Archives for March 2011

Scotty – Scotty always reminds me why I love country music. He’s going to be a classic like George Strait. Love him.

Naima – While I appreciate her efforts, I think that was the wrong song to put that spin on.

Paul – One of Paul’s weaker moments. As unforgettable as it was, I hope it doesn’t put him in the bottom 3.

Pia – Amazing. I think she delivered in a way she hasn’t before. Much more emotion. But it could just be the song. So good.

Thia – Really beautiful but I don’t think enough to save her.

James – He’s verging on cocky for me and I don’t like it. Not a huge fan of this one. Boy can work a stage though.

Lauren – Favorite of hers so far. So, so perfect.

James – Fast forwarded through second half. I’m over the dramatics.

Stefano – He’s improving but still so awkward to watch. So many of the guys are light years ahead of him.

Casey – Favorite Casey moment I think. Totally back in the game this week.

Haley – Have not been a fan of hers but I think that would be my favorite so far.

Favorites: Scotty, Lauren, Casey and maybe Pia too.

In trouble: Thia and Stefano.

Alrighty, the siding is DONE!  The front will have the stone on it.  It got delivered today but seeing that it’s supposed to rain the rest of the week, I doubt we get that up until next week sometime.

As we speak, Scott is off to pick up a fireplace I found on Craigslist.  This whole time we were thinking we’d need a ventless one and it would run about $600.  Come to find out you have to have a vented one in a bedroom. Well, of course, those are $1300.  Um, no thanks.  I want a fireplace but not that bad.  But Craigslist to the rescue.  This couple has the exact vented fireplace we need that (sadly) they had gotten free after their friend gave it to them when his house plans got canceled when his wife passed away.  I will be honored to take good care of the fireplace and enjoy it even more than I had planned. (Oh and I should mention it was only $75!)

Scott will be super busy tomorrow trying to get the fireplace in, the electrical and HVAC up to snuff for code and cross your fingers, we’ll have it inspected on Thursday.  Assuming we pass, the crew can start the drywall!  Whew, if I didn’t know any better, I might think we could be done by the end of April!

This weekend was not in the least everything I hoped it would be.  In some cases more, but in many, it well, just wasn’t anything I wanted.

The siding didn’t go in Thursday, Friday OR Saturday as I had hoped.  Scheduling issues and the rain really put us off.  Scott worked his tail off working on the electrical and HVAC though so it wasn’t a total loss of weekend as far as the house was concerned.  And in fact, we had a good friend give us LOTS of stuff needed for the HVAC so I’m so grateful for that.

Saturday we attended Dani’s son’s first birthday party that was themed in The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  I hope she blogs about it because it was CUTE.  After that, I had many plans to go couponing and errand-running but I was plum exhausted.  This first full week of working completely knocked me off my feet.  I was lying around like  limp rag and was in bed by 8 right after the girls.

And Sunday, well, Sunday was a big pendulum.  It started out very low when our pastor announced his resignation.  Before anyone thinks something controversial happened, I need to clear up that he simply has some personal issues he needs to work on (again, nothing controversial!) and he needs to step away from full time ministry to do it.  I don’t want to be dramatic about this and make it all about me because it’s not.  But I’ll just say I’m sad.  Really sad.  I know God is doing a redeeming work in his life and I’m so grateful that he’s doing what he needs to do.  But I’m just sad.  He’s been on a sabbatical for a month and I was just telling Scott how much I was looking forward to hearing him speak again.  While we aren’t going to that church just for the pastor, I do believe that certain people are anointed to preach and he just has a gift of speaking that you can’t wait to hear again.  In the meantime, he’s planning to stay at the church as a member and I’m hoping and believing after a time, he will return as our pastor.

So from that, last night Dani and I attended Cirque du Soleil’s Totem in Charlotte.  It was fantastic being able to have a friend to talk through all that’s going on on the way and at dinner and watching the show is so awe-inspiring.  I’m always reminded how amazing God is to have created people capable and creative enough to perform what we saw.  I came away relaxed and thankful for His design.

So this rainy Monday morning I still feel a little like a dish rag.  So many emotions in one weekend.  It’s hard that nothing is happening at the house today or probably tomorrow.  Our front yard is a big mud hole at the moment.  Pretty sure we have a small moat around the addition.  But I sat in the driveway this morning and looked at all that had been accomplished, I just felt grateful at how much has been accomplished and that God is still good and He’s still in control and moving in all our lives.  What amazing grace.

