Days 172-191

Things are flying by now with incredible speed...I don't feel like I have enough time in the day to get everything done! The brick is gorgeous...the siding is a lot darker than we thought it would be, but we like it...we ended up going with a dark fascia and soffit because it looked better with the siding...we love it, too!...the garage doors are ordered...they will be dark like the fascia...the deck is complete as well as the little porch in the garage...the trim was completed today...they have already started painting and Kelly took two weeks off work to do the tiling...we will move out of our rental at the end of the month and move in with my parents if need be for a short time...even though I am completely worn out...it sure has been fun!

Here is a view of the siding from the back side...

Very dark...I LOVE it!

This is the retaining wall we had to have built so that when it rains all the water doesn't pour into the basement!

The lovely septic tank...

Luke enjoying watching them put in part of the septic system...

The finished brick with the bronze fascia...the front door will be stained a dark bronze color...

home sweet home...

The beginnings of the deck...

looking lovely...

stairs almost complete...

The small sample garage door panel on the right is the color our garage doors will be...

Luke playing the Leapster on the window seat...you can also see some of the bead board hung on the wall behind him...

The walk in pantry...

A view of the pantry from the kitchen...there will be cupboard doors on the fronts of these openings...

The bead board in the dining room primed and ready to paint...

The inside doors lined up like soldiers to be painted...

Kelly's first time tiling...he did a really good job...only 1400 square feet more to go!

Days 145-171

Has it really been a month since I updated this thing??? Things have been so busy...so many decisions to make! The House looks fantastic!! They finished the brick weeks ago. Other things that are complete...drywall, taping drywall, and texturing. They have also started the finish trim work and started (and almost finished) the siding today...LOVE IT! I have been busy trying to get carpet and tile finalized...cabinets and fireplaces designed...paint picked out and blinds ordered. Kelly is busy figuring out the deck and retaining wall and rain gutters and garage doors...also trying to decide if we have the $$$ to upgrade the can lights...hmmm...we will see...I just love how it is turning out...I love the colors! There are plenty of pictures here...enjoy!

The kids love to go up to The House and check out its progress...

There are lots of pictures of them laying brick...to be quite honest...it was fascinating to watch...it was not uncommon for me to sit there for an hour and watch them brick...I love it!

I was wondering how they were going to make the arch! They let this form sit there for a couple of weeks to ensure the brick had cured properly...

I think this is a good view of the "coins" that we put on each corner of the house and on the pillars...

I know this picture isn't the greatest...but you get the general idea of it all finished...the arch support is still there...they actually removed that yesterday, but I haven't got a picture of it yet!

The ceiling in the living room...the guys who did the drywall were awesome and FAST...holy cow...they did the whole house in a couple of days!

The trey ceiling in the dining room...

A view from the window seat in the kitchen looking out to the front door...the half wall in front is for the raised bar...

Another view of the living room...

The taping complete in the living room...the guys doing our taping and texturing and painting are also awesome...fast and good!

A view of the kitchen...this is looking from the dining room into the main kitchen area...the half wall in front is for the raised bar...on the back side of it will be the sink and dishwasher...on the left wall will be the fridge in the foreground and the stove about halfway back...on the back wall will be a computer nook on the left...double oven...then floor to ceiling pantry cupboards with a microwave niche...in the middle will be and island...to the right will be a peninsula...clear as mud?

I just love how the toy area turned out downstairs...

Here are the inside doors and trim...

I only have this one picture of the siding...not sure where the other ones are hiding...I LOVE the dark color ( I know it is kinda hard to see in this picture)...I will post more pictures of it later...

Days 132-144

Wow...where to begin?...the roof is FINALLY done...it took them FOREVER!...not very impressed with their work ethic AT ALL!!!...hopefully it doesn't leak on us, but it looks good...inspections have been done on the heating/cooling, electric, plumbing and framing...everything looks good...the "yucky" windows have been replaced with ones that we REALLY like...I do believe that all the windows are in now...almost all the outside doors have been placed...just waiting on one in the garage and one in the shop...the insulation is done...man, were they fast!...(the roofers could take a couple of lessons from them!)...the sheetrock arrives tomorrow...the brick masons started today...I LOVE THE BRICK!!!! I can't wait to see it finished...they said it would probably take until the end of next week...LOVE IT!...the front step is poured...no more walking up a 2x10 to get in the front door!...the fireplaces have been framed in and installed...the weather has been great...I guess the word is that it might be finished the first part of June...lets cross all our fingers and toes!!!!!

Here they are building the front porch...

Lots of snow flurries while framing for the front porch...

Steps covered with a concrete blanket...

Kelly standing nonchalantly on the front step...the posts won't be that skinny...they will have brick around them...

Head tilt...this is the framing for the fireplace in the living room...

Framing for the fireplace in the master bedroom...

Installed fireplace in living room...I know you can't see it very good, but it gives you the general idea...

Installed fireplace in master bedroom...

Insulating foam...they spray about an inch of this stuff on all the outside wood walls...

Another view of the foam...

After the foam sets...they spread a mesh layer over the studs and blow insulation in each section...

A fuzzy picture...but you can kinda see the mesh layer with the gray insulation stuff behind it...

They don't spray foam or blow insulation on concrete...they use this stuff...

The girls finally have a window in their bedroom...it is a lot bigger than I thought it would be...easy to get out of in an emergency...

Windows installed in the shop...

Frontal view of the finished roof...

West view...

Back view....

East view...

New windows...the big ones are to replace the ones I didn't like in the master bedroom and the computer/craft room...

I LOVE THIS NEW WINDOW...IT IS PERFECT...we couldn't put a grid across the top...they said it would sag...so, we just did it plain...LOVE IT!!!

View of the new windows from the outside...

View of the installed sidelights on either side of the front door...

My favorite part so far...THE BRICK!!!!... I literally looked at hundreds of homes trying to find a brick I liked...in fact, the first time I saw this brick...I didn't like it...now I LOVE it! It is called Heritage Antique...we have awesome masons...I can't believe how much they got done today!!!...Did I mention that I LOVE it?

Little soldiers all in a row...

Brick stuff...

Working around the garage...

Don't you just love it?....

AHHHHHH!