My friend, Amy Henkel, from our church took Xander's 6 month pictures last week. She also took Xander's pictures when he was 2 weeks old. She does a great job (and is very reasonably priced).
Check out Xander's pictures at http://amyhenkel.zenfolio.com/.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Framing Day 7
The roof trusses are installed! Looks more and more like a house every day. 
Trusses from the inside (above playroom).
View towards the front door from family room.
Setting up the ladder so we can get a look at the 2nd floor.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Fast Framing
On Tuesday (Nov.18) the framers finished the first floor and the interior walls. This was a monumental day for me because I have a hard time picturing things from drawings with measurments, so to be able to actually walk through the rooms was awesome. I even measured a few walls to check on where I want to put some furniture. (I know I am way ahead of myself.) The first floor consists of a formal dining room, 1/2 bath, small study, a great area in the back that consists of the kitchen, breakfast room, family room, off the family room is a room with 3 large windows that the plans call a sunroom (but I am going to use it as a playroom), coming in from the garge is a dropzone area, and laundry room.
On Wednesday (Nov. 19) the framers put up and framed most of the upstairs and the trusses were delivered.
Looking into the kitchen/breakfast area (pantry in left corner)
This is the side of the family room, behind it is the sunroom (playroom).
Looking into the sunroom (playroom) from the doorway
On Wednesday (Nov. 19) the framers put up and framed most of the upstairs and the trusses were delivered.
Upstairs
Monday, November 17, 2008
Framing has begun...
and things are changing quickly at the construction site. The framers started on Wednesday, November 12. They got the support wall in the basement built and the sill plate put on all around the perimeter of the house.
They did not come to the site on Thursday, but a lot of materials came.
They were back to work on Friday and got the first floor subfloor all installed.
It was exciting being in the basement with the floor overhead.
On Saturday, in the rain/snow, Jason, his Mom and Dad worked on putting in the pier foundations for the back covered porch posts. It was a miserable time, but it got done. They were walking in about 4-6" of mud and their feet would get stuck.
Today (Monday) they began framing the garage and the first floor. I love seeing the changes day to day!
They did not come to the site on Thursday, but a lot of materials came.They were back to work on Friday and got the first floor subfloor all installed. It was exciting being in the basement with the floor overhead. On Saturday, in the rain/snow, Jason, his Mom and Dad worked on putting in the pier foundations for the back covered porch posts. It was a miserable time, but it got done. They were walking in about 4-6" of mud and their feet would get stuck.Today (Monday) they began framing the garage and the first floor. I love seeing the changes day to day!Sunday, November 16, 2008
Xander's First Snow and Tooth!
I can't believe that Xander is 6 (going on 7) months old already. His first tooth just barely poked through today! I am excited and a little sad because it is just another reminder of how fast this first year is going by. He also saw his first snow on Saturday! Here are some pictures from his life this week.
Playing with his Boompa.
Playing with my wooden spoon. 
Watching his first snow! The flakes were very large and he could really see them. 
Video
Monday, November 10, 2008
West Virginia with Teenagers!
This past weekend we headed to Appalachian Bible College in West Virginia with the Sr. High Youth Group from our church for their fall retreat. We had 23 teens, 6 adults, and 1 baby. Theme of the trip was unity and on Saturday we did team building activities in the morning and the high ropes course in the afternoon.
The first stop Frazier's Bottom, West Virginia. We stop here every year.
This is video I took on my camera of Xander laughing at Nan Hieb (another youth worker). It is a little hard to hear because the teens are working on fitting everyone on a tiny wooden box right next to me. Check out Xander's awesome gloves. :)
Xander and Jason getting in on the action.
Everyone listens to the safety briefing before going up into the trees.
Jason swinging on the safety ropes.
The first stop Frazier's Bottom, West Virginia. We stop here every year.
This is video I took on my camera of Xander laughing at Nan Hieb (another youth worker). It is a little hard to hear because the teens are working on fitting everyone on a tiny wooden box right next to me. Check out Xander's awesome gloves. :)
Xander and Jason getting in on the action.
Everyone listens to the safety briefing before going up into the trees.
Jason swinging on the safety ropes.
Here is a picture of part of the high ropes course.
Xander takes a nap in his stroller during all the fun.
In the evening we had devotions and played games. Xander enjoyed watching from his blanket.
In the evening we had devotions and played games. Xander enjoyed watching from his blanket.
