Update While I Should Be Working...

What can I say? Things are a bit slow for me at work today, and likely the rest of this week, so I thought I would take advantage of the situation and update the Lehtinen Family Blog!

Progress on the house...none. Okay, so maybe a little progress, but nothing substantial. This has frustrated us quite a bit the past few weeks (and months), but I dare say I think we are finally getting somewhere! The contract and purchase agreements are signed, we have written the check for our deposit and builder's fees, and as best as we can tell they have done nothing. For weeks, the mountain of dirt has remained on our lot and has not moved. We decided they must be moving the dirt by the handful, rather than using modern equipment. But alas, last week progress was made and the lot is now leveled. And even more exciting is the fact that we actually had our groundbreaking meeting with the construction supervisor today. Definite progress toward getting things started and finished. After some tense moments regarding the removal of pine trees from the back of our lot, we finally came to an agreement with the supervisor, the trees are scheduled to be removed, and construction should start around February 27. Eighteen weeks later, we should be done. So I really have no new pictures to post, since things pretty much look the same. Didn't have the camera handy today, but I'll try to take a picture of the level lot next time we are over there and post it for you to see. The changes that have occurred since the last picture are not impressive. I'm holding onto the hope that we'll actually move in before Sarah goes to college!

Sarah is great. Constantly challenging us and keeping us on our toes. She loves her preschool and is learning so much. EXCEPT for how to use the potty. Yes folks, we are still fighting the good fight with that one. I think we have decided that this Saturday is the day that we stay home and attempt the potty training again. I'll let you know how it goes...keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer for us that we all 3 survive the day!

Otherwise, she is beginning to develop quite the imagination. Besides there being a tiger in the toilet (see previous blog post), we also have a dinosaur that lives in the time-out corner (hence prohibiting her from remaining in the corner because the dinosaur will surely eat her alive if she stays there), a lady that lives on the time-out stairs (we moved the time-out spot in an effort to avoid the aforementioned dinosaur), and ladybugs that live in her bed at night (obviously a tactic used to get out of going to bed each night). So we certainly have a lively house!

This past weekend we traveled to Anderson, SC so Mimi and Papa Bagwell could take us all to the circus. Sarah had been talking nonstop about the circus for weeks, and had decided what circus animal each person was going to ride. Daddy would ride the tiger, Mommy would ride the elephant, Papa would ride the "rebas" (zebras), and Mimi would ride the elephants also. What was Sarah to ride? The polar bear, of course! Because every circus definitely has a polar bear in their menagerie! Luckily, once we got there, she was so mesmerized by the elephants, horses, "rebas", and tigers that she didn't notice that polar bears were not part of the act. Whew...close call on that one!

No big upcoming plans. We're planning to actually stay in town for a few weekends now. Hopefully we will conquer the potty training during that time. We also have Sarah's baptism and our joining of the church coming up in early March. Otherwise, no events on the horizon.

Hope you are all happy and healthy!