The Final Countdown

****NEWS FLASH**** Initial (final) walk through is scheduled for October 9th and FINAL Walkthrough and SETTLEMENT are scheduled for October 19th!!! It's official!

I hope that the lame 80's Hair Band song immediately pops into your head...because it's been in mine for about a month waiting for our house to be done.

Still no settlement date (AHHH!!! I could kill someone!), but we're starting to do the final papers for our loan, rate, etc, which means we're not too far off. We've walked through several times and it looks like the "punch out" work is just wrapping up, which is also a good sign.

Today, they put sod down, which instantly makes the house look finished AND means they are not far from turning the house over to us.

Here's our yard to the right of the house (if you're looking straight at it). I couldn't walk back there because, well, I was in flip flops and it was too muddy and cold.

Here's our yard in between houses to the left of the house (if you're looking straight at it). I always see a few deer here where the in between yards dip!

MAN. Why are they not finished yet?!

Moving on. The house was locked tonight, so I couldn't go in to take pictures...not much has changed since the previous pictures. So instead, I just took some pictures of the outside.

I've ALWAYS wanted a Crepe Myrtle in my yard. I didn't even have to ask for this one! Not sure what color it is, but it's cute...and right in the middle of the front yard.

Some of the little shrubs they planted out front. The front row has little purple/pinkish flowers on it and the row in the back looks like some kind of Holly, but not sure.

AND...our view of the street from our lovely front porch. I can't wait to relax out there and take this in every night! Just stunning.

For those of you still mildly interested, here is the COMPLETE schedule, start to finish:

Day #1 - Monday, June 15, 2009: Ground broke and hole for basement has been dug out! Only after about 2.5 months of waiting for our building permit to come through.
Day #3 - Wednesday June 17, 2009: Footers poured and let to rest and set.
Day # 5 - Friday June 19, 2009: Mold for basement walls and foundation arrives on site.
Day # 7 - Monday June 22, 2009: Mold is installed and concrete is poured for foundation walls.
Day #8 - Tuesday June 23, 2009: Mold removed; black, water-repellent goodness sprayed on foundation.
Day #13 - Sunday June 28, 2009: Piping installed under house, rough-in parts for Bathroom in the basement installed.
Day #20 - Sunday July 5, 2009: Concrete is poured in Garage and Basement!! Property is leveled and sides are filled in.
Day #26 - Saturday, July 11, 2009: Lumber arrives and floor and 1st floor walls are framed and assembled.
Day #28 - Monday, July 13, 2009: Second floor added and framed.
Day #29 - Tuesday, July 14, 2009: Roof has almost been completed.
Day #32 - Friday, July 17, 2009: Roof and framing finished.
Day #33 - Saturday, July 18, 2009: Tar tape on roof, ready for shingles!
Day #35 - Monday, July 20, 2009: Sheet Metal Work started.
Day #36 - Tuesday, July 21, 2009: Front Door delivered!
Day #38 - Thursday, July 23, 2009: HVAC Work mostly complete. Gas line installed.
Day #39 - Friday, July 24, 2009: Outside edging complete. Plumber dropped off pipes.
Day #42 - Monday, July 27, 2009: Plumbing mostly complete. Exterior edging complete.
Day #43 - Tuesday, July 28, 2009: Shingles delivered, front porch concrete poured!
Day #45 - Thursday, July 30, 2009: Shingle-work complete on the roof (still needs to be completed on front porch)
Day #46 - Friday, July 31, 2009: Front Porch started! Wood-working around windows started.
Day #47 - Saturday, August 1, 2009: Electrician arrives and starts the wiring!
Day #53 - Friday, August 7, 2009: Pre-Drywall Inspection
Day #56 - Monday, August 10, 2009: Fire safety system installed and inspected
Day #58 - Wednesday, August 12, 2009: Insulation and Drywall arrive!
Day #59 - Thursday, August 13, 2009: Insulation installed.
Day #60 - Friday, August 14, 2009: Drywall installed, not complete.
Day #61 - Saturday, August 15, 2009: Drywall taped and mudded (but not sanded), columns arrive.
Day #65 - Wednesday, August 19, 2009: Drywall sanded.
Day #66 - Thursday, August 20, 2009: Columns begin to be completed. Primer is applied to walls.
Day #67 - Friday, August 21, 2009: Columns finished!!! Walls painted. Trim and Doors delivered.
Day #70 - Monday, August 24, 2009: Baseboards, Trim and Doors installed!
Day #71 - Tuesday, August 25, 2009: Cabinets delivered.
Day #72 - Wednesday, August 26, 2009: Cabinets installed in kitchen and bathrooms!
Day#74 - Friday, August 28, 2009: Front porch finished. Garage Doors installed.
Day#77 - Monday, August 31, 2009: Interior drywall touch-ups, walls painted.
Day#78 - Tuesday, September 1, 2009: Tile and linoleum laid.
Day#79 - Wednesday, September 2, 2009: Hardwood floors installed, plumbing finished, siding started.
Day#80 - Thursday, September 3, 2009: Siding finished.
Day#81 - Friday, September 4, 2009: Granite counter tops delivered and installed. Plumbing and electrical finishing work completed (sinks, faucets, recessed lighting, electrical outlets, etc).
Day#86 - Wednesday, September 9, 2009: Electricity turned on! Day#88 - Friday, September 11, 2009: Appliances arrived, installed.
Day#93 - Wednesday, September 16, 2009: Water pipes connected to city water; carpet arrived; granite totally installed; front door painted.
Day#94 - Thursday, September 17, 2009: Carpet installed; house was cleaned and vacuumed.
Day #98 - Monday, September 21, 2009: Basement finished, insulation installed, sump pump fixed.
Day #105 - Monday, September 28, 2009: Landscaping work complete.
Day #107 - Wednesday, September 30, 2009: Sod laid around yard. Punch-Out work being completed.