On Sunday we made our annual stop at the New River Bridge lookout for our tradition of taking a picture there.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The House Last Week (Nov. 1-6)
THE BIG DIGGER
Last weekend (Nov. 1-2) Jason decided to rent a very large backhoe (or a "big digger" as I like to call it) to move dirt from the large piles created by the basement hole into the back yard to create a new grade. He also needed to dig the holes for the covered porch beams and do some backfilling. When he told me about his need to rent one these machines and do the work himself, I asked him if he could safely operate one of these machines and he reassured me that it would be no problem. (I have learned just to let him have his fun and pray for a safe outcome).
THE BASEMENT FLOOR
The basement was poured on Thursday. On Wednesday night (after work and before church) Jason and his dad laid the vapor barrier down over the gravel. Thursday they came and poured the concrete basement floor.
Last weekend (Nov. 1-2) Jason decided to rent a very large backhoe (or a "big digger" as I like to call it) to move dirt from the large piles created by the basement hole into the back yard to create a new grade. He also needed to dig the holes for the covered porch beams and do some backfilling. When he told me about his need to rent one these machines and do the work himself, I asked him if he could safely operate one of these machines and he reassured me that it would be no problem. (I have learned just to let him have his fun and pray for a safe outcome).
I dressed Xander in his digger shirt for the occasion.
The weekend went great and they had perfect weather. Jason and his dad accomplished all that they set out to do. Xander even got to help his dad move some dirt.
I even took that big digger for a spin and moved one bucket of dirt.:) Of course it was almost dark when they finally let me try.
THE GRAVEL
We also worked at removing gravel from the basement floor in order to prepare it for the pouring of the concrete floor. We had to remove 1-3 inches throughout. We would rake and fill 5 gallon buckets and dump them out the egress window. We moved around 250-300 bucket loads!
Here is D.W. (my brother) being helpful.
THE ROUGH PLUMBING
The plumber roughed in the sewer line, basement bathroom, and stacks for upstairs waste lines.
THE BASEMENT FLOOR
The basement was poured on Thursday. On Wednesday night (after work and before church) Jason and his dad laid the vapor barrier down over the gravel. Thursday they came and poured the concrete basement floor.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Building Materials Auction
Ok, so I am still trying to catch up the blog a bit for my own personal records. On October 8th Jason, Xander, Jason's dad, and I went to a building materials auction at the Greene County Fairgrounds. They have these auctions all over Ohio. Jason and his dad have gone to several before. They have all sorts of stuff from tools to larger things like flooring/siding/doors etc. Jason said I needed to come to one because he was not going to make any large finishing purchases without me (good man). So, here is how it works. You go before the auction starts and look around the huge building. Jason's advice to me when we walked in the door, "If you see something you like do not get all loud and excited. Play it cool." (Please me loud and excited...really). Anyways, when the bidding starts the auctioner actually moves around the whole building and stands in front the item being auctioned and everyone interested just crowds around. If there are two similiar items, lets say trim, then the highest bidder can say how much they want of it and then the second highest bidder can say if they want any at same price if there is some left. Needless to say this process can take all day. So Xander and I came and then went to Jason's parent's house for awhile and then came back. Jason was there from 2:00-9:45.
If that was not successful enough we also won the front door we were bidding on. Well, actually we thought we lost because someone else won the bid (100 more then Jason and Jason was stopping), but there were two doors (the other one was wood too but ugly) and the guy wanted the ugly door. Yeah!!! The bad thing was Jason and the other guy were just bidding each other up. Another killer deal!
We also got: wide baseboard trim for the downstairs, window trim for downstairs, and two rolls of house wrap.
To get home from the auction with our loot it took: Jason's truck, Jason's dad's truck with a trailer, my dad's Sprinter van, and a small portion of Jason's mom's mini-van.
While they were loading up the vehicles, Xander needed his diaper changed, so I just changed it there by the loading dock door and in the middle of changing him, he peed all over me. Other people there got a good laugh. Fun times!
If that was not successful enough we also won the front door we were bidding on. Well, actually we thought we lost because someone else won the bid (100 more then Jason and Jason was stopping), but there were two doors (the other one was wood too but ugly) and the guy wanted the ugly door. Yeah!!! The bad thing was Jason and the other guy were just bidding each other up. Another killer deal!
We also got: wide baseboard trim for the downstairs, window trim for downstairs, and two rolls of house wrap.
To get home from the auction with our loot it took: Jason's truck, Jason's dad's truck with a trailer, my dad's Sprinter van, and a small portion of Jason's mom's mini-van.
While they were loading up the vehicles, Xander needed his diaper changed, so I just changed it there by the loading dock door and in the middle of changing him, he peed all over me. Other people there got a good laugh. Fun times!
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