Things to do...

If you haven't seen or heard from us in awhile, here's a little walk through of what we've been doing for the past 4 months - building a house!  We had most of it sub-contracted out, but we did the electrical & painting ourselves. Needless to say, we've learned a lot about what to do & not-to-do!

We're down to the last 3 weeks, so it's getting crazier than ever around here. The goal is to be moved in 100% by the end of spring break. After that - the doors are open!

Things that still have to be done:

• plumber install all sinks/faucets/toilets/appliances & get water running
• a/c company finish installing a/c
• propane company to install gas lines & convert dryer/stove to propane
• finish priming & painting door frames
• prime/paint all of the shelves & cabinet doors
• wash & paint the outside trim
• install all of the interior lights & fans
• install all of the light switches
• pick out, purchase, & hope you got the right stuff for all the hardware on the cabinets
• install exterior lights (after we find something that we can agree on)
• have floors polished
• touch-up paint in all the rooms
• CLEAN all the dust - we'll be moping from ceiling to floor to get all the dust
• Clean windows & install screens
• sleep between the hours of 1-3am & then drink lots of coffee or Dr Pepper

If you're interested in cleaning or painting, come on by. We'll definitely put you to work!

Interior stuff

All the sheetrock ready to put up

Now if we can just find some good painters!

Found one....have gun, will paint!

The floor 'revealed' for a few minutes

One bedroom done - Ricegrain is the color

How do you spray both sides of the door without waiting for it to dry.... rig up a handy hanger on the stock trailer! :)

Baseboards all primed & painted - had to take into the barn because of the rain

The machine that's paid for itself - paint sprayer, don't build a house without it!

More baseboards at the 'painting spot'

Kitchen cabinets getting started.  For some unknown reason, we didn't paint all of the wall. 

This will come back to haunt us later...

The kitchen shell

Scrap lumber that's left over after the carpenter is finished.  

Lots of good projects just waiting to be built!

TaDa.... kitchen cabinets stained & countertops installed! 

Inside walls & roof go up!

I think they did the walls & roof in about 4 days - way faster than Clifford & I could have done it!

Starting to look like a house! 

A/C & heating ducts - looks like a big spaceship in the attic

The plumbing router - blue=cold, red=hot

All the plugs & lines installed in the ICF

The electrical panel - I'm glad Clifford knows what it all means!

This is how we cut the ICF Styrofoam in order to install plugs/lights on the exterior walls.

I became the 'master' at this - usually without flames

Sand & mortar delivered for the exterior

The stone delivered

Roof is on & they're finishing up the limestone on the exterior

House Groundbreaking to walls poured

Getting the dirt ready

Putting all the plumbing lines in place

moisture barrier down

Foundation poured!

 

Building the walls

Lots of legos - this is what the walls are made of! Stacked together & then rebar goes in the grooves

bracing up the walls

Bringing in the cement trucks

 

The walls are now solid - not going anywhere!

View from the kitchen out the front window. 

New Door!

What do you think of what I hope will be my front door?!?!?  Found it at a garage sale for $50. So, even if it doesn't work for a front door, it's going some where in the house... 

Look at that tail!

Isn't this little girl cute!  Belle at 3 weeks

This & That....

Lots of other things have been happening....

Paul, Paula, Jesse, & Nelson came to 'camp' for a weekend. Jesse & Toby got to be good friends. 

 This is part of the snake that got caught in the garden netting. Didn't even see it until I picked up the net - good thing it was dead & half way decomposed!

Had a wonderful group of young people out for hamburgers, s'mores & hay bale climbing. 

 Anyone ever had bugs mysteriously come alive in your curry?  This was some curry I'd gotten from the bulk section a few months ago.  When I opened up the bottle, all these little clumps started moving!   Ugh!

Meet Belle (as in Blue Belle Ice Cream) We 'rescued' her from her mama a few weeks ago. 

Belle & Toby getting acquainted.

This is after about a week of regular bottles.

My life is pathetic... can't figure out which bowl to eat from...