Lumber makes me happy

I love the smell of new lumber, especially when it means walls for our home! 

I was giddy when it arrived!!!  Our framer is really cool. We have had some pretty awesome people helping us so far. Scott, the concrete guy was so nice to me and Bryant, the framer has been so patient with some (maybe a bunch) of glitches we had the first day. He and he and his crew are so great. They text me to come out whenever they have any sort of question and I love that! I am particular and they don't care a bit. The framing matters. A lot.

This is our access to the basement these days. And actually, this was my first time venturing into the "hole" so Cody just had to get a picture. I'm glad I had to do some measuring. It was pretty cool to be in it. Don't laugh at my makeshift outfit. I tend to get into my comfy bottoms early and leave whatever top I was wearing. I know I'm not the only one who does this...

Don't ask.

We have a wall! Cameron (4) looked out the window, clapped his hands together and said, "It makes me so happy to have walls!" I completely agree.

After we sorted out a ledger that has to tie into the old foundation, an incorrect joist size, and a miscommunication with the lumber company on wall height as well as using 2x6's instead of 2x4's on the exterior walls... THEN we had our joists and then a floor! (Man, I am learning so much about things I really don't care about but have no choice)

And what would any project be if we didn't have Jeff here helping. I told him I'm logging his service hours. He just stopped by to say hi and saw Cody desperately trying to tear off the soffit, facia, rain gutters and some roof and started right in on helping. I don't think he'll come say hi again.

More walls. So fun to see it take shape.

The beginnings of our stairs.

Can you imagine leaving for school and coming home to walls etc? They love it.

This is where we are now. The inside and downstairs are almost completely framed.

Office, hallway to master and pantry. (We're standing in the open eating area)

Family room. (Still standing in the eating area just turned left instead of right)

Stairs, obviously. But seriously I was pretty excited about these! They look narrow but we actually made them a bit sider than average. They are 3 1/2 feet wide.

The partially framed basement. We aren't finishing it yet, only the bathroom for the appraisal to come in higher. Kind of weird? Yes, I know. Ignore the gross pile off to the side. It rained a lot while the basement was open and we don't have a drain yet. And we need to haul out the lumber scraps.

This is the view from our new back door. Yeah, need some dirt? You know where to get it. There is more than you even realize looking at this picture. We did have the excavators dig a hole for the trampoline which I'm excited about. It isn't totally done and we clearly have a lot of work ahead of us but let's not think about that right now. Inhale. Exhale.

And there's the port o potty in all its' glory. I guess it's turquoise not blue. But whatever color it is, this kid seems to think it's pretty cool. Luckily they come clean it out every week so it hasn't been smelly or anything.

 Now we wait for trusses. That will take a week or so. In the meantime, we plumb! And what a project it is. Luckily this isn't our mess to take care of. That's the plumbers deal but we get to take care of the aftermath which will be some drywall and new flooring in here. (This is our existing basement bathroom which was clearly red before it was blue and white before that and I never took the time to move the toilet to paint. Hence the weird spot on the wall) This is where I have to remind myself to breathe again. Because seriously, our whole bathroom is full of dirt and smells like sewer. Okay, no one else thinks it smells bad but I think it does. In my head? Maybe.

By the way, I'm still not used to everyone calling me, "Boss".