Seriously? I'm in agony. Our apartment is packed (along with all of our wine glasses) and completely un-decorated. We both run to the mailbox after work like little kids to see if our settlement letter has arrived yet. It's quite pathetic, actually. We're READY. Tomorrow we turn in our last rent check we'll ever pay, and my Mother-In-Law sent us a card with a note on the back saying "last time I ever use this address!" Enough already with the waiting!

Hopefully when we return from traipsing around the Outer Banks this weekend, we'll come home to that important little piece of paper. Which reminds me that I'm procrastinating...I should be packing. And cleaning. And photo editing.

Have a great weekend everyone!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Well, folks... we're rounding the bend. We now have partial landscaping complete. All that's left is the sod, which they should be laying today!

The builder big-wigs are walking though the house this week doing quality checks and we should get notice any day now to schedule OUR final walk-through. After that, it's closing time, baby!

Bobby and I will be heading down to the Outer Banks to spend some time with my family this weekend. Hopefully it will make the time pass faster than it has been while we're here. I feel like it's taken YEARS to build this crazy house. But then again, it's just my anxiety taking over.

I'll be back later this week with some more pictures of our "final product." Yay!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

I have been in Annapolis no less than 3,905,435 times this month due to various photography engagements. My poor car hates me: the gas tank, the clutch,...the odometer. Even my seats are beginning to protest my frequent trips up Old Solomons Island Road and back.

Nonetheless, I love every trip up there. My head is just flooded with memories every time I drive down Bestgate Road or West Street, or cross over the Naval Academy Bridge at sunset. I always roll down my windows and sunroof as if to somehow be closer to the city which I love so much.

