A Few Meandering Thoughts...

This whole building process has sure been an adventure for our family! Normally people hire people to build a house for them, or they at least build the house full time. We, on the other hand, did neither. We knew that if we built the house full time (and Ray was off work) that it would cost us a fortune that we don't have and likewise, if we had hired someone to do the work it would also have been very expensive.

We were so fortunate this year because we moved to the neighbourhood that we were going to build in. Then Ray got lots of work right in the same neighbourhood. He was able to keep working full time, plus take a few days off here and there, plus a solid couple weeks off in the summer. This enabled us to have the house framed without costing huge amounts. Our family has been the only crew. The foundation and framing was done by all of the boys. The younger ones have been great labourers and the oldest has been invaluable. He is now ready for a break!

The days have been long and I have likened this whole project to that of a family from the old farm days - when the harvest has to come in, all hands are on deck. I am very proud of our children because they have been so supportive. It has been a long year! When we put our house up for sale last December we had no idea how fast everything would move. I am so thankful that we sold within two months! Then after we came home from our trip to Tennessee we had to begin packing and move to our new area. And then from there it was building the house in all spare moments. They sacrificed a summer of fun and instead spent it clearing the land, hauling stumps, and leaves and years of mess.

They all are grateful for what they are going to receive at the end of this process, but when you are in the middle of it and it has been a year it is very hard to keep going. Yet they keep on plodding. It is because of their wonderful efforts that I am having fun doing theme rooms for them!

In the last little while we have had the trades start coming in.

Exciting Day At the House

The only thing that we subbed out were the electrical and the plumbing, plus of course the cabinets, the carpeting and the lino.

Laying the Carpet with a Little Helper

Laundry Room

Testing Out the Flooring Sample

Installing the Toilet

Our son did the laminate flooring and we all did the drywall, insulating, framing, foundation, painting.

Rather Dusty Boy's Room

One day I was painting a room and the electrician was having a bit of a panic because he said he thought he had forgotten to tie in a section of a room, to the electrical panel. I just looked at him and said, "I am done drywalling and painting." Oh, boy! There may be some wall ripping going to happen. Let me tell you. I am not doing any repair work! *sick smile* He may have to hire himself a crew to fix his mistake! We are just praying he solves the problem without having to cut through any drywall!

Learning How to Be an Electrician

Our cabinets are beginning to come in. They are beautiful. They are alder with a black glaze on them. They are pretty much the same layout as they were in the house we just left. I knew what I liked and what worked there, so we just brought them with us.


I wonder who that might be lying on the floor? The Eating Bar will eventually have river rock mounted on this side of it.

In addition to the cabinets I have a large 4x5 pantry, which wraps around three walls.

The Pantry

plus a utility cupboard that is 2x6. They are both conveniently located just near the stove and fridge. Here is a picture hubby just beginning construction of the utility closet.

Utility Cupboard

This cupboard is an easy access to all my pans and baking ware, plus there is a broom closet right near it.

As you can see I still have lots of boxes and the compressor as part of my kitchen! (even in January, while we are still building shelves and doing trim!)

The hours have been getting longer and longer. In the beginning when I was working I would go to the house and put in a few hours in the afternoon. Then time got tighter. We only had two weeks left and I could see that if I didn't get involved in some of the labour end of it - not just painting etc, that we would not get done.

I mudded a first coat on two rooms and thought, "Good. I've done my share." Now I can go back to painting. But then Ray needed me to sand a room. Oh, boy!! By the time I had sanded that room I was covered with dust, had inhaled so much dust, eaten dust and I had no fingerprints left!! *laugh* cause I had been rubbing the wall with one hand while sanding the wall with the other.

Little Drywall Sander

You can see a picture of me eating lunch with one of the little boys in my last post - Hubby said to me, "Is that what you will look like when you are old? And I said, "I already know what you will look like!" *grin* Cause he is already grey. I always tease him about how young I am and how old he is. *laugh* There is only three years between us, but God has been merciful and I have only had to pluck a few grey hairs!

This last two months have been so hairy (excuse the pun!) that Ray has not had time for a haircut. He is very shaggy and very bearded!!! *laugh* He will look like a new man after Christmas!!

Over worked and Underpaid!

I said to Ray just yesterday, "I will mud a second coat if I have to. But no more sanding!" Call me a petty kid. But I always end up doing it anyway! *laugh* And Ray is so good to me. He just says, "okay". Which makes me want to help him more!! So then last night I ended up sanding a room again! *grin* I had also said I wouldn't mud a second coat cause now we had to be pickier than the first coat. Oh well. Time constraints. I ended up mudding the master bath last night!!

Master Bath

Master Bedroom

So as I was saying, the days were about four hours long for me and then they started getting longer. Now they are starting about 10:00 am and last night I didn't get home til about 9:30 pm!