Another week under our belts

Nothing really significant happened on the house last week. At least not much to take pictures of. Then Lana got sick Thursday and that's what I've been doing the last 4 days. Taking care of a coughing grumpy girl. (And Tanner, but thankfully Tanner's not sick. Yet.) 7 days of school and Lana is already sick. Ugh.

The trim guy showed up Thursday and Saturday and started hanging doors and nailing up the trim. Paul finished hanging the siding on the screened in porch Saturday. The power company came out and trenched in our power so now we have power on the house.

This week we have a landscaper coming out to plow the back yard because it's hard as rock and we haven't been able to get the grass seed in. Nice right? We've been trying for 3 weeks to get this done. Gotta love the frustrations that come with building a house.

Our kitchen cabinets should be here Tuesday. Once the trim guy is done then we'll call in the painter. Not counting on the paint happening this week, but it'll be a nice surprise if it does.

Here's to another week under our belts. May this week be more productive than last!

Interior brick wall, entryway stairs, and a driveway!

Some friends of ours in Madison put an interior brick wall in their house and both Paul and I really liked it, so this house we decided to put one up. I am not disappointed. We chose to do a used brick that came from some factory in the south. Not that interesting, but it looks great. They had another brick that I would've chosen just for it's history alone, but it was too dark. The history behind that brick was it came from a factory in Cowpens, SC which was not far from Greenville, SC where we used to live. It was a handmade brick hundreds of years old.




This is the other side of the wall. View from the dining area.



We poured our driveway this week which meant we could finally put in the steps to the house.



So Monday we thought we were going to be able to lay our grass seed, but it was too muddy. Instead we plotted out where we wanted the driveway to go. I knew that I had to keep a close eye on the kids to make sure they didn't fall into the mud. I was doing really well too until I took the kids next door to talk with the neighbors. Tanner went to go stand by Paul, I just assumed Paul would pick him up instead of let him trudge through the mud. yeah, right. I need to stop assuming things. Next thing I know Tanner has fallen hands first into the mud. He picks himself up and he slips and falls on his bum. Paul meanwhile is just standing there watching Tanner get all hysterical because he's covered in mud. Graciously our neighbors let me hose Tanner off so we could go home.

Wednesday we were supposed have people out building forms for the driveway, but they were behind which meant that the concrete had to be delayed. Well, by the time they were ready, it was raining. Then the concrete truck driver demolished our culvert (the drainage pipe in the front part of the driveway...I miss street gutters) and they couldn't finish the driveway until it was replaced. Our grader Wayne, who has just been so nice throughout this whole process, was out there assessing the situation and was up early Thursday morning replacing the culvert and made it possible for us to finish the driveway Thursday afternoon before it rained.

I'm not gonna lie. I'm glad this week is over. It's been an eye opener for me having Lana in preschool 5 days a week. I feel like my week has been extended by an extra 2 days. But I'm glad for the experience because it gets us ready for next year.

Let's also keep our fingers crossed that this fantastic weather we're experiencing will last until Wednesday. We need to get our grass seed down and I could use a better week!

First day of Pre-K 4!

Finally, a non-house post! Lana started Pre-K 4 yesterday. The first day was a meet-and-greet type day. A friend who had worked at the preschool last year had mentioned a couple teachers that were highly recommended and the most requested but I had forgotten all about it until we walked into Lana's class. After a few minutes of hanging out in the classroom the preschool director walks her daughter into the class and I knew the teacher had to be "the best" because if you're the preschool director why wouldn't you have "the best". Lana seems to like her teacher Miss Monika. (She's really a Mrs., but here we call everyone "Miss or Ms.") She has a hard time pronouncing it so we've been working on it. She's also already made a new friend, Gracelynn. When I met them out on the playground there were playing rocks together, which is Lana's favorite thing to do during playground time. (If she has pockets she will stuff them full of rocks. Once she even stuffed them into her shoe just so she could bring them home.)




All of the pictures I took turned out blurry. I could not get this girl to stand still for the life of me. I finally gave up so I am posting the least blurry pic of them all.




Tanner was okay while we were at school. I had to stay for a lame-o parents meeting while Lana was having class. I understand it was meant to be informational, but most of it was going over the same information that was in the booklets they handed out instead of doing Q&A's or anything else remotely helpful. It wouldn't have been bad except it was difficult to keep Tanner quiet and keep him from throwing things at people. Thankfully my very-nice-soon-to-be-new neighbor was there and helped distract him a bit. Tanner and I were both a bit frazzled by the end and when all was said and done had to take Tanner from the building screaming his head off because he wanted to play with a firetruck that we had to leave in Lana's classroom. Needless to say I will be happy when they start up the car line next week so I won't have to get him out of the car.

