House Update

So, a few things are going on and we've about 7 days before the builder does a walk-through, then 5 days after that and we've got the final walk-through and then keys. Yay stress!

1. The laundry room was messed up. For some reason, the contractor put the vent for the dryer and the drain washer in the wrong place, too far over and didn't leave room for the cabinet we ordered. So, they had to tear it apart and redo everything.

2. Today, Tuesday, August 28, the master bath cabinets were finally replaced and I have my vanity.

3. Terry and I went out this past weekend and bought our refrigerator. Sears was having a 20% off sale of all Kenmore products. So, we got our refrigerator for about $400 less than we had planned. That $400 paid for a warranty and the delivery.

4. We also bought a curio cabinet for the family room to place my thimbles in. Yes, I collect thimbles from all the places we visit. Family members also bring me thimbles from their travels. Terry has brought me a thimble from every place he's been while working, even as far as the Bahamas. My favorite? The moose thimble I brought home from Alaska.

5. I have planned to buy the LG Steamwash Washer and the matching dryer, in Cherry Red. (vroom vroom). We found pedestals at Home Depot, or at least one pedestal, for $100. It doesn't match, but you know, saving $100 on something like that is worth it. The other will be red to match.

Now we wait for the final stuff to be done.

Today, we got our landscaping, or at least most of it. The cabinets in the laundry room were fixed. They took the protective cover off my countertops. Things are progressing, but sometimes it just seems so slow, especially considering what day it is.

Small Touches, Make Big Differences

The kitchen sinks and countertop are in. The appliances are going to be black. So, the faucet is as well, to match. The faucet itself comes out and does the spray thing, by pressing a button on the side. The smaller sink is the side with the garbage disposal. The bigger sink is big enough for a cookie sheet to lay down inside. Yay space!
The stair rail after it was finally stained. Not as dark as I thought it would be, but it's still beautiful.
The entryway tile. Brown to go with the carpet. Terry and I are talking about redoing the entire first floor in slate. We've got a real nice one picked out, 18", and we can do a nice design with it in a smaller piece, as well as the edging that matches. Time will tell how long we'll have to wait.

Bathroom Marble

The master bath shower.
The kids' bathroom sink.
Yes, that's a toilet.
The sink for the downstairs bathroom.

Pour The Cement!

Prepping for the cement.
The back patio.
Thirty-one-feet of cement! Terry is thrilled with the size of the driveway. To me, it's just a way to get into the garage.

Painted House

Excitement and joy! The house is painted... except it's the wrong color!! Oh joy! Let's work with a color blind man to determine what color our house will be. The supervisor keeps insisting that there is going to be green in my garage doors and front door. I keep insisting that if the house has any green in it, he'll be repainting it. He's repainting it anyway. How lucky can he get?!

Stair Rail

The rail without the stain. Beautiful even without it. Even better with.

Doors and Cabinets

Front door.
Kitchen cabinets.

So, while the cabinets were delivered and look gorgeous, the cabinets in the master bath were wrong. We ordered a extended vanity and they delivered a full cabinet. And... we wait for the replacement.

Outside Stucco

The first layer of stucco.
The last layer of stucco, back of the house.

Inside Drywall

The front door and Micaela telling me how small the windows in the family room are now that the drywall is on them.
The office/den, the family room and the downstairs bathroom.
The formal diningroom.

Natural Highs

Natural Highs (an email from my father)

Think about them one at a time before going on to the next one. It Does Make You Feel Good, especially the thought at the end of #44.

1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket.
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail.
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry ).
12. A bubble bath.
13. Giggling.
14. A good conversation.
15. The beach.
16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you.
19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
20. Running through sprinklers.
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
23. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS
24. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
25. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
26. Your first kiss (the very first).
27. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
28. Playing with a new puppy.
29. Having someone play with your hair.
30. Sweet dreams.
31. Hot chocolate.
32. Road trips with friends.
33. Swinging on swings.
34. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
35. Making chocolate chip cookies.
36. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
37. Holding hands with someone you care about.
38. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
39. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.
40. Watching the sunrise.
41. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
42. Knowing that somebody misses you.
43. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
44. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth .

