We’re Back in Ackworth, UK!
Sep 7 – Nov 2 in England
☁️ 72 °F
After a long 14 hour journey, we landed in Manchester UK. The airport was under construction so it took about an hour to get to the arrival area and find our son. Thank goodness for wheelchairRead more
Time with Nathaniel
September 10 in England
☁️ 64 °F
Nathaniel is with us for two school nights this week. It’s so good to see him—and he has really grown since January!
He is still very excited about exotic animals and has quite a few pets now.Read more
The Game of Cricket
September 12 in England
☁️ 68 °F
Ackworth Cricket Club is just a quick walk from Jake’s house. I went to see if I could understand what was happening. Two teams of 11 play, all wearing white.
See photos and captions for details.
Our First Project
September 13 in England
☁️ 70 °F
We have many home improvements planned for our time here. This shows the back yard … “before”.
The first project was digging up the pavers used in an old garden staircase. Next, Dean used someRead more
Deck Demolition
September 14 in England
☁️ 70 °F
The Sawzall arrived today! Photos of the deck demolition attached.
A darling Robin Redbreast got in on the action, going after bugs!
Project: Remove Trees Along Back Sidewalk
September 21 in England
☀️ 64 °F
There were some ugly trees along the sidewalk to the backyard. Jake wanted to get rid of them and they would have been in the way of doing our remodeling.
Inside DIY Project: Kitchen Outlet
September 27 in England
⛅ 68 °F
When it’s raining there are always inside projects to do.
The kitchen needed another outlet so we could plug in the toaster without having to unplug the coffee maker.
More DIY
September 29 in England
☁️ 64 °F
It’s nice when Dean can work on easy, fun projects!
Small Back Yard Jobs
October 1 in England
☀️ 66 °F
Dean took out a gate post that had no gate.
He also reinforced the deck with metal fence posts to keep it from shifting. It’s a temporary fix as Jake plans to replace the deck at some point.
WeRead more
Nathaniel in a Harvest Festival
October 2 in England
☀️ 66 °F
Three schools in Ackworth participated in a Harvest Celebration musical program at St Cuthbert’s Anglican Church. It was wonderful to see so many children involved.
Coal Bunker Demolition
October 3 in England
☁️ 68 °F
An old coal bunker in the back yard was left behind by previous owners. Dean used the hammer drill to weaken the walls and then knocked them down.
After clearing the rubble, I bagged up the coal,Read more
Ramp Construction
October 5 in England
☁️ 64 °F
We’ve been digging up dirt from where the old garden stairs were. There is a lot of buried rubble from a previous owner’s remodeling. So we have to go through each wheelbarrow full, to separateRead more
Giveaways: Making More Room
October 7 in England
⛅ 57 °F
We used Facebook Marketplace to give away a garden shed and a toddler car seat, both to a local farmer with a young family.
Also gave away 41 weight plates we found between the shed and the fence asRead more
Ackworth Art Exhibition
October 10 in England
☀️ 55 °F
Today I walked to the United Methodist Church for the Art Exhibition by local artists. There were some really good paintings, lovely people, and refreshments too!
Wiring the Doorbell and Outside Light
October 13 in England
🌬 63 °F
Dean finished some more electrical work today. But most deliveries seem to be announced by knocking on the door—we have not heard the doorbell yet!
Bathroom Improvements
October 15 in England
☁️ 66 °F
Dean installed a magnetic door stop in the bathroom and Linda trimmed the rug around the toilet so the door doesn’t catch it.
Nathaniel Got Mail!
October 16 in England
☀️ 55 °F
Jacob signed Nathaniel up for Eco Kids, a monthly mailing of activities they can do together. The first one included a big world map. Nathaniel already knows so much about animals and where they live!
Washing Machine Plumbing Repair
October 19 in England
☁️ 59 °F
Dean fixed the washing machine plumbing where it had been leaking. To do that he had to drill out the leaky drain hose pipe and repair the wall afterwards.
Repairing Hall Closet Door
October 20 in England
The hall closet door didn’t close because it dragged on the carpet and there was too much paint on the edges and doors jamb. Dean took off 5 layers of paint, and cut off the bottom edge of the door.Read more
Kitchen Wall Repair
October 21 in England
☁️ 54 °F
There once was a shelf on the kitchen wall. When it fell off last year the wall was damaged. Here’s Dean’s repair job.
Nathaniel’s Bed Improvement
October 23 in England
🌧 54 °F
Nathaniel’s bedroom has a single raised bunk bed. The ladder stuck out into the room, taking up too much floor space. Jacob wanted it moved to the foot of the bed to fix that problem.
Dean built aRead more
Stabilizing Kitchen Faucet
October 27 in England
☀️ 55 °F
The kitchen faucet has a lot of movable parts, which is great. But the center part was moving and it shouldn’t. So Dean did a handyman’s fix using some plastic pipe and silicone.
New Home for Millipedes
October 30 in England
☁️ 57 °F
Jacob bought a new container for all the millipedes. Dean built a platform for it to allow better access. Then Jacob and Nathaniel landscaped it. After it settled they moved the millipedes in.
Halloween!
October 31 in England
☁️ 55 °F
Nathaniel was a werewolf this year. We went trick or treating around the neighborhood while Dean passed out candy. I think he sampled a few—I know I did!
Leaving On a Jet Plane
November 2 in England
☁️ 52 °F
Time to say goodbye to Jacob and Nathaniel, but we’ll be back!