Tanner really isn't that bad. Maybe I'm just saying that to convince myself otherwise. But he is so darned cute during his other moments. Like the other night I went to put him to bed. I asked him if he wanted to say prayers like Lana and he went and knelt down by the chair we have by his crib. I helped him say his prayer and the entire time he's looking at me and whispering and at the end even said "amen". I went to lay him down and said "Night, night Tanner. I love you!" and he says "Night, night Momma. Wuuvv wooo!" It completely made my day.

He also loves to read books. He'll go grab a couple books and bring them to you and say "peas, peas, peeeeeeas!" until you stop what you're doing and read them. Thankfully he has these sweet moments to balance those not-so-sweet moments otherwise I might have considered putting him in Mom's Day Out this year.

Invasion of the house flies

Front Entry. I'm so happy with how this turned out. Although the plans call for the outside of the brick arch painted white. Paul and I can't decide if we want to do that or not.



What do you think? White or not? And yes, the brick is still incomplete. We ran out of brick. Again.



Lana playing on her bridge. The kids have really enjoyed playing at the house. I'm not sure what they're going to do once it gets done and all cleaned up.


Lana was mad at me because she thought I was only taking a picture of Tanner. She cracks me up. Here's Tanner giving his squinty cheese grin. He wasn't having a very good day. Most of it consisted of time outs in the car (with the AC on of course).


Paul is a man of many talents. His new one now is electrician. (Thanks for all your help Dave!)


Sheetrock in the Family Room.


Sheetrock in the kitchen/dining area.


You really need to click on this picture and enlarge it to really get the full effect. Since we started building we have had this influx of flies. They are disgusting and horrible and they are everywhere! It is so gross. We hung some fly paper and caught a few, but there were still a ton flying around congregating on things. They really seemed to love the front door.

Sheetrock makes me giddy!

Who knew? I certainly didn't. Especially when I drove up to the house at 10:30 this morning and no one was there working. Then it rained most of the afternoon. Imagine my surprise (and giddiness) when we pulled up at 5:30 this afternoon to measure for the interior doors and they had most of the sheetrock hung.

I am so relieved to not be looking at those skelton-like framed walls anymore. I'm not gonna lie. It was getting a little old.



Back porch.


"The long hallway". Sorry for the dark picture. I'm slowly picking up better photography skills, but sometimes I get so caught up in taking pictures I forget to adjust my settings for different lighting.


Our sheetrockers would've had it all hung today if they hadn't run out of material. They are fantastic. Much better than our last ones.

Seeing the sheetrock hung today renewed my sense of excitement for the completion of this house. I can't wait to finally be living in it and out of this apartment!

House update sans pictures

I wanted to post a house update, but I forgot to take the camera so I'll post pictures later. This week we had the plumber out and he did his stuff, installed the bathtubs, showerpan and water heaters. The insulation guys came out Friday and stuffed the walls full of insulation. The sheetrock will be delivered Monday and we're scheduled to start sheetrocking Tuesday but that all depends on the electric company and when their inspector can come out to inspect the house. Paul finished up his odds and ends Wednesday and Saturday. And I cleaned out all the garbage in the house and swept it out. Lana and Tanner made great use of the dirt and sand by covering every inch of themselves with it.

Coming up this week we should have our large garbage pile in the front yard hauled off, the masons should be back to finish up the outside of the house, the framers will come back to do the screened in porch and a few miscellaneous things, the sheetrockers will be hard at work hanging, taping, mudding (is that a word?) and sanding.

Oh, and we also made a decision on the hardwood floors and tile floors. Now we just need paint and shower tiles to match.

A few house pics

Here's a few house pictures. The mason's had to go do a Home Place job so it took them a little longer, but that's okay, they're almost done. Our HVAC guys were out here this week putting in all the duct work. The plumber started his stuff and should be finished up in the next couple of days. Paul has a furlow day this week which will enable him to get the electrical all tied up and then we can get on with the sheetrock.

A Southern Summer Storm

Lana and Tanner pictures

Today the kids told me what they wanted me to take pictures of. Since I went to our 2nd photography class last night I was eager to try out the new things I learned. First up, Lana...







First she wanted me to take a picture of her "owies".


Those red ants sure are nasty little buggers.


Then she figured that as long as I was taking pictures of her feet, then she needed me to take pictures of one of her hands too.


Hangin' out on her chair. Those kids love their chairs. They're exactly the same and yet they still fight over them.


And lastly, George the Lion. Why is his name George? Because she refused to give any of her animals names. So I told her his name was George. She argued with me for an entire day that his name was not George. When Paul came home she introduced him to George the Lion.

Next up, Tanner...



Hello Mr. Tonka truck.





Here mom, take a closer look at my bum and my truck.



Thanks Tanner.

"Bless his heart!"

