Great Room Timbers are done!

The timber framer finished the great room timbers yesterday. Now, he'll move onto the stairway from the main level up to the second floor. He'll be doing reclaimed douglas fir newel posts, treads and risers. The balusters will be a custom iron design (that I'm still working on tweaking). The cabinets are being delivered tomorrow and I'm hoping will start to be installed before xmas. Trim and interior doors will start to go in. And lighting fixtures and switches can start. The hvac is being finished also. We're getting there! We won't be in by xmas, but I'm just hoping for being in by the end of January!

Maren's UMD Hockey Game

Maren's mite 2 team played a 6 minute game between the first and second period of the UMD v. North Dakota hockey game at the DECC in front of about 4,000 people. Maren volunteered to play goalie. She made 3 amazing saves. We won 3-1. Enjoy the pics!


Maren at the ready


1 of 3 amazing saves!


Following the puck


Another amazing save!

House Update

The gypcrete was poured last Wednesday. They are finishing the painting hopefully by Monday. The tile will start to go in on Monday and the great room timbers will go in this coming week. Cabinets and trim are supposed to come either this week or next (depending on how dry the gypcrete is). Light fixtures will start going in soon. Interior doors are supposed to come 12/14. The lower level fireplace and cabinets should go in within the next 2 weeks. Once cabinets are in, we'll have to wait for countertops 1-2 weeks. We still have to finish the great room fireplace with stone and mantel. Once countertops are in, then plumbing can start. We're also waiting for the stair parts to come in, then we can measure for the iron balusters, which will take another 1-2 weeks. We hoping to move by the end of January. Honestly, I'm happy to not be moving by xmas. I don't think that I'm mentally ready for that, not to mention that I haven't packed anything yet! We're hoping to have movers move the big stuff. I'll post more pictures this week.

Garage Doors Are In!

Sorry that it's been awhile, but we've all been sick with H1N1. The garage doors are in. The house is primed. In floor heat tubes are going in on the main and upper floors this week. Then the gypcrete will be poured. The garage and bonus room still need to be mudded/taped, then primed. The kids bedrooms will get painted this week. Cabinets and trim are to be delivered Dec 1st.



The front


The whole house, but it's hard to appreciate with the shadows.


The beautiful garage doors!

Trip to Madison

While Connor and Bret were fishing in Texas (again), Brendan, Maren and I headed to Madison for a long weekend. Friday, we had brunch with my old friend, Lisa, and her family. Then we headed to the pumpkin patch, where Maren and Brendan ran around for almost 2 hours. We all did a corn maze and picked out pumpkins. We headed home to carve them. We ended up only doing Brendan's (the cyclops), Dave's (a ghost ghost pumpkin) and Maren's (a princess). We were all too pooped to do Jenny and mine.

On Saturday, we headed to dream park and had a ball playing hide-n-go-seek. We then headed home for grilled cheese and soup. Dave and I relaxed and watched some football while the kids and Jenny did crafts. The kids couldn't get enough of the craft queen (my new nickname for Jenny). I then headed to the salon for hair and makeup help in preparation for my 20yr HS reunion. I had a great time and was thrilled that Dave and Jenny could watch the kids. We then headed home on Sunday. It was a truly great weekend!


Daven's ghost and Brendan's cyclops


Maren, Anna and Jaime (Lisa's two daughters) and Brendan's head--all being silly

'
The group being cute


more silliness


The moms (Lisa and me)


Uncle Dave, Maren, Aunt Jenny and Brendan

Front Porch Timbers

The timbers are up on the front porch (the picture doesn't show the rafters behind the front gable, which are now in). We are waiting for some decent weather to finish up the porch. The drywallers are almost done. We're doing a bit more clearing in the back, which should help the grass grow. I'm anxious for the drywall to be done so more than one sub can be working inside at one time. The stone guys have started the stucco on the outside. So hopefully, the outside should be done by Halloween (weather permitting).

I'm trying to stay sane after a custom grout trauma. The order was delivered and was a different color than the sample bag. We're working to "tweak" it to get the pallet of grout the same color as the initial sample bag. UGH!