Annapolis has its own culture. If you've never spent time there, then it would be hard for you to imagine. But every Annapolitan knows exactly what I'm talking about. There's something about the "Raccoon Eye" Syndrome one gets from constant wear of sunglasses...most of the time attached around the neck with a thin tube of neoprene. The smell of brand new, leather Sperry's and the business men who stroll along the old brick sidewalks in khaki pants and a navy blue blazer with shiny bass buttons. The glorious vision of Midshipmen in their Summer Whites, and the hippies who sit on City Dock with their guitars, singing about their woes and the water. The crowd at Pussers can always be heard from any point in downtown, and you can almost count on waiting in line for a double-dip from Storm Brothers.

As the salty Severn River air flows freely throughout my car, I (trying not to close my eyes while in the car) think back to my high school days where I spent so many winding around the streets of Annapolis, without a care in the world. I thank God for that time in my life, because it was then that I discovered who I really was and what type of person I wanted to be. My faith was shaped and nurtured at my High School with the help of loving teachers and supportive friends...every day we were in the Word and in fellowship with each other. While so many of them have gone their own ways as life has led them, I think everyone who comes back to visit still calls this place "home."

Driving over the Naval Academy Bridge on my frequent trips home from Annapolis, it's usually at sunset. I can't help but think that the silhouette of the Capital Building in the distance and everything that Annapolis implies for me is just a little glimpse of Heaven. And, although I'm always headed to my physical home in Southern Maryland with my husband whom I love and our soon-to-be new home, I always seem to hear a faint whisper in my head saying, "Someday, I'll bring you Home."

Although I've never owned a pair of Sperry Topsiders, and have almost never had a "Racoon Eyes" tan on my face, I have heard the empty poles of sail boats clang together in harmonious symphony, and I've heard the call of a sailboat captain yell "Jive Ho" as the sails switch in the wind. I heard it on Saturday, while standing at the very edge of the U.S. Naval Academy with my beloved camera and was able to catch some of the passing sailboats in memory of the town which I love so much.

Lawsie Mercy, It's a House

Duh.

But it's a real house. Best of all, it's OUR house. Mine. And maybe Bobby's a little, too. Well, not technically until we settle, but still.

You know what I mean.

There have been a LOT of changes over the past week. Mostly little things, but it's stuff that has made our house look much more complete. Really, there are only minor things left to fix/change.

Things like repairing the bottom half of the drywall in our laundry room. Yeah. Those kinds of minor things. Thankfully, Bobby has a keen eye for detail and he noticed that the laundry room door would swing in too far, thus hitting the front of the washer/dryer. After looking at the house drawings, he noticed that we were supposed to get a DOUBLE door, which would have allowed for a bigger "swing" clearance when the doors opened. So, instead of replacing the single door with double doors, the builders decided it would be easier to move COMPLETELY the plumbing and vents to another wall of the laundry room so the door swinging would not be a problem.

Moving on...

Remember the cabinet issue? Well, it's fixed now. They ordered a smaller cabinet size and put a little corner unit in so there would be plenty of space for drawers to be opened once the pulls are put on.

Next thing, they installed our appliances! They also finished installing the counters where the cabinets were replaced (due to issue above).

Be still my soul. The granite is like glass and it's simply mahvelous, dahling. I can't wait to cook on those babies.

Next, the carpet arrived yesterday and was installed today! ...And someone with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder did the vacuuming. My Father-in-Law would be so proud!

Ahhh....and now a view of the whole kitchen. A few things are out of place, but you get the idea. Right? Right. Whenever you visit, you will sit right at our (now, imaginary) bar stools while I bake some chocolate chip cookies on the other side of the bar. I can see it now. (Heelllloooo floors! I love them).

And the view from the back of the house looking towards the front of the house.

Oh yes, concrete was also poured this week: end of driveway and sidewalks. AND the stairs up to our front porch.

Oh yeah, and they painted our front door. It's not finished yet... and no, it's not black, it's dark brown. It just looks really dark here.

Lastly, this is for my sister-in-law, Amanda, who told me this bugged her as much as it bugged me. Problem solved, the lonesome blue section in our house is finally being covered up with siding!

