- D to the R to the Y-WALLZ! -

Literally hours after the spray foam/insulation was finished, this amazing drywall hanging crew rolled in and rocked our socks off.  [Oh, but should I mention that this was the SECOND crew that Brian had to line up to work??! The first group of guys got sick of tapping their toes forever and ever awaiting spray foam dude to show up and spray, so they finally and rightfully threw in the towel and scratched us off their schedule. Rawr.]  

But ANYWAY, one full weekend of work + a few hours of finishing-up work the next weekend and...ummm what's that you just said, sir? You're ALL DONE???  YES!  Ahhhhh, it just rully feels RULL GOOD to be back on track with the contractors who show up as scheduled and get down to business as soon as they arrive.  And the work looks great!  Thanks, guys!  You 'da bomb diggity. 

Then! Just hours again after the hanging crew finished, the mudding/taping crew swooped in.  They put their noses down and got right to work, too, but HOLY bags of powdered donuts..... I think I spotted a new bag in each room each time I visited, so either someone is speeding towards diabetes or mayyyyybe a sugary snack is the secret to success? We will never ever know.

Alas, when you add a couple weeks of solid work  with a little help from the mini mudding/taping evening crew...

...all the sudden, it's donezo!

Weeeee for D to the R to the Y... We have DRYWALL!

- Going, going, GONE! -

The i's are definitively dotted and the t's are completely crossed; we sat inside the title company for FAR too long this morning to close, but it's officially a done deal!!! 

This ole' shack is going...

...going...

...GONE!!!  

Couldn't. Be. Happier. !!!

We also couldn't have been more pleased with how the whole process unfolded, and the biggest "THANK YOU!" goes to our amazing realtor.  He was the most relaxed guy imaginable, yet he laid out and executed a flawless plan and had the house under contract in <24 hours after it hit the market.  Thank youuuuu so much, Troy!  We appreciate your professional recommendations and expertise and truly enjoyed working with you! 

Lastly!  I got a [tiny] bit sad driving away last night knowing we'd never again step foot in this little house that so quickly became a home!  I know Brian and I both will forever cherish the days we lived here as we spent our newlywed years under this roof and also brought our two sweet baby girls home to thrive inside these four walls.  This humble abode has seen countless laughs and a whole lot of love! 

So long, sweet home... Thanks for the memories!  :)

- BOOM POP BANG! -

Happy 4th of July from our firework-loving family to yours! We celebrated in the usual style: family BBQ + fireworks on July 3 and a laid back day throwing Pop Rocks on the deck and catching some local fireworks on July 4.

Happy birthday, America!  Cheers to another year of friends, family, and freedom!

- Bada bing, bada boom... -

...brick work is done!!! 

[If only it was that effortless!]  

I've been hanging on to this post for FOR-EVA, but I'd be lying if I said we didn't enjoy driving up to the house every few days and taking notes [and photos!] of the workers' progress.  Their meticulous manner and attention to detail was amazing; and per Brian, never once did they just "show up and slap some sh*t up as fast as they could" like apparently some other contractors would've done.  We would highly recommend this crew to anyone looking to build!

The brick got delivered during the last week of March...

[March 2019]

...and at the end of the day on April 1, one-third of the east wall was up!  At this rate, I thought, the whole house would surely all be finished in about 2 weeks...

[April 2019]

...but days passed...

...and seasons changed...

...so  L to the O to the L, joke's on me! 30 days later, May knocked on the door and there was still a fair amount left to do! 

[Late May 2019]

Throughout June, they worked on brick on the west wall and garage and also did stone columns/arch on the front porch! 

[June 2019]

The crew even invited the kids out to lay a brick of their own one day! Did I mention that -- in addition to their awesome work -- these guys are also the nicest humans ever??!  Scarlett put hers up like a champ while Harper declined the offer several offers and stayed at least 10 feet away watching with wide eyes.

And then!  The calendar page flipped over to July, and the ENTIRE HOUSE WAS COVERED WITH BRICK OR STONE and the guys were spotted out there acid washing their finished work!  The kids and I pulled up in the car just as they were taking their final lap around the house looking for any mistakes/messes.  They gave me a firm, sweaty handshake thanking me for hiring them for the job [as if I really had anything to do with it] before getting in their trucks and pulling away.

[July 2019]

It had been a bitty bit since we'd seen our shack sans scaffolding [April 1 to July 1, to be exact!], but this photo ^^ proves that it was all worth it. We love the finished look! :D

[[Soffit and fascia starts next week!]]