I did a dining room floor and bathroom for some friends—tore out the old carpeting in the dining room and tiled the floor. Also tore out the tile and wall around the bath tub and put in new ceramic tile; also large tiles on the floor.
During May and early June I worked for the church putting in a new entrance with paver stones. We tore out the old sidewalk and railroad ties and built a few retaining walls. The job was hard work and took 6 weeks to finish, but it is a huge improvement and welcoming entrance with landscaping put in. In mid-June through to this week we were up at the Upper Peninsula Bible Camp (UPBC). They are in the process of building a new Retreat and Conference Center and I promised to help for three months.
Permits were slow in coming through so I spent the first month repairing and renovating two cottages. The second month was working on the Retreat Center after the permits were finally granted. A retired contractor from Traverse City, MI is the boss on the job and much of his equipment and tools are used. 
Rosie had a variety of jobs including planting and watering flowers, keeping the 6-bedroom senior staff house clean and ready for weekly turnovers, and doing some cooking and baking each week. Unfortunately, the weather was quite cool most of the summer so there was not much waterfront activity. Only during the last two weeks did it warm up. It was very hot out on the construction site for the last 6 or 8 days I was there, so I hit the lake a few times.
One of the buildings, the bunk house, was framed first and the roof put on. Now the second and main building (kitchen, dining hall, lounge, offices) is framed and ready for the trusses to be placed next week.
We came home at the beginning of this week to get ready for our entire family being here for the weekend. Keith and Sandra arrived from New Mexico on Wednesday, as did Karen from California. We have been spending time with them these days. Eric and Lisa and grandkids will be here from Grand Rapids, MI for Sunday and Monday. Evan and Leslie (from here in Chicago) will also be here for the family dinner tomorrow. It has been a few years since we have all been together.
After everyone leaves on Tuesday I will go back up to UPBC until Labor Day weekend, helping to install the trusses, put on the roof and finish up some other framing details. By then the plumbers should be working there and soon windows will be put in, making it ready for inside work over the winter. Most of the work until now has being done by volunteers; now some of the professional contractors will get to work.
The week before Labor Day Rosie expects to be working a few days at the flower shop doing wedding arrangements. She hasn’t worked there lately but they have quite a few weddings that weekend.
In September I will be doing a kitchen renovation for a local family. We have no plans for the fall months, maybe a short trip somewhere. After the year-end holiday time we will head to sunny Florida again for two months at Wycliffe Associates.
Instead of going overseas this year we have had a good time helping out in Christian ministry in the U.S; also had some fun when I had chances to run the bulldozer and shovel on the construction project! We hope you are doing well; we would love to have some comments or emails from you. God be with you!
