Parade of Homes all over again

It is such a privilege to live in this home.  We've said thanks to all of you who helped contribute to this wonderful haven for our family.  We'll say it many, many more times and it will never be enough.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I've had several experiences over the last month that have reminded me just how wonderful it is.  Towards the end of our trip to Costa Rica, Christi and I were talking about coming home.  We were obviously sad to leave such a paradise.  We had a magnificent, ocean view room at the Four Seasons Hotel.  We were spoiled with delicious food, free excursions and an amazing tropical climate.  And yet, in the midst of all of that, I felt that tingle of anticipation when I thought of coming home.  I pictured our beautiful house and I was truly excited to get back here.  What a blessing!

Thirteen days after we returned we shipped off for China to get Conner.  After two amazing weeks getting to know him, I came back home with our older kids.  Christi had left China four days before I did, so she and the younger kids were at the airport to greet us.  When I finally came home it was to a spotlessly cleaned and arranged house.  I felt like it was the Parade of Homes all over again.  Each time I went into a different room it took my breath away.  Again, thank you SO much to everyone who helped us get here!

A third experience came last week.  Bret (our builder) occasionally has a potential client who would like to see his work.  He asked if one such couple could come and tour our home.  Of course we said yes.  (By the way, we really feel like it's a privilege to share our home with others.  While we live here, we feel like a part of it will always belong to the loving friends and neighbors who helped us so much.) A sweet, young couple came along with a realtor who works with clients for Bret.  This couple didn't need a home anywhere near this size.  They just wanted to see a home Bret had built and look for some ideas.  As they went room to room, they were (of course) immersed in Lexi, Sophi and several of our other kids.  They felt the wonderful spirit that is here as a result of the love that went into the Puzzle them Home project.  At the end of the tour, the girl said something along the lines of, "I want this house."  The realtor said, "Oh, it's a great home, but you don't need anything near this large."  The girl replied, "No.  I mean I want to live here.  In THIS house.  With THIS family!  We could live in the guest room and be their nannies."

What a blessing for us to live here.  It is truly a home beyond what we possibly could have imagined.  We love it so much.  Thank you!

Jeremy

Moving

No matter how wonderful the home you're moving into, you still have to move!  We first slept in the new house last Tuesday, so we've been here just over a week.  Saturday we moved the majority of our stuff over here, but we still have a lot to go.  We're trying to unpack here, continue to pack up there, clean and do repairs at the old house to get it ready to put on the market.  All of this while trying to keep up with the rigors of daily life.  But what a privilege to do all of this in the such an amazing place.  We really do keep pinching ourselves to make sure it's not a dream.

The kids are absolutely loving it.  Sophi uses her sink a hundred times a day, just because it's there.  She loves to get up on her bathroom counter and brush her teeth.  Cali is so happy about the independence her elevator brings her.

A few days ago, three of the kids had friends over at the same time...and each of them was able to find space to play without being overrun by everybody else.  This house is unbelievably life changing for us.  Thank you all SO, SO much!  We truly love it here:)

Jeremy

We Are In!

It still seems like a dream, but here we are.  Last night was our first night sleeping in our new home.  (Sleeping is a relative term.  Christi and I were trying to put stuff together until almost 2 am and got up for the first day of school at 6:30). Given how exhausted I am, I'm going to make this a very short post.  Suffice it to say we feel like we are in some sort of magical dream come true.  Which I guess we are!

Jer

A Little Crush?

It's hard to believe the Parade of Homes is over.  We are SO excited to move in!  But there is a part of us that is truly going to miss the whole Puzzle Them Home adventure.  There have been so many angels surrounding and supporting us for so long that it's hard to imagine a more normal life.  But it will be good to get settled in and back to the regular chaos rather than the almost unbelievable insanity of the past many months.

I will miss my regular conversations with Bret.  We will miss Chrissy, Julianne and Lauren calling to check up on us.  We will miss the saws and hammers, nail guns and paint sprayers and all of the other tools and noises of the construction.  We will miss all of the Parade-goers milling around our home and their sweet comments and touched spirits. 

On multiple occasions Bret and others have commented on the protective bubble that has surrounded this house and this project from the beginning.  There is simply no way that a homemaker with absolutely no experience with running a business or raising funds or building houses should have been able to start a project that would raise a quarter of a million dollars and construct a dream home.  There is no way Bret should have been able to finish a 7,511 square foot home in 104 days.  God has been in the details of this entire endeavor.  Thank you to all of the angels here on earth who have served us in so many ways!

Tonight we decided to take several of the kids up for the last hour of the Parade.  As we were getting ready to leave, Sophi came up to me and whispered in my ear, "I have somefing to tell you."

"What?" I replied.

In a whispered voice she said, "The house is fantastic.  And I love Bret!"

We all love Bret!

-Jeremy

It Is Finished! (And We Won!)

Our current home is a wreck.  Our kids have been tending each other for days.  We have lived on Wendy's and Little Caesar's for the past week and a half.  But it is finished.  And it is amazing.

