January 22, 2014

Wow, it's been almost three years since I've posted on my blog. Lots of changes have happened since then.

- I graduated with a BSBA from Thomas Edison State College
- I changed jobs: from Precision Planting to Samaritan Ministries International
- I flew to California a second time, for our denomination's annual Presbytery
- We completed our first floor remodel at the house
- I visited Switzerland...with the love of my life...which means...
- I married someone :)

My bride is posting a series of posts from our wedding day, with the first one here.

Ciao!

March 23, 2011

Today the words just didn't come out write with my essay, so I thought I'd right instead on my blog...keep the creative juices flowing and all that.  :)

So this past weekend was quite the whirlwind of a weekend.  Between taking my communications midterm on Wednesday, working on Thursday, discussion forum posts due that evening, studying for accounting midterm on Friday, taking said accounting midterm Saturday morning, begin studying/writing/completing/submitting comm. essay Saturday evening, finishing/submitting acc. homework Sunday evening, and finish studying/take/pass Technical Writing DSST on Monday...yeah...

Yeehaw!!!  I haven't been that busy for awhile.  Praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy...

So now I'm on the tail end of my courses, and it looks as if things might slow down...a little.  But life in general makes up for the slight downtime, especially since we just started the other side of the house...



Dad re-enforced some of those ceiling joists today...haven't taken the "after" pic yet.

Anyway, one of the greatest things about remodeling is all the destructing one can do to the lathe and plaster.  I'm sure other would reiterate the same if they've torn some out in the past.  Tearing out drywall is ok, but lathe and plaster truly beats all.  And the mess it makes is awesome.  ;)

And, to close like last time...

That's it for now, folks...I'm off to bed.  DST is still messing up the sleep schedule...  *laughs*

March 15, 2011

midterms

So...let's see...last time we checked in snow was about to hit and everyone was running around like crazy (which was rather appropriate, by the way).  Turns out there wasn't as much snow as predicted, but still we had a good turnout.  3-4 foot drifts in some places...it was awesome.  During the snowstorm...


I'm sure there's more pics on my camera card...maybe another time.

Also, school's picked up a bit with the aforementioned TESC courses that started exactly six weeks ago today.  Midterms are this week, and with my obsessive personality, that means many hours dedicated towards studying, studying, and more studying.  And more studying.  Thankfully the communications course isn't too much of a chore since it mostly draws from common sense.  Accounting, on the other hand, can be fun yet tedious at times.  The main thing with that is memorizing definitions and equations.  Concepts might come in handy, too.  So the comm. midterm is tomorrow and accounting is on Saturday.

I considered taking the Technical Writing DSST yesterday, but that didn't work out.  Leaving only this evening and tomorrow morning to study for a midterm didn't seem too wise when I had the option to put in more time.  Therefore, the DSST occurs this coming Monday, Lord willing!  Pretty much all the studying for it is already done, which is nice...just need to go in and take it.

Also, for those interested in seeing what a discussion post might look like, see here...


In this case, that there's an accounting DF post, fyi.  Feel free to critique, if you'd like.

That's it for now...time for some sleep.  DST has affected us all...

Auf wiedersehen.

January 31, 2011

Inclement Weather Ahead

When I put "Diving into 2011" as my previous post's title, I didn't think mounds of snow would be what I'm diving into.  *laughs*

As I'm sure y'all know by now (why do we put an aggregate assumption of the populace as an introduction for a topic?? anyway...), IL in addition to other areas of central US is in for a boatload of snow the next few days:  they're predicting up to 17 inches of sleet/snow for our locale, not including ice.  More snow and less ice up northern-ways.

Meanwhile, today was prep day.  This afternoon I went around getting the generators ready for a power-outage...walking around outside in sandals resulted in numb toes, but at least I wore a coat this time around.  Grocery stores are running out of basic necessities...Mom couldn't find milk at Kroger...sugar, potatoes, and other staples are getting low.  Gas sky-rocketed 30¢ to 3.29$...Dad was the only one at the gas station this evening to fill up all our gas containers, of which two one-gallons he bought on the way home from work (sold out of 5-gallon containers).  A neighbor was testing his generator to make sure all is well.



