Cabinets, Paint & Molding...oh my!

(Our portico shingles have been installed!)

(Master Bedroom Ceiling & Top of Wall...Ultimate Khaki & Tiki Hut by Sherwan Williams)

(Kitchen Cabinets-hopefully these are the last I have to select for SEVERAL years!

Two kitchens in two years is one too many!)

(A bit greener than I anticipated but it is the nursery so at least it's cheery,

and this photo makes it look even brighter than it really is!)

(Master Bath)

We LOVE our cabinets and paint! It's not even September, and the whole house has been painted -- crown molding & all! Next comes tile flooring & showers, countertops, electrical & plumbing finishings, hardwood floors & carpet! They're moving right along! We're praying for a September 30th (or before) closing date, so we don't get stuck paying double taxes for the year. And, we're just ready to get in and get settled. Hopefully we'll make it! This weekend we bought two fridges for the price of one at Lowe's during their Labor Day sale. Due to the location of the island, we felt it necessary to purchase a counter-depth refrigerator, which means I didn't get the french door with bottom freezer style I had hoped for. However, I love the large size of the one we did get and we decided to purchase an inexpensive full-size standard fridge to put in the garage which is just a step out of the kitchen (see the door on the right-hand side in the first kitchen photo), so I'll still have room for platters and lots of drinks! Happy days! :)

Making progress...

(View of our house from the berm behind us...

where I'll probably find our boys climbing in a few years!)

(A view from above!)

(Robert Trent Jones Golf Course - behind our house)

(Our Front Porch...perfect for sipping sweet tea on a hot Southern evening!)

(Town Hall & The Clock Tower)

(The view from James' room...I think he likes it!)

These are just some random photos from our visits to the house during August 13-15. The following week was pretty rainy, but despite the showers our cabinets, doors and crown molding were all installed. I'm skipping the pre-paint photos and will jump ahead in my next blog entry to reveal the most recent accomplishments. Still amazed at the speed with which our house has been built!

Drywall installed!

[rain shower head & shower nozzle controls]

[James' room & an upstairs bath]

[upstairs office/guest bedroom & nursery]

[living room]

[upstairs den]

[our garage]

[looking into the kitchen from the garage]

[looking into the kitchen from the hall]

[our master bedroom]

It was already nearly dark when we went over to the house on Monday. So, we got a flashlight out of the back of the car and headed inside. To our astonishment, nearly all the drywall had been hung, the electrical changes had been made, and a window problem had been fixed! Of course, we went back on Tuesday while it was still light outside to take photos. They had been back in during the day and finished installing most of the remaining drywall and installed our rain shower head piping in the master bathroom. We can't believe how FAST these guys are working. And all of the work done yesterday, was done in the rain. It had to be the rainiest day Birmingham has seen in months--fewer storms, just a consistent shower/sprinkling. It started early in the morning and was still raining when we went to bed late last night! What a wonderful day of cleansing for our city!

Horray for garages!

Over the weekend, we once again stopped into see if any progress had been made on the house. While a few things had been "fixed" that we requested during our Frame Review, not much else had been done. Aaron was excited though to finally be able to drive our car into the garage. It's the first garage either of us have ever had, so it was an exciting day! I look forward to being able to get kids and groceries out in a dry garage rather than rainy weather. It will be a beautiful thing!

T.G.I.F.

On Friday morning, we met Jess & Moseley (our soon-to-be neighbors) at the Ross Bridge Park. James loves to swing and enjoyed having a friend to share in the fun. We can't wait until we can play there every day with our new neighbors.

At lunch time, we joined Donna, Marky & Julia for some fun play time at the McWane Center. James loved splashing at the water table, crawling around on the gymnastics blocks, pretending to be a mouse in the larger than life farm, and playing with the train tables and building blocks. We're so happy we signed up for a membership! We can't wait to return this week to play with some more friends.

When we left the McWane Center, we stopped by Aaron's office and James got to visit with his Daddy for a short time before heading home for a nap. It's nice that his office is so close to the McWane Center. I'm sure we'll be meeting for lunch again in the near future, before joining friends for a playdate.

Later that night, we went back to the park and Daddy pushed James in the swing some more. We played in the grass for a little bit before we left. It was so nice and cool that night that it almost felt like fall. We always say the weather is better at Ross Bridge, and once again our theory was strengthened. What a day full of fun and friends!

Clap your hands for drywall, sidewalks & driveways!

So....James learned a new trick on Sunday! After a full month of teaching him, both morning and night, he finally learned how to clap his hands by himself and boy have we been clapping! He was so excited to see his new sidewalk, driveway and drywall today that he had a clapping fit. Fortunately, daddy got it all on film! Tomorrow is our Frame Review, where we will go over where all the electrical has been placed, plumbing stubbed, and other details that need to be addressed. We have a few changes to make, but nothing too major! It shouldn't take them any time at all to make the changes and get the drywall hung. We're still amazed at how quickly this building process has been!