I have never heard that saying until we moved south. "Bless your heart, bless her heart, bless his heart, bless their heart." That's the southern pity phrase. So that is the phrase I use today for Paul. Bless his heart. That man has been so busy this week (not to mention a beef jerky makin' Manrichment last night and a 2 am run to the church to unplug the dehydrators) and did not even get a rest today. He and Dave (bless his heart too) worked all day on the house while me, Tanner and Lana played at our Stake Pioneer activity. Then later this evening he came straight from the house to the church to prep the fireworks for the ward activity, he cut the watermelon, lit off the fireworks and then cleaned them up. What a guy!

Tanner trying to swipe the toy car while everyone else is preoccupied.

Way cute picture of Tanner and Gunnar, the bishops boy. Tanner's mouth is full of a freshly made biscuit. Yum!

After the Stake Activity and Tanner's nap, we brought dinner to Paul, Dave and their helper Jay. The roofers were just about wrapped up and it looked like the Brick Masons were about 2/3 of the way done. Yay!!

Here's the primary kids playing tug-o-war at the ward activity. The Primary boys challenged the Relief Society Sisters. We totally slaughtered them just to keep them humble (that's a pioneer trait right?).

The Elders Quorum (aka Paul) put on this fabulous fireworks show. A guy in our ward had this remote detonator (yeah, sounds a little scary right?) but it was sooooo cool. The fireworks were all hooked up and you push a button and they all go off in sequence. Paul is always wanting to light fireworks and now I'm pretty sure he's gonna want to get one of those detonators. It was so darn cool that I might actually consider it.

I'm pretty sure that the neighbors who live by the church were thinking, those crazy Mormons, why the heck are they lighting off fireworks, don't they know the 4th of July was 3 weeks ago? Well, at least they got to enjoy a pretty-impressive, free-of-charge, 5 minute fireworks show.

Loving the brick

It's been a busy couple of days out at the house. We've had people installing the windows and back door, the duct work for the HVAC, the soffit being painted, brick going up and the roofers putting on the shingles.

I am really happy with our choice of brick. I am looking forward to seeing it all done. The kids have been really excited to go check out the house because that usually means a stop at the playground. We've also met a number of our neighbors. A few came out and were chatting with us until almost 9 last night. They are all really nice and some have young kids. The girls that live next door are so sweet. Every time the see Lana they always have a big smile, call her by name and are quick to usher her off to play. Tanner is just loving all the attention he gets from everyone. I of course forgot to put on bug spray and will be enduring some nasty mosquito bites the next couple of days. The kids seemed to have escaped them, thankfully. But will I ever learn?

Framing...done!

Looking inside the house from the front entry way door.


This is quite possibly my favorite part of this house. Our screened in porch.


Looking down the hallway. Lana's room first door on the right. Tanner's room second door on the right and bathroom at the end of the hall.


This wall of our family room will be 2 very large brick arches.


My favorite and most fantastic home builder hard at work.


2 of 3 fantastic electricians (not to mention brothers of Paul) who took off work to come wire our house. You guys are seriously awesome!


Looking at the front of the house from inside the garage.


Inside the garage.


Looking at the storage room inside the garage.


Fantastic electrician number 3 hanging out on the rafters.



Coming up next, windows and exterior doors and brick.

My big helpers and inside framing pics

This is why we have kids right? For the manual labor?

Tanner loved that hammer. He drug it all over the house, over and under all the boards. It was so cute!

Lana loved to point out all the ants crawling on the ground. (I have warned her multiple times about stepping on the red ant hills because they're vicious little buggers.) Now she keeps her sharp little eyes out and points out every single ant.

Okay, so here's the first look at the inside of the house. Good luck figuring out what it is you're looking at exactly because it's kind of hard to explain a picture of wood. I am standing in the corner of the dining room which is the far back corner of the house. On the left side of the picture is the screened in porch. Behind the screened in porch is the master bedroom. In the middle of the picture is the great room.

Here I'm still in the corner of the dining room. We're looking at where the kitchen is going to be. Behind the first wall is bedroom #4.

This is a better view of the screened in porch. The big opening on the left side of the picture is going to be a window not a door.

And here is the back of the house. The left side is the master bedroom, middle is the screened in porch, and right side is the dining room.

We stopped by the house yesterday while they were putting the boards up on the roof. We are using Tech-Shield which is this material that looks like aluminum foil attached to the underside of the boards. It is amazing. We walked underneath what they'd put up and it felt like we were just under the shade of a tree. If you've never been in a house under construction in Mississippi heat, then just take my word for it that it's hot. Miserably hot. But this tech shield stuff is like the greatest thing since sliced bread. Okay, maybe not but it's still pretty cool. (hah, pun intended) Hopefully that stuff will make wiring the house for Paul and his brothers a little more bearable this week.