Wiens/Friday Clan

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

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

Thursday, September 3, 2009

New House Sept 3rd

Wow, did they make progress while we were away. And it continues. The roof is on, the siding is started (see shakes in gable picture), the stone guys prepped the area with mesh, rough-ins for plumbing, electrical and hvac are started. I'm hoping that we'll be able to start insulating by the end of the month. Next would be sheet rock.

Front of the house.
The front porch still isn't on
(and the stoop isn't poured),
so you can't really appreciate it yet.

Mudroom door

Great room on left and
dining room on right with
patio doors to our "future" deck

42' from ground to peak
I'm a little nervous about
Maren and Brendan falling
from their bedroom windows.

The shakes are started on the garage.
By today (the 3rd), the front of the
garage is done and the front
smaller gable (over the front door)
are done. They started with the
shakes on the north side of the garage today.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Texas Aug 2009

Wow, that vacation went fast!

This year we drove down to Port Aransas, Texas. We left Saturday, August 15 about 8a, then stopped in Kansas City to visit my cousins and Aunt and families. They had a great meal waiting for us and the boys got to expend some energy on a neighbor's trampoline. We then continued on at 9p and reached Corpus Christi about 10am. We couldn't get into our condo until 4p, so we headed to lunch, Academy (a fishing store), the pool and shopping. Then we had 9 days of pool, beach and fishing. We had great weather (no storms this year) and the fishing was better than the last 2 years. We headed home just like we came, and made it there safe and sound. We're all already thinking of next year. Lucky Bret and Connor will head back in October for a long fishing weekend with Josh and Nolan (Bret's brother and nephew). Enjoy the pictures! More pictures of the new house very soon!