Well Day 4 of the remodel didn’t find me in the best of shape. I’ve
come down with a sinus infection which really wipes me out. I worked
until noon and then had to call it a day. But Gene and Bobby continued
on without me. Today all the walls for the bathrooms and bedrooms
got put into place. Next is finishing the wall and putting in a loft area
next to each bedroom suite.

We hope to have a plumber coming in early next week. I have an
electrician coming by today (Sat) to let me know what supplies need
to be purchased so that can all get done. Still looking for someone with
expertise in heating work. If you know of anyone, have them give me a
call.

That’s it for today. We start Day 5 of the remodel on Monday. God bless,
and remember we love you guys. Pat & judy

Well, day three of our remodel has come to a close - a bit earlier than the last two
days. We quit at seven tonight instead of nine.

We had a very productive day. We now have all the sub-flooring on the second level
done. We also began putting up the walls that will separate the bedroom suites, as
well as the bathroom areas. We hopefully will get all the walls roughed in by
tomorrow night.

Then we’ll be looking for our plumbing, electrical and heating to be installed. Not
sure on the time-table for that yet. But hopefully very soon.

Below are some pics of today’s work. God bless and remember, we love you guys!
Pat & Judy

Gene and Bobby work on “creating” something for the flooring. Notice, Gene’s fine
chair (wheelbarrow).

Here’s a picture from the stairwell leading to the bedroom suite area. You can
see the walls for one of the bedrooms and part of the hallway already in place,
as well as the sub-floor.

Remember how I said Gene White and Bobby were energizer bunny type
guys? Well, even the energizer bunny needs a break every once in a while.

Well Day 2 of the remodel is history. It is absolutely incredible to see what
has happened in just two days! Yesterday morning at 8:00 am there was nothing
in the area we are remodeling. Tonight all the floor joists are in place.

I have to admit I’m pretty tired tonight. Lifting the floor joists into place and
then screwing them down is hard work. I don’t know how many screws went
into the joists and support beams - but it was a LOT!

Gene White and Bobby just work on and on and on. They are like the Energizer
Bunny!

Well - I’m heading to the shower. Be sure to look at the pictures below and
you’ll see how things look tonight. Remember, if you don’t see the full picture
just click on the picture and it will come up in full view.

Oh, many of you wanted to know about how our grandson’s back surgery went.
It went really well. He was in the operating room about two and a half hours.
We weren’t sure if Mikai would have the surgery since he broke his leg on
Memorial Day. At any rate - keep him in your prayers.

Thanks so much for caring. Remember, we love you guys. Pat & Judy

Here’s Gene White looking over the floor joists to make sure they
are all laid out right.

Bobby helps Gene put some finishing touches on floor beams.

Well day one of the remodel of White Tail Lodge is finally history. Gene
White, a contractorfrom Verndale, MN, arrived with a friend named
Bobby at about 8:00 am. And we hit the ground running, that’s for sure.

Day one included placing rim joists, and putting up the initial walls for
the children’s enclosed play area. Gene says we got a lot done, but
as a rookie builder I’m clueless.

You can see a couple pictures below with Gene working on the miter
saw, and bobby working on nailing up the walls of the play area.

Judy and I are so excited about the build - and even more so after
today. We actually had someone call us this morning from a neighboring
State wondering how the remodel was going. They had last a child
recently and are anxiously waiting to come for a stay at White
Tail Lodge. Hmmmm, can’t wait to open the lodge.

Check out the pictures below. Remember, if the picture looks too
big for you to see the whole thing, just move your cursor into the
picture and click once. That should bring the picture up to full
size. Thanks for checking in. We love you guys - Pat & Judy

Gene White cutting boards for the walls for the play area…

Bobby finishes cutting some trim off so the walls can fit into place in
the children’s play area.

Sorry it’s been a while since my last blog - but things have begun to move
at light speed around here.

The most exciting news is the fact that the remodel on White Tail Lodge
begins tomorrow, May 26. Gene White, a contractor from Verndale, MN, is
bringing in a team of men to begin the work. I will be blogging everyday in the
weeks ahead so you can see, and hear about the progress. I’ll be taking pictures,
in between looking like I’m helping on the project itself. I don’t know how much
help I’ll be, but I hope to make some difference.

So please check out the blog daily. I’ll also be using the blog and email to let
you know how you can be involved in the remodel itself. One thing we still
need is someone who would be willing to do the plumbing and heating aspect
of the remodel. Because we’re working on a shoestring budget, these people
would need to know their labor would probably need to be donated. We’ll
provide the materials though. So if you know of some plumber or heating and
cooling person who might not be working right now we could sure use their
help in a BIG way.

One of the neatest things happening at White Tail Lodge right now is seeing
the Peace Garden coming to life. All the perennials that were planted last fall
have begun to pop through the ground. Judy’s been busy watering and pampering
the plants and they appreciate it greatly.

I have been building a waterfall in the peace garden. I’ve included come pics
below. Let me tell you - rocks can get pretty heavy by the time you’ve moved
a few tons by hand. But it’s worth it in the end when you are able to see and
hear the relaxing sounds of this part of the garden.  There seems to be some
trouble in people viewing the FULL pictures that I post, so here’s a tip. If you
will put your pointer from your mouse on the picture and click once, you should
be able to see the full picture. It will make a  difference when it comes to
seeing all that went into building the waterfall. Well, that’s it for today.
Since it’s Memorial Day I’m trying to catch up on things before the workers
come for the remodel tomorrow. God bless - and remember, we love you guys.
Pat & Judy

When you start a waterfall there is just kind of a big mound of dirt and sand, and then there’s this big hole, and then lots, and lots of rocks.

You might say, this is the moment of truth when I (Pat) am holding my breath as I add water
to the initial phase of the waterfall project in search of any leaks and to see if the water will
actually go where I want it to. Hold your breath!

Well, this is the final product. It really looks neat and sounds neat. We know that many, many people will find themselves relaxing next to this waterfall as they work through the emotions and struggles of losing a child.

If you know of anyone who has lost a child, please let them know about Smile Again Ministries. Thanks for caring!