Three Steps Forward, One Step Back.....

If you read the previous blog post, you'll know we spent the weekend at my brother's birthday party... and, this is a little bit of a continuation...  This first lovely picture was taken by my dear husband, who thinks it's funny as all get out to take my picture while being frisked down by TSA at various airports... This was Phoenix... and, I have been asked many times is "Why did they have a guy pat you down?"  In answer to your question... this was a lady...  

... moving on...  We had a little bit of time to kill on Monday morning before making it to the airport thanks to flight changes, so we stopped by Habitat for Humanity... We just had to... It's become a little bit of a joke for us - where ever we go, we have to find a Habitat and stop in.  This one was in Phoenix, but we have been at Habitat in California, Nevada, Utah and even Hawaii... Giggle.

And, of course, I had to buy a souvenir for the cabin.  This was a rug that I thought would be perfect for the main level bathroom... A little reminder of our weekend in Arizona!

I loved this picture of Jim.. He bought a hat in Phoenix and just had to wear it on the bus after dropping off the rental car...  This is a classic Jim, with his usual smiling face...  Love this guy...

 I also found this picture at Habitat... I am going to put this in the loft bathroom.. What better place to put a poster of burlesque than in a bathroom.. It just seemed like the right picture for the right room!  Giggle.

I got a call from the jacuzzi place today, and it's supposed to be delivered on June 16th... so we have about 3 weeks to have the area for the jacuzzi totally finished and the brick laid down...  But, in the meantime, I bought some wind spinners to decorate around the jacuzzi...  Jim always tells me that I buy things that are just a little too girlie for his taste, so I saw these two trucks, and thought they would be perfect!

For the past several years, it has been my self appointed job to buy all the balusters for the deck and stair rails.  We guesstimated that this would cost about $10,000.00 to covers two decks, three sets of stairs, one balcony, and one loft...  So, the accountant in me started planning.. I budgeted that I would spend $100.00 x 2 a month and start buying the different pieces and parts that we would need.  Well, it started to get a little cluttered with all the boxes, so about a year ago we started putting sets together and sealing each set in a plastic bag.... We made about 50 sets.  Jim took them to the cabin and they are just waiting for installation. But, the purchasing has continued,  so this past week, we pulled out everything we still had in Provo and took inventory...  We have about 50 of the main wrought iron balusters, and...

.... about 70 of the double knuckle balusters.... and about 100 of the straights... Now, just to get the 2nd deck finished (and stairs and balcony) and we'll be ready for installation....  

I purchased this rug over the weekend because I thought it was totally interesting.  It is about 6' across and it's made of some kind of grasses...  And, I was feeling a little guilty with the thought that went through my mind... Jim goes to the cabin and works like a slave for a couple of days each week... I, on the other hand, stay at home, and go... shopping...  

With the Jacuzzi about to be delivered, this is what the area where it's going looks like right now... Jim says it will definitely be completed, so we are anticipating this project to conclude very soon.  It's looking fantastic... I'm stoked.

And, the work on the deck continues.  It's warmed up enough that we could start pouring the cement in the four sonotube columns that were erected in last fall.  But, you know, there just has to be a glitch.  Jim changed the motor on the cement mixer from gas to electric to be more reliable, and that project was a complete success...  The guys (Jim, Ben and Howard) threw in the cement, added the water, and poured 2.5 tubes and... the belt broke on the cement mixer... and of course, the hardware stores were closed... grrrr... So, they mixed the last little bit of cement to top off the third sonotube, and will have to wait for the repair to be made to continue...

... stupid belt...

But, three of the four tubes were filled and are now curing for a week.  After the fourth tube is filled and cured, the project will continue with the steel erections to support the deck. 

I had absolutely no idea what went into building a deck, but I am a whole lot more educated now!

The stone mason is coming back to finish the job on Thursday morning.  Jim had to come back to Provo and cut some more rock to finish the project and he started that at the beginning of the week.  His one diamond saw blade had broken, so he took it over to BYU Engineering to have it welded back together, and, as fate would have it, the blade broke again.  So, he went looking for someone with a really heavy duty saw.  And, there was a guy in Orem that had just the ticket.  I took the rocks over and dropped them off at his house on Thursday, and picked them up, all beautifully cut on Saturday.  I then had to Fed Ex them to the cabin on Monday, and they were delivered this morning.  So, tomorrow morning, they'll be put into the hearth to finish it..

