Hi everyone!! So I'm leaving in about 2 weeks to tour the country with the Santa Clara Vanguard again. I still have more to pay on my $2100 fee and I desperately need some help! I know that not everyone can just give away money, but if there is any amount you can spare I would really really really appreciate it! Anything and everything would help. Even $5 would help me out.

If you're not able to donate I completely understand, your support will be more than enough :) Thanks everyone!!

--Lexie

DIY

When I was down at Renae's Spring Cleaning project, I saw Reesee's old (maybe 60 years old) metal chair that was all rusted out and yucky.  So I got the idea to (as a surprise to Renae) "steal" the chair and re-do it. So during Spring Break when Karl was home and Renae was in the middle of tax season, Karl snuck the chair up to our house. 

Gordon helped me big time.  He took the chair apart by having to saw the nuts and bolts off.  We sanded and wire brushed the chair for days and days.  In between snow and rain storms we primed, painted, and sealed it.  I think it turned out so great. 

Before

Gordon bought shiny new nuts and bolts and put the chair together.  It was freezing outside on May 1st!!!!!

Tah Dah!  I think it turned out so cool. 

This will test the strength of this metal chair!!!

I took the chair down to Annette's Spring Cleaning project and surprised Renae with it.  Annette said that she was the last one to paint that chair for Reesee and Rudolph back when she was in High School.  

It was a fun project, thanks to Gordon it turned out better than it would have if I would have done it myself.

Hummmmm . . . . . . I think I have another little DIY project in mind!!!  Stay tuned!   

Spring Cleaning Co-op @ my house

Jamie taking a little break after all the cleaning was done. (BTW . . . her second cleaning service project of the day!) Thanks Jamie! Mitchell also came to help. He was a great help in being tall and moving the heavy stuff. Thanks Mitch!

(I am a Blogging SPAZZ, so just pretend that this is the first picture of the Blog!!) 
 
This Spring Sylvia, Renae, Annette, Jamie, and I put together a cleaning co-op to go to each others homes and help out with big projects that we didn't or couldn't do by ourselves.  It has been very fun for me.  First we went to Sylvia's, then Jamie's, then Renae's, then it was my turn.  I was so excited.  I made a big chart list of everything I wanted done for the day, and everyone came.  I cooked hambergers for everyone then we got busy with the list. 
 

Sylvia had to come in the morning (everyone else came at 1:00) because they had weddings to go to.  She did a bunch of work before she had to leave. 

Renae and Jamie took down all my nasty dirty curtains and hardware.  I am going to make new curtains for the living room and the dining room. 

The before- take-down picture

The after-take-down picture (with darling baby Afton looking out the window.) 

I didn't take pictures of all the projects, which I feel bad about. 

Thanks to everyone who came (Jamie, Renae, Sylvia, Mitchell, Chelsea, and Shayla).  Chelsea and Afton came down from Logan which made it extra fun.  Cory and Gordon helped here and there also (thanks boys).  It was so great.  "I love it when a plan comes together"!

Next . . . . . . we go to Annette's and then on up to Logan and Smithfield!  Woo hoo 

 
 

Chop, Chop, Timber!

{Dad cutting down the half-dead tree}

{Lex and Afton}

{Grandma and Jo}

{Jo helping clean up the branches}

{Afton helping too}

{Lex getting the branches down}

Maddox - final continuation

Brian and Michelle and their family. Brian is the son of Dennis and Carol Billings.

Randy and Kira and their boys. Randy is the son of Steve and Linda.

Russ and Irish. Russ is the son of Steve and Linda also.

Deborah Hale and her son Tristen. (I didn't get a picture of Randy, sorry) Deborah is the daughter of Dennis and Carol.

Maddox - continued again

This is Shae Billings telling me "you better not take a picture of me" She and Lance are having their 4th child. Lance is the son of Dennis, Gordon's brother.

The Billings siblings (minus Dick). Keith, Dennis, Barbara, Steve, and Gordon. Good to see them together.

I caught Dennis smiling on film! I'm a photografing genious!

Maddox-continued 2

This is Linda Billings with one of her 15 Grandkids named Isabella. She is the daughter of Russ and Irish Billings.

This is Steve and Linda's daughter Robyn and B.J. with their two darling daughters.
Roxanne Billings with Robyn's two girls.

Barbara's only family there was the Wilsons. Jeff, Kayleen, Colter, and Trevor. It was good to see them also.