We are FINALLY in Our House!

So.....we've been living here since November, and I'm JUST NOW (February 18) putting up new pictures! Typical! And, of course, there are NO pictures of the move, none of us putting up fence, very few of Christmas; my only excuse is that I was just too happy to be in my house to even think about getting the camera! I know, a pretty SAD and sorry excuse! Well, here's the end of the construction, and some of the finished, and oh-so-lived-in house!

Come see our new house!

Months of October - February!

Painting, flooring, moving, celebrating!

Part 1: taping and painting

Taping all the woodwork for painting.	We used rolls and rolls of this stuff.	More taping in preparation!

Kim & Bethany work on Kimberly's room.	Amy painting her walls.	Bethany applies her "Lilac" paint.	"Moss Green" for the master bedroom.

Part 2: laying the wood flooring

Kim starts prep work.	Set up to cut pieces.	Chris works detail work.	Kimberly starts on the hallway.

This is a family project.	Kim takes a well-earned break.	getting close to done!	Chris makes the final TAP.

Weeks August 14 - September 24 (yea, a month and a half!)

Custom cabinets built

The kitchen cabinets take shape.	more of the cabinets	Details were so meticulous!	The laminate covering is applied!

The pantry!	Me, sitting on my cabinets.	Amy & Bethany in the kitchen.

The bookcase by the fireplace.	The master bath.	The hallway vanity area.

The sewing table in the laundry.	hall closet.	Awesome built in cabinets!!

Other Misc chores - fence, clean up

Our trailer loaded with trash!	Stuff to throw or burn.	Stuff to pick up!

While cabinets were going up....	we put up more cedar fence!	The east half is all done!

Our entry way needed extra support - Jay brought us another cedar log, like our porch. We stripped, sanded, and sealed it - it looks breathtakingly beautiful!

Bark stripping.	The post installed.	A view from the living room!

Weeks of July 24 - August 7 Sheetrock, fireplace, trim, doors!!!

The ceiling gets started.	Man, they moved FAST!	Who hit the b/w button?	Walls, walls everywhere!

Gary starts on the fireplace.	The true firewall goes up!	All done! (except the mantle)	The 3 girls enjoy the fireplace.

The tape and float crew.	The girls clean up (again!)

The cabinet & trim crew sets up.	Our living room is now a wood shop!	Doorways, windows, floorboards.	The laundry room door from Amy's room

Week of July 17 - Brick laying has begun!!!

Brick laying has begun!	The front porch takes shape!	The house starts to look more like a house!	We love the brick!

Dalene tries her hand at brick laying.	Gary (neighbor, foreman)patiently teaches....	"Amy helps" lay some bricks!	Chris takes a well-earned rest.

Week of July 10 - Finishing up pipes, insulating, other stuff!

A sunset too pretty....	Not to pause and enjoy!	Jay delivers our chosen fireplace mantle!	The mantle waits in the barn.

Bethany insulates windows.	Kimberly was our star insulation piecer!	Dalene slices and dices.	"Amy helps" Chris insulate outlets.

Putting in and testing water pipes.	"Amy helps" with the pipes.	Down in the trenches.....

Kimberly and Meggie Pinones...	Rachel and Sarah Postma and Bethany...	write Bible verses on floors and studs.	The girls at the end of the morning.

Week of June 26 & July 3 - Trench digging, pipe laying, Cedar porch posts in!

Chris digging across AT&T's lines	Chris digging more pipe trenches.	The pipes for electric and data.	Some of our water lines.
The front porch posts are in!	Cedar trees are now my front porch posts.	A view of the living room.	A view of the kitchen.

Week of June 19 - Roof Shingles on, brick delivered!

The guys working on the shingles.	Roof all done.	Our bricks are here!	More bricks.

Week of June 12 - Air Conditioning rough in, more electric, network/phone/TV wiring

AC duct-work in the attic.	More AC ducts.	Chris wiring front porch lights.	Dalene helping with porch lights.
More wiring being done.	Kim running phone and network lines.	More late evening wiring.	The girls working in the barn.

Week of June 5 - Plumbing rough in, windows, doors!

The plumbing for the kitchen sink.	Bobby (plumber) working on the water heater.	The manna block - heart of water in our house.	The water heater in the attic!
Windows in the front!	Bethany at her window...	Kimberly at hers.	Amy at her window... (grin!)	Dalene @ the kitchen window...
The back porch doors	Back door to living room.	At long last - our water meter!!!	A view of it all from the road.

Week of May 29

A side view.	Back view - more stuff added.	It looks like a house!	From the driveway!
The attic area has siding!	more siding and vents	A third view.

And now the electrical work begins!

Kim puts in her light switch box.	Bethany does hers!	Our friend Mike helps with wires.	Mike, his son, and our friend Ethan.

Week of May 22

The roof begins to take shape.	More roof.	A steep roof!	Working on my porch!
The back porch!	More front porch!	The dormer windows take shape.	Dormer windows mostly done.

Week of May 15

The framing crew arrives.	Framing has begun.	More framing!	The entire front wall goes up!
Mostly done!.	Outside insulation has been added!	A message to the girls....??	The roof begins!!

Week of May 8

The pump truck arrives.	The crew prepares.	Concrete starts pouring!	Work on the front porch!
More foundation work.	Smoothing...!	Family hand prints.	The completed foundation!

Weeks of April 24 and May 1

The material for the foundation frame	The guys start building the frame	Keep on working, just keep working....	Mostly done!
The frame has been filled...	with lots of dirt to level it.	The girls watching the frame go up	The girls sitting where their rooms will be.
The plumbing is roughed in!	Rough plumbing, different view!	The trenches dug for the foundation footer.	3 feet deep, 2 feet wide! Solid!

Keep up with our barn!!

We held our official (I was going to say "formal," but there was nothing formal about it!) Dedication BBQ and ceremony on Saturday, April 16. Construction should start on April 21. We're obviously very excited!

Here is a timeline, of our journey. Updates on April 17 include info on a construction start date, The Big Event, and of course, the Dedication.!

House plans, Map to Cornerstone Acres

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Wildflowers on our property! Here's some of my first botany photography attempts.