WooHoo!! We have a front door!

I know- silly thing to get excited about, right? Well, I was excited to see it when we went to the homesite yesterday. Jeremy assured me I would be very pleased with the progress since last week, and he was right. I got out of the car, walked back a little bit and got a picture of the front of the house- and there is a nice front door on it now! The excavating company that was hired for the septic system was working on the sand mound (and should have finished it yesterday, too), and the plumbers were there when we arrived, but the builders weren't there when we got there. That's okay, though, because I was able to take pictures! Here are just a few of the ones I got:


Here's the picture of the front of the house. As you can see, the front door is there now!! Not only that, but the siding is DONE in the front! Yipee!

Michael and Megan are posing on their bathtub for this picture. Megan was saying "EEEEEEEESE" and Michael looked away... Go figure! Anyway, when they put the tub in, they had to remove two of the studs on the right side (which is Megan's closet). Michael was VERY observant and made a comment about how two boards were missing. One of the plumbers on site said, "He doesn't miss a thing, does he?" Yeah... the answer to that is NOPE!!

Here's another one of the M&M's- sitting on the fireplace here. I think maybe I'll use this one for Christmas cards this year.... HA!

This is the master bathroom tub. Yes, it's a whirlpool tub. Jeremy really likes them- and I'll admit I can't wait to try it out myself- especially after all the hard work of moving when we DO get settled!! LOL!

Here's the master bathroom shower. Again, Michael was being overly observant and noticed that there is a seat in the shower... He wondered why at first, but then logically stated it's so we can sit down in the shower- kind of like he does in the bathtub! I can't argue with that- it makes perfect sense... right?

Here's a picture of the stairs to the basement all framed out. This picture was taken from the study. You can even see one of the stairs in the picture.

This picture was taken from one end of the basement, looking toward the other end. You can see the stairs and all the wires that have been dropped down into the basement. I admit it does look big, but it does run the full length of the house...

Michael was so proud to be able to stand in the front door and get his picture taken! After I took this picture he and Megan took turns opening and closing the door and running in and out of the foyer. Do you think they're a bit excited?

Well, I dont' know when I'll get up to the site next, but Jeremy will be up there this weekend to finish the details on the low voltage wiring he's done- he needs to get it all situated in the basement. Now that the stairs are in for the basement Michael knows for sure that there will be no fireman pole for him to slide down to get down there. We told him that for a few weeks and he didn't know whether or not to believe us! It was funny- but when he saw the stairs he was pretty relieved and grateful for them! Hopefully when Jeremy goes there this weekend he'll see that the well has been dug and they've started on the geothermal loops- but we'll see. Those need to be done SOON since it's getting colder and next week the weather isn't going to cooperate as well as it has been. I'll be saying a few prayers for these things to happen! AND- next week the builders insulate and hang drywall! Before we know it there will be actual walls in the house! I'm looking forward to that! So... until the next post- take care!

The siding is nearly done!

Well, another week of work, and another trip to the homesite! It wasn't the first trip this week, but it was the first where we actually remembered our cameras! Each time we go see the house I am amazed at what has been done. It may seem a little slow-going to some, but there really is a LOT of work that goes in to building a house that I never even realized before! So, with that being said, here are some pictures from this week, in no particular order:

WooHoo! The fireplace is framed out! The wires hanging down from the fireplace are for an outlet that will be placed into the mantel once that is put in.

Here is the frame for the master bathroom tub. There is a nice ledge on one end of it since the tub is actually shorter than the designated space for it- but that doesn't bother me at all, especially since it'll be a nice place to put a couple of candles or something like that!

Yep- that's me with Michael and Megan in the window to what will be Megan's room. Jeremy and I are just so pleased with the work that is being done. They should have the siding done by the end of this coming week if the weather holds! WOW!

And here is a picture of the kids and I looking up into the house from the garage. We're actually standing in front of the laundry room, and Jeremy was standing in the master bedroom closet to take the picture. Before we know it we won't be able to take pictures like this anymore because the drywall will be going in!

Jeremy took this picture from the back patio. Isn't that a beautiful view? I can't wait to see deer come running across our yard on a regular basis!

This is the view I always take when we arrive. It's hard to see unless you zoom in, but the siding is nearly finished on the front of the house now! Pretty soon the front door will be going in and the porch railings will be done, too!

I got this picture because in it you can see that the siding on the back of the house is just about finished, and you can even see the fireplace at the top of the photo. Now that the basement floor has been poured, they should be installing the last window and the door for the basement soon.

Ah- a basement view. The plumber (who also does heating and cooling) has installed the system that will heat and cool the house. We are using a geothermal system, and when Michael saw that the unit was in he asked what it was. Then he came running to me yelling, "Mommy, the geoformal is in now!" I can't argue with his logic... Now they need to dig and put the loops in for the geothermal system to be complete. Hopefully next week- it's getting close and the digging needs to before it gets too cold.

