The Perfect Summer Dinner

After celebrating my Father In Laws birthday, we were sent home with some beautiful tomatoes from their farm, Casselmonte.  The tomatoes were just begging to be made into a BLT!

To keep the meal light and refreshing on this HOT summer day, I made a yummy Watermelon salad.  I loosely followed this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/watermelon-salad-recipe/index.html

Building something new

Here we are, 6 months after we moved in.  We finally have Internet service!  My MacBook is broken, so for now I am posting via my iPad.

6 months post move and we still have so much work to do.  Our latest project is setting up a big big room, since we are only a few short months away from expecting a new baby boy!  I guess that means we need a new nickname for Baby L.  If I asked him, I'm pretty sure he'd say it should be little monkey.  He loves to spin around and howl like a monkey.  It's cute...except when he ones it really loud or when we are in the car.

Delays

I have not abandoned the blog; I had to take a break.  

Once the builder started talking about delays I  couldn't bring myself to write anything about the house.  It seemed like writing, thinking, or dreaming about it just made it feel further away. 

We are now back on track.  Depending on the weather, we should be moving in early February.

I'll update this weekend with pictures.

Insulation and Drywall

In the last two weeks, the house has really started to take shape.  On the outside, the siding is going up. Inside, insulation, and dry wall have been hung; cabinetry is starting to go in this week as well.

By the time we got up to the house to check out the insulation, it was dark out.  We were not able to see much.   

 When we came back out later that weekend, they were busy hanging the drywall.  We did not want to get in their way, so we took a few pictures then went on our merry way.

The siding has started to go up on the sides and back of the house.   I am really happy with our siding choice.   When you are in the design meeting, you have several siding samples to pick from, the sample is really a card sized chip showing the color.  We have seen a few other houses with this color, but I was having a hard time visualizing it on our house for some reason.

Now that drywall is up and cabinets are going in, it is starting to feel like a house more than something under construction.  It was fun looking at our cabinet selection, and seeing the rooms closed in.  

I hope you all had a happy Hanukkah, I wish you a Merry Christmas.  I am sure I will write again before the new year.

Anticipation

I  am not very good at waiting.  Everyone keeps telling me now that the framing has finished, the rest will go fast.  Well, I am not sure if it's the growing excitement of the upcoming holidays, or if it's just that I am growing increasingly weary of our little mouse house.   Maybe, its a combination of the two.  I was in a particularly bad mood last night.  Why you ask?  Well, because I went to watch a Christmas special on TV, but it just didn't feel right without the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree.  Yes, I made my felt Christmas tree and Activity Advent Calendar, and that does give our mouse house a festive feel.  It's just not the same.  I miss the smell, I miss the ambient lighting, I miss the glitter of the lights off glass ornaments.  But its not just the Christmas tree that I am missing, is it?  No, it's not just the lack of Christmas tree.   My annual baking spree is affected too.  I am limited in counter space, limited in storage space and limited by my appliances.   I miss my kitchen aid mixer!  (Insert tiny violin here). There are several other holiday traditions, that I have had to put on hold for another year.   I am tired of putting everything on hold.  I am impatient!

So, while I was hoping that the holiday season would keep me merry and bright while I wait for the house, I think instead, it has made me a bit of a grump, not quite a Scrooge or a Grinch.  I still love the Christmas season.  It just doesn't feel the quite right. 

If I can just find the patience to get through the next week, I know I will feel differently.   I start my vacation, and the Christmas tour to visit with all the Grandparents. 

Pre Drywall Meeting

This week we had our pre drywall meeting.  We met with the project manager and walked through the house, pointing out electrical, plumbing etc.

As promised here are some of the inside pictures!

The Garage

Morning room

What will eventually be the kitchen.

Family room

Office

Master Bedroom

Awesome bathtub....I can't wait!

Attic

Well that's it!!  The framing is complete, now we just wait for inspections, insulation then drywall!!

We are getting close, I am soooo excited I can't stand it!

Activity Advent Calendar

I decided to make an activity advent calendar, to help celebrate the holiday season as well as to help keep us busy during this last full month while we wait for the house to be finished.

I bought some holiday themed paper from AC Moore and small business card sized cut outs.

I folded, then taped/glued the paper into 25 different envelopes and labeled each envelope 1 - 25.

Next, I made a list of 25 holiday activities, then printed them out.  I cut out each activity and glued it onto business card cut outs.

I stuffed the envelopes with the activities.  Week day activities were a little less labor intensive, such as write Santa a letter, or, read a Christmas book.

Using a roll of magnetic tape, I cut out strips and hung the envelopes on the back of our door.