Progress Report

 Someone said to me the other day "you're supposed to do your roof in the summer."  Sure.  We did our due diligence, got some bids, chose what we thought was the best one (definitely not the cheapest, but not the most expensive, either) and put it in the roofer's hands.  We figured it would be a couple months out.  It was really more like 5 weeks.  And now we have to trust in their experience, figure they know what they're doing and take lots of deep breaths - leave it up to them.

And they're doing fine.  The crew is filled with hard workers.  They just keep at it.  I think the contractor expected it to take a week (square footage, steep roof pitch) but no one can know for sure what the weather will bring.  We had a wild storm the other night.  A neighbor just down the road, not even a block away, had a tree come down from next door.  It was scary-windy, blustery is an understatement, and rain, rain, rain.  

I was worried.  Of course, I worried.  But the contractor made sure the roof was waterproof before the storm, my confidence in him is strengthened.  And gratefully, he's a hands on project lead.  He's over here several times a day keeping things well in hand.

And we have actual shingles on the roof!!  The front half of the house is mostly done.  They're working on the broad north and south facing roof walls today.  It's a beautiful day and I know they're doing their best to get a lot done today as we're facing another rain storm tomorrow and Wednesday. 

Fingers are still crossed (and prayers being constant) that things will continue to go smoothly until everything is completed.  I admit, it's been a stressful time for me.  The first few hours of noise on the roof, hearing things dropped, footsteps up above, pounding, etc.  nearly had me in tears.  I wanted to just run away.  But I guess I've gotten used to it a bit.  I want to think of the noise as the sounds of progress.  It's a huge amount of money (in my mind) to spend and I want to believe it will all be for our benefit.  

So, I ran out and took a couple pictures this morning, intending to show the shingling progress.  But the one with the sun was so unintentionally pretty (at least to me) that I didn't mind that the roofers are in shadow. 

Saturday afternoon the "threatening" pain in The Husband's back blossomed into a full blown flare.  He tried to get back into bed after getting up in the middle of the night and simply couldn't.  Sat (very carefully) in the recliner.  Which meant I was in the matching recliner only a couple feet away, I was so worried that he'd need something and I wouldn't hear him from the bedroom.  After an hour or so he managed to get back in bed and spent yesterday doing what our neighbor (who has really serious back problems calls ice and fry) alternating ice packs and heating pad. He got some sleep overnight and seems improved today.  Not all better, but improved enough that he can get around a bit. Degenerative disc disease in your spine isn't fun.

A woman made a comment yesterday in Relief Society that I've thought a lot about.  It was endorsed and agreed with by a lot of the women in the room, including the one with a PhD in marriage, family and human development (who has a thriving counseling practice).  The essence was this:  when you make a commitment / covenant to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and work hard to be so, you can expect the Savior to be your companion in everything you confront.  All of your trials will be faced with His influence.  He will not leave you alone.  Now, I've heard and want to believe that we are never left alone in any endeavor.  But it was kind of a new thought to me that I should expect His guidance and influence.  That it is a fact He is with us every minute.  I'm not phrasing this at all the way I wanted.  Hopefully I haven't botched it too bad.

And there was a quote the teacher read from Adam Miller's "Original Grace" which kind of expanded on that thought, that our efforts will always be enough as long as we keep trying, that we are perfected as we bind ourselves to the Savior.  At least that's what I thought the quote meant.  

So grateful today for roof progress.  I've tried to keep my counsel and not whine or complain (because it truly is a blessing to be able to afford to do this - even if it does whittle our savings quite a bit) but frankly this has been harder than I expected.  Still grateful though that we've persevered.  And grateful for a break between storms so perseverance is rewarded.  Grateful for heating pads and ice packs on hand to help The Husband's pain. And grateful also, today for a bit of sunshine.  I think I needed that.