Welcome to homeownership! bring your checkbook!!

 So it's been a little over a month now, since we moved!! Actually closer to TWO months I guess!

We sold the trailer, although the management at alder manor DID NOT make it easy. they have LOTS of requirements, now, for anyone wanting to buy a mobile home and move in there. you see, when we moved in there all the way back in 2012,, it wasn't TOO BAD, you didn't need a squeaky clean criminal history OR credit report, hell an eviction didn't even mean you would be denied. But NOW,,  well nowadays it's a whole other story. I'm not sure if its ONE or TWO years of VERIFIABLE work history, "fair credit score" and NO convictions of any kind in the last 7 years. so, that pretty well narrows things (people) down. and I'm sorry, I thought a mobile home park was LITERALLY supposed to be an affordable place, you didn't have to have a perfect background to move in to?? Well there's nothing I could do about it. I had to take what I could get and be happy we were able to escape the clutches of that cycle. And that is literally what my attorney said, so I took that advice, as I pretty much ALWAYS take the advice of my attorney and accountant. I had about 7 people apply for the place, it took 3 weeks to get an answer, for each one, and they charged $50 per person. One lady conned me right out of fifty bucks, and I paid for her background check, she was the ONLY PERSON besides the person who actually bought it, to be approved, but of course she straight up GHOSTED ME after the approval, and I felt REAL dumb for getting conned into paying $50 for her. but there will ALWAYS be people like that, and I made a promise a long time ago to NEVER let evil people stop me from spreading positivity and doing good deeds! 

In order for mike to be able to have a place to park on the second lot we have, we need a gravel driveway. WELL in order to have a gravel driveway, we need a "storm water run off study" by a civil engineer, and we also need a lot line adjustment if we EVER want to build a rental house on it, which we absolutely do. So, it's gonna be about 5 GRAND for the surveyor and the lot line adjustment, plus the attorney will have to re-write the deed stuff, after the lot line adjustment, and however much that will be. I'm not sure what the civil engineer will cost, but we definitely want to build a rental house or duplex of some kind, basically whatever the city will ALLOW. When we first moved in we learned that the easement at the front of the extra lot, is actually open for anyone to park, like anyone can park in front of your house, on the street. And people were parking there apparently for a long time before we moved in.  All we REALLY want is a driveway/parking spot for mike to park the log truck at night. But we can't do that without CITY permission. and as I said above, the lot line moved, and storm water run off study. even if we wanted to just put an RV PAD there, we would have to do the storm water run off study, so might as well get all the above done, first, file for a building permit and they HAVE to okay a driveway!! well, this is what our attorney suggested, and as I also mentioned before, I usually listen to the attorney and the accountant. HAHAHAHAHAHA yes, they might be the only ones.        Plan B is to put an RV pad there, if we can't for some reason get the other stuff to go through. We will still need a civil engineer, and city permission. 

 About 2 weeks ago, we got a letter of cancellation notice from our homeowner's insurance. they said the "roof needs replaced" by december 19th, or we'd be cancelled. So, I got a bid and I got RIGHT ON IT, and the roof is NOW replaced, and literally the DAY THE ROOF GOT DONE, we got a cancellation letter and a REFUND CHECK. so apparently I could have waited on spending 14 GRAND, since we were getting cancelled anyways, but this is just the way my life goes, I guess, and one more thing to overcome. I'm used to it, and you don't scare me! hahahaha Nothing has ever come easy, and I certainly wasn't banking on things just "being easy" now. why would THAT change??  I am super confident in my insurance office, here locally. So I'm gonna have FAITH in them, they'll help me figure it out, I just know it. but, doesn't mean I wasn't frustrated with the whole situation! and I know there was nothing the local office did, or didn't do. So, at least there's that. At least I have someone local I CAN call, who can tell me in my language what the hell is going on!! 

We still need our drain dug up in two places, there are ROOTS growing through the drain. One place in UNDER THE STREET. and I can't for the life of me figure out HOW that could be OUR responsibility, so I need to go to public works and find out. I have a thumb drive and there are marks on the road and next to the meter, where the roots are. I have tried several plumbing companies to no avail, of getting a quote, or anything. the one plumber that I personally know, WILL replace the pipe if I can get it dug up, so THAT might be the route we go, actually. I can dig, I'm not too good to dig up the yard. it's only in one place really, unless the city ACTUALLY wants me to jack-hammer up the street and fix that spot, too!? I can't imagine that being right, though. the other spot is very close to the meter. we'll get it figured out soon, I hope!!!

