Day 28 - Stairs & Grade Beam Prep

Do you ever feel like the Lord is trying to tell you something and so He tells you over and over, just to make sure you got it?  I think that happened to both Jay and I today.  Yesterday at church I heard a song I hadn't heard before (as far as I know).  It is called "10 000 Reasons" by Matt Redman.  It is a beautiful song and if you haven't heard it, just google it and listen.  I really enjoyed listening to it yesterday and the tune was in my head on and off throughout the rest of the day.  Well, what do you think was the very first thing I heard upon waking this morning?  That exact song!  So, today it was stuck in my head all day.  And this time I knew the words to the chorus (still working on the verses).  So, as the song says, I blessed the Lord throughout the day.  Praising Him.  Rejoicing over Him.  Just being ever so aware of His presence.  What a fantastic way to go through your day.  Also yesterday we heard a message where the speaker talked about how when God opens a door, it requires no effort on our part to open that door.  God opens doors that we cannot.  Sometimes it makes us stand back in amazement at the things happening in our life only because the Lord made them happen.  Jay and I have continually been amazed at what the Lord has done for us in regards to this house building journey.  We continually say this is all the Lord's doing.  Today this scripture jumped out at Jay during his reading so he printed it off and it is now hanging right in front of the saw at the new house: Deuteronomy 8:17 & 18 "You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today."  What a fantastic reminder to us that all this comes from His hands.  We did not make it happen.  It is all the Lord.  We hope we continue to honor Him as we build this home and live in a covenant relationship with Him.



I love Mondays.  It always brings about a new week full of fun things to do at the house.  Well, okay, admittedly not everything is fun.  There are about a bazillion million details that make up a house and some of them are just plain boring.  But they need to be done anyway.  Today was not a boring day for me.  I had the privilege of making the staircase to the second floor.  Well, I made most of it.  It is an "L" shaped staircase and I made the longer first part before it turns after the landing.  Mr.W figured out all the math for me and told me how to cut both stringers and all the risers and treads.  That is what I did for the rest of the afternoon and then started putting it all together.

Let me tell you, cutting the stringers with a circular saw was a forearm workout like I have never had before.  I was cutting the 2x12's at a little higher than waist height and by the time I was getting close to the end, my forearm and hand hurt so badly after each cut that I had to take a little "shake-the-hand-to-get-some-feeling-back" break.  But I am no suck so I kept at it until it was done!  The risers and treads were much easier!

Mr.W kinda floated between me and the stairs and the guys working on the garage grade beam.  He explains how everything works and shows us each step and then we do it.  The guys had to pound in stakes and level the stakes and add 2x4's and plywood and sand and Styrofoam and rebar and a bunch of other things to make the grade beam (which is the outside edge of the garage - similar to the footing of a house) of the garage. 

They worked hard out in the sun and I worked hard in the shade of the house!  The kids worked hard at swimming ALLLLLLLLL afternoon.  Apparently that $20 investment in the pool was a good one!

At the end of the day, the guys are about 1/2 done the work for the grade beam and I almost completed my staircase.  I went back after supper to finish up but eventually it got too dark to continue working.  I am thinking we will have to round up those long strings of lights we own so that I can determine when I am done and not have to quit when it gets dark.  Ah, well, it was time to come home anyway.  Tomorrow is another day, right?