We'll be updating pictures as we get them.

But, until then, the adventure continues...

Love, Jim and Cheri

It's A Thing of Beauty!

This week... Our big announcement is.... the hearth is going in!!!  There's going to be lots of pictures of this one, so brace yourself!  There's gonna be a little bit of flashback going on in this blog...  I'll tease you with the final product from last week, and then show you how the whole thing was put together... And, just to let you know, this blog was from 2 weeks ago, not last week!!!  I'll explain that one at the end of this blog!!!!

So, this is how the hearth ended two weeks ago.  I am so excited with this project and it turned out amazing!  Well, here goes...

Our rock mason contractor, Will and his son Ansel were the primaries on this one.  We knew we really didn't have the skill to put a project like this in, and make it look amazing, so we contracted it out... And, it was well worth it.

Jim cut all the flat rock for the actual hearth last year, so it was ready and waiting for Will and company to show up.  Will has an amazing eye for placing the rocks.  I am totally amazed.

Jim told me that all the rocks were laid out in front of the hearth, and Will would point to a rock and his son would bring it over, and then it would be placed.

Here's a shot of one of the lighted rocks.  The silver round things on the back wall, are also going to be lighted.  The rock has this beautiful caramel colour, and they are translucent, and Will suggested putting them here and there... So, we took his suggestions... Jim had this amazing idea to use part of the duct work steel to building the foundation around each lighting pocket... it worked perfectly...

A couple of years ago, I found a couple of rocks that had Canadian geese painted on them.  Jim gave them to Will and asked him to use them somewhere in the hearth, and this is where they ended up.  If you look to the cold air return at the front of the hearth, and look up just a little bit, there's where they appeared.  I love the look...I know, I know... I've got to have Canadian flags on my crocs and Canadian geese in the hearth... just humor me...

Here's the two preparing stone to be placed...  The guy in the orange shirt is Will's son... I think he's teaching his son the trade...

This is after the 2nd day.  It was a three day process...

And, a close up picture of Day two!

And, another close up of the hearth surface.

Here, you can see the rock all laid out that's already been picked over.

Which brings us back to the end of Day Three!  I had Jim put the brass cold air return just placed in front of the rock so we could see what it's going to look like.  Will ran out of cut rock for the hearth part, and ran out of time to finish the job.  So, Jim is cutting flat stone today, and Will is supposed to return to get the rest of the cut rock and finish the job in a week or so.  There's the little bit on the hearth, and a little triangle looking bit to the top of this picture that needs to be finished with setting the stone, and then they'll also grout in the whole thing and be finished.  

While Will and son were working on the hearth, Jim and Ben were working on the jacuzzi area.  The people at the jacuzzi store are getting a little impatient with us, so this is weighing a little heavy on us.  Jim will be back this weekend to keep working on this project and get the block put down so the jacuzzi can be delivered and installed.  Howard is supposed to show up this weekend to start working on the deck again, and perhaps run the propane line from the tank to the house.  That way, we can have.. HOT WATER...

Ben using his Jeep and snow plow blade to level the dirt!  And his tires pack the dirt down well too.  Ingenious!

Slowly, but surely... it's coming together.

And, a little woops happened... We ran out of gas in the backhoe, and this is the position we were in when the tank went dry.  If it isn't running, it has no brakes, etc. so, the bucket is chained to a block and that's what's holding the backhoe from rolling down the hill!  I personally find this a little scary!! But, when you're doing this intense work, you really don't look at the gas gauge!  Go Figure.

And, on the more decorating side of life.  I found this egg holder to go on the breakfast table.  I thought it was so freakin' cute, I couldn't resist.  Jim looks at these things with this blank look on his face..  Makes me laugh..