In The Mail

Lela - Watch the mail, hun. Please let me know when you get it. *hugs*

PDO Meeting (Pre-Drywall Orientation)

Friday, I met with the supervisor for the construction of our house. He took me through the house and explained where all the plugs, light switches, fans, connections, outside brick wall, sprinkler system, everything is in the house, or will be once it's all put in.

The house has been pre-wired for an alarm system, something we didn't pay for. We probably won't get the security pads, but at least the wiring is there if we should ever decide to put it in. We had a plug in the kitchen moved so we can do a dog door for the dogs so they can go straight into the backyard and into their dog run.

So, what does all this mean? It means that as of yesterday, July 13, we have 45 days before we have the keys in hand and are able to move in. I had thought it meant we would have 45 days before our final walk-through, then we would have a few days after that to complete the paperwork and get the funding. Nope! In 45 days we will be proud owners of our new house. Well, today actually makes 44 days.

The house news was the best thing that happened yesterday. Yesterday was the worst Friday the 13th I've ever had. And I hope I never have another like it.

Can't wait to own a house again. I hate having to pay someone as much money as we do on a monthly basis and have absolutely nothing to show for it. Hated it when we lived in an apartment, hate it now, especially since I know the benefits of owning our own house. Just 44 more days!!

Tuesday, July 10 - The Outside Wrapping Completed

The garage and Micaela's room.

The side of the house, swing garage, formal front room and the kitchen window.

The back of the house.

And again, the back of the house, family room, office, loft and Derek's bedroom.

Now we wait for the PDO meeting on Friday. After that, the inside drywall begins and we have 45 days before the house will be done.

Monday, July 9 - Outside Wrapping Begins

After much frustration watching the electricians take -forever- to finish their work and another house moving ahead of ours in production, we finally have the outside wrapping started. The front door and the swing garage.

The swing garage.

And the backside of the swing garage.

Sliding Glass Door

The sliding glass door frame.

The glass for the door.

And it all put together.

WINDOWS!!!!

Windows finally!!! The swing garage has a window. Yes, believe it or not.

Windows in Micaela's windows, the windows over the stairs and you can just see the windows in the master bedroom closet. Yes, my clothes are going to enjoy looking out the windows at the neighbors.

Windows in the back of the house. The big open area is the sliding glass door, or will be. The three windows that show as one is the family room. The other two windows are the windows for my office. The two windows above the family room are the loft. The other two windows (more separated) is Derek's bedroom.

Terry looking out one of the windows in our formal livingroom.

Plumbing, Ventilation, Cable, Electrical and Natural Gas

The plumbing for the laundry room. (sorry about the orientation)

Ventilation system and cables.

Plugs.

Natural gas pipes.

And of Course, the Dog

Of course we had to bring one of the dogs to the house. This is Licorice, the grumpy old man. This is Micaela's bedroom.

Framing is Completed

Same areas as below. See the difference?

The Framing Continues

Second floor going up. The two-car garage below; Micaela's bedroom windows above.

The house in the backyard. On the second floor, to the right, the master bedroom. Below it, the kitchen. The open area on the left is the loft. Below it, the family room.

The First Floor

The first floor is up. This was the very afternoon they had started putting it all together. The tall part is the two windows at the base of the staircase and that overlooks the second floor.

Micaela in the formal diningroom, past the front door.

Frame The House

Putting the frame together for the first floor.

The trusses for the house. See? Lot 14. That's us!!

Cement For the House

The cement poured. This is the front door entrance and the formal diningroom and livingroom behind.

The two care garage and the swing garage have not been poured yet in these pictures. This was about 3:30 p.m.

Two hours later, Terry and I went back and they had poured the garages. This is the two-car garage.

This is the swing garage. Yeah, it's cement, but isn't it beautiful?