I can't even begin to describe the past two weeks.  On Sunday, July 21, Christi passed out on the bed as soon as we got home from church.  (That was back when we had a bed...and a dresser...and a kitchen table....)  I called all of the kids in to the living room for a family council.  I explained that the following 10 days would be the craziest of our lives.  Parade judging would be on the 30th, and until then, we just had to plan on all pitching in and doing the best we could to get the house finished in time.  For the older kids, that meant a lot of babysitting and managing our house, since mom and dad would be spending every spare second at the Puzzle Them Home home.  I was so impressed with their willingness to shoulder the load.  And boy did they.  I heard so many "What can I do to help"s over that time frame.  I would come home and find kids cleaning or weeding the yard or playing with their younger siblings or even passed out late at night on the couch cuz they had been so busy during the day.  Thank you Green kids!  You are fantastic!

It was a whirlwind.  We had many people who were skeptical that it could be finished.  But Bret kept everything going.  He begged when he needed to.  He yelled occasionally:)  He timed things just right.  And we finished on time (barely, but I'll get to that later;).

The last four days were the most amazing.  Christi was doing a ton with the interior, and I was working on the landscaping.  We had not budgeted much for either of these categories, so we were trying to do the best we could with donations and volunteer labor.  You've already heard about the Deseret Book donation.  WOW!!!  During that last 10 days, we also had ALL the sod donated, ALL the mulch donated and ALL the topsoil donated!!!  Thank you Tracy Davis sod, Diamond Tree Experts and Mascaro trucking.  On top of all that, the volunteer labor was truly amazing.

We had blogged about, facebooked and spread the word at church about our sod laying party on the 27th.  Even so, I was amazed by the turnout.  We had dozens of people there.  Church friends, community friends, even facebook followers we'd never met before.  And boy did they work hard.  We got everything except the park strip finished in one day!  On top of that, some of the mulch was spread, some more of the sprinkler drip lines were hooked up, more plants were planted.  It was fantastic.  But by the end of the day, there was still SO much to do.  I was very afraid the landscaping just would NOT be ready on time.  We still had to bring in 6000 pounds of rubber mulch for under the play areas.  Put some borders in between the real mulch and the rubber mulch, plant 30-40 more shrubs in ridiculously hard soil.  Prep and lay sod in the park strips.  Spread a lot more mulch.  Assemble a couple of toys for Elli's playground.  How was I going to do this myself?

Sunday after church, we went up to the property.  We were planning on doing mostly interior stuff, but shortly after we got there, people started showing up to help in the yard.  And then more people.  And then more.  Again, we had dozens of people show up to help us.  For the second day in a row!  Apparently it had been announced in the church congregation we are moving into that we needed help to finish this on time.  And boy did the help come.  The planting got finished, half of the park strip was prepped and sodded, almost all of the mulch was spread, more drip lines were put in.

Still, I was overwhelmed with what we had to do on Monday.  But Monday evening, more people than ever showed up to help.  For the third day in a row, we had over 40 people out in our yard, working hard to get everything done.  Elli's toys were assembled, rubber mulch was brought in.  (That stuff comes in 2000 pound bags-we had to have a back hoe lift it off the truck and onto the play area!)  Borders were installed.  Sprinklers were finished.  Park strip sod was done.  Some of the people stayed until after 1:00 am, working hard to ensure our home was finished by the time the judges came the next morning.

Finally, we had done everything we could do on the landscaping until the sun came up the next morning.  The judges could come anytime after 9:00 am, and if we weren't finished when they came, we wouldn't be judged.  So the pressure was on.  I went in to help with the interior, including laying the floor in the last room of the house without flooring.  My brother Tyler and I laid Soft Tiles in the exercise room downstairs.  I made a 3:00 am trip to Walmart for a few last minute items.  Some of the designers were there until 7:00 am.  Bret, Christi, Tyler, Christi's sister Leslie, Taylor and I were there all night.  No sleep!  It was exhausting!  But we had to be done by 9:00 am!

Oh!  How could I forget the guest room ceiling!  About 11:00 pm I went down to the basement for some reason.  Leslie saw me walking toward the guest room and said, "Don't go in there!"  I walked in and saw Bret on a ladder with his head through one of three large holes cut through the drywall of the ceiling.  I about had a heart attack.  There had been a water leak.  It turns out one of the valves on the master shower had been turned on just a little and had dripped for several hours.  Since everything was stacked on top of everything else, the tile in this shower wasn't finished until the wee hours of Tuesday morning.  So this water made it's way down to the ceiling below.  But Bret called Brady the drywall guy.  He came over and sized up the situation.  We put fans on it until 5:00 am and then the fix it crew came in and it was good as new.

Since things were going on right until the last minute, Bret scheduled his cleaning crew to come in at 5:00 am on Tuesday morning.  But they overslept!  Once we realized that they weren't coming, we went into panic mode.  We barely had enough time to do the things we had planned on doing.  There was no way we could do that AND clean.  We were doomed.  Then God sent the joggers.  Two ladies we didn't know were jogging by our home.  They had heard about the project and poked their heads in to see how things were going.  They could see how crazy things were and how much trouble we were in.  They left.  Apparently they made some calls, because within 20 minutes, about 15 women showed up and started cleaning our home.  We went like crazy.  It was another miracle.  I am not kidding when I say that the judges showed up at the exact time we were leaving the home with the cleaning supplies.

