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?

Happy Anniversary

Eighteen years ago, Terry and I went to the Little White Chapel and married. Neither family approved. My dad wanted me to go to college, but didn't really have a way to pay for it. My mom didn't like Terry, so no matter what, she was unhappy. Terry's whole family thought we wouldn't make it two years.

But here we are, eighteen years later. Today, his family is much more supportive. My dad still loves me and Terry and is happy with our success. My mother... well, she's my mother. Totally different story and really not worth the stress of trying to explain.

Every couple has issues. Terry and I have had ours. We admit that there are days we don't particularly like the other, but we always love each other. We have beautiful children. Wait, sorry. We have a beautiful daughter and a handsome son. We have plans for our own success and we support each other in our endeavors.

It makes me laugh that there are those who think they know Terry or me and know how we will react to certain situations. I know what it takes for my husband, my soulmate, to be successful and to get what he wants. Something just clicks and I can see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice and I know, he will succeed in his plans. He doesn't need to have his goals written out to make them come true. He just has to decide.

Terry decided we would have a house by 23. We did. Terry decided we would have our children by 25. He missed that goal by four days, but it was only four days. Terry decided that I would be able to do what I had always dreamed of. And he supported me in completing two novels and has decided, no matter what, by the end of the year, at least one will be published, one way or another. He continues to support me in that dream and works every day to make it easier for me to accomplish that goal for the several other novels I want to write.

Happy Anniversary, Terry. I love you very much. I will miss you so very much while you are away for the next two weeks.

Tension Bars

I don't think they are really bars, per se. They looked a little flimsy to be bars. But these are put in to prevent the floor and walls from cracking as the house settles and to try to prevent the house from settling so much. So they soak the ground and put these in, all in an attempt to prevent damage to the house later, to prevent a lawsuit. The soil in Vegas is so bad, that when it rains it doesn't soak up the water. Water tends to just sit. Also, there is so much hard clay (no, can't think of the right spelling) that it makes digging for a pool very difficult.

This area is our swing garage, with the formal dining room and front room right behind it.

Trenching and Framing

The ground trenched for the plumbing and other pipes needed. The wood is used to outline where the concrete will be poured for the house. I have a picture of the wood with LOT 14 painted on it. That's our lot. This area is our swing garage.

The piping is laid. We're standing next to the pipes for our refrigerator. The pipes behind us is for the island sink. The island will have a breakfast bar on it, which is just an extension of the island and also a vegetable sink with a disposal in it. The wooded area in front of us is where the front door will be and where the columns will be added. To the left is our two car garage. Toward the back of the area is our living room and the large area in front of us is our formal dining room and front room.

Soaking The Lot

The kids in front of the soaked lot. The water has to reach a depth of 30 inches for it to be considered appropriately soaked and before they can begin building.

The Dirt Lot

This is our empty lot, before they soaked it. Soaking it is required to make sure the soil won't swell too much when it rains. They soak it before they build, so all the expansion, or at least most of it, has already taken place. From the sidewalk to the garage, we have just over 30 feet for our driveway. In the backyard, we have 61 feet from the back door to the wall. Enough room to do a pool, expand the porch we are having poured. There will be a dog run as well.

The Model

This is the model of the house being built for us. We have chosen a different elevation, so the front will look slightly different from this one. This is the upgraded elevation. There is a two car garage and then a swing garage, for a total of three cars if we wanted. The swing garage will be used for storage, a workshop and punching bag. The two car garage will be used for the van and truck, some storage, the freezer and water softener. We are going to have a very large driveway and there will be concrete outside the front door, so Terry has said he wants to buy a seat for the front.

Just a Thought...

When you criticize someone for talking about you, you should really make sure you know what the hell you're talking about before putting your foot in your mouth.

So, when's that surgery?