AT LAST!!!!

Several folks have wondered what happened to the rest of the Brazil pictures. After many delays, some technical difficulties and more, here they are below (starting with the next post).

There are 6 posts to view under BRAZIL 2007, including Phase One, Fun Stuff, Phase Two, Project Completion, People/Misc and a post from July 24 entitled THE FIRST OF MANY TO COME. Go there if you want to see the before and after pictures and get a quick written overview of our trip.

You have plenty to look at. I hope it's not too much. Browse as you like. Keep scrolling...you'll get to the end eventually!

Please leave comments by simply clicking on the comment bar at the end of any post, or send me an email at hereinks@yahoo.com I really appreciate each and every one of those.

Before I let you go, I might as well slip in a few recent family pictures first.

Recent trip to the zoo

Yes, Janet really does have a brother! This is Paul, his wife Sherry and their son Aaron who just visited all of us here in Kansas over the weekend.

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Mark Healton and Julie Penna are engaged! She came home from Nepal for a week, then went to visit Mark and his parents, Jim and Tyla, Friends pastors in Sacramento, California. This is what happens when you go to the beach in the moonlight! We are happy for them. Wedding plans are being made for next May.

Saved the cutest for last...Tate is getting bigger all the time and asolutely loves his grandma!

BRAZIL JULY 2007 - Phase One/Materials/Set Up

We left behind one trunk full of tools in Indiana, and still paid an extra $250 to take these four. You should have seen us with all our baggage and trunks wheeling our way through each airport. Included are one short level, one hammer, one bar clamp, one palm sander, one belt sander, one cordless drill, 2 nail guns, Kenny's ancient (he calls it "vintage") spray gun (he said it never worked better..."must be a God thing"), and 40 lbs. of full extension drawer guides (10 pair). We also bought a small compressor which never shut off while we sprayed the entire job. People are a little shocked and surprised when they see so much granite, especially in a mission house! Granite in Brazil is as common as laminate in the US. Even the dividers and countertops in the men's bathroom of McDonalds were granite...no kidding!

Shopping for plywood (in meters), and hardwood (wet and rough cut). Both types of wood were new to Kenny and me.

The table saw would not even cut through our hardwoods, so we bought another skillsaw, mounted it on an old piece of plywood, made our own fence (had to be set square on every cut with clamps), and used it as our only stationary saw.

It's hard to describe our electrical set-up. A lamp size cord brought the 220 into the house from a pole, and was taped to a super-long cord not much bigger in gauge. It was then run through a transformer to give us some 110 current (make sure you watch what you're plugging into!!), and taped together time and again with other various cords and a whole variety of plug-ins. We were just glad Ricardo had done this many times before and knew exactly what he was doing. We never lost our electricity or had any fires!

Various products we used. The can and bottle are "ingredients" for clear coat, massa para madeira is filler, plastic bottle is glue, and "theener" can with fire design is Kenny's favorite...

BRAZIL JULY 2007 - Fun stuff

This is our plumber/electrician friend with his company vehicle. The granite guys also showed up on bicycles! Liberty Hardwoods (Kansas City) is Kenny's supplier back home. We got lots of pictures and video holding their glue bottle/sign, complete with audio of "we love Liberty Hardwoods" in Portuguese and English (with a very heavy Portuguese accent!).

Most days, Kenny, Ricardo and I got along just fine.

But there were those moments...

BRAZIL JULY 2007 - Phase Two...building stuff

Roberto with face frame. Speaking of face frames...Kenny did the entire job with just one 2 foot bar clamp! In his shop at home he has more than a dozen of various lengths to choose from. Only a master carpenter could do what he did and make it look so great.

Our stainmaster, Ricardo. He does it all.

Kenny and I were certainly privileged to work with him every day.

Installing cabinets over ceramic tile...oh, what fun!

Kenny's sanding/work perch on the veranda.

Three days with sunshine, a beautiful view and lots of lizard friends.

The view from the veranda, just miles from the hustle and bustle of Carpina (a city of 70,000)

BRAZIL JULY 2007 - Project Completion

If you have not seen them yet, more pictures of the finished product can be found on the Tuesday, July 24 post. Tele has reported that the pictures do not do the kitchen justice. Maybe we can take more during future trips.

Below: Spraying the last of the doors, doors drying after final coat, last piece of crown moulding (all cut on "table saw,"), installing drawer fronts, floor view of one side, island view (granite top to be added later), Kenny and I happy to be finished.