Can I feed Devin?

This is the question that is always being asked around here lately.

Rrrrrrroooofffff!!

The roof is here!! Talk about a roof...it looks gigantic!!

Plus we now have another issue come up. Which, I've decided there are constant "issues" to have to deal with, and it is easier for subs to be just told what to do rather than you ask what should be done...except for when they've already spent a few hours and you are thinking of doing something differently. Like I've mentioned we've had to move a few walls, added a bathroom, added a "future" door spot...moved a few more walls, changed the entry door size...thought about changing the stairs a bit (but I didn't and so thus he didn't waste 2 hours of work)...

...and now we have the garage...I know, the bottom picture is a bit distorted, but you can kind of maybe see that the opening to the garage is a bit bigger than it should be, ok, so it's not all the way framed out but you get the idea...the wall on the left side, from the cement up is 12 feet tall...which is about 2 feet taller than planned, thus creating a possible elongated front that we are trying to avoid...we have the weekend to think about it...and then we need a plan to tell the framers to execute...

A door for little people...

Mikenna and I were watching the window guy unload our windows yesterday. (It's so fun to see things moving forward with the house :) We were chatting with him...and he asked, "What are you going to do with this little door?" me, "What little door?" "This one, it comes up to my eyes." me, "um...that's not mine." "yes it is." Then he pulled out the invoices, counted the sliding doors and said again, "This is your little door."

Somehow the numbers got entered in incorrectly and they built this 5 foot tall sliding glass door...it's supposed to be 6'8"...I took a pic of Mikenna standing by the smaller sliding door and then the regular sized one...It is cute...but really where would we use it?

She can do it!!

Mikenna has been working hard trying to master this skill that her cousins can now do...on a daily basis she asks if we can practice...one afternoon while Mike and I were gone, she got Uncle outside, gestured to have him remove her training wheels, lower her seat and then help her balance/hold on as she practiced...then she'd "wave" her hand to let him know to let go (Uncle told us this after we got home)...then the other day...she took off!! She is still a bit wobbly at times, but is getting better :) Today she even rode to the house/lot and made it there without a mishap!

There are a few rules she has set for herself and she needs them to be followed...

1) Need to start in the garage.
2) Only left hand turns.
3) Stops are to be taken in the grass.

She is so cute!

Framing framing framing...

It is so fun to see these walls going up!! I love walking through it all, thinking about it finished...It is cool how quickly it changes too! Each day there is something new to look at...

Of course there are always the...ooo...should we move this wall or...hey, where did my space go....or...how do we hide these...or how is this going to fit in here...

But over all...its fun fun fun!!

Framing has begun!!

We are so excited to have the framing begin!! Yesterday, as Mikenna and I were walking from the lot to the park, we heard the lumber truck turn down our street...so after a few "rides" around the park, we went home and drove back to the lot to watch them deliver the basement package!! Then today, as we walked around the corner we could see some of the walls sticking up!! FUN!! Mike was also there chopping up some of the pine trees we'd pulled out. Frustrating because we'd had these trees given away for months now to our designer, Ira...Gary (our excavator/foundation/flatwork contractor) pulled them out of the ground last week...we called Ira..."yeah, I'll be there to get them." A week later, "Oh, my wife decided she didn't want the trees and I don't want to argue with her. Sorry." We couldn't find anyone else who wanted these 20-25 feet tall pines...actually of the 5 Gary is taking 2...so Mike chopped them up. It was amazing when the trees were pulled out how much our backyard opened up :)

basement & back

We've had A LOT of dirt brought in...the excavator estimated that he's brought over about 30 truckloads of dirt so far...we just need a few more loads and we should be good...the basement was leveled, compacted and cement poured yesterday!! It seems more like a house now...so much cement!! We still have the garage slab, driveway, sidewalks, stairs, and patio slabs to pour too!!

I tried to get some back and side views from the back...not sure if you can get a feel for what it's looking like...the bottom portion is the side right angle...didn't know how to create a "turn" in the picture...

Outside break...

In between General Conference sessions we took a fun break outside. The weather was perfect. :) The kiddos sat through the morning session so we all welcomed the sunshine....Mikenna wanted to try out the no training wheel thing...Kyle, Adam & Tanner have all mastered the 2 wheel thing, and she was thinking she was ready...not quite yet, but soon :) Somehow we ended up eating all day long...yummy wheat crepes with strawberries & whipped topping or chocolate pudding & bananas...then lunch...two different types of chicken salad--curry & sonoma, fruit salsa...and then dinner--ham, potatos, beans, salads...so much food!! All in all, a great conference weekend and Easter!!

the Hunt...

Egg Decorating...

So...go here and check out Lee Ann's photos and enter her contest :)

http://www.photographybyleeann.com/blog/?p=406