We had Thanksgiving dinner at our new house, and the only thing that was missing, was my brother. he had to work, and I was hoping he'd come over and visit afterward, but I'm hopeful I will get to see him for Christmas, maybe? My kids sure miss him, and I do too, if I'm being honest. I'm just not sure what I can do, to help that relationship. or if there's ANYTHING I can do, to help. it seems anytime I try harder, he gets further away and talks to me even less, and a few times I didn't even think that was possible. 

I put up christmas lights with my youngest son today, and it was great to watch him be so excited for Christmas. I remember being a kid, and being excited for christmas. it's pretty ironic, how the older we get, the things on our christmas lists, cannot be bought. We also got a 10 foot tall grinch that he's wanted FOREVER, or as long as I can remember. he's pretty stoked about that! 

We also got a kitten. Sullivan has wanted a cat since grama's old cat passed away. so he finally got his wish. and he sleeps with it, EVERY NIGHT. the dog is coming around to the idea, but still not super stoked about it. 

That's all the update I have for now. I will be taking a couple weeks in december to build a fence along my driveway, where the hedges used to be, we had to cut out so that mike could drive the log truck in from main street. Then I'll be building a small shed for my tools, and a small shed for mike's future motorcycle. He's been waiting patiently for a nice motorcycle, and I promised him one AFTER we got moved and had a place for one to be, out of the rain. Of course we had to pay for that damn roof, first, but that's alright. he'll get one, eventually. I don't think he'd do much riding in the winter months, anyways. So the plan for now, is he will have one before his birthday, in june. that gives me a little time. 

Hope you all have a great christmas, hope the new year brings you only  the very best things this life can offer!!! Because, we all deserve things to be  a bit easier, don't we? 

As always, if you have any questions, or would like a project looked at, feel free to text or email me at   acowan1216@gmail or 503-791-7473

CHEERS!!!!!!!!!

 the lower roof needed replaced

 my new kitchen table!  

 this is where the roots are growing through the line. one is literaly in the street. the other is where that little flag is. 

 our Tree!! and there's the dog, too! 

Sullivan and his grinch!!!

TREX deck framing, explained

Let's talk about TREX and framing. 

This is how we make our screws invisible. 

https://youtube.com/shorts/YdjmAQILCDo?feature=share

We started using this plug system a little over a year ago, we use the clips reccomended by trex for everything except the first and last boards. We use the screws and plugs for the outline boards as well.. 

The plugs come in the specific trex colors. So I  have to make sure I order the proper color before we start the project and we're good to go! 

It's important to remember that trex is not structural like cedar and outdoor wood is. 

Trex is plastic and has a ton of "FLEX"

Imagine a spaghetti noodle, that's kinda what it's like to carry the boards on your shoulder. Literally 20 foot boards touch the ground on both ends when I have one on my shoulder. Pretty funny to watch me drag them across your yard. Haha

Because its basically plastic, it cannot be framed the same way you frame for cedar or pressure treated 2x6.

It especially has a lot of flex when it gets warm!!!

This is also why you can't just remove cedar boards and put trex down. That's why we add joists to EVERY bay when we do upgrade the deck boards to trex. 

We had one job about a year back,  that after we got all the cedar boards taken off, the client wanted the deck reframed because they didn't like the stairs. I had included 5 hours of labor for framing fixes. 5 hours was nowhere near enough time to reframe stairs going down both sides of the deck. 

Ok, no problem. 

 Except there was a problem, they didn't want to pay anything for the extra time and materials it takes to re-frame the entire stairs. Furthermore they didn't pay thier final payment either, so I actually was negative on that job in particular. Wasn't worth getting the lawyer involved, it wasn't enough money. 

Even then I tried to make sure they had a safe structure. Even when i was working at a loss, I still cared about the customers safety. They asked me to leave and not return when I explained re-framing the stairs was going to take more time than i had planned, and more deck boards too. So I did as they asked. 

I digress, 

We will always try our hardest to make sure you're happy. ALWAYS. That's why I give you a list of references at our first interaction. 

Trex also gives a lifetime warranty but only when the decking is installed to thier specifications. Like, joists spaced at 12 inches apart,  joist tape (flashing) across every joist. We also put it on our blocking and between the 4x4 post and rim joist, when installing handrail posts. If we pour posts in concrete we make sure that there's a barrier between wood and concrete. 

if you have questions please feel free to ask. 

I will always try and help. Please remember that not all contractors are created equally, and you don't always have the whole Story sometimes. 

