Oh Happy Day!!

The kids are excited about visual progress. Rebar and plastic down, ready for concrete pour in the morning.

We are moving along...ready for the slab tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers that everyone is here ready to go by 8am.

Oh Happy Day! It's a go!! 1 truck came
then the second....and the next, and next...8 total.

The slab is even more beautiful than my dirt pile. Framing is scheduled for Thursday morning....moving right along!!

On Schedule

master bathroom

view from kitchen window

We are making progress and everything seems to be on schedule....today. Yesterday the footings were dug. The plumber came and laid the plumbing for the slab. Electrician was out this morning putting up temp power pole. Septic guy was here to double check with plumber where drain line would go. Today was smooth and quite productive. Foundation guys coming tomorrow to finish up with rebar and mesh. Termite protection 7am Tues and concrete pour is scheduled for 8 am Tuesday. There is already a stack of leftover boards. I'm wondering how I'll use them. Yesterday I went tub shopping in Tylertown, MS-home of Luter's Supply, a huge warehouse in this small town 45 min away. I saw some beautiful jacuzzis and soakers, but I'm going to keep shopping until I find a better deal...or I may repurpose Sherry's clawfoot tub...decisions...decisions. Anyway, I stopped in a local flea market and found some fabulous old lights....I will post about them later. I'm hoping to take them apart and make fantastic pendant lights with cool drum shades!! This is so exciting...and so far, fun! I am learning so much being the GC and making some wonderful friends along the way!

footings dug, plumbing buried...ready for concrete

I have a dream!!!

The summer before our oldest, Sam, started kindergarten, we decided to start looking for land out in the country. On one of our many leisurly drives, we followed a for sale sign until we found what is now our home. On the beautiful, pecan tree lined 9 acres, was a little, beat up country house. We had 3 kids at the time, living in a larger house than this one, but....the land was so gorgeous...and the broken down little house spoke to me. After seeing the house for the first time, my sister Amanda said, "What did it say to you? Run?" So..... it seemed a little crazy and didn't make much sense to many. After much consideration and prayer, we jumped right in. We sold our larger house in a convenient neighborhood to move to the country to give our kids room to run and explore. I could see the potential in this little grandma house from day one. Our plan was to remodel the house, live in it 5 years and build a bigger house right in the middle of those fabulous pecan trees. Well, 5 years passed by and has turned into more like 9, but the dream is finally coming true. We have looked forward to this and planned and prayed (it's a righteous desire of our hearts, right? I believe it is.) and planned and prayed...and here we are. Last week when our dirt man cleared the spot, moved and packed my beautiful dirt, I was sooo excited. I sniffed that wonderful smelling dirt deep into my soul. I love the smell of dirt. Wayne asked if my daddy was a farmer. No. He loves the smell of dirt, too, though.

I teared up standing on my beautiful dirt slab, as I thought of my dirt smell loving daddy and how much I miss him. and how much he'd love to be here for this. But maybe one of the reasons it is happening now is exactly because he is where he is doing what he's doing. Thanks, mom and dad.