Before windows

 The windows are supposed to go in tomorrow.  How cool is that!  Well actually it will be nice because it is actually fall and the leaves are starting to change and make us think it might cool down here soon. I love my dining room and living room.  This is truly a great room!  Not in size necessarily, but in view.  It is truly incredible.  I cant wait to move in!  We should be putting in windows and doors soon and then hanging siding.  I painted a couple of patches of siding with my paint options.  I am sticking with the one I thought I would like.  It is the best.  Today the shower and the bathtub arrived.  I got 

a mud room deep sink on clearance and found a couple of great deals on doors.  So that was helpful. Now I just gotta come up with hardware for the doors.  Planning tomorrow to begin pulling wire for outlets and stuff.  Should be fun.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful.  The crew today was putting the last boards up as sheeting on the roof of my porch.  My house is looking like a real place.  It has been such fun making it look so nice.  The inside will be a lot of fun as well.  But a lot of work to go until we get to do that!  But good things come to those who wait and who work! 

 

Looks like a HOUSE!

I went over to my new house today - I forgot my camera!  So sorry!  But I had so much fun.  Walking through the house and realizing that it is really happening.  There is a house there when 2 months ago were a few colorful flags in the dirt!  The roof was finished being sheeted, the guys were putting up the porch trusses.  The inside walls are all framed.  There were black plumbing pipes in and now I know where my washer and dryer will be.  My HVAC guy showed up today and figured out his stuff too.  I am planning to meet with the electrician on Friday and we are pulling wire  for outlets and lights this weekend.  I think the siding is going on starting this weekend as well.  Windows go in Friday.    It is fun watching it all come together and look like what I have pictured in my head.  It looks so good!  We painted a small section of the wall today with the wall and door and possible trim color.  I didn't really like the trim.  So might go back to my other option on that.  But that is why we did a small bit of siding that will be covered up!  :) 

Sleeping Bags

When most of us think of sleeping bags, we think of warm, cozy, camping, cloth, nothing really sentimental but hopefully good fun memories.  I am beginning to realize on this 6 month anniversary of my Dad's death, how many things he touched in my life.  I feel like the ripples of the pond that is my life, just keep clashing with life.  Someday maybe it will settle back down again, but will be never the same again.  The shoreline has changed, and I have a new island in my life pond that is the rock that was thrown in of my Dads early - to me - death.  Anyway - back to sleeping bags.  When I was little I remember my Dad and older brother coming home from a camping trip - winter scout camp - where they had both froze!  They did not have good enough sleeping bags and got very cold.  I remember Dad, going out and buying 2 warm sleeping bags. One was huge - the other a warm good quality sleeping bag.  He got teased about the huge one by all of us, simply due to its size, that is, until one of us went camping or hunting or something when it might be cold and we asked to use it.  I don't think any of us ever were cold in it.  Neither was Dad.  He had wanted to not get cold camping!  Fast forward several years. . . . . After being cold once while camping Dad wanted to help others avoid that plan.  I know of several boy scouts and others who he either straight out bought sleeping bags for or gave them some work so they could get a good warm sleeping bag.  Last year at hunting season we were talking about sleeping bags and how it was probably about time to get one for my son, a good warm bag.  We didn't go to Cabelas that day and get one, but we talked about it.  This year as hunting season was rolling around, I realized that  getting a good warm bag for him had not got done last year.  While he has a sleeping bag, if we are ever in a place where we think he might be cold, he has always used my sleeping bag.  It is one Dad bought with me before my first Mongolia trip.  It is a WARM -30 down bag.  I love it.  Never have gotten cold in it.  It just wasn't the same going shopping for a sleeping bag with my son.  I felt like someone was missing on our shopping trip.  I know it sounds silly, but it was how I felt.  Yes, life will go on.  Yes, he has a nice warm bag.  But it was just kind of an odd thing to realize and think about.  Something that ambushes you.  Sleeping bags - Who would have thought! 

Framing . . . Trusses . . . . Sheeting . . . . O My!

We have interior walls now and lots of framing going on.  Things have really been moving in the last few weeks.  Perspective is a funny thing though.  To us the framers seemed like they were flying along, but to them, they are moving slow.  They are house framers who now work for a pole barn company.  But by trade are house framers.  They are having a fun time building our house, but it has been a bit challenging for them to build a pole house.  But they are enjoying the challenge.  We have been enjoying getting to know them and work with them.  The things we are going to do are


getting close now to starting and we are hoping to be pulling electrical wire next weekend.  Should be fun!            Any volunteers??        We are thinking that we will be moved in by Christmas, but we are shooting for Thanksgiving if at all possible.  But we will see how things go.  I have been loving finding ways to save on this house though.  Craigslist has been wonderful.  Found shelving and a kitchen sink - for under $100 instead of over $1,000! Found all sorts of things to save money on during this process.  That has been a project but a fun one.   Every time we are out at our house though we are marveling at how very peaceful it is.  So wonderful  No noise.  A few cows.  Just peacfull!  It has been a welcome balm to our souls.  We  continue to realize how much our lives are affected by our very long spring, but are also knowing that we must continue moving on.  It is hard to realize though that my Dad will never visit this house, and that he would absolutley love hiking over these hills and rocks and all, but never will.  I am finding I get ambushed by those thoughts and feelings sometimes and it is a painful reality, but still real.