And then you have the weather...the precursor began around noon today with at least 1/2" accumulation of sleet in certain places.  The above is around 5:30 this evening...even after various broomings to reduce the excitement of a slippery fall.  Emil mentioned during dinner that on his way home from work a truck with a 9' trailer had turned upside-down on the interstate.  However, the big stuff is supposed to start tomorrow afternoon...we'll see what happens...

But overall, God is in control.  And call me crazy, but I'm kinda looking forward to seeing what He's gonna do with all that fluffy stuff.  The awesome power of a silent fury such as snow and the resulting vastness of a white expanse...guess it deals with being born in January or something.  And if the power's out, I'll still have internet access if a picture catches my blog-post-inclined fancy.

And that internet also will be good if the power goes out...because my courses with Thomas Edison State College start tomorrow.  :P

Ciao.

January 7, 2011

Diving into 2011

Hello, blogging world!  I thought I'd drop in and say a quick hello, then...

a good-bye for now.

...

Naw, just kidding.

A day before my 22nd year commences and it's been almost two months since my last post.  Definitely too long of a waiting period, in my opinion.  Since then, the remodeling has come along beautifully, school's back in session after a few weeks break (worked full-time), and Apple is still the best computer around.


Here's the current remodeled state, as of a couple weeks ago.  We changed things up again and are now putting in a nice-sized pantry at the south of of the great room...the right side of the picture for those lacking in bearings.  It took a few minutes to get used to the face that we're losing space, but all's well that ends well.


Also, this past weekend our family and almost everyone else from Dad's side of the immediate fam (near 30 people) surprised my aunt for her [insert important year] birthday in Indiana.  Above is the morning sky before we took off...1/1/11.  So...we all loaded up into a local hotel and spent an awesome weekend together.  Here's my cousin's daughter after Sunday lunch...I think she likes the outfit...


Business Ethics in Society is currently on my plate for studies...seems like a relatively easy test, as it builds upon previous tests I've taken and covers the type of material I enjoy delving into.  88 credits so far...only 5 more CLEP/DSST's after Business Ethics...and my two Thomas Edison courses start in February.  One of those five CLEP/DSST's includes Money and Banking...one of the hardest tests out there...we'll see how that goes.  [God's in control!]  Then, 3 TECEP's and that's it!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Merry Christmas!  Happy New Year!  That takes care of the major holidays since November 8th.

Laters.

November 8, 2010

as fall wanes, winter begins

Good morning to all my dear followers...

Just a couple things for an update.

I'm at 85 credits...getting closer to completion, and it'll pass by quicker than the blink of an eye.  (hey, he was a poet and didn't know it!)  After that, only the Lord knows...my coach and I have been having quite the profitable conversations as of late:  discussing that more importance needs placed upon the journey and not just the end-goal.  Seeing as I'm a rather long-term focused type of person (oh the ideas I have for the future!), I tend to get so caught up in what the Lord might hold ahead in life that the step-by-step, day-by-day details slip my focus.  Ergo, pragmatism receives a blow...

So, right now I'm working on Business Law II, after failing miserably on Business Law 1 last Friday.  Kinda depressing, but at the same time realizing that the Lord's in control and He has a bigger plan in mind for me not passing gives comfort.  From what other testers are saying on forums, it seems like BLII ranks up there in difficulty, but there ain't nothing that can't be overcome with perseverance, a plethora of study materials, and God's grace.  Besides that - 6 more tests, 2 courses, and 3 TECEP's.  Oh yeah...

Besides school, remodeling!

Here's the most recent picture captured...there's drywall where that empty section is on the ceiling to the right, btw.  Only a tad of a piece remains and the ceiling drywall's complete.   We hope.  ;)  Many thanks to John Creath for the help this past Saturday.


And for a random video.



That's it for now.

Au revior.

