School room rebuilt...

I must confess that Scott and I were extremely disappointed and concerned yesterday when we went out to the house to check on progress (see the last two photos posted for this day).  We were in Atlanta Friday through Sunday, so the guys had 2 days of work that we were excited to see.  What we found is that they tore off the entire school room - all of it was removed except for the problematic brick floor (maybe we should rip that out too - it has issues!)!  Richard said that once they got into it, they found that the "sunroom" had been poorly constructed and he was "surprised it hadn't blown down".  So they tore it completely off and rebuilt it.  All we see are dollar signs! 

Today was much better - thank you, Jesus!  Just two more windows to install...the higher ceiling in the school room looks great...oh yeah, and I broke Little Green's (our riding lawn mower) belt this evening while cutting some tall, thick grass...just what we need - another project...how do you replace a lawn mower belt?  I also cut my finger on a nail...time to go home...




New school room - front new windows installed -
love the taller ceiling (the only room we could raise)...




Looking from the school room into the laundry room...we've decided to
close this opening to allow for more bookshelves (imagine that!)...




The original drywall ceiling for the family room/kitchen collapsed
overnight - no idea why...thankful it didn't happen after we
moved furniture in and no one got hurt...




Larger area for the kitchen table...




Oh my - lots of demo material and lots of trips for Big Red...




Back of the house with the larger kitchen table area (bottom right)...
Thankful the guys at least got the house wrapped - probably another
week before the new siding goes up...




Drywall ceiling collapsed...what a mess...




Yea!  The new windows are installed and the lower roofline is complete -
much simpler than it was...The lower roof will be metal due to the shallow
slope, but will be installed near the end, so the workers don't step all over it!



Pretty irises blooming...




Hannah feeding Ty (he's wearing his "fly blanket")...



The kids enjoy taking turns on Cherry...They are going to be so sad
when it's time for the horses to go back to their home...




Daniel's first pony ride!



I think he likes it!  Ms. Monica is so patient!




This photo is out of order - should be first for today but I can't figure out how to
reshuffle photos once uploaded onto the blog.  Anyways, this is looking through
the school room closet to....NOTHINGNESS....The school room is gone! 
Not too happy about this...this was NOT planned!



Also out of order....school room is GONE.  We were horrified to see this....
In the end (and now that we have calmed down!), this was probably better. 
We know Richard does quality work...



He is Risen!

"My chains are gone...I've been set free...My God My Savior has ransomed me..."

So powerful...Grateful...Whirlwind trip to Alpharetta, GA to
celebrate the cross and resurrection of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ with Passion City Church!  In fact, it was so powerful,
I think it might have been a "dress rehearsal" for the real thing!  ;-)

Lots of windows installed today...

Kitchen table "bump out" (small addition) - looks funny now...
the framers haven't cut the board yet, but the window area
is framed out behind it...it's bigger than this hole...



We ordered the windows slightly too small...oh well, what do
you expect for a couple of rookies?!  The framers were very kind -
they said, "It's better to be on the smaller side, than bigger..."  ;-)

  


The guys moved the shower inside - it's pretty heavy!

 


Yea - third window upstairs is added to balance out the top floor...




Ty has been eating too much, so his owner puts
on this basket to slow down his intake...



Connor standing in his room in front of that new third window...
we wouldn't normally have placed it in the middle of a wall,
but it has to go where it looks right outside...




Hannah and Daniel in front of the aluminum recycle pile...




Looking up at the front porch...




Daniel - don't lose the plans!  Those are the house drawings for the contractors...




This is the only side with siding still on...





Connor and Ashley walking through the kitchen table "bump"
before it was framed out (this pic is out of order)...



Under roof!

Richard, the framer, called Scott today and said that we'd be very surprised and pleased today...he didn't tell Scott exactly what they accomplished, so we were very curious to see how much they got done...

Yea!  Looks much simpler than before!  We're aiming for a simpler, farmhouse look...All 3 peaks on the right are now removed and the front porch roof is almost done!  Praise the Lord for dry weather!  And two new windows (upstairs) have been installed!

Now, that's a bracket!  This porch isn't going anywhere! 

Future school room - what a mess!  New windows ready and waiting...

The framers have removed nearly all of the old siding...They need to frame out the kitchen table area, then remove the old windows and install the new ones, then comes white siding...The kids asked when are we "opening" the pool...our answer, "How about 2013?" ... Didn't go over too well...

*******

So encouraged when I read these verses this morning...powerful reminder that nothing takes His rightful place and He is the greatest Counselor!


"I said to the LORD, 'You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.'...The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods....I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I have set the LORD always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."  ~ Psalm 16:2, 4, 7-8



Front porch, kitchen table bump out, "Little Green"...

Foundation guys bricked in and finished the kitchen table bump out...

Siding is gone here too...

The kiddos and the front porch...

What a mess!  Thankful for Big Red...