It's myself (Amber) and my ride or 💀💀💀employee Lanae who has been working with me almost FOUR years now! We even have the same birthday, just 12 years apart hahaha.

Overall I have over 20 years of experience working in and around clatsop County. Way back in 2000 I went to job corps, (where I met my amazing husband, Mike) and I graduated Job corps in 2001. The Portland carpenters union was the first place I started after job corps. After a few years of experience I Decided I didn't like the PDX commute and found residential construction work at home on the coast. The rest is history! 

Lanae lived across the street from us for like 5 years before we became fast friends. In 2019 after years of my husband telling me I should,  I started my own company. (Mike drives log truck for Gendenberg trucking and he loves it) after a couple months I begged lanae to come to work with me, because I was overwhelmed doing EVERYTHING myself. I still get overwhelmed some days, but I'm getting better all the time! So that's how it all started and in the last almost 4 years we have both learned a LOT. I've taught her how to do all these things, while simultaneously trying to learn how to run a business. We must be doing something right!? I know our intentions are always good and we will always do our very best. 

I give back to the community whenever I get a chance. The first year in business we donated a bus shelter. In the last 3 years we've sponsored numerous local teams through warrenton kids Inc,  and we have happily taken part in the fall festival for the last two years. This year we did a little project for a disabled veteran for no charge. 

I hope you've enjoyed learning a little about us today. 

Have a great weekend! Thanks for supporting living wage jobs and small businesses!! Thanks for supporting us underdogs! 

If you're interested in getting a quote, please send me your project details via email, or text or direct message. I'll gladly get back to you with a ballpark estimate and references too! I will always try to give more than one option as well. We are currently booking January! 

Trex deck prices,  when able to save the framing and ADD to it, is about $70 a square foot,  and new ground level trex deck is 90-100 a square foot. 

Cowan Custom Decks and Fences

 CCB #225044 

Acowan1216@gmail.com 

503-791-7473 

WE DID IT

Well if you've been following my story at all,,, 

you'll be pleased to know that in 12 short days, my family is moving OUT OF THIS SINGLE WIDE TRAILER!!!!!!!!!!  And into a "real" house. now, I'm not dogging ANYONE who lives in a single wide or other type of trailer, NOT ONE BIT... we have lived in alder manor for over ten years. and it allowed us time to learn how to budget, and save money, and not choke each other out in such a small space!! AHAHHAHAHA

Anyway, MOVING IS TOUGH!!! 

we are in the middle of packing boxes, and trying to sell our trailer. it's listed in the "for sale by owner" section of zillow. although, I don't have much up for pictures at the moment, we are waist deep in boxes!! 

In case you're curious, we are paying about 425 GRAND for the house,with a little over 30K in closing costs. It took the better part of a year to save the money for the down payment. and, the bank and the mortgage companies ALL said I had "too many deductions" therefore I show ZERO INCOME... how exactly were we able to save close to FIFTY GRAND???? well with no income, I have NO CLUE. but we did. and thank everything holy my husband has a good job and likes to work, because it's ALL IN HIS NAME.. that's right they literally would not COUNT ANY OF MY INCOME. and I assure you I made plenty of money, even after deductions last year I "cleared" almost a hundred grand. is that a ton of money? NO. I get that, but I just wanted them to count ANY INCOME for me!! but somehow the stars aligned perfectly, and we were able to find a house that seems perfect with a whole extra buildable lot to boot, IN OUR PRICE RANGE!!! the lady even took a little less than asking price on day 8 of it being listed so that my little (well not so little!) family could FINALLY MOVE INTO A HOUSE. and it's not a moment too soon, let me tell ya!!!!

Currently, we have a couple jobs on the board, excited to get some more on the schedule, soon. Job leads have slowed down some, but PRICE INCREASES on materials, sure haven't slowed AT ALL. 

I'm confident I'll keep booking jobs, I know theres plenty of people out there who love the underdogs, and we are definitely the underdogs!!

