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Fruitville FALL 10\19\09, by Maggie Uccello

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Dominic's Surgery

What a difficult 2 weeks we have had. On Sept. 21, 2009, our littlest Uccello fell from the couch and hit the corner of the coffee table with his eye. It was a serious enough situation that we rushed him to the ER only to discover that he suffered a left oribital floor fracture with entrapment of tissue. After being sent to All Children's Hospital in St Pete via medical ambulance transport, we settled on having a local Oculo-Facial Plastic Surgeon whom we felt very comfortable with in handling the needs of our child. He performed the surgery to repair the fracture while removing the entrapment of muscle and tissue. We pray that this will resolve the double vision issue.

Dominic has been so brave through all of this. He made friends with everyone he met and always cooperated as much as he was able. He even left the hospital the day of discharge with a smile on his face.

1st Day of School 2009

Our first day of Uccello homeschool was a success. This year all three children will be homeschooled. Alex begins 7th grade, Madeline starts 4th grade, and Dominic will be Kindergarten/1st grade. We look forward to a year full of learning and fun.

Early Return to Florida

Old Lyme has been great but the time has come for the family to return home. We return to FL on August 5 and Tory will fly back to CT to continue the remodeling of the cottage for the next month. We decided to shorten our stay due to the fact that most of the construction has been on the exterior of the home and living inside has been ok. Now the next phase of remodeling will be mostly interior i.e. flooring, wall repair, vaulting ceiling, etc. The cottage is only about 500 sq ft so it would be nearly impossible to live amidst the work needing to be done. So to FL we go. Before we head home we visited Mystic Seaport, a quaint seafaring town 30 min. from Old Lyme. Lots to see and do there. Great ships to board and tour. A great history lesson. We also visited St Augustine's lighthouse where upon reaching the top (13 flights), we discovered our lab, Bucky, escaped from our locked vehicle and was roaming around the streets looking for us. Consequently touring the lighthouse was cut short but Bucky was saved. Ahh... the joys of pet ownership. Upon arriving home, we were exhausted but overwelmed by the space of our home. We have unappreciated our space and all the luxeries of hot showers, air condition, w/d, working kitchen, etc. God has blessed us and we must always count those blessings daily. Our Old Lyme cottage will continue to progress and we will post the news. One day we will return as a family and we will enjoy it as a vacation instead of work.

July 27,2009

Happy Birthday Tory

Tory celebrates his 39th birthday and what better way to celebrate than Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast. Eat up Tory...you deserve it!

July 24 Happy Birthday Maggie

It's been several days since an update on our adventures here in Old Lyme. We have had difficulty connecting to internet, and cell phone service is hit or miss. The kids and Maggie are no longer staying in a hotel, now that hard-working Tory has finally gotten water hooked up and a working toilet in place. What a dream to have a functioning bathroom even if the surrounding walls have cardboard covering holes where wood once existed. We don't mind sharing the room with bugs of all kinds as long as they keep their distance. It's all better than Dixie Cup urinals.

The house is slowly becoming home as Mom has used area rugs and hooks of all kinds to keep things off the nasty floor. We grilled our first meal out back and it was an enjoyment eating e fresco without mosquitoes. We have been enjoying the cooler climate, sleeping with windows open has been a pleasure. The use of heavy blankets at night is necessary.

Tory is in the process of building a new back door for the new framework that he has already constructed. He is really "The Man", as he is the one doing all the work with a bit of help from us laypeople. Tory wears all hats: carpentar, plumber, electrician, roofer, painter, and contractor; on top of being Dad and Husband. He's doing a lot in a little time and we are so proud of him. Next item on the list to do: HOT WATER!

To my surprise, my dear husband surprised me with a wonderful birthday gift: a night away at a hotel. That means hot shower, comfy bed, and real food. Thanks to my kind brother-in-law Abe, who will the official babysitter for the night. God bless him....really! I will sleep well tonight.

Before & After Thus Far

Before

Before

After

July 14 Highlights

We couldn't ask for better working weather or better picnic weather. The progress on the cottage is now becoming evident even to the eye of a layperson. What once was sagging is now level and fortified. Tory is one smart cookie when it comes to building. The rest of us are just helpers and carpenters in training and learning a lot. Maddie has learned the names of all the power tools and can retrieve any of them for you at the drop of a hat. Alex is our demolition guy. His brawn is useful too when lifting heavy lumber. Dominic has learned how to deglaze a door and understands how a bottle jack works. Maggie can Tyvek a house with the best of them. We praise God for the ability to work hard on this project as a family. There have been moments of stress, but overall it has been all blessed. The children are learning (or relearning) how to play creatively with minimal toys accessible. Now they spend their time outside riding bike or playing ball...together. The dogs are getting walked more than ever which means we are getting walked more than ever. The time here thus far has been fruitful.

Rebuilding a Home Doesn't Come Easy

Our efforts to rebuild this cottage have been exhausting but rewarding. The unglamorous project of replacing rotten beams that hold up the house is taking its toll. Tory is amazingly motivated and has accomplished the task with great success. The images that follow show his great efforts in fortifying the floor of the bathroom. Next comes the plumbing so we can have a working bathroom.

We have learned lots of things on this trip thus far: always make a list for home depot because inevitably you will forget something; Dunken Donuts has good coffee; Chipper (our Pekingnese) can take down a Rottweiler (or at least he thinks so); helping your small child pee in a cup creates a parent-child bond like no other activity can; homecooking has never been missed more.

We trek onward looking forward to having a working bathroom this week and possibly a usable kitchen space...maybe.

Enjoying the Beauty of CT

Old Lyme offers a beautiful rocky beach, a bit different from Fl white sands but nonetheless scenic. The water temperature is unbearably cold for our thin FL blood, so no swimming in the forecast. The surrounding areas of Old Saybrook have some neat places to see. Marinas are everywhere, a truly nautical feel in this community.

Child Labor in Action

Demolition & Construction

First Week in Old Lyme

Demolition, construction, exploring, and breathing easy. These are few choice words to describe our first few days in Old Lyme, CT. The progress with the cottage is underway in a big way. Tory is fervently and confidently addressing structural issues in the sad little place. The children and even the dogs have helped in the demolition of the back porch that was caving in and finally surrendered under the weight of poor, unexpectant Bucky. He's OK. Just more anxiety issues to add to his list. We have also enjoyed some beach time and some fun exploring in Niantic and Old Saybrook. The pictures don't do justice to the beauty of this place. We are blessed to have the opportunity to experience this area and bring about restoration to a wonderful cottage that carries with it great family history. One day this cottage will smile again.

On Our Way

Are we really leaving!?!?!?!?!
Finally, we are heading out to CT, 2 days later than planned, but nonetheless excited and ready. We had a delay with the trailor registration and now we can leave legally. The children are ready, Tory and Maggie are ready, the dogs have no idea what they are in for, so they are ready too.
Hasta luego Florida....Hello cooler temps.

Planning Our Trip

We are readying ourselves for our 2 month adventure in CT. Our plans: to work, to play, to rest.
We will renovate a 100 year old beach cottage, we will enjoy family time at the beach of Old Lyme, and we will rest enjoying eachother without the use of the electronic world. This week we make our plans and we pack up our lives, including our 2 dogs, and we bid farewell for a time to our family and friends in Florida. We return in Sept. to a new school year and a new season.

Dominic's Graduation

Dominic graduates preschool in 2009. Now his adventures in being homeschooled begins. We are all excited for him as he grows into a big boy.