After the judges left, and the helpers left, it got down to Bret and Christi and me.  It was silent in the house.  For three straight months there had been saws and drills, noise, noise, noise.  But now it was done.  I don't believe there has ever been a home built with more love per square foot than this one.  The spirit was strong.  Christi and I walked around, looking at this sanctuary that had been provided for us.  We embraced.  And sobbed.  We are so grateful.

Tonight we went we Bret and his wife, Lindsay, to the Parade VIP night.  It was where awards were handed out.  We won!  We are so glad for Bret.  He has put his heart and soul into this for months.  He donated his contracting fee!  We are so happy that he has a Parade of Home Best Home award on his resume.  Thank you Bret!  We truly love you!  Please come by and visit anytime you want!

It's late.  I'm still a bit groggy from lack of sleep.  I hope this post isn't too discombobulated.  Before I go, I just have to say thank you to the many people without whom this project simply would not have been completed on time.  There are so many of you.  Bret and I have talked about it so many times.  There were so many people who came just when we needed them and provided help with things we weren't able to do on our own.  This was a home of miracles.

I will get pictures up here soon.  It is amazing.  In the meantime, here are a couple of facebook links:
https://www.facebook.com/april.r.collins.7/media_set?set=a.10201671399016441.1073741828.1523540076&type=1https://www.facebook.com

https://www.facebook.com/HuishConstruction  (The first picture on this page is not our home, but if you scroll down, you'll see some of our exterior.)

I will close with a verse of scripture.  King Benjamin taught the following in Mosiah 2:23-24.
"And now, in the first place, He hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto Him.  And secondly, He doth require that ye should do as He hath commanded you; for which if ye do, He doth immediately bless you; and therefore He hath paid you.  And ye are still indebted unto Him, and are, and will be, forever and ever..."

We are truly indebted unto Him.  If we have done any good in our lives, truly we have been blessed far beyond what we have done.  Thank you to everyone who has helped or even just offered their love and support.  We have never felt more loved.  We will try with all of our hearts to pay it forward.

-Jeremy

The Shopping Spree of a Lifetime

We are exhausted.  The home stretch is here and we are out-of-our-minds crazy busy.  So many people have stepped up to help and there would be no way we could pull off having the home ready for the parade if it weren't for them.  It is wonderful.  It is taxing.  I can barely keep my eyes open.  But I had to take a minute to record one of the most incredible experiences of my life.   It happened this afternoon...

I have always loved Deseret Book.  I love their books, music, art, and decor.  I have often said that I could furnish my whole house in Deseret Book items.  Walking in their store just makes my heart happy.  But I rarely buy more than a book or CD or small piece of art.  I have gone there twice in the last couple of months with the purpose of picking out just one big piece of art that I really love for our new home. We've tried so hard to shop clearances and sales and borrow things to stage our home with, but I wanted to really splurge on something that I LOVED.  Well, both times I've walked away empty-handed.  I just couldn't justify it.

Well...  Deseret Book was one of the companies that was contacted about Puzzle Them Home.  Imagine my shock, gratitude, overwhelmedness and just plain giddiness upon finding that they wanted to give us the opportunity to go shopping "on them."  I am still having a hard time believing that it happened, but today, Jeremy and I spent three hours in the downtown SLC Deseret Book selecting the most exquisite art and decor for our home.  We were introduced to such kind, wonderful people there who helped us through the process.  They walked us through the store, explained a lot of the art, and gave us some really good ideas.  They even took Lexi under their wings and were so kind and sweet with her while we shopped.  We were given a very generous budget.

That kind of thing just doesn't happen.  Except it did.  (:

The first hour we mostly walked around in a daze, completely overcome with the many things we had to choose from.  I thought of how this was the art that my children would grow up seeing and remembering and being influenced by.  We wanted to choose carefully and have meaning behind our selections.  The Spirit was often so strong as I contemplated which pieces would mean the most to our family.   Would you like a sneek peek?  (:

This is going in our entryway:

 

It is titled "Lead Kindly Light" 

This will likely be in the hallway:

"He Anointed the Eyes of the Blind Man"

And this will hang in Jeremy's office:

"Prayer at Valley Forge"

This is just a sample of the many things we were given.   We are so, so excited to decorate our home!!

There really aren't words to express how full my heart is.  We are grateful for the many blessings that are being sent our way.  Life is hard.  There are daily challenges that sometimes feel too hard to bear.   Lately I have been gaining a testimony that life is MEANT to be hard.  We are meant to make sacrifices and to be tried and tested.   Those trials sanctify us and bring us closer to God.  But we are also meant to have JOY.  And I am so grateful for all of the tender mercies and sweet angels that have graced our lives lately and reminded us how our Father in Heaven loves us.   He knows our hearts.   He wants us to be happy.  And He will give us just the right mix of trials and blessings-- the perfect combination to turn us to Him.

Thank you, Deseret Book.

And thank you-- every single one of you-- who bless our lives each day by your kindness, love and presence.  You bring so much sunshine to our lives!

--Christianne

Prayers and Miracles

Two weeks ago I put out a prayer request for help getting a couple of utility pedestals moved.  I must say we are so grateful to all of you who have helped us in this very real way.  As I mentioned in another post, the first part of the answer to those prayers came within 24 hours.  The Comcast pedestal was gone that fast!  I was truly in awe at the concern our Father in Heaven has for us, even in our small needs and desires.