And, last, but definitely not least.... We made a quick trip to Arizona for my brother, Barron's, 70th birthday.  That's why we weren't working at the cabin last weekend!  We kept the whole party a secret from Barron and his wife Alicia.  My two "baby" brothers, Eldon and Duane, and their spouses, came to Arizona also and we had a "siblings dinner" on Friday night.  We just sauntered into the restaurant where my brother and his wife were waiting for their three daughters...  Boy, did they guess wrong.  We walked in, and the shocked look on their faces was priceless.  It was an amazing dinner and the company was sublime.  Saturday night, we had a party with all family, and it was so nice to see everyone again.  We have been unable to cross the border due to COVID, so this was a fabulous treat for Jim and me.   What an amazing weekend.  It will be a highlighted chapter in my book of life.

Here's the four siblings at the restaurant on Friday night...   Duane, Cheri, Barron and Eldon..

...and, at the party on Saturday...  Eldon, Cheri, Barron and Duane..

..and Barron getting assaulted...  oh come on... there has to be at least one weird picture at a family get together..

... and, all of us  Sprickerhoffians...  back row: Carole, Alicia, Cheri, Jim and Anita...

                                                    front row:  Eldon, Barron and Duane.

Brianne and her little family came also, and we got to show them off a little bit.  My kids always make me proud.... (bragging a little bit here...) .Brianne and her crew floated down the lazy river on Sunday... The water was freezing cold, but it was only 107 degrees outside...... I know, seriously...

Here's Brianne, Coy, Chance and Lowell....

..and  Coy.... showing us all how to read a newspaper...

..and, Lowell..

Amazing week...

As always, the adventure continues...  Love, Jim and Cheri

Pain is temporary, but the cabin lasts forever....

 Jim has spent the last couple of weekends at the cabin, and every once in a while, he sends me a picture that I find unsettling... This was last week's entry... and, he prefaced the picture with the saying, "Pain is temporary... but the cabin is forever"... I've had my share of sliced fingers during this process, and I can attest to the fact that cut fingers don't feel good...  sigh..

Jim has been working on projects that will make my life easier when I'm at the cabin.  A couple of weeks ago, he got the cooktop installed, and last week, he got the sink installed.  He initially cut the hole for the stove a little short, but ran out of time before he had to come home, so the project this past weekend, was to increase the size of the hole, and then place the stove... I absolutely love it.  He does amazing work.

One other major project that was tackled, was putting in the camera security system.  Jim wanted it to be viewed on a flat screen AND on his cell phone.  This picture shows two of the 8 cameras that will be around the house.  I believe they got the first 5 cameras installed... I know, this will make me feel a whole lot safer.. AND, we'll be able to see those stupid deers, and racoons and bobcats/ cougars come up to the front door...

This is what is shown on the flat screen...

And, a 2nd view.. I think it almost looks like a lunar landing... But, it's actually the jacuzzi area.

And, Jim and Ben are still working on the area where the jacuzzi is going in.. They have been working leveling dirt, and putting retaining wall blocks in.  I am waiting for the retaining wall blocks to be finished so that Brianne and I can start laying brick in the patio area...  (BTW... Brianne... yes, you are scheduled to help lay brick... giggle..)

We are coming up to the final phase of building the hearth... The rock mason is going to show up on Monday morning to place and stack the rocks and mortar them in.  We are very impressed with this guy.. He's got lots of experience, but he has given us some ideas how to make the heath really impressive.  He suggested putting a couple of lights behind the rock going up the wall.  Jim had already put lights behind two of the rocks that are close to the floor... And, it looks beautiful.  The rock is so opaque, that light shine easily through them..  So, Jim started the process by cutting a hole in the upper part so that the first light will fit....  I believe we are going to have two lights on the left side, and one on the right... I am really liking this idea.

And I found this gem on one of the Facebook marketplace sites... It's original home was in Duck Creek, but it's going to love it's new home in Bryce.  It really needs a good washing, but Jim suggested we clean it, and then sand it down, and repaint it.  I liked the idea of having the whole family around where you can actually talk without straining to see the person at the end of the table...  When I sent Jim the picture, he didn't even ask me where I was going to put it!  Giggle.

Well, that's it for this week... this coming week, the rest of the security system goes in, the jacuzzi area gets levelled and stone put in - getting all ready for the jacuzzi to be delivered, and the hearth gets completed.  I am stoked.

Until then, the adventure continues...

Love, Jim and Cheri