August 28, 2010

Remodeling Update #1

We're semi-slowly but surely shifting the house around to accommodate the movement of...practically everything in the house (quite the mental picture). A thank ye much to Mrs. Candler for helping Mom out the first day we began this endeavor!

The girls have officially moved upstairs, and their old room looks somewhat empty as of a few days ago, yet it's being filled with stuff from the living room/dining room...




That's what it looked like the evening they moved up in life. And it's been an interesting time, all this moving...which, as a result, makes us feel like we truly are moving, even though we aren't. :) Prayers would be appreciated for calmed nerves, especially seeing as they have to deal with this agressive action-seeker for an oldest son.

The dining room became an dininglesser room this evening. Imagine all the furniture gone save the table and chairs...and you got its current state.




(this doesn't include the delving of the cove, cleaning out all the insulation in the attic, setting up the girls' new bed, turning the spare 'oom into a temporary attic, and dealing with a lot of...stuff)

So, praise the Lord for progress and the future generations that, Lord willing, will fill this sucker to the brim - the remodeled state of the house, that is.

Y'all have a wonderful evening...


via the iPhone

August 11, 2010

We're Remodeling!

Again!  *grin*

The first round of major renovations our family/friends accomplished began a long time ago with the den...and the former boy's room...and Mom and Dad's room...then around ten years ago with our kitchen, downstairs bathroom, and porch.  The latter three took around 2 years, then we moved onto the upstairs, which we completely gutted, rearranged, added rooms, and made livable compared to its previous state.  The upstairs took around 3-4 years, and we're still finishing up little things here and there...trim or whatnot.

Now, with our recent accidental waterfalls in the attic that poured into the living room below it, we're remodeling the living room and dining room!  This is only phase 1...phase 2 shall be addressed in another post.

For posterity's sake, here's the "before" pictures...the after ones are a few months away from posting.  Naturally, pictures will be forthcoming of the progress...





Our current setup is above...the plan is to take out that wall with the big doorway along with the 45* angle wall (relative to the main part) beside it.  Since it's a supporting wall we'll have to address what exactly we're doing along the way.  Windows are going out as well and new ones are on the way.  All the walls are lathe and plaster without insulation, so out the walls are going, leaving bare 2x4's to be insulated and drywalled.  You can't see the ceiling (lathe and plaster) except the very corner towards the middle of the pic, but around 1/4 of it is damaged from water, so that'll be taken out and evaluated damage-wise, scrubbing off mold damage from the flood where necessary.  Carpet's being replace with...something...I think we're deciding either carpet or hardwood floors.




Here's the dining room.  What's being done in the living room with the walls/ceiling is being done in here as well, sans the mold aspect.  Replacing the lone window to the left.  The hutch built into the wall will be moved from the dining room into another room, freeing up that space.  The protruding section to the right of the hutch is a chimney to the right/cabinets along the left...we're taking that out.  Carpet's being replaced.

So yep, we're going to be busy.  Hoping to finish it all before winter!  :D

August 9, 2010

CA, the 3rd

Moving on to the weekend...the reception...church...the beach...and leaving...parting was such sad sorrow.  Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures during the reception, so your imagination will have to suffice with images of joy, fellowship, and a blessed time spent celebrating the wedding of Ben and Tiffany.

Now for Sunday afternoon...


visiting Jamba Juice once again! (albeit the ladies hadn't that pleasure yet)


WE'RE HERE!!!! the beach, that is


our faithful travel guide, photographer, and friend


Japan was just within range...!  the start of an oceanic baseball game


the boys are back in town...or at least the beach


a Nikon moment...at least it wasn't a Canon one!


now that Ben supports a family, he's had to change his diet


*grin*


those in the background provided some jump-rope music, yet the song escapes my memory


*cough*


after the beach, we went off to the wharf for dinner...yet a wait time provided for some outside entertainment!


Then Monday came, and we bid those in CA adieu...

And there's our California trip!  Hope y'all enjoyed it...