Funny story. the place where my employee, Lanae, and I get our massages once a month, which yes the company pays for. well apparently the office lady had been telling the folks working there we were a gay couple, for A YEAR!! Now I have definitely mentioned us working together, definitely mentioned that I own my own company, definitely got a PRINT OUT AT THE END OF THE YEAR FOR TAX PURPOSES... 

now, I get it, a WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE assume I am gay, and a whole lot assume Lanae and I are a couple, or that we are related. NOPE, Ive been married to the same man for 22 years, almost!! and we just have a great WORKING RELATIONSHIP... and it doesn't even bother me that people assume I'm gay, because they have for MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE... like my mom used to tell me, if we were all the same, this world would be pretty damn boring!!! I'm glad my mom told me there's no such thing as "boys things" and "girls things" she'd say, why can't they just be "amber's things" and I was hard on her some days!! I didn't believe her. and most people assumed my sexuality was hand in hand with my tomboy tendencies at 12 years old. when I MYSELF obvioulsy had NO CLUE who I was gonna have sex with at 12. I just knew I didn't like dresses and loved building tree forts. funny how that has ZERO to do with WHO is in your bed. 

I probably don't have to tell you it takes a strong ass man to support his wife who is a construction worker, then encourages her for YEARS to start her very own company. has it been easy??? oh very far from it. but he remains my rock, my lover and my friend, too. as we get older our marriage just gets better and better. I guess because we are too old and lazy to fight anymore, LOL. or maybe we got it all out of our system when we were young and SPUNKY. 

Props to Lanae for being strong enough to  keep encouraging me when I feel down, or stressed out. Not to mention the days where I want to crawl in a hole and give up. Or when I cant find an address and get super down on myself!!!  and Yes I make sure she is compensated VERY WELL for her time. I wouldn't change a thing. we will keep doing what we are doing. and we will be the BEST AT IT!!! Like batman and robin, or cagney and lacy, or any other characters worthy of comparison,,,,,  we will continue to conquer our goals!!  we joke around all the time that we could have an HGTV show!! it would have to be AFTER 10pm or whatever the cut off is for the foul language, though. I guarantee it'd be funny. 

 having strong people around me is the ONLY reason I didn't give up some days!! there's been some real hard days the past 3.5 years. but things continue to get better and better, as long as I charge enough money!! 

Well my next update I'll share pictures of the new house, and hopefully the awesome fence we will build around it for the dog!!

so like I always say, STAY TUNED!!!

Thank you so much to ALL my clients, past present and future. well except for that ONE.... the one guy can GO STRAIGHT TO HELL.  and if you know, YOU KNOW!!!  hahahaha  

I promise to write another update soon. 

In the meantime, if you'd like an estimate, please send an email or text with your project details. we are currently booking mid November. 

Cowan Custom Deck and Fences

CCB 225044

503-791-7473

acowan1216@gmail.com

Another update, Now a crew of TWO, again. WE GOT THIS!!!

 they say, EVERYBODY LOVES A GOOD UNDERDOG STORY!!!

Is that true?

I'm not sure. but I do know this much, WE ARE UNDERDOGS... I started out as an underdog, working at 19 years old, just outta job corps and fresh out of a CAST on my right upper arm, for 4 months. I broke my arm, arm wrestling one of my best buddies since we were 14.. (but that's another blog post )

Back to my point. I started in the union at 19. I had a few bosses, but my FIRST BOSS was the most memorable. they called him, "sarge" and he was about 5 ft 5 in tall, but walked about 5 feet off the ground. he said he was a marine corps drill Sargent for TWENTY YEARS.. here's what I can tell you, he taught me how to work, how to KEEP a job up against grown ass men. He taught me that if I could work faster, do a better job, than those grown men, I'd always have a job! and he was right. he did give me a lot of CRAP.... but you know what? I needed to get used to that if I was ever going to make it in this field, right? I worked for Sarge until the school was built. took almost two years.  I was able to use him as a reference, but then thru the years I lost his info. I've looked for him a few times on facebook. 

I often wonder what he'd say about me, or what I've been through, more like what I've overcome to be here, and have a "seat" at this table. I would tell him THANK YOU if I could. thank you for teaching me, and convincing me that I had just as much right as anyone else, to be on these jobs, and to make as much as a man, doing them. 

Now, I'm just trying to pay it forward, teach someone ELSE how to do this job, and not only do it, but be the BEST AT IT.... to not take mediocrity. but to constantly strive for better. 

Our crew is back to LaNae Long, and I.... we have a very large siding job we are doing right now.  we are booking work for the month of August, right now. and if you remember, we've been working together now, 3.5 YEARS... so we are definitely getting AWESOME at what we do!! well, we were always AWESOME but now, we are REALLY GOOD. ask anyone. 