Well, that's it for this post (picture wise). I'm not entirely sure of the next chain of events for home construction completion, but I do know that the septic system and well will be dug this week, and hopefully the geothermal is dug and put in as well. The siding should be finished this week, and I'm assuming that the back patio decking will be fixed soon, too. Jeremy, the plumber, and the electrician have to put the finishing touches on wiring and plumbing rough-ins, the walls will be insulated, and then drywall goes up. What's next after that? Not sure, but I am certainly excited to find out! So, until our next visit... stay tuned!

More Updates, but no pictures this time

Well, we headed back out to the homesite today to meet with the electrician and the company that is going to dig our well and our septic system. The Health Department "head honcho" met us out there, too, to give approval so that the digging for those can begin next week. So, it comes down to getting these items (and the geothermal system!) put into place before all the cold weather begins to set in! We know that the well and septic system digging will take place next week, but the geothermal system digging was SUPPOSED to happen today, and there was no digging happening while we were there. Maybe it was because it had rained or maybe we misunderstood and it's next week, but it needs to happen SOON!

As far as the actual house construction, we did notice that there was a minor mistake made. Well, actually two. The first one is no biggie, and it actually doesn't bother us in the least, but the second one will be fixed to meet the specifications set forth in the contract. The window in our bathroom was supposed to be glass block, but turned out to be a regular window- this one is no biggie... I can cover that with a shade if I choose. Our back patio decking is to be made from composite decking, and when we saw it on Tuesday we saw that the decking was in, but it most certainly was NOT composite material. It is pressure treated pine and so Jeremy called the builder about that one. They'll fix it- the foreman for our build called Jeremy the next day to apologize and let us know that it will be fixed as soon as possible. So far that is the only glitch with the building process. This doesn't mean it isn't stressful, but it just means that everyone in this process is human and things happen. At least it was noticed and can be taken care of NOW!

While Jeremy was talking to the electrician today I took the kiddos for a nice little walk around the back of the house to see if the chimney that they started on Monday/Tuesday had been completed. It had! It's sided in the blue siding like the house and looks very nice on top of the Atlantic Blue shingled roof. The side of the house with our laundry room, master bathroom and master bedroom has been completely sided, and the area around the large window in the master bedroom (that shows from the back of the house) has also been sided. All the concrete that had to be poured inside the house is done- and MAN does it look good! Jeremy and I are just amazed with the quality of the work! The entire basement, back patio at the walk-out, front porch, and garage have all been poured and are able to be walked on, too! We were told that the drywall will start going up on the 27th, so that means the remaining windows that need to go in will be installed soon- and maybe even the front door, too! The rest of the siding should be completed over the next week, too, I imagine. After taking the kids for a walk around the house, we ventured inside to see if anything new had been done since Tuesday. Looking around I saw that the fireplace has been framed out so that it can be finished, the master bathroom's bathtub has also been framed and is ready for the tub to go in, the plumbing has been roughed in, the electrical lines have been roughed in, and the cans for the can lighting were going up while we were there- along with any of the other fixtures that need to be put up before the drywall goes up. I measured the windows in all the bedrooms so that I can decide if I am going to make curtains or just purchase room-darkening shades (not right away if I do!). I didn't realize how large the windows are- but I'm glad because we'll have lots of natural lighting, and it won't be glaring light since the house sits basically in a north/south orientation. I also noticed that the holes had been cut in the flooring for the vents. :) It's all coming together! We're taking a quick drive out on Saturday to check out the house (once again!) and mow the yard where the septic system will be installed. Since Jeremy and I BOTH forgot our cameras today, we'll be bringing them on Saturday to get some more pictures.

Jeremy is going out there on Sunday to run all the low voltage wiring since it needs to be done before the walls are insulated and covered in drywall. Hopefully we hear from the plumbing company as to whether or not they know when the geothermal system will go in and whether or not they will get the bathtubs and the shower installed in the bathrooms soon, too. We'll also hopefully find out when the back patio decking will be changed for the composite decking that it's supposed to be. The last time Jeremy talked to the foreman for our build he said that they were doing such a great job and asked if we might be in by Christmas. The foreman said that they are actually a week behind where they wanted to be (we can't tell!!) and it won't be until January that we'll be able to take possession. That's okay with me, actually. It'll give us something else to look forward to once Christmas is over.

Well, that's about it for now. Yes, we'll post more pictures after our visit on Saturday. Feel free to leave us comments about what you read here- this is truly exciting for us and we love sharing the process with you! Until the next post... take care!

And the Siding Begins!

We took a little drive to see the progress of the house on Saturday and to mark where Jeremy would run the computer wiring. When we got to the house we were amazed to see that siding is beginning to be put up on the house now! Here are a few of the pictures we got on Saturday- in no particular order:

SEE!! There are the first few strips of siding under the garage window!!

Just another view of the front of the house so you can see the siding.

Here you can see the garage is trimmed out and looking at the front porch you can see that some work has been done there, too!

This picture was taken from one of the windows in the living room or dining room. Michael took one look at this and said it looked like the cross where Jesus died. I had to get a picture of it when he said that- I'll put it in his scrapbook, too.

This picture is of the kids standing on the front patio looking into the study.

Here's another view of the back of the house...

Here's Jeremy and Michael standing on a dirt pile (Funk Mountain, according to Michael) showing off their muscles!