Bobby and I sat in the middle of the kitchen for an hour tonight, discussing all the things we had planned for our new house. Our wish-list/to do-list tripled in size in those precious 60 minutes, but it was fun to imagine what our future home is going to be like together.

We still have not received a firm closing date, but they are still estimating mid-October.

So, for all you readers out there who want to know where we are in the schedule, here's a rough, updated estimate. It's hard to tell what happens on what day, exactly. We haven't been able to get into the house on most days anymore.

Schedule Update (Starting with Day #80):

Day#80 - Thursday, September 3, 2009: Siding finished.
Day#81 - Friday, September 4, 2009: Granite counter tops delivered and installed. Plumbing and electrical finishing work completed (sinks, faucets, recessed lighting, electrical outlets, etc).
Day#86 - Wednesday, September 9, 2009: Electricity turned on! Day#88 - Friday, September 11, 2009: Appliances arrived, installed. Day#93 - Wednesday, September 16, 2009: Water pipes connected to city water; carpet arrived; granite totally installed; front door painted. Day#94 - Thursday, September 17, 2009: Carpet installed; house was cleaned and vacuumed.

Wow. Well, lots of progress! I am so anxious to move in, I can hardly contain myself. We have started packing, but there are some things we just can't pack up seeing as we use them on a daily basis. I'm being very organized about it and I'm very proud of myself for doing so. Disorganization brings chaos into my world. It's true.

Hopefully we will have more updates next week, but things are starting to slow down now.

Have a delightful weekend, everyone! Now, off to have a glass of red and a slice of peanut butter pie with my birthday boy!

The One Where He Turns 27

Happy Birthday to Bobby:
My Groom
My Love
My Best Friend.

It's been only 5 years since you came into my life,
but I look forward to spending the rest of this life
knowing you, encouraging you, supporting you, teasing you, playing with you, and loving you.

Happy 27th Birthday, B! (Oh, how I love this picture of you below!)

Honnneeeyyy, I'm Hoommmeee!

Please accept my sincere apologies for the deplorable image quality, although it's not too bad considering it was taken with my iphone.

My camera-baby doesn't like to go on bike rides with me, so I take my trusty iPhone-baby instead.

Well, I don't think this bull-dozer will quite fit in our garage. For now, it's just camping out in our front yard. You can't tell from the picture, but there is about a 20 foot hole in the ground in front of the porch.

Qu'est-ce que c'est?! Sacrebleu! (Name that movie).

They are digging the hole to install the pipes which will connect the Barrick Abode to the county water system. Thank goodness... Once the hole is filled, they will finish grading, put our driveway in and also the stairs to the front porch. Landscaping won't be complete until a few days before we close on the house.

More pictures from the inside of the house are coming shortly! Not too many more things to complete before the house is done!

*Note to readers: Someone turns O-L-D tomorrow. I'll give you a hint: It's not me!*

Endless Summer

I could feel the salt water gushing through my nose. My hair was wrapped tight around my face, and I'm pretty sure my head was the opposite direction from what it was supposed to be: down. My legs were quickly whipped behind my head and suddenly I was upright again.

Whew.

Although I could feel that there was not only unnatural amounts of salt water up my nose, but now also sand.

I had flashbacks of the first time my Dad took me in the waves. I've never gotten over the fear of the ocean, and specifically, its waves. Perhaps it had something to do with the sand up my nose. My deep-rooted fear is probably why I don't touch the bottom of the ocean with my feet. Even when it's 1.5 feet deep, I swim in as far as I can.

Just in case. You never know what's swimming beneath you: sharks, pebbles, jellies, small children with enormous scuba masks.

All of this is irrelevant in Hawaii, by the way. I'm just sayin.'

So, despite my surfing efforts, my itch to learn how to surf with the cool kids has utterly been satisfied. Never to itch again. Thanks to my helpful teacher, Joe, who took me in after my first - and only - spill... only 10 minutes into it. I know, I know...hard core.

