Basement finished!



Quite a difference!



Here are just a couple of pictures to show the basement now that it is finished.  It is not furnished again, but it is finished with construction...which is very exciting. 

We are now going to start pulling things from the POD and trying to make it into a livable space again.

You can see that we have carpet now instead of wood and that in the process of the repair, we renovated as well and defined the space more.  So, we now have a couple of closets for storage and we even invested in a large screen TV for the entertainment area.  Everyone is excited for us to be down there and enjoy a movie night together!

Overall, not only did we end up with great contractors who did a great job, and we ended up with a great space, but the whole experience was helpful to us in a number of ways.

• We found out that we would likely have had another flood in the future because 2 pipes were in bad shape in the ceiling.
• Our kids realized that a bad thing happening is not the end of the world.  In fact, it can be turned into a positive.
• It is helping us realize that much more how much stuff we have and how much of it WE DON'T NEED...so, that is definitely on our minds as we wrestle with what to bring back in vs get rid of...
• Great appreciation for the space again now that we have it...I think for awhile anyway it will really help us appreciate our home and that we have these living spaces that afford us great things.  I continue to pray that we will use it as God wants us to and to appreciate it for the blessing it is to us.

Jaden's First Band Concert



Jaden is dressed up WITH someplace to go :)



Really enjoyed tonight as Jaden was in both Chorus and Band performances for the first time in middle school.  He has done very well with his saxophone despite not ever practicing at home.  He definitely seems to have a natural ability that we will try to encourage.  Ultimately, if he enjoys it, I am sure he will start to practice at home too.

Here is one of the pieces that the band played.  I think they did a very nice job.  A vast majority of the kids had never played an instrument before the beginning of the year...so, this is their first concert. 

And this is one of the songs that the chorus performed.  Jaden is tough to see in the video, but if you zoom in just to the right of the director on the second row, you will be able to see him.