The way the second pedestal was removed was equally miraculous.  A couple of days after I asked for prayers, I received a phone call from the father of one of Lexi's friends.  Christi has met this sweet family, but I have not.  Lexi's friend is also eight, also blind and also adopted from China.  Lex is so enamored with this cute little girl.  The father called me and mentioned that he worked with the utilities in the state and asked if he could help in any way.  To make a long story short, he sent an email and a day later I received a call saying that the pedestal would be moved within a week.  It is now out of the way and we can pour the driveway!  We continue to experience miracles, from the very small to the unbelievably big, as we watch this amazing project unfold.

As we approach the deadline for the Parade of Homes, we are still needing lots of things to fall into place for the home to be built on time.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers for a few more weeks:)  We sure appreciate all of the help from so many of you.  We are almost there!

-Jeremy

Sport Court

I have never felt so busy in all my life.

Building a home on top of all that comes along with having 9 children has been quite the adventure.  Most of the time it is absolutely crazy FUN, but I will admit I constantly feel on the edge of a nervous breakdown.  In a good way, if that's possible.  (:  With all that is going on, our current home has fallen completely apart (I don't think you can even tell the color of the carpet in our bedroom) and the kids are doing more than their share of babysitting-- but we know it will all be worth it in the end!  I had no idea that picking out stone, stucco, flooring, tile, baseboards, window coverings, paint, etc. could be so time consuming.  I also didn't know I could have so much fun doing it.  This is in large part due to the fact that I have the most darling interior designers helping me out.  As I've said many times, we are in awe of all of the kind people out there who are giving their time to the project.  It's amazing.  

In the middle of all of the house stuff, we've had lots going on with the kids.  Lexi went to a cooking camp for the visually impaired.  Can't wait to blog about that!  We've managed a trip to Idaho for a family reunion on Jeremy's side.  Again, another fun blog post.  But tonight is reserved for something extra special!!!!

Taylor and Parker have always dreamed of having a sport court outside.  I don't know how many times we've had the discussion of whether or not it will ever happen, how expensive it is, etc.  A couple of months ago, the Puzzle Them Home committee approached Sport Court West about the project and asked if they would be interested in being part of it in some way.  I was STUNNED to receive a reply that very day that they would love to see what they could do to DONATE a court.

Donate.

People:  We are talking an actual sports court!!!  Can you even imagine?  I still feel like it's not real.  And for two months I've been keeping it a secret from the boys.  I must say, it is the hardest secret I've ever had to keep.  We were trying to think of a fun way to let them know about the court-- something that would make it extra special-- but we hadn't decided yet.

Well, this past week, Taylor and Parker attended BYU basketball camp.  This is their third year going and I can't even tell you how much they love it.  They work and save their money all year to be able to go.  It is a FANTASTIC camp.  They love playing ball all day long, doing fun activities in the evening, having devotionals from their awesome counselors, and of course getting to experience dorm life.  Jer and I always try to stop by a couple of times to watch some of their games.  Tuesday evening, I did just that.  It was so much fun to watch-- Parker scored 18 points in his game and Taylor scored 20 out of his team's 44.  This is while only playing half of the game (they rotate the 10 players in and out.)  They are both turning into such great athletes!  After their games, I visited with them for a minute and then we parted ways-- they went walking toward their dorm and I went to my van.  

As I walked to the van, I found Coach Rose (BYU head basketball coach) and Coach Pope were standing directly in front of the van having a conversation.  Usually they are surrounded by kids getting autographs or pictures, but this time they were all alone.  I had the thought that maybe I could talk to them about the whole Puzzle Them Home project and sport court.  The thought lasted about .2 seconds.  What would I say?  What would they think?  What was I even asking for?  So I chided myself for being silly and instead called Jeremy to tell him about the boys' games.  As I was sitting in the van talking to him, I mentioned that Coach Rose and Coach Pope were standing a few feet away from me, resulting in the following conversation:

Jer:  "Go talk to them!"

Me:  "About what?"

Jer:  "About the project!"

Me:  "I had that thought too, but I wouldn't even know what I was asking for..."

Jer:  "See, we both had the same thought.  It's a sign."

Me:  "I'm not talking to them."

Jer:  "Get out of the van now!"

Me:  "No."

Jer:  "Hurry!  Think of your boys!"

Me:  "I don't even know what to say!"

Jer:  "It doesn't matter.  Get out now!"

Me:  "I can't do it."

Jer:  "I am hanging up the phone.  Go now before they leave."

Click.

I don't know why it's so hard to talk to people so much cooler than oneself, but for me, it was a big deal to get out of that van.  Besides their obvious cool factor, I didn't even know what I was asking for.  And I hate asking for things!  

 However, I had the thought run through my head that maybe it wasn't coincidental that I had the head coach of their favorite team standing two feet away from me.  So... I stepped out of the van and managed to give a little spiel about the fact that I had two boys at the camp and that we had adopted several special needs kiddos from China resulting in building a home with the help of all kinds of amazing people and that the home would be in the parade and that a sport court company had donated a sport court and that the boys didn't know about it yet and that maybe a couple of their players could come up and sign the court...

