Heslop Family: April 2012

Storm Shelter

We have lived in Tennessee for 6 years now and still didn't have a storm shelter. I have been telling Dave for years that I want one and if he wants to keep traveling for work he had to get me one. So in true Dave style he decided he would make his own and save a few thousand dollars. The day after Christmas he got started. He thought since he had a week off of work he could get it knocked out. He moved our bed into the living room, since that's where I had been spending most of my time, it worked out great. He pulled back the carpet and started a welding shop in our room. He was so excited to get to use his welder. He did a great job building it and we/ I feel safer having a place to go when the weather gets bad instead of my closet. The boys love getting to sleep in there, they love watching movies mostly. Dave was able to finish it in a few weeks. After 2 weeks he had to go out of town for the week so we were left with a half finished room for a while but he was able to finish it and get our room back together soon after. He did such a good job. I really love having it.

Getting ready to weld the frame in place.

Dave and Chad Ross making sure it is level.

This is how our room looked for weeks. Dave put the wood there so the welding splatter wouldn't get on our carpet or my treadmill.

The frame. It's steel tubing.

Half way framed in.

Dave put 1/4 steel plating around the frame. We decided not to use 3/4 because I'm really not concerned about it being bullet proof...I don't think.

All welded and put in place.

It's big. It it 5 ft by 6 ft.

Framing it in. As much as we want a metal box in our room, it needs to be covered.

The door.

Putting the sheet rock up.

Dave and Sam hiding. Logan was to scared to get up there and check it out.

Almost done....2 weeks later.

Dave anchored it down with 10 epoxy anchors. These are the screws he put in with the epoxy.

All ready for paint.

All painted. Dave really did such a job. He is so handy, I'm so glad I get him forever.

Christmas

CHRISTMAS!!! We all love Christmas. Sam and Logan are getting old enough that they love to give almost as much as get. I had taken them at different times to get each other presents and they were so excited for the other to open them. I had to hide them and didn't even let them wrap them until a few days before because they would carry it around the house and make the other guess what was in there. We had a great Christmas and as always I went way over board.

Christmas Eve's present. It's always Aunt Brittany's present. She always gets all the grand kids matching jammies. We love it and she picks out great ones that the boys always love.

Modeling them.

After Santa came. These boys cleaned up!

The Christmas tree already for the boys to wake up.

Every year we have the boys write a note to Santa so he knows that they appreciate all the hard work he does to make sure they have a great Christmas. This year in their note they wrote about how next year we will have another baby and not to forget about him. They are so sweet, they have been wanting a baby for so long and they want to make sure everything is ready for him.

Christmas morning. We ended up having to wake them up. That has NEVER happened. Because it was Sunday we had to wake them up so they could at least see their stocking before church.

The boys get olives in their stockings and they love it!

Scooters!

Aunt Brittany and Uncle Dee got the boys remote control trucks.

Look at that face!

The boys got Dave a few welding books, since he would be using his welder a lot in the next few weeks.

We always have to help each other open the presents.

The boys got me some new pot holders. They were very excited for me to open them.

Logan has been wanting LEGO Airport for over a year. I found one on clearance last year right after Christmas and saved it all year for him. I'm glad I did, he loved it.

Sam got the Fireman Ship.

I got a Bosch mixer. I have been wanting one and Dave surprised me.

I couldn't not get Dave some LEGO's.

He has been wanting a VW camper bus for years but they are really expensive and the garage is so full of his other cars that there is no room. When the boys and I were in Seattle in October I found this one and had to get it for him.

The day after Christmas we spent the entire day building Lego's. That's hard on your back. We got most of them done and had to take pictures quick because Logan's favorite part is breaking them up and making something new.

All of them together.

Super Boys!!

The boys love to dress up and pretend to be super heros. One night after we had put them to bed and we thought they were going to sleep, they came running out like this. Silly boys.

Logan

Sam

These boys are so stinkin' cute. I love them.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

This year decorating the tree was a chore. I love to decorate it and I want to do it so it's done my way. I want tons of lights, Dave doesn't care. Remember I'm really sick at this point and really just stay in bed all day but Logan convinced me to try to try to get the lights on so we could decorate for FHE. I was able to get 2 strand on and then I had to stop. Ambitious, I know. When Sam got home from school he was so excited to decorate but I told them I was going to try to put more lights on so we could decorate the whole thing. Clearly that did not happen, I think my medicine kicked in and I slept on the floor until Dave got home and then we let the boys decorate the bottom half. Have I said what an awesome Mom I have been lately? They had a good time so that's what matters right? Within the week I was able to finish the tree so it did look good for Christmas, but just barely.