Our First New "Thing"

The new bathtub is here, the new bathtub is here! When you've lived like us for as long as we have, these things are important and exciting! Our first new "thing" the bathtub for the upstairs bath/shower. The plumber was here today to get things started to install it.

HD/S/WC: 167

The Answer to the Million Dollar Question, well sorta...

We were trying to figure out the answer to the question that everyone keeps asking us, "When are you going to be done?" Done we will probably never be, but move in, that's another story..... So we sat down tonight and tried to come up with a timeline that seems reasonable but who really knows. All I know is that we are hoping to be done the day my sister arrives from Michigan for a visit! Our timeline goes a little something like this...

• Feb 17th get inspection to start drywall Week of Feb. 20th finish up last minute things & insulate before drywall starts! Week of Feb. 27th drywall begins (we have been getting quotes and this should take approx 3 weeks!) Week of March 20th paint interior, stucco exterior Week of April 3rd lay the floor, install kitchen cabinets My sister arrives April 12th We will be cutting it close for her visit, to say the least! Wish us luck! HD/S/WC: 165

Black Paper on the house means Weatherized!

Aaah! Finally a huge step forward and, again, finally we are both starting to get excited! We may actually get to live in this house soon! We were approved for our outside framing so we are able to wrap the house in the black paper. Like the title says once the black paper is on the house is considered weatherized, which means no more bailing water, no more worrying about the rain leaking on my head, on my clothes etc.....It is also a huge step forward in getting this house done! We also had the garage door reinstalled, so now the house it completely secure too! Before we could only lock our bedroom door and the door to the hallway, now we are locked up tighter than a drum! My laundry room is coming along nicely as well! They put my washer and dryer up on their pedestals and let me tell you how fantastic they are! No more crouching down on the ground to load and move the laundry back and forth. I can not say enough about the front loading washer/dryer and the pedestal combo! The front loading washer takes so much less soap, I have had the same bottle for 3 months now and there's still some left! HD/S/WC: 164

The Fireplaces!

Do you want the good news or the bad news??? The good news is that we got our fireplaces and one is going in the bedroom! This is the new living room and it's fireplace: Here is the bedroom one. It's going to be so cool, or should I say hot? The bedroom one comes with a remote control so I will be able to turn it on while still in bed! This is one of the features that I have Jack tell me about when we are at our wits end,I'll ask him to "Tell me about my fireplace............." Looking great, right? So the bad news is that the fireplace people have now stood us up 2 times for the installation, so yesterday I told them to come and get their fireplaces and stopped the payment on the credit card! So we need to get new fireplaces and someone to install them but that should be no problem, there are fireplace stores everywhere! This is a minor bump, trust me! HD/S: 159

The Roof is coming, the roof is coming!

Awesome, Finally a roof! Oh the little things when you are remodeling! We have been very lucky with the rain, though you wouldn't think so from previous blog entries, but it is the winter! But that is all behind us now, because the roof is coming! They brought this cool machine to get all the supplies up onto the roof.

The supplies showed up on time during the week, but after 3 failed inspections to get the roof covered up, alas we had to wait another week! But we did finally pass and the roof is on!

It's been a long time.....

I'm so sorry for not keeping things up to date! I have been so busy with work and been out of town a lot that I have just not had a chance to keep up. I have managed to take some photos along the way so here we go. I think last we left each other the windows were just about to be put in. So much has happened since then, it really seems like a long time ago. I'll say this about the windows.....MOST of the windows look fantastic! I say most because I am extremely unhappy with the window in the kitchen! More on that later... Here is a look at the front door being installed and the front windows.

My new laundry room door. It has a great view of the backyard and once we finish with the landscape it will be beautiful!

Here's a view of the side of the house. All the cement on this side of the house had to be removed. It was poured higher than the foundation of the house and it needed to be dug up for our new drains. Very exciting. So, since that cement was coming up and since we are going to install a pool in the yard when we are done, that meant the jacuzzi had to go! It takes an army to move a jacuzzi!

We gave it to our neighbors and they brought an army to move it! They are now enjoying their new jacuzzi and are really grateful!

Now back to the windows....The way we ordered the kitchen window, it is actually 4 windows put together. But when it came in, the center of the window is actually wood! it's where the two windows are stapled together. I have to say it is the only thing in this house that has made me cry! When we started this project all I wanted was a window that looked out into my backyard. I do have the window, but the view is blocked and quite frankly I'm pissed! I'm not mad at anyone (though I think our window guy should have been brighter than that and told me this) but one thing I am not going to do is put up with it! Jack is being a very good sport about it really. I mean I want a new window and they are not cheap, but there are some things I am not willing to compromise on! He has asked me to wait until everything is done to really make sure I can't live with it, so I have agreed to that, but I'm really not sure I can live with it. Take a look,

HD/S:155