Time for a change...

   I try to be patient and wait for Earl to finish his farm work before I ask him to do any projects for me.  As everyone who knows anything about farming knows, the work is NEVER done!  Earl is pretty much gritting his teeth and groaning inside because the weather is so beautiful and he could still be plowing up on Bench Creek, but I have finally convinced him it is time to do one of my projects!  
   The pictures below just show one four-hour session putting up the beam.  Prior to that night, Earl went and bought the beam and brought it home.  He then spent time measuring and planning and marking the walls.  That night, I tended Allen and Patrice's little ones while they went out.  Earl was staying at Chelsea's, as she was on call.  When Allen brought me home, he came in and began cutting the wall where Earl had it marked.
   We had Thanksgiving without working on the project, but the next day, Allen and Earl spent lots of time carefully cutting out the walls and planning exactly how they would install the beam.

   The project will expand the bridge that runs from one side of the upstairs to the other side in to a loft which we will use for a TV room.

We are so lucky to have the boys all close and willing enough to come and help when Earl  calls.

Tim, Rick, Allen, Noah, Rob and Earl all worked together to install the beam -- which took lots of physical power as well as good ideas.

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After a lot of hoisting, lifting, huffing, puffing, knocking out an additional area of wall, jacking and propping...the beam was in place and the new stabilizing studs are installed.  I think we are ready to move on to the next step!

See where the existing bridge is?  That railing is coming down and the floor will expand from the existing beam to the newly installed beam and the railing will go back up.  I'll relocate couches and TV amoir, creating a whole new room.

There is still a lot of work to be done, but I really appreciate the willingness of all the men I love, to work hard to complete this project!