Well, more work next week... let's see what it holds in store!!

The windows are going in!!

Well, today started off rainy and cool, but the weather didn't dampen our spirits since we knew we were going to our homesite today to meet with the cabinet maker and electrician. When we got to the homesite we were amazed at what was going on... the windows and french doors for the back patio had been delivered and were waiting installation, workers on site were cutting wood and moving about, and the cabinet maker was waiting for us. We went over where things will be in the kitchen, what kinds of cabinets will be in there, the finish on the edges, and what size refrigerator we will need. Then we discussed the cabinets in the bathrooms, the bookshelves in the study, and the built-in shelf in the living room. Once that was all taken care of, we spoke with the electrician. Let me insert here how chainsaws and circular saws were running at the same time... it made it SO hard to hear! But, on the same token, it was all for a good reason! By the time we were done discussing outlets, lights, and where all these wonderful components would be placed the window in the study had been installed! We didn't take any pictures then since there were so many workers present and they all happen to be Amish, but we ended up going back later on after running into to town to talk to the plumbing company about the digging that is supposed to happen soon. Boy... it's really coming together! Here are a few of the pictures taken this afternoon:

A view of the front of the house. You can see the windows that have been installed in the three front rooms from this view!

Here's a view of the kids standing in front of the window in what will be Megan's room.

Another picture of the kids in front of a window... these just happen to be in the dining room.

Believe it or not, this window is in the master bedroom! It seems so HUGE!! There is another window in the room- to the right side of the picture (not shown, though), but that one is much smaller in comparison.

Here we have electrical boxes that have been put in!! Now to get it all roughed in completely...

Jeremy was happy to wave in front of the window in the study.

This view is looking toward the french doors that will lead to the back patio. From this view it looks like you can just walk right outside and be on the ground, but it's actually a whole story UP off the ground. This set of doors and the remaining windows may be installed by this weekend!

Here is a view of the back of the house (again). I know it looks big, but Jeremy and I have come to the conclusion it looks that way because the basement is exposed. Honestly, the house isn't terribly huge! Before we know it the siding will be on the house and the inside of the house will be worked on a LOT more! It still amazes us that a drawing of a house on paper can be turned into what you see in these pictures!

Well, that's it for today... We'll be heading back up to the homesite this weekend most likely, so there will probably be more pictures to share then. Until then, enjoy the rest of the week!

There's a Roof Overhead!!!

This week has definitely been a week of progress! My last post was all about the trusses going up, and now I'm sharing about the nearly completed roof! We took a friend out to see the house on Wednesday and the roof was decked and ready for shingles, but it was too dark to take any pictures because we got out there a bit too late, so we figured "No biggie... Pam will come back on Friday and get some then." You can just see the house from the road IF you know where to look as you are driving up, so I looked and was practically doing a happy dance in the driver's seat tonight as we approached the driveway and drove up it to the house. The roof is nearly done!! I am simply amazed at how much progress has been made so far and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens once the roof is done. Here are some pictures from tonight's visit:


This is the picture I always get as I get out of the car when we arrive. I'm seriously impressed!!!

I had to get another picture of the front of the house... See those two boxy looking things on the ground? Those just happen to be the master bathroom shower stall and the kids' bathroom tub/shower!! What the wood is in front of it... I'm not sure!

This view is just a picture that I got with all this wood piled inside the house in what will be the study. I don't know what it's for, but I'm not a builder... so I'm guessing it's inside in case it rains this weekend!

This picture was taken from what will be one of the windows in the master bedroom. It looks right into the dining room if you are looking that direction. The kids were with my sister, so I snapped a picture of them! Great picture, huh?

I had to get a picture of the roll of insulation in what will be the master bedroom. I'm not sure when that starts getting put in, but I'm sure it's soon!!

I took this picture from the master bedroom. It's a view of what will be the living room. Can you tell we'll have a "small" cathedral ceiling in that room? I really like this view for some reason.

I took this picture while standing in front of the dining room windows. This view is looking directly into what will be the kitchen. All the wood in the back is actually in what will be the study- and it sticks right out the window in there! Megan saw the camera and decided to spread her arms out and yell "EEEEESE!" so she could be in the picture. She's just as excited as her mommy, daddy, and big brother about all of this!

Here's a picture of the back of the house... it really looks huge... but it's not THAT big- inside it's just right for us- not too big, not too small...

This view is the side of the house where you can come out from the garage. There are still two windows and the remaining part of the door from the garage that need to be cut out so windows and a door can be put in. You can also see part of the roof that hasn't been shingled yet. This part of the roof is all that is in need of completion.

I'm not totally sure what this wood is for, but I THINK it may be for the front porch. It's pressure treated lumber and posts, so that's why I think it's the front porch. The back porch is composite decking, so that can't be it... not sure, but we'll see soon!

So, that's it for the pictures from tonight. I really have NO idea what the next step is once the roof is complete, but the plumbing company has their sign out in front of the property, so I'm guessing that the digging for all of that stuff will be soon, if not next or in conjunction with something else on the inside? Guess we'll have to wait until next week to see! So, check back next week and see what else has been done!