Over the long Labor Day weekend, another couple joined me and Bobby to Ocean City. It was a gorgeous weekend, and after a shopping-filled day at the outlets, the four of us packed up and headed to Assateague Island beach, where we spent the day, surfing and whatnot. I read through half of a book, took about 5 naps, and left looking like a poached beet. Did I mention I'm allergic to sunscreen? Remember the Sun screeen Rash of 2007 on my Honeymoon? Well, we didn't want that to re-appear, so we steered clear. HA.


Here it is...documented by my loving husband. See? The first picture, I'm so excited that a wave is coming!! Actually, I was scared to death, but that's when Joe said to paddle as fast as I could. I have balance problems, so I kept coming off the board. I think I'm going to make it!! Oh, and the third picture, the wave got the best of me... until the last picture, which is where I'm upside down, getting served by the wave.

But, somehow I made it out alive...and LOOK! I'm actually smiling!

Some random horses strolling along the beach. I think they were twitterpating.

They are just beautiful animals...

Hey Bobby.

On the road to Assateague. Isn't is gorgeous? I love the long line of trees.

The sun was so golden over this field. Just beautiful!

I felt so "Endless Summer" on the drive back. The surfboards were on top of the car and I caught the shadow. Don't look at this picture for too long...it'll make you dizzy.


Have a great week!

Let there be LIGHT!

Short update today because *palm to the forehead* I forgot to bring my camera.

DOH!

Not to worry. That's why we have iPhones! Actually, we have iPhones because we're yuppies. Yup. That's why.

Huh?

ANYWAY, the electricity was turned on in our house today!!! Thank goodness for that Benjamin Franklin guy, huh? All of our lights work and so does our Sump Pump. Which is great, because we currently have frogs inhabiting our (un-finished) basement due to some water that's been trapped down there.

Hasta La Vista, baby. I mean, frogs. (Forgive me, Terminator 2 was just on TV).

Along with electrical current, our appliances were also delivered today! Now we can store bread in our oven, pie in our microwave, wine in our dishwasher...'cause, you know, we cook a lot.

House is scheduled to be FINISHED next week! Closing date is still unknown.

Crazy Realtors and their secrets.

In other news, I have a smashing picture of myself getting eaten by a wave from last weekend. It's actually surprising that I did not come home with a mouth full of sand. I'll blog all about that party of fun later.

Is it Friday yet?

Sincerely,

Your friendly electricity consumer

Finishing Details

These next two weeks will be busy for our builder...lots of finishing touches to be installed so the house looks "finished" and ready to be turned over to us in early October. The house will be, for the most part, completely finished in about 2 weeks, but they take several weeks to run quality assurance inspections in and around the house (as I mentioned in the last post). It's so exciting to see everything come together!

In the past four days, here's what's happened (in bold):

Schedule Update:
Day #60 - Friday, August 14, 2009: Drywall installed, not complete.
Day #61 - Saturday, August 15, 2009: Drywall taped and mudded (but not sanded), columns arrive.
Day #65 - Wednesday, August 19, 2009: Drywall sanded.
Day #66 - Thursday, August 20, 2009: Columns begin to be completed. Primer is applied to walls.
Day #67 - Friday, August 21, 2009: Columns finished!!! Walls painted. Trim and Doors delivered.
Day #70 - Monday, August 24, 2009: Baseboards, Trim and Doors installed!
Day #71 - Tuesday, August 25, 2009: Cabinets delivered.
Day #72 - Wednesday, August 26, 2009: Cabinets installed in kitchen and bathrooms!
Day#74 - Friday, August 28, 2009: Front porch finished. Garage Doors installed.
Day#77 - Monday, August 31, 2009: Interior drywall touch-ups, walls painted.
Day#78 - Tuesday, September 1, 2009: Tile and linoleum laid.
Day#79 - Wednesday, September 2, 2009: Hardwood floors installed, plumbing finished, siding started.
Day#80 - Thursday, September 3, 2009: Siding finished.
Day#81 - Friday, September 4, 2009: Granite counter tops delivered and installed. Plumbing and electrical finishing work completed (sinks, faucets, recessed lighting, electrical outlets, etc).