I will continue to be OPEN to hiring someone with at least a LITTLE BIT of construction experience. it is a HUGE INVESTMENT to teach someone this trade, and it's an even bigger investment to teach EVERY SINGLE SKILL necessary to know this trade (like use a hammer, a stapler, load nails in a nail gun, use a caulking gun, use a screw gun, know what forti flash is and the difference between that and flashing/drip edge) and I just don't have the resources or deep enough pockets to teach someone every single skill necessary. 

What I can promise the right person, is a good job with a great work culture. I'm in NO HURRY though,and I feel like the right person will come along some day. I'm going to trust my GUT to tell me who it is.  And LaNae and I can handle everything until then. (just as we have, for 3.5 years)

Being in charge is a funny thing sometimes. not "funny" but IRONIC... I used to be on the other side of this coin, and boy oh boy do I remember it. I think that makes me a good leader. I'm not any different than the person I'm leading. we are a team, and a TEAM only works when everyone has the same goals in mind. 

our goals are always the same,,,,, give the customer a great end product, and make money doing it... you know enough money to move OUT OF ALDER MANOR and into a REGULAR HOUSE!!!! we are going to make it happen, I swear if it's the last thing I do. 

I digress....

if you've made it this far THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US!!! MY TEAM!!!

Stay tuned as we make more progress, finish more jobs and hopefully move out of this mobile home park!!! 

Next week we are on VACATION!!!  LaNae is going to spend some quality time with her 10 year old son, and Me, I'm taking my husband and kids down the coast to have some fun!! stay tuned for pictures of that!! 

BACK TO WORK JUNE 20th

Life is SHORT, take the VACATION!!!!

Thanks again for your support. 

Updates, and adversity! grateful for my struggle!

Good Day! I hope this blog posts finds you well and good, including your loved ones. First of all I feel like I owe you a big update. the 
"my story and how I got here" blog post is a GREAT one, and it explains, ME really well. but now, after 3.5 years in business, there is a lot more to this whole thing, than JUST ME!!!!   

So just for the sake of simplicity, I will summarize myself, in one paragraph, then I'll talk about the rest of the TEAM, and then I'll talk about some other stuff you'll hopefully find interesting. So, a little about me (amber) I went to job corps when I was 18. I graduated Job corps in 2001, I moved in with my NOW husband of 20 years, in JULY of 2000. My husband drives log truck for Gendenberg trucking. He has had his CDL for like 15ish years? many people are very surprised that well for one that I'm married to a man, I'll just come out and say it. and second, that the man I'm married to is a strong enough  man to support his wife who has been a carpenter since she was 19. Actually I got caught using my dad's saw around 11 years old, but that's another blog post. Fast forward to Job Corps, and went straight into the union and worked union carpentry jobs for about 6 years. I got tired of working in portland though, and decided to learn residential construction around age 25. It was never "easy" finding a construction job. I most often was able to do so by offering to work for FREE, for a couple hours, if you like me you can pay me, if not i'll be on my way!  I got many jobs that way.  So, much of my experience is with decks,doors/windows, siding and fences. I have done MANY things in my life, but decks and fences are my favorite. I now live in warrenton (alder manor, though we are trying EVERY DAY to move into a house!) with my husband and two sons who are 7(sully) and 13(sam). and we are out of space! That leads me to my next subject......

Lanae lives right across the street from me (thats right we are not related nor in a relationship!!) . Although I'm unaware of our "official" meeting day, I do remember her listening to me cry about my grandma who had recently (then) passed away, and Sully was just a little guy. Lanae had her own little guy (at a young age, her son is 10 now) , and my two and her son, Thor played well together, so we took a few adventures together; albeit broke, but we had fun!!! We helped each other out whenever possible. she was a hard worker, I knew she took care of a disabled man at night and had a cleaning job during the day. she always accepted any other work she could get, too, kind of like myself. Her Dad was (and is) a construction worker, also. so she had some clue what she might be getting herself into, when I BEGGED her for help about 2 months in to my "new company" in 2019. Well maybe everything works out just like it's supposed to, because she worked a few days a week for me, and still her other jobs, until her disabled client unexpectedly passed away one day. All of a sudden, she had no job, unless she wanted to take on another client. I promised her, if she took a chance with me and stuck it out, if she had faith in me, I'd make sure she was more than compensated for it. well I tell you something, that first WINTER WAS ROUGH.... much harder than I'd ever imagined it would be. But with very hard work and dedication, WE MADE IT... and I learned to charge enough money to not go into debt every single job, and that made a big difference, too. Not to mention the people who cheer for the underdogs!!        