Yes, it came out sounding that jumbled.  And I'm certain my face was bright red.

As it turns out, these are some stellar men.  They were gracious and kind and arranged for something more amazing than we ever could have dreamed.

Thursday afternoon, the entire camp (hundreds of boys of all ages) were gathered in the seats of the gym for roll call.  Coach Pope had the mic and asked for everyone to be especially quiet, as he had something he needed to talk about.  He said that it would be the most important thing that they heard all week.  He then asked if Taylor and Parker Green would come down on the court.  

(This is where the planning went a little bit awry-- Parker's team happened to be up at the Marriott Center instead of at roll call.  Oops.  So he carried on just with Taylor.)

As Taylor walked down, I couldn't tell what he was thinking.  He hadn't noticed that I was there, and looked a bit nervous.  He later told me he thought maybe he had lost a key or something and was going to be chided in front of everyone.  Ha!  Coach Pope then told a little bit about our family and what incredible brothers Taylor and Parker must be to have welcomed so many kids into their home.  He then told them that Coach Rose had a little surprise for him.  Coach Rose then came onto the court and talked.  He then called the BYU basketball team down on the court for a special presentation.

Of course, I'm crying at this point.

Our new friend, James, from Sport Court West, had given us a couple of pieces of sport court to have the team sign.  Coach Rose showed Taylor the tile and explained that Sport Court West had heard about our family and wanted to give the boys a brand new sports court.

Taylor went into shock.  He had the biggest grin on his face.  He said afterward that he couldn't even wrap his head around what was happening.  It was such a special moment for our family.

 Um, why am I here?

 Starting to catch on that this isn't a bad thing...

 

What is this tile???

 

A sport court?  WHAT??

 Starting to sink in...

 Stoked!!!

Of course, we felt SO bad that Parker had missed the whole thing, so we headed up to the Marriott Center with the signed court pieces.   On our way there, we noticed a few of the players and talked to them.  One of them was Nate Austin, who happened to be one of Parker's coaches for the week.  He agreed to pull Parker aside and present him with the court.  Parker's reaction was absolutely priceless.  These pictures tell the story well:

 Um, what's going on?

 Still not knowing what's going on?

 Shock.

 It hits him.

 He could hardly contain his emotion.  He kept asking if it was a joke.  (;

 The face says it all.

 This is him on his way down to the floor.  (:  Yes, he did hit the floor in excitement/disbelief.

I can't even express what this whole thing meant to me.  From having the sport court completely donated to what I believe was our Father in Heaven arranging a very special way of having it presented to the boys--   this is definitely among the most incredible things that has happened in my life.  I love these two boys with all of my heart and I know firsthand the sacrifices they have made to have the kind of family we do.  Every time I look at that court I will be reminded of how the Lord knows them and is watching out for them.

Of course, the sport court will be loved by the other kids as well-- especially Xander!  We made a big deal of telling him that the court was a special surprise for him too.  He was soooo cute about it and so excited to play ball with his brothers.  And the girls just might have a little (or HUGE) surprise coming up for them as well...  (:

Thank you, BYU basketball!  And THANK YOU, Sport Court West, for giving such an AMAZING gift.  I can guarantee it will be amongst the most beloved sport courts in history.  (:

--Christianne

Pictures

The Lord answers prayers in His own timeline.  Sometimes that timeline is the same as ours, sometimes it is not.  Sometimes the timeline is about as quick as it can possibly be!  Last night I asked for your prayers to help us get two of the green utility pedestals removed.  Today, one of them was removed!  That quick!  WOW!  We still need prayers on the other one, but I actually received some good news on that one today as well.  We continue to feel SO blessed.

Here are a few pics of the house with drywall up.  It is unbelievably exciting!

Garage

Mud room

Pantry

Master Bedroom

Great Room

Bonus room and loft

View down the stairs from the loft

Elevator Shaft

We are so in love with this house!!!!!  Thank you!

Jeremy

Prayers Needed!

The drywall is mostly up!  We were gone all last week for a family reunion.  It was so much fun. (More on that in another post...)  While we were gone, the framers finished up, inspections were passed, and insulation went in.  They started drywall on Wednesday of last week and should be all done with mud and tape by the end of this week.  It's on a fast track!

However, we are really quite a bit behind the schedule we need to be on to finish by the Parade.  That's where the prayer request comes in.  We really need some miracles!  One specific miracle we need is some help with moving the green utility pedestals on our property.  Since this was originally two properties, the utility pedestals are now right in the middle of our property and right where we need to pour our driveway.  We are working with the utility companies to get them moved, but their timeline is not going to work for us to be finished by the parade.  So we need a miracle! 

I really believe this is going to happen.  I'm excited to see the doors that the Lord opens along the way.  Thanks to all of you for all of your support.  We are feeling SOOOOOO blessed!

Jeremy

Puzzle Them Home

It's been awhile!  I have so much to write about that it is an overwhelming task that I keep putting off.  I guess I'll just have to zero in on one thing-- how about the UNBELIEVABLY OFF-THE-CHARTS INCREDIBLE  HOUSE THAT IS OURS?!!!!!!  Oh my goodness, the thing is AMAZING!  I still am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it is our home.  Every day, I fluctuate between feelings of excitement, gratitude, guilt, happiness, sheepishness, and a joy I can't describe as I contemplate what this will mean to each of our children.  We are having SO MUCH FUN with this whole process.  Nearly every day, there's something to do pertaining to the house-- a meeting, planning session, trips to pick out stone, stucco, flooring, cabinets, lighting, countertops, etc...  That on top of an already busy end-of-school-year with nine cute kiddos has kept us super busy-- but in the best possible way.

