We're Not There Yet...

BUT... we're getting close!  ( I hope )

We've been trying to tie up all the lose ends and get all the items done that are required by the inspector so we can get the coveted 'certificate of occupancy'!

One of our last 'BIG' projects was recently completed, the garage floor was poured.  This required the help of quit a few guys and really needed to be done for the sake of the staircase that needs to be completed from the laundry room down into the garage, one of the items required by the inspector.  It turned into a late night since the concrete was delivered 3 hours late, almost an all-nighter, it was cold and windy and the concrete took a long time to set.  I wanted to put our hand prints in the concrete in the garage since it didn't work out to do it in our foundation and we ended up putting the kids to bed and waking them up later in the night once the concrete was ready, one more adventure for the record books.  Also, it was a windy day and at one point a piece of plastic flew right into the center of the garage and landed on the wet concrete.  I have pictures of the guys trying to get out there to retrieve it... it was comical and entertaining and made for a fun late night.

We didn't want to spend the money or the time on our back deck, but we did need something constructed at our slider for safety purposes so we put up a temporary deck.  Eventually, down the road we'll tear it down and build a bigger deck that will wrap around part of the back of the house, but for now a small one will do.

Thanks to Bob and Trevor our septic leach field was constructed and covered!

And Nate spent a long evening blowing in the blow-in insulation in our attic with the help of Trevor and Tanner.

Now that the concrete has been poured and is set we need to build the staircase in the garage, finish the handrails on our interior stairs and finish up electrical and plumbing.

We're getting close and thankgoodness because it's started to get cold.  We've had below freezing temps at night which means we have to unplug the water, a little awkward to have no water for periods of a day, and it's cold in the camper at night.  Our baby has been in bed with us to keep her warm and we bundle up the kiddos and wrap them in blankets to make sure they stay warm as well.

Our goal is to be in the house for Zeke's birthday which is on the 28th.  By now you know how well we've been reaching our goals ;) but we can always hope and have something to strive for!

 

Temporary Deck

Leach field in and covered

Tanner helping put the insulation into the blower

Nate insulating the attic

Progress on the garage

Getting the front entry ready for concrete

Pouring the garage floor

work it...work it

hmmm... somethings not right here!

bea-u-ti-ful!

entry

*the* piece of plastic in the center of the garage in the wet concrete...

Layne went for the Tom Cruz method.... well, kind-of...

apparently it wasn't working out to well...

Then we rigged a contraption for Tucker to climb out and try to get it (Bob at one end of the ladder and Layne and Trevor in the rafters trying to keep the end up and steady)...

He's going....

he's workin it...

He got it!!

The guys out there working late

Nate had to hold the kids and have them get their handprint in the cement

Sorry, I forgot to turn this picture but it's of Nate holding Janessa trying to get her little handprint

All our handprints!