Drywall

This was an exciting day.  When it stopped looking like a skeleton and more like a real house.  

The Rock Facade

I was reminded that I haven't kept up with the changes around the house, so here is an update.

After we finished putting on the siding, we had always planned to put a rock facade underneath it.  However, it was the last thing on the list...until our insurance company sent us a letter last October.

We were told that we had 1 week to get the rock on the house or they were going to drop our policy due to inadequate exterior finish.  Well, that was bs, but there was no time to fight it.  

So Steve started putting rock on the walls.  It took all of half an hour to realize that Steve was not the man for the job.  He had neither the patience nor the technique for it.  After he walked away, I took up the trowel and plugged on.  What do ya know, I'm a natural!  Lucky me.  I got to spend the next 3 days solid facing our house with large, heavy rocks. yay.  

Well, at least it got finished.

as of 8/16

This is a few weeks outdated.  We have done so much since these were taken, but I'm too tired tonight to go take more pictures.  So here it is.

View looking out of the "kitchen" into the "dining/living room".

View from the door to the garage across the kitchen to the hall.

From the dining room into the kitchen.

From the dining room into the living room.

Hopefully sheet rock by the end of this week!

New Developments

My kitchen....

...never looked more beautiful.

Siding

Man I hate my old siding.  I hated when we moved in an every single day since.  For those of you to whom I have not ranted, 

I HATE THE COLOR CREAM!!!!

Everything in my house was cream.  The siding, the walls, the ceilings, every single door in the house.  It just looks dingy and I hate, hate, hate it.

One of the many benefits of remodeling the back of the house is that I get new siding...on the ENTIRE house...it's just better for everyone that way.

So, out with the old....

...and in with the new!

We are going to be putting rock on the bottom 1/3 of the house.  Can't wait!

 This is the view from the back of the house.  Note the lovely windows and lack of a porch or any vegetation.  Not to worry, one step at a time.

It's SUNNY...for now.

The other day I came home to this in my front yard.

 

 

 

This was the sight from the backyard

 

 

 

 

Now 5 days later, this is the sight from my "back" door.

 

Note the vaulted ceiling and slanted window space above the recangular windows.  These will be especially fun!

 

I know the shadows make it difficult to see, but that's my back wall being framed.  Once it is done, the sheeting can go on and we can get windows and shingles!!!

 

 

 
 
 
 

Concrete...done.

4 months and $10k later, we have footings, foundation walls, and now...a basement floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now the fun can really begin!!!

Side Project

When you are up to your eyeballs in work and have a million things to do on your house remodel...what is the best thing to do with your "spare" time???

 

 

A side project!!!

 

 

It all began with a leaky faucet in the upstairs bathroom.  I asked Steve to look at it and he decided that the faucet needed to be replaced.  Well, the vanity had water damage from the faucet, so we opted to put in a pedestal sink instead.  So we bought a new sink (which we ended up returning becuase our neighbor had a brand new on in his garage that he didn't want) and upon looking at the complicated set up, decided that we should replace the nasty laminate flooring with tile before permanantly attaching it to the floor. 

 

So now we're into the bathroom with a faucet, pedestal sink, and new tile.  I figured since it turned into such a huge project, I may as well shoot for the moon and paint it too.

 

 

I always forget to take before pictures, so imagine in your mind the half white - half forrest green painted walls, the gold and white 70's laminate, and the tiny, warped, cheap looking vanity.

 

 

 

 

 



Now doesn't that look better?

 

 

Now we can move on to framing the house.

 

 



Under Construction

I had such good intentions of posting all kinds of pictures of the progress of the house.  I've failed.

 

Now we are quite a ways into it and I'm posting pictures of step 50 instead of step 1. 

 

 

Oh well.

 

 

 

 

What I didn't post pictures of was the digging of the hole.  We got a big backhoe (I really don't know how that's spelled).

 



 

Then we poured the footings.  The pictures here are of the wall forms.  We poured the wall the same day.

The forms are off now and we finally have some nice weather, after the 2+ feet of snow we got last weekend, to frame the main floor tomorrow.

 

I will try to remember to take pictures.

Funny Emma

Today Emma said the funniest thing.

 

 

 

To preface, my kids are always asking how to make different colors using the crayon colors they have.  In our house crayons are broken, and subsequently thrown out, on a daily basis.  Thus the lack of needed colors and the never ending question that begins, "Mom, how do you make (insert color)?"

 

I, being the great teacher that I am, or laziest mom ever, always ask them in return, "I don't know, how do you make (insert color)?"  Then they either figure it out or determine that it cannot be made.

 

 

So now we come to the funny part.  To get the full effect, you need to hear her tiny little voice, with her tiny little lisp, in your head.

 

 

 

(only recent picture of Emma)

 

 

 

Emma:  "Mom, how do you make yellow?"

 

Mom:  "I don't know, how do you make yellow?"

 

Emma:  "Umm, I don't know.  Oh wait, you can't !!!"

 

Mom:  "And why not?"

 

Emma:  "Because it's a church color!"

 

 

 

It took me a minute to process what she meant by that.  Then I laughed and laughed and laughed!!!

Emma

I forgot to include this pic in the last post. 

 

 

 

 

 

Emma had an especially nice time at the lake.  This was taken 5 minutes into the car ride home.

Labor Day

 A HEEEEUUUUGE thank you to Jeff!!!!

 

 

 

...Who so generously invited our whole family for a day on the lake.

 



 

First we had to test the water...and take a pee.

 

Once they learned they COULD pee in the water, they all wanted to try. 

Of course.

 

Then we tested out the tube.

 

Note the different expressions on the girls' faces. 

 

Then we had to see how many we could squeeze onto it at one time.  Turns out 4. 

Emma took a spill in the water when she got on.  Thank goodness for life jackets!!!

 

Show off!

 

He knows I've never been able to get up on ski's. 

Unfortunately the water was pretty choppy that day or I would have given it a shot.  Oh well.  Next time.

 

One of the favorites of the kids was just sitting in the front and driving really fast!

 

 

I was so surprised at how well Xena did.  We were doing some pretty hard turns here and she took it all in stride.

 

When Steve went solo on the tube I was laughing my head off the whole time.  Jeff was trying so hard to flip him.  It took about 10 minutes, but he finally hit a huge wake and went flying. 

Nothing funnier than watching the father of your children getting the crap kicked out of him!!!

 

Yea!

 

 

 Again, an enormous thanks to Jeff for a memorable Labor Day weekend!!!

 

 

 

Campout

This summer we had a lot of fun right here in Utah!

 

For example, we finally went on the ward campout for the first time in 7 years.  Although somewhat entertaining, the very best part came after we left the next morning.

 

Some good friends in the ward invited us to go...

HORSEBACK RIDING!!!!

 

 

 

This particular friends' in-law's lived about 15 minutes from the ward campsite. 

 



 

Those of you with whom I grew up, know that I ALWAYS wanted riding lessons.

 



 

 

I did have a friend with a horse who taught me to ride.



 

 

I went so far as to take a class at BYU.

 

I was so excited to be able to take my kids and let them have this experience.



 

 

They LOVED it!!!

 

Even though they were mostly led around the corral.

 



 

 

I know I took pictures of Stevie and Steve, I just can't find them.  I'm especially bummed I can't find the one of Steve looking completely awkward on the horse.  Hilarious!!!