Jonathan Robert Gulbransen

Today is Jonathan's 9th birthday. I do remember the day he was born, like it was yesterday. I got a call from his parents and was so excited to have a grandson, my first grandson. It was such a thrilling day. I remember driving to Orem to the hospital to see this new baby and being thankful he was healthy. Jonathan had very blond hair, nearly white. He was a very sweet baby.

I stayed with Steph and Jeff in their apartment in Provo for a couple of weeks to help. It was an adventure for all of us. It had been 14 years since I had had a baby, Staci, so we called Grandpa (the pediatrician) lots with the "what to do" situations.

We have watched Jonathan grow and become a very handsome boy. Some of the things he loves are balls. He had very good eye hand coordination and loves to play with balls and is very talented with most sports. I believe his favorite is soccer which he plays seasonally.

Jonathan is a very good reader and loves books. He likes computer games and enjoys building legos and playing with his brothers and sister. He is a good student in school and is friendly with other classmates. Jonathan has many talents and will be an excellent young man and missionary when the time comes. He loves to read the scriptures with his family.

Jonathan is a very caring person, is a big helper to his mother, loves to camp with his dad, and has been a good example of a big brother.

Here are a few pictures from our last trip to Michigan in June.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan. We love you very much. Enjoy your birthday gifts. Grandma and Grandpa Armstrong.

House update

Some think the house remodel is progressing slowly. They ask, "When will it be done?". I just reply, "it is coming along well and will be a summer project.

The funny thing about expectations is that if you think the work is going slowly, you become impatient. If you think it is going on schedule, then life is good and you are happy.

Somehow, remodeling to some is very inconvenient and needs to be done quickly. I, on the other hand, have the attitude that I want this remodel job to look great when it is done. No matter how long it takes, it will be done well. I don't want the subs to do a quick, hurry up, get it done now, kind of job. No job can be done well that is done in a hurry. Most subs take pride in their work and want it to showcase what they can do.

The stucco subcontractor told me that he had sent many people to look at our (previous) house color and repeated it on many homes in the valley. I am sure he wants to do the same with the remodel. I have discovered how difficult it is to visualize the materials in small size that will be applied to a large space. I have looked at many many homes to see what choices have been made. It is easier to see what I don't like rather than what I do. So far I haven't seen anything quite like what we are doing. I guess that is good, or scary. So I am very willing to make the decisions with thought and help. If you want to see what is going up, we have color samples by the garage wall and you can drive by and take a peek. One comment was "very interesting". I guess we really won't know until we see it up.

The mud layer will be applied this week, it has to cure for a week or so and then the stucco layer will be applied, then the stone on the east side, soffit and fascia, deck flooring and rail and stairs, finish off the roof and we will be done with the exterior phase.

This is a summer project that we will live with for a very very long time. Hope we like it.

Sunset every 24 hours

One of the best moments of my day is catching the sunset. This time of the day is frequently amass with color. Depending on the clouds and weather, the sunsets are amazing looking westward from our house and now especially from our new deck.

As our family started leaving for missions, marriage, education, etc., and when I viewed the sunset, I would think about those family members who were living elsewhere and wonder if their sunsets were as beautiful. Everyone now has traveled and moved to far away destinations. So as I view a sunset, my thoughts still turn to my family.

When you see a sunset, I hope your thoughts will turn toward Logan, and may you enjoy them as much as we do.

Boise, Idaho

Never been to Boise, Idaho before. The reason for the trip to Boise was to help with Brad's move to Emmett. So if you say Brad moved to a town near Boise, people know where that is. If you say, Brad moved to Emmett, then they ask, "Where is that" so you just save time by saying "near Boise". Emmett is about 1/2 hour drive northwest of Boise.

So we had an adventure last week. Wednesday we loaded a UHaul truck. Thursday I drove the truck 6 hours to Emmett. Brad drove his car, mostly way ahead of me. The truck was unloaded in less than an hour with the help of three guys from the ward. Friday we dropped the truck off in Boise, and I flew home. Air time was 39 minutes.

Took the Cache Valley Shuttle home from the airport. A great little adventure.

We got most of Brad's furniture arranged in his 2 bedroom apartment. How many ways can you arrange five pieces of furniture in a room with three walls? Several ways, I found out.

Brad is within six blocks of his office and will work with the youth sports programs for the city of Emmett. Great job, nice community, beautiful valley, near a large city, great location.

We are excited for Brad's opportunity in Emmett. His address is 523 West 1st Street, Emmett, Idaho 83617. Packages are always welcome. Good luck, Brad!

Celebrating 36 years

I can't let today go by without remembering 36 years ago when Craig and I were married. It was in the Manti temple on a cloudy, blustery day in May. It was a special day with family and friends. Our 36 years together has been a great adventure. We have an awesome family of six children, three married spouses, and seven wonderful grandchildren. Each person is very dear to my heart. Thanks for sharing your love - Brad, Brian, Quinette, Cameron, Jessica, Rebecca, Jeff, Stephanie, Jonathan, Joshua, Brooke, Seth, Curtis, Megan, Nathan and Staci. The best part of our marriage now is being married to Grandpa Armstrong. (holding Rebecca - 2 mon)

The white house

The white house (all covered in Tyvex) ready and waiting for it's stucco & stone covering. The home makeover is progressing very rapidly. Thanks to a great contractor and his crew who keep the job moving. The air conditioning is installed in the upstairs floor. This will be a cooler summer around here.

Below is the floor of the deck on the west wall.

The exterior doors have arrived and we are just waiting for the four windows to come. As soon as we get the fireplace installed, the chimney will be built, and the doors and windows installed, the stucco guys can start.

We have a deck off the back west wall. It is covered and it is awesome.

We have most of the roof on. The rest will be finished after the stucco job is done.

So today I went looking for door hardware, stucco colors and stone styles and colors from homes around the valley. So many colors, styles and variety.

Estimated completion date for Phase I is 6 - 8 weeks (July sometime) Yeah!

It's for real

Well, we have gone and done it. It's too late to turn back now. Yes, we have started our Extreme Makeover-Armstrong style. We project the entire makeover will be completed summer of 2009.

Phase I is the exterior including new roof, stucco/rock exterior, new doors, and deck on the west side with a roof covering. Inside we will install air conditioning for the upper floor (badly needed), replace four windows, and install a new glass crystal fireplace in the living room.

Phase II will be inside redecorating with new painting, touch up, furniture, window coverings, and anything else I can afford.

Phase III will be landscaping. Pretty much there will be no need for yard care this summer. It is pretty much demolished. Oh the big boulders have been removed. I am keeping the slab rock for future use.

Needless to say, there have been many hours of thought, searching websites, and driving around neighborhoods looking at houses, getting ideas, and thinking, thinking and more thinking.

The biggest question is "Now that I can change the look of the house, what do we want it to look like?" I should do a survey of the family and get some input. So if you have seen anything really cool, email me a picture or a website to view.

So here are a few pictures of progress so far. Today is day 10. The best part is working with a great contractor, Nyman-Reeder. They built the house and are the best guys to work with including their crew and subs that they use. Exciting project. Perfect for the creative personality.