I'll be picking out tile and carpet soon because most of my decisions are done. Yeah! We're still hoping Christmas as a move in date. Keep your fingers crossed!

The front porch is coming together

The front porch is getting there. The timber portion which will be douglas fir (like the interior) is started and the stone columns are being built. The flagstone which will go on the horizontal surfaces of the porch is being figured out (it's like a puzzle).

Dry wall is to start on Monday!


What the timbers look like are sketched onto the wall


The stone columns are going up.

Maren's soccer season ends

Maren had a great soccer season. We celebrated an undefeated season (for U8 recreational soccer) at the school with a pizza party. The coaches got the team medals.

PS. Connor's U10 boys team also went undefeated.


Maren receiving her soccer medal for an undefeated season. Her aunt, Bridget, was the coach.
Morgan (my niece) is in the pink. My other niece, Bailey, was on Maren's team.


Maren with her medal

My Mom's 70th Surprise Birthday Party

Well, I pulled it off. My mom was totally surprised. We had a party at the Rochester Senior Center (where my mom plays bridge weekly). Then we headed out to dinner at her favorite restaurant where her cousin, Rebie, and her husband, Gary, from Chicago met us. She had a truly wonderful day!


The kids silly faces


The kids in front of the cake table. Maren and I colored the banner.


My mom entering the party totally surprised.




Connor, Jenny (my sister-in-law) and I are lighting the 70 candle birthday cake.


My mom during the Happy Birthday song. Notice the 70 candle birthday cake in the foreground.


Emma, Bette, Tom, Don, Merilyn, Betty and Kathryn (all my mom's bridge buddies)


Dave, my mom, Connor and me


The Memmotts (sitting L to R: Sasha, Margo, Drew and Kim) with my mom, Sheila O'Shea and Karen Hodgens in the background.


My mom, Sheila O'Shea (an old friend from Milwaukee) and Karen Hodgens (my mom's old college roommate)


Maren and Brendan eating the frosting off of the "candle" cake.


Brendan's blue frosting smile

Spray Foam Insulation Started!

I went over today after finalizing cabinet (they've already started building the cabinets) and granite choices to check the progress. They have started spray foaming the upstairs. Pretty much everyone else has cleared out of there. The electrician and hvac guys still have some work to do. The spray foamers will be done tomorrow. The siding guys are almost finished with the back gable.

I'm hoping that the drywallers are coming soon!

Timber Posts Go In!

The timber posts between the great room and kitchen and in the entry went in last week. They are gorgeous! They are exactly what we were hoping for! There will be more in the great room and the front porch will be timber framed as well. Spray foam insulation of exterior walls to start tomorrow. Finalized lighting on Tuesday and cabinets/granite tomorrow!


dovetail detail


more details


Brendan and Sadie standing in front of great room with entry to the right


Looking from the kitchen into the DR on the left and GR on the right


The siding is started on the back of the house.


The back left corner of the house with the rec room below and the master suite on top, with the laundry and garage on the far right


The back of the garage


The side of the garage


The front porch is starting
to take shape. Columns
and douglas fir timbers
will complete it.


The stone going up the chimney.
We're waiting for the flagstone
for the angled sides.

Montana Trip

Bret and I had wonderful time in Montana. It was so quiet and I loved not having to rush everywhere. We fished the Madison and Gallatin rivers and caught a handful of fish each day. It was a great way to celebrate our 10 year anniversary! Of course, I forgot the camera with all of the big fish. These pics are from the last day. I was scared by a beaver whilst fishing.


Bret's lone fish (a rainbow trout)
on the last day. I was skunked!


This beaver obviously wasn't
too happy that I was fishing
nearby.


The beaver swims away.


Lone Peak Mountain (the top
of the Big Sky Ski Resort) at sunset.

First Day of School

So, I know that I'm a little late, but better late than never, right? Maren and Connor are really loving school already. Brendan was also very excited about his first day. He seems to be fine with not going to kindergarten this year, which I was a bit worried about.


Brendan and his best friend, Makoto
at their first day of preschool


Brendan ready for his 2nd year
at his preschool


Connor and Maren waiting for the bus


Maren and Connor walking down
to the bus stop