Road restrictions come off on May 13 (next Wednesday), so they are starting to dig the foundation next Monday.
HOLY COW!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Aquarium Visit
Well, after temps reached 75, they plummeted down to freezing. So, we went to the aquarium. Here are some pictures from the visit.
Dad plays with the lock display.
The boys playing with locks and boats.
Maren and Brendan with their friend the caribou.
And their friend the moose.
By the way, Bret almost hit a moose
on the way home from Josh's tonight.
Luckily, both escaped unscathed.
Connor being a stickler for the rules,
only petted the stingrays with 2 fingers.
And scolded Bret for not following the rules.
Maren practically dives right in.
Dad showing the kids the stingrays.
They are not fighting for once.
They do love each other!
Dad plays with the lock display.
The boys playing with locks and boats.
Maren and Brendan with their friend the caribou.
And their friend the moose.
By the way, Bret almost hit a moose
on the way home from Josh's tonight.
Luckily, both escaped unscathed.
Connor being a stickler for the rules,
only petted the stingrays with 2 fingers.
And scolded Bret for not following the rules.
Maren practically dives right in.
Dad showing the kids the stingrays.
They are not fighting for once.
They do love each other!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Isn't it April?
Well, the snow is finally starting to melt. Ok, actually almost gone, but still lingering in the woods and of course, in our current yard. It should only be about 4 weeks before we can start the foundation. The excavator is now stumping the yard (removing tree stumps) and making the home site level so we can see it better. Next, we'll stake out the house and get it in the right place. Then we'll be ready to dig. In the mean time, I'm finalizing the kitchen plans, picking out kitchen cabinet finishes and door designs, countertops, fireplace, garage and entry doors, and stone (for the exterior and fireplace). I still have much to do, but am working with an interior designer which greatly helps. We narrow stuff down and then Bret can chime in with his opinion.
With the assumption that we'll start the foundation around 5/15, we've been told it'll take 6 months to build. So, hopefully, we'll be in before March! I'm trying to be devils advocate, so I'm not disappointed. Honestly, I'd love to be in by Christmas, but...
Stay tuned for more updates and pictures!
The pictures below start facing southwest and pan to the northeast. The front door will be somewhere in the middle, with the great room to the right and the garage to the left. It'll be so much easier to visualize once we have some sort of structure up!
Looking southwest from the driveway circle (towards the river)
l
With the assumption that we'll start the foundation around 5/15, we've been told it'll take 6 months to build. So, hopefully, we'll be in before March! I'm trying to be devils advocate, so I'm not disappointed. Honestly, I'd love to be in by Christmas, but...
Stay tuned for more updates and pictures!
The pictures below start facing southwest and pan to the northeast. The front door will be somewhere in the middle, with the great room to the right and the garage to the left. It'll be so much easier to visualize once we have some sort of structure up!
Looking southwest from the driveway circle (towards the river)
l
Isn't it March?
Well, we're adjusting to life/weather in Duluth. Apparently, snow doesn't start melting until April. I've spent the last month working on our kitchen design and exterior finishes. We're getting much closer, and still have so much to do. Here's our new home site on March 8, 2009.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
New House
Well, it looks like it's actually going to happen. May be as soon as tomorrow. Holy cow!
We have been working on finalizing our plans (version #4) and sent out plans to 3 builders in January. We got the bids back in early February and got those to the bank. The bank did their appraisal and we closed this past Tuesday (3/3). Both Bret and I were shocked that the new bank actually came through with what they promised. I keep waiting for a phone call saying that it was all a big mistake.
Our builder went to get the township building permit and found out that the zoning administrator had left unexpectedly. We were very concerned that we wouldn't be able to get our application approved, but that came through yesterday.
So now, we're just racing against the road bans. Every spring, road bans go on to limit the amount of weight on the road (so concrete trucks can't drive on the township roads; i.e. no foundation). They usually go on around March 15th, so there's a time crunch. I'm hoping that it stays cold a bit longer!
We're supposed to start clearing (more) for the house tomorrow or Saturday. I feel like someone has hit the fast forward button, and I'm struggling to keep on top of things.
Both Bret and I couldn't be more excited. We're hoping to be in by next Christmas.
Check back here for more news and pictures. I plan to take pictures along the way to monitor the progress.
YIPPEE!
We have been working on finalizing our plans (version #4) and sent out plans to 3 builders in January. We got the bids back in early February and got those to the bank. The bank did their appraisal and we closed this past Tuesday (3/3). Both Bret and I were shocked that the new bank actually came through with what they promised. I keep waiting for a phone call saying that it was all a big mistake.
Our builder went to get the township building permit and found out that the zoning administrator had left unexpectedly. We were very concerned that we wouldn't be able to get our application approved, but that came through yesterday.
So now, we're just racing against the road bans. Every spring, road bans go on to limit the amount of weight on the road (so concrete trucks can't drive on the township roads; i.e. no foundation). They usually go on around March 15th, so there's a time crunch. I'm hoping that it stays cold a bit longer!
We're supposed to start clearing (more) for the house tomorrow or Saturday. I feel like someone has hit the fast forward button, and I'm struggling to keep on top of things.
Both Bret and I couldn't be more excited. We're hoping to be in by next Christmas.
Check back here for more news and pictures. I plan to take pictures along the way to monitor the progress.
YIPPEE!
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