ROCKING

On Wed. last week, I got help putting on the paper and mesh, and the scratch coat in preparation for starting our rock. It took a few days for the scratch coat to dry - and on Sat. Tyson started putting the rock up.



Our rock piled in our living room, to thaw it out. It was very frozen together.



This is about how far they got on day one.


This is how far we got today - day 2!!! We are really rocking on this rock!!
This is on the side of the house/garage, next to the front door...

Day 2 - this is under the front window next to the front door...

Week 21

Work on our roof







FINISHED!!!!!


tent for rocking


House #1 has their roof completely done. It's got electrical, insulation, and sheetrock. Rock is done. They are going to be working inside on the trim this week.

House #2 Rock is almost done. The siding is nearly done. Most of the interior doors are installed. Inside trim will be next.

House #3 (Our House) Our roof (shingling) is finally complete! We got siding on most of the house, just not the front where we are starting on the rock. Our rock is Quick Stack - so it's going on so quick and easy!!!!! It's awesome! We also have doors to install and trim to work on.

House #4 They just need to grout their rock! All their doors are installed. Trim and siding are what is next for them.

House #5 Their roof is nearly done - if it hadn't snowed today, they could be almost complete. They got electrical done, and today the insulation truck was there blowing it in the walls! Next for them will be sheetrock!

House #6 Their roof is also almost completely finished. The electrical guy was working there today. Next for them will be insulation, sheetrock and they got their rock delivered, so they can start on that when the roof is done.

Christmas pics

The first thing Thomas did christmas morning was look in his stocking - it is tradition in our house for him to get a toothbrush, so he was looking to see what kind he got. They look like crayons, and he is so excited about that!


The boys loved the first gifts they opened so much, it took a little bit of persuading to get them to open more. Thomas got a Lightning McQueen race track, and Grayson got a great toy with colorful balls, a lion that roared and says Wahoo, and played music!






The big box was opened last, and inside it was the boys radio flyer wagon! It has 2 seats with seat belt buckles! The boys really love it! And Thomas is playing with a little piano keyboard that I found at the thrift store for $2!!

beginning of week 19

weeks 17 and 18 were full of the holidays, and not much work time.

House #1 has finally got their electric done, they got insulation blown in, and they worked hard and long on getting their stone on. Today they are working on the tediuos job of putting the grout stuff in between each stone. Next up for them is sheetrocking. I think their shingles are completely done.

House #2 - sheetrock and mudding are done, their heat is on, and the rock should be getting finished today. Next for them is doing the grout. Their shingles are completely done.

House #3 (OUR HOUSE) - we have all the windows in FINALLY. Our heat is on, the sheetrock and mudding are done. Next for us is the siding and rock. Our shingles are NOT done. We haven't had any help. And then today when we were supposed to have lots of helpers come - the weather didn't cooperate. We didn't think we could shingle with all this dang snow >:( but the weather decided to be sooo nice today, and we had called our helpers and told them not to come - GAAAH....

House #4 has their heat on, the sheetrock and mudding are done, and they have started on their rock. Their singles are completely finished (their helpers were a big help).

House #5 we have not been over there for a long time. They are waiting on 2 missing windows. But they should be ready for electric and then insulation and sheetrock.

House #6 all their windows are in. They have got the north side of their roof shingled (their helpers were a big help). They have been chipping away at the ice inside and it's almost cleared out in there. Next for them is electric.

finished with the roof - but it sure was slick up there (house #4)


chipping away at the ice (house #6)


The rock I have been helping with


OUR HOUSE


it's like decorating a cake (house #1)

end of week 16

I feel like we got quite a bit accomplished this week.

House #1 still needs electric. Their rock is looking awesome.

House # 2 got the 2 windows they were missing, so now they are all set! They are already getting siding, insulation and sheetrocking done! Their rock is slowly coming along.

House # 3 (OUR HOUSE) - we had a few windows delivered the same time as everyone else, but they only had 4, and one of them wasn't even the right window - so we are STILL missing 4 windows.
They blew in the insulation and our sheetrock was also delivered - I am both happy and unhappy about that since the windows aren't in. Our windows are supposed to be rush ordered, but they won't get here until Wed (right before Christmas, and we aren't working then) so I am thinking about just coving the 4 open holes with some plastic, because I don't want stuff getting wet or moldy inside my house. It will be awesome to get our sheetrock on, though!

House #4 got all their windows and are putting them in.
Houses 2, 3 and 4 have all passed inspection too!

House #5 got their doors and windows.

House #6 finally got their roof. Some of it was done earlier in the week, so they started the drip edge and the plastic cover. They should be finishing that today (they couldn't get on it this morning, because the frost was too thick and slick. but the sun is coming out now.) I started to help shovel out the snow. They had 4 feet inside, but it was light and fluffy. The hard part was the inch of solid ice under that.
They have doors and windows going in!

house building - week 16

so we are 16 weeks into building our houses, some homes are almost to the half-way point. Some people are excited about that, because they think the second half goes by faster than the first. I disagree it's called the HALFWAY point, because it is half done - it's not the two-thirds point, with only one third left - it's HALF - which means that we won't be done until 32 weeks -- that is getting dangerously close to the end of April - and we have to be done by April, so that we can get the stimulus money for first time home buyers. We have to be MOVED IN by April 30. Which means we have to have our open house and everything so we can get the certificate of occupancy.

anyway - house #1 has windows, doors, mostly shingled, and the rocking is started - but they have no electricity so that is what is next for them.
house # 2 has windows except for 2 that were resized, doors that need a little more leveling, mostly shingled, the rock started, and they have elecrticity - so insulation and sheetrock are next for them.
house # 3 (OUR HOUSE) has NO windows (mysteriously lost somewhere), we do have doors, and some shingles, and electricity, so as soon as we find those darn windows and get them in, then our house is next for insulation and sheetrock, and maybe rocking.
house #4 has windows, doors, electricity, some shingles. Not sure what is next for them.
house #5 has a roof, the blocking is FINALLY done, and doors are next for them.
house #6 has no roof yet, so that is what is next for them - and it will take 2 days, then we will have to shovel out all the snow from inside (UGH)

FINALLY... our house

I am so ashamed to say that I have been too lazy to go thru all the pictures I had of our home building project in order to get them on the blog. But I repented and made up this very simple slide show - the pictures are sorta small so I have also put a link under it, for the same pictures on photobucket and you can look thru them slowly if ya want - but they are all out of order (banging head on desk at this wonderful technology that I cannot get to do what I want - it's midnight and I am giving up)...

http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t163/MindySue_28/Building%20our%20house/