whirlwind

As we expected, everything is moving so fast this week that I scarcely have time to think, much less take photos, download them, upload them, and then say things about them in a coherent fashion!

But then again, maybe a photo will save me some words. This is a now-out-of-date photo of the house with the upper level end walls up. It's out of date because at the moment the upper landing walls and all of the trusses are also in place!! Thursday we get sheathing, and then I can begin roofing. Apparently I get to do this by myself because neither Matt nor Chad feels particularly comfortable on steep roofs, and I still have enough balance and flexibility left from years of ballet (or else am just dumb enough after years of sleep deprivation!) that I'm okay with it. ;)

 Today was another "pump it up" day as Matt finished all the fittings for the main level radiant heat tubing. Can you believe I don't have any intermediate photos of that for you? You'll just to have to use your imagination. It looks a lot like the basement did before the concrete went in there. Our trusty bike pump and Matt together pumped 60 pounds of pressure into probably 800 feet of 1/2" tubing and a few hours into it we'd only lost a half pound of pressure. We've got to hold it for 12 hours, and last time the inspector was satisfied with 59 pounds. He comes at 7:30 tomorrow morning, and concrete at 8:30.

 Reuben really likes the plastic hammer he got for his birthday. Today he was banging as hard as he could because he learned he could make the top half of the pounding part come loose if he does this and then Owen fixes it for him. He got a kick out of this every time!

 Here's Rinnah watching the big boom truck deliver some trim and shingles!

 And this is where Owen and Leah sat to watch. ;) They love climbing all over the new house.

Today I also made my first attempt at airline tickets for the trip to pick up Krassi, and [gulp] came up with $5600, NOT including Krassi's one-way ticket home. I've contacted someone who works with adoptive parents in helping them to secure humanitarian rates, particularly for the one-way flight, so things are very much still up in the air on that. (ha ha!) (Wait. Maybe that's not really so funny, but it caught my funny bone at this hour of the night after this whirlwind of a week. Can you believe it's only Tuesday??)

How cool to get home from a meeting at church tonight to find a cryptic email from my dad suggesting that there may be help in funding those tickets. God has proven himself so faithful and so very creative in finding ways to funnel incredible amounts of money through our checking account this year, and yet I'm reminded so often of how very time-bound we are, and how every moment we have to wait is a moment to honor God by trusting in him or to dishonor him by fretting and worrying. So every moment I get to choose how I will live. I think that's why "walking by faith" is such an appropriate phrase. Walking is so very step by single step by single step, moment by moment by moment, not by miles or hours, weeks, or days.

Did I ever mention that two Sundays ago we came home from church only to find an envelope addressed to our family had been stuck into the diaper bag at some point during the morning? Inside was a card and $200 cash. We have NO idea who gave us this gift, but we do know Who directed them to give, and are so grateful for His provision and their obedience.