It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Home

I've always felt that a photographic image of a house lit up in the dark conveys a sense of 'home'.

So with that in mind, I set out to get that home like image. My accomodating husband humored me by dropping me off at the top of the driveway and then heading down to turn all the lights on. So here it is, our new home! The new mailbox!!!!
The garage spotlights.

We are mostly moved into the new house but still sleeping, showering, and dressing at the old house until the propane tank is installed and there is hot water for showers. The good news is that now the propane tank can be brought in since they have finished the final grading of the ground today.

Saturday's move went very smoothly. We had lots of great help; Josh, Sara, Evan and his cousin Austin helped with the heavy lifting! It only took two loads in the large 24 foot U-Haul truck to get everything transferred to the new house. The two loads were completed by 2:30 and that's when the beer drinking commenced! Moving and beer drinking; it's a traditional combination like chips and dip! We were able to make good use of that back porch when Evan's folks joined us later in the day. They brought some PVC pipe to make a frisbee and beer bottle game. Throw in some pizzas and micro brewery beer and it all made for a very fine evening. Especially since Yvonne had a citronella candle! Sara was the designated driver and safely delivered the moving crew back home well before midnight, which is probably an early night for these college students! Josh's flight on Sunday was delayed which meant he was going to miss his connection in Detroit so he had to take a bus from Detroit to Lansing late Sunday night. Luckily the missed flight happened in Detroit and not Chicago!

Ready or Not Here We Come

I think we're ready! Wednesday evening: the back ordered ceiling fan was delivered in time for move-in day!
A foggy Wednesday evening: gutters up just in time for more rain!

Shed gutters and more fog.

Friday - Random notes from a very busy day before move-in day: Bobby left at 8:00 for the airport to pick up Josh, sun is finally shining and drying up the latest batch of mud, I head to the new house to catch up with the builder to ask about a couple of the bills, he lets me know that all the County inspections have been completed and all systems are go for a Saturday move, the builder's brother is finishing up last minute items including removing a dead mouse from the cabinet under the sink (yikes), stopped at the storage unit to double check that we will be able to access the unit tomorrow even though they are resurfacing the roads around the facility, write out checks to pay the last batch of bills, Josh's flight arrives at 10:00, a trip to the bank to turn in the draw sheet, lunch in Baldwin, Sara got off work at 1:30, packing, packing, packing, Bobby, always the comedian labeling boxes "Lisa's stuff 1, 2, 3, & 4", more packing, disassembly of electronics, shrinkwrapping furniture to keep doors shut (very handy stuff, think Saran Wrap on steroids), disconnecting washer/dryer, more shrink wrap, more packing, trip to Target for Advil and get some cash, unload the refrigerator, head to the new house to load the refrigerator, put toilet paper and soap in all the bathrooms, Mountain Man statue placed on the mantle, stop for beer & ice, load the coolers, out to YSI to watch Sara & Evan's final kickball game of the season, hang around have a few beers, visit, and gaze at the Big Dipper, head to HyVee for a hummas and ice cream dinner, time for one last blog!!!!!

Next blog will be from Lonesome Duck!

Night all!

Brown Quadrupled

Brown carpet master bedroom.

Brown carpet back bedroom.

Brown carpet front bedroom.


Brown dog who will be well camouflaged on all that brown carpet (this picture was taken a very longgggg time ago when she didn't spend as many hours sleeping on the carpet as she does now).

Husband Humor

We're taking a little break from packing boxes so I asked Bobby, "what's your favorite thing about the new house?"

His reply, "the burn pile." That's sooooo Bobby!

The Home Stretch

Shiny new appliances!Touch up painting being worked on!My bathroom mirror installed. We're going to have to come up with a Plan B for Bobby's mirror because it won't fit due to the light switch. Good shot of the completed shower here too.
Septic tank has been placed and the laterals are being dug now. Carpet gets installed on Tuesday the 6th. Final Douglas County inspection on the 7th.
Planned move-in date is Saturday the 10th!!!!!

Simple Pleasures

It won't be long now. Lots of loose ends being wrapped up.

Today's progress, bathroom mirrors, towel racks, and the granite back splash. More bathroom accessories, doorknobs and doorstops.

Front porch posts! The color of the cedar posts really draws out the darker shades in the stone(sorry you can't see the stone in the picture). There's also a doorbell and a new doorknob and lock. Bobby had to run back to the Pebble Lane house for a screwdriver to fix the sliding door so while he was gone I settled into a chair on the front porch, closed my eyes and listened to the early evening bird songs.

Simple pleasures.

Back porch posts!


Kitchen cabinet door knobs! Where's Waldo, can you find the one cabinet that is missing a knob and which two drawers are missing pulls? Looks like we will be making yet another trip to Home Depot to get the missing parts!

Cool swirly knobs on the bathroom cabinets!


The contractor spent part of his day scraping the paint off the windows in the french doors. Handles were also added today.

All the cold air returns and heating vent covers were put on yesterday. The smoke detectors were hooked up last week.

Air conditioner was set yesterday!

The contractor and his family stopped by tonight so that he could show his wife the house. They've got a couple of super cute and friendly tow headed kids! They're planning a trip to DisneyWorld in October so I asked the little girl which was her favorite Disney princess, it's a toss up between Cinderella and Snow White!

The full moon was rising and it was getting dark when they left so Bobby and I headed inside to lock up. It was pretty cool to go from room to room switching off lights for the first time.

Simple pleasures.

Allen Fieldhouse South

Can't really see it that good in this picture, but the front porch concrete is poured! There's even a plank over the concrete in case anyone needs to get into the house. The site of future post-Thanksgiving dinner basketball games!

And folks, if you can't find me in a month or so, look out here on the back porch because that's most likely where I'll be parked! Come on out and join me!
We're extremely happy with our last minute decision to change to an L-shaped back porch, plenty of room now for a table or hot tub some day.

These are the 6x6 cedar posts which will be installed for porch supports/decorative accents. There will be four in the front and two in the back. They will be left their natural color and the ones in the front will be boxed out on the bottom.

They smell really good!

With this pile of wooden stakes I guess we are prepared for any vampire invasions! Which reminds me; I really need to read the Twilight series of books!