Just so you don't get bored....

Here is a picture of a house that was built from the plan we started with (and then revised and changed MANY times!). But the outside has remained much the same, so this gives you a good idea of what our house will look like, although our garage doors are on the front, so you would see them in this picture. As well, we have extended the porch around the back and added a deck.

Progress...or lack thereof...

Well, we're on a rain delay. The house is surrounded by loads of fill while they wait to finish the backfill and pour the floors, and the building supplies delivery and start of construction has been postponed until.....who knows.... *sigh*

Rain

It's Thursday and still no good forecast. Right now it shows rain right through until next Wednesday. But regardless, the lumber is coming Monday morning and construction starting....I guess they can pour the floor through the framing but what a PITA ....darn weather....

Waiting on the weather

The inspection is done, and the basement floors are covered in plastic awaiting cement. Unfortunatly they are also awaiting the sun. While the walls can be poured with some rain in the forecast the floors are a bit more touchy. Apparently showers are OK, but rain would be bad. And these days we seem to be getting a lot of it...not constant, but here and there every day.

Rain, Rain, Go Away.....

The basement plumbing is done...

...and waiting for inspection the first of the week. As soon as we get the green light they'll pour the basement and garage floors. Monday of next week the carpentry starts.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

(no, not Christmas! Thank goodness!) A basement!! The forms are off and they have started backfilling in order to put in the posts for the porch...they will wait a few days to tamp it all down though. The plumber comes tomorrow to put in the basement plumbing so they can pour the basement floor. They'll pour the garage floor and the cement supports for the porch at the same time.

We also signed the mortgage papers on Monday and found out that one of the requirements was a site survey that showed the position of the house on the lot, and could cost around $1200. YIKES Our lawyer suggested we ask if we could buy title insurance instead, which is only about $200....and the bank agreed...whoohoo! $1000 we can use somewhere else. We also called for insurance on the house. Especially after our trespassers--Keith's light, Cherry Skoal and Pro-Line...hmmmmmm....wonder who that might be...lol.

Andi loves looking around and playing with the rocks...dumping them down the tubes for the porch in this case! She knows where her room will be, and even looks at pictures of the foundation and points and says "Andi's room".

It's pouring...

....cement and rain this week...gaah...

The walls were poured today, and are now curing. So far no rain, but the forecast for the rest of the week is cool, rainy and just yucky. But I guess in the world of concrete it's not a big deal. Or so they tell me.

Happy Father's Day. Flooring and the Red Sox

You might wonder the connection between the three....but really it's not that big of a stretch. See, we wanted wide plank floors for the house, like the ones you would have seen 200 years ago, and still can in really old homes. We saw some last summer at Acadian Historical Village! We found a company in New Hampshire, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, who makes the most beautiful wide plank floor. What we have discovered is that they also have the best customer service, bar none, of anyone we have ever dealt with. So we have paid the deposit, and we're going to go pick up our floors on August 14th. (You'll hear and see more about this later and I've added a link on the side!)

Now, Carlisle also just happens to be two hours from Boston. Home of Fenway and the Red Sox, not that Gary likes the Sox, but since we're there (almost) we thought we might as well take in the game. And (totally by coincidence of course) ;) the Red Sox are at home. So our trip for the floors will also feature a side jaunt to Boston.

Which brings me to Father's Day...we told Gary to find the tickets he wanted, and a hotel, and that would be his Father's Day gift. So, Happy Father's Day. Go Sox. Can't wait to see the floors.....

Walls. Well, almost.

The forms for the basement walls are just about done. A few more tweaks on Monday morning and then they'll pour the concrete. It takes about a week after they're poured before they can do anything like backfill, so this will be another week of hurry-up-and-wait. But at least we know what we're waiting for and when it *might* be done! Charlie, our carpenter, is coming on Sunday to start making plans to get started on the construction phase. :)

A view towards the garage...












Looking towards the Great Room/kids bedrooms...












The front. It's an open walk-out basement. :)

It doesn't look that exciting, but really, it is!!!

I have never been so excited to see a piece of flat ground and some pieces of wood...aka the beginning of our foundation. It was thrilling to see the outline of the house and begin to visualize a bit more clearly. The cement trucks poured the footings today!
The bad news is we have to cut more trees. And even worse, poor Gary spent hours terracing around them with rocks so that we could hopefully save them. But there is just no way...they can't get the cement truck in to pour the walls without cutting them down. It makes me sad to cut such beautiful trees, but I guess we can't live in them, so they have to go. So tonight Gary and his friend Brodie are at the lot, cutting trees and moving rocks so we can keep going on the foundation.