We love to take trips to "the house" and are over there every day-- often more than once.  It's kind of like Christmas every day, seeing what new things have been done and just basking in the awesomeness of the whole thing!  I am glad to say that every time I go over there, I love it more and more.  (:  It is seriously breathtakingly beautiful-- a dream home in every way.  As I said, I still can't believe that it's ours.  I want every one of you who have been part of this in any way that we are so incredibly GRATEFUL.  Don't ever doubt it.  I know that I will never be able to convey the depth of it to you...

We are getting a bit nervous for our incredible builder, Bret Wright of Huish Construction.  He has had some setbacks that are not his fault and getting this home done in time for the Parade is going to take some miracles! He is working his tail off and could still use help.   If you are aware of anyone wanting to contribute in the areas of landscaping, painting, staging, sheetrocking-- please let us know. 

Because it's somewhat unclear on the Puzzle Them Home page, I want to explain a little bit better how this house is coming to fruition.  Last week, our construction loan finally came through.  It took a long time because it was a bit of an unconventional loan.  Citywide has been amazing.  They learned about the project and have worked so hard to make this happen for us.  They have waved thousands of dollars in fees, plus, they have allowed us to use pledges of free or discounted labor/materials as down payment for the loan.  In other words, because of the incredibly generous, good people out there who are helping with the building of the home, we were able to qualify for the loan.  That combined with the just over $30,000 in cash contributions  has allowed us to build the kind of home that will meet and exceed the needs of our family.   Our Father in Heaven has given us great financial blessings over the last couple of years.  We have seen miracles happen that have allowed us to qualify for this kind of a home.  I am so VERY aware of these blessings-- and I know that there are so many out there struggling financially right now-- many of whom have contributed to this project.  Like I said, it is very humbling.  We are very grateful.  It will lighten our burdens in so many ways to have this home, and we are committed to continue to strive to lighten the burdens of those around us.

This whole thing is nothing short of a miracle.  It has reminded me of the great love that God has for each of His children.  The love He has for me.  I feel so blessed that my children will grow up in a home such as this, but I'm aware that most children will not. 

I KNOW of His love for each one of them, and I have faith that His watchful eye is over them.  I KNOW that mansions await in heaven... I am so grateful for that knowledge so that I might enjoy this blessing with a little bit lighter heart.

We have met so many wonderful people along the way.  I have one especially neat story to tell concerning a brother of one of our blog readers-- but I'm waiting for pictures to put with it!  You will die-- it is so cool!

In a couple of days we will be taking a new family picture for our puzzle!!  This is the puzzle that will hang in the living room during the Parade of Homes (and of course afterward) with the names of all those who have contributed IN ANY WAY printed along the edge of the mat.  The names won't be printed for a few more weeks, but we don't want to leave anyone out-- I am so paranoid about that-- so I thought I would list the names that I have right now.  I have deliberately left out a couple of names that will give surprises away to my kids.   I am SURE I have missed others, because there are so many involved and keeping track is very hard!  In fact, I can think of some people now that have helped and I just can't think of their names...  If you know of someone missing (including YOURSELF) I would just DIE if you didn't tell me!  You can comment here or send me an email (christi405@yahoo.com).  With so many people helping, I don't want anyone to fall through the cracks.  And I want to be able to look at that puzzle for the rest of my life and just bless your sweet names!!!  (:  Oh, and if you are listed individually but want your family/spouse listed, or if your name is spelled wrong or ANYTHING else-- please let me know!  If your business is listed because you discounted or donated materials and you want individuals listed as well, please tell us!  I will update this list on our blog every week until we print it so that we can get everything right!  Obviously, donations received after today will be added to the list.  Also, we received a few anonymous donations.  Whoever you are out there, you have made us look at everyone in a more Christlike light-- it is humbling to realize that anyone we associate with could be that anonymous giver.  (:

Here is the list:

