocks.

The Cement mixer made it through Saturday, but let's just say, we don't think the it is going to last much longer... (estimated manufacturing date = 1915 according to Luke)

We had 3 piles of blocks, and then 1 cement pile.  I must say the stacks looked rather daunting when we started.

Luke and Dad worked on laying down the mortar while Tess and Marta placed (some) bricks...

I swear, we picked the coldest days of the year to work!  It was 70 degrees and sunny on Friday, but on Saturday it couldn't have gotten above 50... and we were in a cloud... (for those of you reading this who live in colder climates, yes, we are California wimps)

We discovered that our Draggin' wall had a just a few bends and curves, so we had to adjust by cutting cement blocks with the saw (note: the smell of cement blocks being cut by a saw is awful)

When we finished laying most of the bricks down, we began to fill the wall in with cement and rebar (fun stuff)

The cement mixer was kept busy, and jobs varied from water-fetcher, to wheelbarrow-mover, to wall-filler, to cement-tamper, etc.  Everyone was doing something!

Here's Mom working on QC (Quality Control) with the top of the wall

We had to wrap things up to attend various meetings, basketball games, and church dances but this is what the wall currently looks like!  Mom and Dad plan to plant a garden behind it in the Spring, and hopefully we can convince some ivy to cover up the uglier rocks on the hillside! The work continues!

Along other lines, on the 4th, we hosted a Sadie's Dance dinner, and had 23 people over for an evening of food and fun before they headed off to dance!  Marta, Tess, and Eliza hung out at home rather than attend such juvenile gatherings.  Hmph!  :)

Also, on Friday the 10th, we hosted the Priesthood preview for the eleven year-olds at our church.  The boys enjoy Just Dance on the Wii just as much as the girls do!








Other News:

• Luke, Marta, and Tess began high school swim season on Monday, and are preparing to whoop Dad at the 1650 swim (a mile), although he allegedly is going to beat them...
• Levi's wrapping up his basketball season, and got to attend a Sacramento King's game with Dad
• It has finally snowed here, so we know it must be winter after all!
• Eliza got eye plugs and Marta got contacts
• Eliza is continuing to prepare for her marathon in March and has been doing up to 11 mile runs as of late; the rest of the family is convinced that Mom and Dad dropped her on her head too much as a baby.
• Mom, Tess, Marta, and Dad are embarking on a no-sweets-or-junk-food-for-a-month adventure which, for the record, is a lot harder than it should be...

It's life as usual.

Thanks for reading,

Marta

P.S.  Tess was the photographer for all the pictures except the one she is in