July 26, 2010

California! part deux

Well, we are not in California!  Last Monday we returned without /too/ much hassle...that'll be explained later.  In the meanwhile, here's the period following up the previous post...

Continuing with our shopping excursion...




behold, part of the grab-your-wrist-and-turn-your-hat-upside-down club



check out that price...the produce out in CA is absolutely amazing!!




Trader Joe's!  (truly located in Modesto, CA)





making breakfast that next day (Thursday)...we had decided to leave part of the IL contingent in the valley and get the house ready for the reception




Mrs. Hector's lovely garden




power-spraying their concrete...and running out of water multiple times as a result




Thomas and I really got into the whole "let's mess up the bunkhouse" mood...then we cleaned it up ;)




the look of uncertainty isn't unjustified...the grill took twice as long to assemble than what the instructions told us!!




lately, welding has become a hobby of Mr. Hector's




last but not least, a shot of the beautiful scenery the Hectors are blessed with every morning they awake...



Next up...the weekend!

July 15, 2010

California!

Well, we are in California!!!  The way here was rather interesting, between having our flight cancelled from Salt Lake City to Oakland, losing some of our luggage (and getting it again...praise the Lord!!), thinking we might have to stay the night in Salt Lake City (and leaving the next day for CA), thankfully getting a flight that went to Phoenix from Salt Lake City then on to Oakland...

So we arrived in CA around 10 PST...went on home (but not before getting some ice cream)...and went to bed around 1 PST...which would be 3:00 AM normal time.  Yes indeed, it was a long, but wonderful, day...

I'll let pictures speak for themselves with some commentary added...





Mrs. Sanford trying to figure out what on earth we're doing now that our flight is cancelled



finding out we had no idea where some of our luggage was located ('cause on the flight, there was no room in the overhead, so they had to check it in a temporary? fashion...something like that)



beautiful clouds high in the sky...



Phoenix encourages flight outside and inside



they look, um...so excited to see us again... *grin*



chatting with everyone back at home and drinking Jamba Juice!!! :D (and looking doofy :P )



for me Mother...In and Out! wonderful food, indeedy...



And there y'all have it!  I'm up in the mountains now with the senior Hector family having a splendid time while the rest of them are in the valley with the new Hector family...probably having a splendid time as well.  ;)

Hopefully I'll update again on Saturday...

July 8, 2010

Gearing up for traveling!

Testing out the location option...even though it's wrong...I think...the location keeps changing, lol!

Also beefing up the photo app stuff...panoramic shots, photoshop, and some filter apps. :D

Here's a shot from this evening!






(click on it to see an enlarged shot)



via the iPhone

July 1, 2010

Tripping!

Just testing out some mobile blogging...and I need to update my blog anyway. :D

We recently visited the Creation Museum near the border of three states...an absolutely wonderful time was had, beautiful weather accompanied the trip, and we even saw Ken Ham!





Emil ponders...something (small screens provide a great excuse for not knowing complete details)




a more complete view of my favorite room within the museum




the little ladies being silly and enjoying the gazebo




now the questions remain...does Emil think he's drinking a lemon frapp? or is Grace wondering why the light behind her couldn't be a tad more Narnian?




dinner at a Dutch buffet...which turned out to be largely seafood-ish...? (and some frog legs to the side...they tasted AWESOME!)


So there's a light overview of our trip...we're definitely thankful the Lord blessed Answers in Genesis with such a wonderful facility, and the Bandy's are looking forward to visiting again!


via the iPhone

March 16, 2010

finally...at long last

The moment you've been waiting for (or for which you've been waiting, whichever suits your fancy).

After many moons of neglect...I updated my blogroll! Moved some links around, updated here and there, added new sites...

Enjoy!

March 3, 2010

springtime...

...is almost here.

And oh, how I'm looking forward to it...creation lying dormant from winter's silent fury, comes forth to awaken from spring's fresh kiss...

(bet you didn't think I could come up with something like that!)






and in just a month or two...






Praise the Lord for such mysterious, intrinsic value with the beauty He's placed on this earth...and yet, nothing compared to what's a'comin'.