Bret Wright and family
Huish Construction
Danny and Chrissy Probst
Rick and Julianne Rawlins
Brad and Lauren Hardcastle
Sorensen Legacy Foundation
Children and the Earth
Jackie Jones
Laneel Perry
Tami Huber
Erin Weist
Chris and Jenn Johnson
Kirk and Megan Voss
Honeyville Farms
Jamie Walker
Walker Home Design
Firelizard
Adrian Tidd
American Standard
Jacob and Monica Burby family
Photoumbra
The Sunshine Foundation
Marathon Moulding
Steve and Jamie Brown
Ethan, Erin, Emily, David, Annika, and Isaac Olson
Photofly
Gary and Denise Christiansen
Lauren, Logan, and Erin Christiansen
T.J. Thorne
John Weichers
Chadwick Lighting and Design
Angie Mann
Sami Davis
Dawson and Carson
Antje Lee
Blackburn family
Amber Brosig
Jodi Frkovich
Elizabeth Liljenquist
Dan and Brooke Liljenquist
Allen and Rosemary Green
Lance Purser
Creative Spaces Landscaping
Great Harvest Bread
Rose Canyon Stake Young Single Adults
Clyde Smith
TotoUSA
The Sunshine Foundation
Jeff and Kristen Perry family
Aston Enterprises
Reid's Concrete Services
JC Jones Construction
Burton Lumber
Beehive State Builders
The Nest on Main
Vanessa Stevens
Densley Plumbing
Quicksilver Construction
Western Air
Hansen Insulation
Dave and Elaine Kruckenberg
Finish Guys
Carpet Diem
PoBoyz Karpet
Hearth and Home
The Cabinet Gallery
RC Willey
Victor Rathaar
Munchkin Radio
Amber Creek Counseling
Missy Jessop
Emily Johnson
Donna Straight
Jennifer Green
Tiffany Wade
Naomi Osuna
Craig Wales
Jeremy and Leslie Larson
Hong Carter
Colleen Smith
Shandie Evans
Hilary Johnson
Matt Curtis
Virginia Vaeth
Angela Stephens
Cameron Nelson
Stephen Rawlins
Wayne Storey
Nicholas Nelson
Michael and Tonja Yost
Dean and LaRita Nelson
Chris and Becky Wilson family
Danny and Breanna Nelson
Matthew and Megan Nelson
Mikelle Stephenson
The Jewelry Jar
Lynda Wilson
Maegan Davis
Carmen Smith
Steven Dalton
Tiffiny Perry
Nixon, Brynley and Landon Winzeler
Catherine Kipp
DJ Gibb
Kylie Read
Kevin Brinkerhoff
Mark and Jean Vanderkooi
David and Sydney Young
Markus Schellenberg
Jenny Hunter
Allyson Jacobs
Michael and Kerry Dorius
Adam and Jill Kynaston
Katie Auger
Jon Risley
Ray and Jolene Simon
Patricia Norwood
Kimberly Jackson
Yuexia Zhu
Princess Rose Petal
Princess Butterfly
Selda Einsiedel
Sandi Sabin
Katherine Singleton
Ashley Flora
Jason and Kara McKendrick
Ramach and Raumrty Kompella
Dominic Fawcett
Gregory Lee
Chad Smith
Duane and Linda Elmer
Todd Cheney
Michelle Wickham
Wayne Wright
Jodie Ann Wright
The Children's Circus
Kaye Holman
Steven Wasserbaech
Ed McLughlin
Kristen Landsgaard
Stewart Behling
Mark Baker
Jocelyn Egbert
Robert Merrell
Sarah Gray
Eggers Family
Steven Wise
Brian J Thorsen
J & C Spectrum LLC
Charles Harrell
Tony Pearce
Marty and Linda Utley
David Wallentine
Rosalie Warnock
Debbie Perez
Chris Parker family
Debra Miller
Ted and Linnita Proctor
LM Post
Camille Cox
Emily McClelland
Kristin Bishop
Larry Clark
Brynn Steimle
Suncrest Software Solutions
Justin Honold
Shauna Cox
Woody and Betty Whitlock
Ashlee Swensen
Julian Wolfson
Gayla Schmidt
L. Scott Leishman
R. Steve Davis
Lowell Leishman
Nancy Kidder
Leslie Rupper
Lois Rosier
Savannah and Christopher Rosier
Leslie Peay
Lora Hardman
Julie Markham
Boyd and Shelly Stewart
David Larsen
YourHCG.com
Jason Fabert
Wendy Stubbs
Brent Davis
Tamara Jo Taylor
Gary Brown
Josh Gorringe
Lynn Nunes
Philip A. Harding
Jenny Reed
Julie Dennis
Laura Parker
Michael and Brittany Houck
Lowell Snow
Lori Brubaker
Dawn Yocus
Laila Gridley
Emily Gilgen
Carol Sampson
Nancy Bates
Kathy Kratchmer
Elizabethe Hawes
Gwen Rich
Kathleen Hewlett
Bills Family
Jenny Morris
Jan Douglas
Dustin Butler
Jacob Carley
Suzanne Newbold
Leslie Bonham
Charmaine Gaudet
Elissa Looney
Laura Johnson
Janice McAllister
Amy Haran
Tracie Dakters
Dennis Dooley
Barry Nelson
Elyse Walker
Julie Seamons
Gigi Fioresi
Steve Critchfield
Mark Miner
Jennifer Brinkerhoff
Josh Hansen
Rebekah Johnson
Ketherine Ralie
Jan McKinnon
Seth and Nikki Devey
Debbie Womack
Seth and Chelsea Miner
Annemaria Duran
Joseph Cloward
Audrey Dang
Laura Johnson
Dirk Johnson
Jacob Johnson
Julene Johnson
Adam Johnson
Karen Johnson
Amanda Tomaszewski
Jessica Barrett
Gary Fordham
Photoumbra
Denise Parch
Natalie Celske
Keith Mortensen
Vanessa and Ben Henry
Teri Suiter
Alisa Weeks
Stephen Rawlins
Emily Yungfleisch
Jennifer Johnson
Patsy Despain
Clint Muhlestein
Andrea Hales
Ted and Debbi Nelson
Amanda Wilkinson
Jim Brantley
Bandice Bringhurst
Chelsie Pykes
Kathleen Hansen
Pauline Syles
Karen Stuttard
The Duncan Family
Matthew Boyce
Paul and Vicki Peacock
Rigby Family
LaRue Larsen
Suzanne Stott
Families For Children
Ryan and Melissa Barclay
Steve McMurtrey
Doug Hecox
Holly Richardson
Nikki Malmgren
Jenny Hanson
Channy Philips
Leah Cox
Karine Christensen
Jeanette Buttars
April, Julian, and Anabelle Wolfson

Just so you know, writing this list was a beautiful experience as I remembered one by one everyone that has been part of this.  Thank you so very much!

