notes from spokane

Craigslist to the rescue! I am STILL not approved for Freecycle Spokane. Less than 16 hours after posting the two items on Craigslist, both had been picked up from the house. Hurray! Perhaps I'll be able to use Freecycle Spokane next visit, but I'm guessing I'll just throw all the random stuff away because they can suck my big fat toe.

I think God's teaching me forebearance. I don't like it.

*****
Rob and I are reading a budgeting book for young couples by Larry Burkett and it's AWESOME. I must admit that big Blake tried to no end to get me to read this same book. I told him that he could just give me the synopsis since, on paper, the book looks like a total snore. Come on: finances? I took several Finance classes in college, and I can tell you they ARE a total snore. However, Mr. Burkett tosses in enough anecdotes and case studies to make it a compelling read. Also helping is the fact that we're on a shoe-string budget with some major expenses, so we're definitely motivated to get this stuff figured out.

That said, I've been dispensing with budgeting advice right, left, and center. I think I'm kind of bossy.

*****
Rachel and Chris, Rob's sister and her husband, went in today so that Rachel can be induced. We're expecting a baby girl (hope the doctor's right!), and haven't heard from them all day long. We've begun texting them, requesting/demanding updates, because no one here is very patient (see top post regarding forebearance).

*****
The house is almost cleaner than our place in Bozeman, which is saying something for a home built in the 1950s. Bethany and I have touched almost every surface with some sort of cleaning agent or rag, and it looks a world of difference. Rob and I painted three of the four living room walls with one of the colors I picked up (nutty beige), and it looks great. There's still major work to do though:

• We ripped out the bathroom and haven't replaced it yet.
• Rob's bedroom is still down to the studs, as it was when we first met.
• We're knocking a hole in the wall to create a new doorway and closing off another.
• We're replacing the flooring in one bedroom and the laundry area, plus the demolished bathroom.
• We have to replace the trim that's been ripped out over the last year.

I have learned that Rob is great at starting projects. He has learned that I am very motivated to finish them. We are both learning that we can't afford to do everything at once. Our next trip up, we'll be joined by my folks (and anyone else who cares to come) to finish the painting, trim, laundry area, and whatever else I can wrangle our sweet fathers to help with. Sweet fathers are kind of amazing.

*****
Rob's folks have a bird, a Wii, and Star Wars Legos (that Rob used to play with). Between the fun inside and all the fun outside, plus one cousin for great adventures, Blake's not been getting much sleep. He's been speaking in multiple exclamation points, has christened Rob's folks "Poppa" and "Nonna," and has taken to kissing me on whatever appendage is closest at the time. And he's just asked me to take somebody's head off because it's not working.

It's a Lego. I'm not afraid.