The floors are being formed...

Check out these I-beams being hung on our foundation!!

Wow, it's our house, taking shape!

Can anyone believe it?

We sure can't, most of the time.

Just a few pics of current progress...

Some of our home-building helpers-
won't they be so proud one day to say they hung I-beams, built walls, and shoveled dirt into the floor of the bedroom of the Irwin casa. We will truly say one day, Our house is Your house to our dear friends who we are so grateful for...Tory Wheeler, Debbie Richards, Jeremy Chappell and my dear Dad.

My two favorite men, my papa and my Beloved, I so enjoyed every moment of watching them build side-by-side. What special family-building times, literally...

Foundations have begun...in many ways...

LOOK everyone!! It's the footings of our foundation. It has been poured, oh yes, it has been poured. Talk about jumping for joy! It's so crazy to think that just 1 week ago, this was a barren land spot. And now it's got concrete. This is definitely a new source of inspiration for why we are to show up at our job site each week. I don't think I realized how much I needed to see the reason why I was pounding each nail into other people's homes right in front of my face. It's a HUGE motivator. We can't wait to go by today and see if the rest of the foundation has been poured.

Our prayer is that our hearts would not only be set on this foundation being poured and set right for our stick home, but that Jesus would be the Cornerstone and Solid Foundation of our hearts during the next 10 months and thereafter. We ask for these prayers from you also! We need them.

Slicin and Dicin (almost)

I actually considered as I wrote this title, what in the world am I doing making light of this little accident today? Then I remembered, I'M MARRIED TO WILL. Who am I kidding, trying to NOT make light of anything in life? I live in a "making life lighter" world now. Aren't you all excited for me?:)
The big incident at the site today was, as you can see, a little slice through the shorts with the saws-all (sp?, still learning my construction vocab) and thank the LORD, literally, that Will only grazed his leg with this lovely piece of machinery. I had just happened to step away when he was sawing a wall apart to fix a mistake (something we spend 1/2 of our time doing) and it jerked out of the wall and threw his body weight for a loop and skirted across him. I wasn't too happy about him picking it up and using it again but there was really no way around it, he said. Get used to it, I guess. One of our homeowners shot himself in the finger the other day with the nail gun. Good thing Will is the team's designated "safety guy." We'll have to look something up for a lesson on taking care when using the saws-all.
I guess you could say today was a moment of learning WHOSE hands my beloved's life really is in--not mine that is. I thank God that He cares for us through every day of this process.

The Holy Landers!!

Check out our dear friends in the Holy Land, earlier this summer!! Can you believe it, check out the real live Dome of the Rock Mosque in the background?? Maybe someday we'll get there too! We're hoping we get to all go back together.
And guess what's even more exciting?? You can't see the belly in this pic or even yet, but my dear Amy, or Mae as I like to call her, that girl is pregnant! Yep, almost 11 months married and pregnant!! Yipee! God's weaving a little life in her. Can't wait to be Auntie Krystal. We love and are so excited for you guys! Congrats Knudsons! 

"Twas the best of times; twas the worst of times"...As my time with 20 amazing Jewish kids from the "East Coast" (United States not Brazil) concludes, my wife is returning home. I am mixed with emotions of absolute joy at her return and unexpected sadness at their departure. I had a wonderful time learning from, arguing with, laughing at and pouring into a group of kids from a different culture and heading in a different direction and yet so easy to love. I had a difficult time with my wife so far for so long. As one might expect considering how whipped I am. (and loving it)

The houses are coming along nicely we have almost all of the exterior walls completed on three houses and we have begun work on the garages. Our foundation will be laid out and poured in the next few days. Praise Jesus.

The Land of Disney...

Here's a glimpse of what I've been doing down in California at DISNEYLAND!!
Wanted to also let my groom know that I'm alive and well down south as he's missing me so much up north!:)
We've down a little "monkeying" around in Tarzan's tree house, a little sightseeing with the mom-in-law on the D-land railroad and most of all trekking every last inch of the park, exploring every corner and crevice. Thanks Walt D. for my favs--the tropical oasises. Enjoy!!

Accomplishments: four more exterior walls, three aching shoulders, one angry neighbor, some interior walls on one house and a partrige in a pair tree.
My father came down from Olympia to help for a week while Krystal went to Disneyland with my mother and sisters (I miss my wife, but don't tell anyone).
We are hoping to have foundations poured in the coming week (including ours)!!!