--Christianne

First Day of Summer

Yesterday was the last day of school for eight of our kids, making this the first day of summer break!  (Poor Cali is in a year round school and has to go for four more weeks:(  The kids love the days of staying up late and sleeping in, reading, going to camps and family reunions.  They are not so much in love with the chores.  We had the "beginning of summer" talk today.  We talked about fun things we want to do during the time off school.  Christi and I also talked about some projects we wanted to accomplish and set up some rules regarding bedtimes, screen time, etc.  For the most part the discussion went very well.  There were definitely some scowls and exaggerated sighs, but by the end, we got really good buy in.  I love my kids!

Tonight we went to the rec center and swam.  Taylor chose to stay home (he said it was so he could mow the lawn and get that out of the way for tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure it had more to do with the NBA finals game he wanted to watch:)  Graci also wanted to stay home.  But the rest of us had a great time.  Other than me coaxing Lex to go down a bigger slide than she wanted to (and her conking her head on the side) everyone was all smiles and giggles and splashy fun.  Parker and I did some flips off the diving board.  For some reason, he looks much better doing those than I do.  He adds twists to his and looks awesome.  We jumped off the high dive and went down the big slide.  For the last 20 minutes or so, all of us were together in the mini lazy river.  The little girls LOVE that.  Sophi was particularly sweet.  She just wanted to cuddle up to me as we went around and around and around.

The home continues to progress, although not at the rate our builder was hoping for.  The framers are still there, but will hopefully done soon.  One major thing happened yesterday.  As we had looked at the plans, it appeared that the elevator would not be able to go up to the bonus room.  Once they had framed upstairs, however, we saw two things:  1.  The loft/bonus room is much bigger and cooler than we had thought, meaning Cali would most likely be wanting to go up there more than we had anticipated.  2.  It was actually possible to have the elevator go all the way up to the bonus room!  So, we've modified things a little bit, and Cali will be able to get to every room in the house!  How awesome is that?

We continue to be amazed at the home.  It is really a dream come true!

Jer

When did he grow up?

When did our little boy become a man?  It's crazy how big Taylor has become over the past year.  I notice it most when I shake his hand or give him five.  He has man hands.  They're almost as big as mine!  He is wearing a size 13 shoe at this point.  It's crazy.  It's a frequent reminder of just how quickly  they are all growing up.  Take advantage of each moment of these precious years while they are at home.

Speaking of homes, ours continues to progress.  There have been some minor issues in the past couple of days, so the progress has been a bit slow, but framing should be complete on Friday.  Plumbing, electric and HVAC are all going in at this point.  The timbers on the front porch arrived and are gorgeous.  It is SO fun to watch our beautiful home go up.

Thank you!

Jeremy

Moving on!

The blessings continue to pour in!  In the last few days we have had several people volunteer to help with different things.  A finish carpenter who we've known since we moved to Herriman has volunteered to build in triple bunks for the girl's rooms and to put lockers in the mud room.  A man from our congregation has volunteered to install the decking material.  Several people, some relatives, some friends and some who just heard about us on facebook! have put together an interior design committee to help with ideas for the Parade of Homes and beyond.  A friend of ours contacted someone she knew who recently closed his lighting company.  He donated several hundred dollars worth of fixtures.

We just can't say thank you enough to everyone who is helping this project come together.  So many, many people continue to amaze us with their generosity and the love the feel and show for our family.

Thank you all!!!

Jeremy

The trusses are on!

Holy cow!  It is so awesome!!!  We are so excited!!!  Most of the trusses are on and the framing should be done soon:)

 (I had to put this one in because something about the arch just made it feel like a home:)  This is the entry into Cali, Jesi and Graci's walk in closet.)

More Updates!

So sorry we haven't updated more on the house!  We promise to be better!!!  It is SO amazing:)  We are SO excited.  The trusses are going up tomorrow.  We are so in love with this home.  Thank you SO much to everyone who is helping.  We are amazed at the donations of labor and materials that continue to come.  Here are some pics from the past few weeks:

Not sure what look Jesi was going for here but we were certainly entertained (she cut up paper and taped it to herself for the eyebrows and moustache):

Picture day for Sophi and Lex at the baseball diamond:

(As you can see, Sophi was not super-excited about the photos!!!)

One of Lexi's best friends came along on this week and was her helper at the game.  We love Erin!

Elli, Lexi and Erin had a fantastic time on the tire swing (especially after dad started to push!)

We went down to the cemetery this evening to visit Emily and Jacob.  Hope you all had a great memorial day! 

-Jer