The Walls!

April 20: Tran's men begin framing the house! Three sides make it up before quitting time. They have chalked out the floor plan on the slab and it is neat to walk through the house. Matt and I were up until midnight last night measuring rooms and conferring with the blueprints. By doing away with the limestone exterior we have gained 11 inches all around in floor space. NEAT! The house is really taking shape now!

Making Our Mark in History

After spending three weeks of our lives watching the back yard morph into our new home site, the girls and I felt we needed to make our mark in the history of this house. They stamped their handprints in the wet cement the day it was poured as if to say, "We were here!" We've been here, alright! Every day we've been here watching with excitement and wonder and amazement.

I pray that we may also stamp a Christ-like imprint on all those we come in contact with throughout this project. Not so much to say, "We were here!" More importantly to say, "Christ lives here!"

A Firm Foundation

April 8 The girls and I watch Gulf Coast Ready Mix deliver 15 concrete trucks of cement! Olguin's men show up at 6:25 a.m. to prepare for their arrival. The first truck rolls in around 7:15. The girls and I scurry through the house to throw on clothes and boots and hurry out to watch the show!

It's a cool, windy day. The girls wrap up with blankets and pillows on a bench. The workers start a fire for warmth. I serve a pot of fresh coffee to them when there is a lull between trucks. By 10:30 all the trucks have gone and the foundation is smoothed out. Most of the workers head to another job. Four workers spend the rest of the day putting the final touches on our pad. Olguin himself helps to finish up. I tell him it looks good and ask him to take a picture with me and the girls. He does! They finish up and leave about 4:30.