Ashley's doing a great job helping with the grass (weeds) cutting...this little riding lawn mower is exceeding our expectations!  Who needs a big tractor??!!  Well...maybe I shouldn't go that far, but "Little Green" is managing quite well right now...We're probably the only ones out here who are trying to manage this "yard" with a little riding mower!  ;-) 

Yea!  Windows (Marvin) have arrived!  Decided to go with a simple grid style...



Front porch...Pretty big...it's going to be great!



Ahhh...all nice and cut...cut very short!  

Front porch roof...

One piece shower for the master bath...we'll have to cut out part of the wall to get it into the bathroom, but we wanted a one piece.  We'll have to get sectionals for upstairs - couldn't figure out how to reasonably install one pieces there...

Scott informed me (after the fact) that he saw and promptly killed a 4 ft. black snake right near here two days ago.  Yikes!  One down...how many more to go??  I really do not like snakes!! 

*******

Scott met with a hardwood floor guy that he likes and who came highly recommended (we can't find the guy who installed/finished the floors at the other house - he did such a great job!).  We plan to use the same drywall people who fixed our last house after the hurricane (and tornado!)...we have a rough design of the kitchen cabinets...roofer should be out soon...need to demo the bathrooms still...We had terrible storms on Saturday and tons of rain which flooded the basement (since the front is opened up).  Scott was sucking up water with a wet/dry vac until 1:30 am on Sunday (well, Monday morning)...ugh...50 gallons!  He then got a big fan going too - much drier now.  Lord, we could really use some nice dry weather for a bit (boy, that's selfish, isn't it??!!)...at least until we get the front under cover again...The weather people were calling for thunderstorms this afteroon - fortunately, it was just cloudy...no rain...Thank you, God...



I guess it gets worse before it gets better!

Framers took off the old entry roof today, started framing two closets, and the new foyer.  We wanted additional closet space, a simpler looking front, and to address water that has been seeping in along here during rain events.  We felt that by closing this area in, we could accomplish three things at once.

The framers plan to start building the front porch tomorrow.

Demo material is everywhere!

The framing crew will start removing these two roofs (the newer sunroom roof and the smaller, older front porch roof) in the next day or two.  They will replace the 2x8s with 2x12s to allow for HVAC ductwork (there currently aren't any HVAC vents along the exterior wall) and additional insulation.  The skylights will be removed.  Because of the low slope on this roof, a metal roof will be installed across the school room, foyer, part of the dining room (the peak will be removed), and front porch.

Looking from the breakfast area to the family room and kitchen.

The back is a mess too!  Foundation work on the breakfast room bump.   
The framers removed that huge antenna that was on the roof.

Looking towards the breakfast area, laundry room, and door to the garage.

Kind of hard to see, but piles of debris are everywhere!  We've heard that we can get a little money by recycling the old aluminum siding, so the framers separated that from the rest of the demo material.

One of the new front porch columns/supports needed to go right where the old front porch steps were.

Cherry came to greet us when we were leaving yesterday...

The dogwoods are so beautiful!

*******

So overwhelmed.  While we're trying to keep in perspective that this is only a house, there are still so many decisions to make.  Lots of little things - colors (both inside and out), decking material, number of grids or no grids at all in the windows, where to put doors, type of flooring, etc, etc.  We're worn out from it and ready to be done!  We have so much respect for the construction guys - building a house is much harder than most people realize!  Richard, our framer, has tons of experience and has been very patient with us.  He also makes lots of suggestions.  He took us out to a house this afternoon in an upscale neighborhood that he just finished because he wanted us to see an idea he has for the LVL between the kitchen and family room.  I just laughed when we got there and I was looking up at a gorgeous million dollar house.  I told Richard that we are aiming for more of a farmhouse look - simple, not a Parade of Homes display (literally, this one will be on the P of H in a few weeks!).  The trim package on that house was $38k for materials alone!  Never seen anything like it!  We did however get some good hardwood floor information from the builder. We also met the owner of this gigantic house right before we left and asked her to interpret a block that was beautifully installed in the brick.  It reads "Magnus Opus MMXI".  She laughed and said it means "Greatest work 2011" in Latin and that it was to signify her and her husband's greatest accomplishment or work - this house. 

Wow.  My heart sank.  I've thought a lot about that comment.  I don't want a house or any other material thing to be my greatest work on this earth.  My children know that one of my favorite verses and a frequent prayer is 3 John 4, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."  Not to be president, an astronaut, attorney, or whatever, but to fear and love the One true God (and their neighbor) with all their hearts, minds, souls, and strength.  Now that would be a great accomplishment if all four of these children wholeheartedly serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ.  But, even then, Scott and I could not claim that as our doing - it is the Lord's work in their hearts because of His grace and mercy.  May our family be found faithful to Jesus in all that we say and do, and serve Him and bring Him honor in everything, always doing His will, not our own.

"'Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.'"  ~ Matthew 6:21  

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...No one can serve two masters...You cannot serve both God and Money." 
~ Matthew 6:19-21, 24