 YOU ARE THE PEOPLE WE ARE!!!!   

 anywhoo, back to my point. LaNae has been working with me almost 4 years, now. and we are a great team, but we can only get so much work done during the day, you know I have to sell jobs, and do bookkeeping, and taxes, and payroll, and well you get it, right?? I've made sure LaNae is happy, and paid well, and we get massages every month, lunch daily,  she gets two weeks of paid vacation a year, we work 8 to 3 monday to friday, so it's a great work culture. I provide a much healthier work culture THAN I EVER EXPERIENCED. and I'm really proud of that!!! You know, it's a huge issue, there are contractors who charge a LOT OF MONEY and then they pay their guys 15 bucks an hour and work them 40 to 50 hours a week. that's why we are HAPPY TO BUILD THINGS!!! because, yes, it's hard and challenging, but it's rewarding, too. 

Sooooo, a few months ago we tried hiring help, several times. for one reason or another, NONE OF THEM WORKED OUT... I think the longest was 4 days. 

About a month ago, now I added Thomas, to the team. Who is learning this trade as he goes. he lives in warrenton, with his fiance and two sons. He's a hard worker, so I can work with that. I can teach, anybody who is willing to learn, really. I'm patient, because I needed patient people when I was learning this trade, and I will be the person I needed when I was younger!! Anyway, thomas hasnt' run away, yet, so maybe he's cut out for this. 

it's not easy, being the owner and chief of a PROFITABLE construction company, in a male dominant field. You would think in 2022, you wouldn't have to explain that a woman can in fact, BUILD ANYTHING A MAN CAN... you would think I'd never need to explain that IVE been working construction for OVER TWENTY TWO YEARS, but that my husband has HIS OWN JOB and does his own thing, but I find on an almost daily basis, this to be true. that and people assume Lanae is either my girlfriends OR my daughter!!!  I'm only 40 by the way and she is 27. so no, we are not related. soul sisters,  maybe?  

Don't think I am complaining, either, I wanted to EXPLAIN THAT, to explain this. I deal with adversity, DAILY... I've always had to make sure my work was THREE TIMES AS GOOD as the dude next to me, for half the pay. now, the "half the pay" may have changed, but I tell you what the judgements have not changed ONE BIT...  I think other women are almost more harsh than the men, some times.

 We do our best on EVERY JOB WE DO... I doubt there is ONE CLIENT out there who can say we DIDN'T do our very best. There's no other way I know how to do it. so, if you hire us, WE WILL DO OUR BEST. I can promise, that. 

AS material prices continue to skyrocket, I wanted to talk about this. about how my whole career I had to be BETTER Than average, JUST TO KEEP A JOB. I had 3 bosses, in 20 years that paid me more than a male worker with the exact same job as me. THREE.... I hope that is getting better, I hope the world is changing in that regard. I know I AM DOING MY PART!!!!!  I want you to understand what exactly you're paying for, and I don't  mind answering your questions, either!!! 

 I think most people would rather well paid, & happy people be working on their house, instead of disgruntled folks making peanuts, who may be looking for other ways to compensate their paychecks, because the boss wont. I have seen plenty of bad situations in my 20 years of experience working for other contractors. Not all are created equally, I tell ya! you should ask one of the workers about their "work culture" when the boss is not around. 

We are not the cheapest company and we are not the most expensive. but we are definitely the underdogs, trying to move out of the trailer park!!! And I will make it happen, eventually. I'm trying so incredibly hard, every single day. I sleep well at night, knowing that. So please, if you "hear" something negative about me or my company, take into consideration the SOURCE, and that they may not have the whole story. Or maybe they see me as a huge threat, and want to make sure I stay in the trailer park. whatever the reasons, I'm grateful for my struggles, without them I wouldn't know what "good times" are at all. the truth is, Ive been super happy lately, and never felt more healthy, mentally. I do struggle with where we live sometimes. I want so badly to be able to buy a house and have a place for my children to "land" when life chews them up and spits them out!! but as you probably know, we are talking a HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AND UP... we need about 24K for a down payment. we are ALMOST THERE... no joke!! and our credit is FINALLY GOOD>.. actually, I think it's great... around 720. that's way better than either of us imagined, after filing chapter 7 in 2016... 

grateful for my struggle. for they gave me STRENGTH. 

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!!!!!!!!!! I will continue to do my best every day! I will continue to pay LIVING WAGES for our area and promote  a POSITIVE WORK CULTURE!!! that is a guarantee. 

See you on the next big job!!!!  unless you're one of my haters.. have some haterade and watch me work myself right outta this single wide. 

amber