Sorry.  I just had some chocolate covered espresso beans.

So if the title wasn’t quite clear enough, the shingles were put on the roof today.

And, here I panned back and you can see how it’s fitting in.  I think it looks fantastic all together and balances with the garage quite nicely!  I can not WAIT to see the stone on the front of the garage and new part!

Scott is doing more work inside like setting pot lights and electrical boxes, installing door handles and continuing to deconstruct for the hallway.  Plumber is coming in the morning and Scott still has plans to start the HVAC this weekend.

Also?  Isn’t that blue sky beautiful?  A gorgeous 70 degrees today!

Nothing new going on today unless you count the satellite and phone being fixed.  Sounded like the plumber couldn’t make it today and they’re starting the roof in the morning.  In the meantime, I’ll show you around a bit more.  Here are some daylight pictures of the outside with the windows and door.  I wish I would have shot it wide enough that you could see the shorter window that matches from the kitchen.

I love the way the French door looks.  Scott was pushing to save money and go for a single door but I have to say, I think it’s going to be worth it.

And here are all the interior walls finished.  I tried to label everything and then show you a few extra pictures so you could see it all from different angles.  The only thing missing is part of the closet wall and the shower wall still needs built out.

These past two days have been huge.  Exciting.  Stressful.  Successful.  Depressing.  Energizing.  Busy.  Exhausting.  Whew.  Another two full days in the office (I know people that do it 5 days a week are rolling their eyes.  You are my heroes, just so you know.) and then FULL evenings have completely wiped me.  I should probably be asleep right now.

• I didn’t get a chance to explain but yesterday we had to make a few floor plan changes on the fly. 
• We moved the bedroom/bathroom dividing wall. 
• The windows on the front of the house were changed to shorter windows to account for the toilet that would be in front of one of them. 
• The bedroom windows were framed in the wrong place and had to be moved. 
• We decided on the fireplace measurements/placement.

That is A LOT especially when many questions were being fielded my way during phone calls as I sat in my cube at work.  I’m actually pretty happy with how things are turning out.  I like the shorter windows on the front. I think it balances out with our kitchen window and gives the front a little character.  The windows in the bedroom were a NIGHTMARE to place.  All we knew is they would NOT work where they put them.  Thank goodness my sister came over and with a flashlight, started moving the actual window up and down the wall to find the right place.  Thanks to Mom for consulting on the phone while out of town too!  Anyway, yesterday felt like an eternity of decisions which we all know I’m not good at.

Today I managed to get home a few minutes early after an afternoon meeting uptown and get dinner ready.    The framers were still around and said they had to be in another city tomorrow morning so they stayed around until NINE after being here since SEVEN this morning.  We fed them dinner about 8 after we realized they weren’t going anywhere and we started feeling bad.  But I’m so thankful they stuck around and finished tonight because I was able to field questions and make decisions on the fly about what walls and doors should go where.  Did I mention we didn’t have an exact plan in place?

OK so as I’m writing this is 9:30 at night and the French door and front windows are in.  Shots of those will have to wait until the next update.  Here’s what we have as of earlier this evening.  As I mentioned the house is properly wrapped and windows are in. Also?  Awesome cart wheel, Emma!

Here’s a shot of the inside.  I’m standing in our bedroom in the far corner of the house. You can see the guy in the green is standing in my closet.  Look how big it is!  The opening to our bathroom is to the left there and that ladder is standing where our sinks will be.  The opening from the new hallway is where that logo is in the black beside the window.  Tonight they framed the fireplace.  Out of everything, I think I’m most excited about that!

Scott was also busy at work inside the house yesterday and today.  He framed the new hallway/bedroom wall and put some sheet rock up.  Pictures are becoming more difficult as the spaces are tighter.  This is a shot of the new hallway from the existing hallway.

Here it is from inside our room.  His next job will be to move the door over to the new wall.  It cracks me up that we turn on the light to our room from the hallway now.

And this is the smaller set of closet doors he put on my closet. You can see how big the opening used to be through the studs.  It’s a bummer we had to close that in but it still works.

OK, that’s this week’s updates so far.  I have absolutely no clue what is happening the rest of the week as I’ve been out of the loop.  Roof maybe? Who knows, I’m just trying to keep up, but I did heard that they hired a company for spray foam insulation near San Diego at http://www.asifoam.com/, to do some projects!