They have started locking the house when they leave for the day, so our updates inside the house will be getting few and far between. I can't complain, there are only about 2 weeks left until it'll be finished.

Sooo, here are some pictures of some new improvements that we took yesterday when we went to measure the windows for blinds:

Front porch is finished!!! Also, outside lighting was installed: by the door, and in between the garage doors.

The counter tops were delivered! Hard to see in this picture. Also, lighting fixtures were installed and recessed lighting in the kitchen area were installed and finished.

Mmm...hello, extra-wide sink. I can bathe about 2 babies in this sink. Also, you can get a better feel for what the granite looks like here. A little bit of green and brown with some nice variation in the pattern. I love it!

THIS is our closet...MY part of the closet to be exact. Bobby's side goes off to the right, but you can't see that here. I have grand plans of installing floating shoe shelves vertically on the wall straight ahead! That might be a Melissa-Project. Bobby wants no part of it.

The master bathroom! The tile is already installed around the tub and on the walls of the shower and floor. The mirrors were hung and so was the lighting fixture. The shower walls were also put in.

The front entryway!!! Don't worry *shudder* The "lovely" brass lighting fixture will not be lasting long.

Well, that's it for now! Next week, we are anticipating the delivery of our appliances (dishwasher, fridge, etc) and carpet. Then, they should be finishing the grading in the yard, and start pouring asphalt for the driveway. Landscaping should come soon after that!

We're getting ready to celebrate Bobby's 27th birthday next week! If only we could be moved into the house by then...

Have a great week! Pictures from the beach should be coming soon!

Home Improvements (Pun Intended)

This week, we have been seeing major progress with the house!!! Most of which is on the interior, which is making it look like a "house" not just a shell of drywall.

Well, where do I start? First of all, here's our Progress Point. Everything on the exterior is pretty much complete. Oh wait, yes...SIDING. Don't worry, that's coming. Our house won't be blue forever (despite my nieces and nephews' dismay). The front porch was finished on Friday, with the exception of the "ceiling" of the porch, they still have to install that, but shingles and framing are complete.

By Saturday, the cabinets were totally installed and they had also installed our garage doors! I love that they aren't your average garage door, they have a little more detail to add to that "Craftsman" style that is our home architecture.

On Monday, the house was inspected for nicks and imperfections in the drywall. All of that was "touched up" and given a coat of white paint. (No, the builder will not paint colors for us. We already asked.) It's really amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do! Everything looks so clean and white. Nevermind the inch of dust on the floor.

On Tuesday, the workers were busy installing tile and the linoleum we got in the guest bath and laundry room. It looks SO good! On Wednesday, the plumber came back and installed all the final fixtures: toilets, faucets, sinks, shower heads, etc. Bobby also informed me that the water tank was also installed. (I'm scared to go in the basement now because there are several frogs down there with the open windows. Gross.)

Guest bath has tile surrounds and linoleum flooring.

Master Bath has tile floor and tub and shower surrounds.

Also on Wednesday (today) the HARDWOOD was installed!!!!! Yay! This was my most anticipated part of the house. Please don't ask me why. We got a very light-colored maple hardwood with a really interesting grain. The floor is very light and it looks really cool contrasting with the dark cabinets and (what will be) dark counter tops (coming Friday - also very excited). They had a protective cover on top, so we had to pull it back for a picture. Hopefully you can get the idea!

Floors against the cabinets in the dining area of the kitchen.

MMmmm....gorgeous. This room is really light, so the floor will add a really interesting dimension in here (the dining room).

Last, but not least... SIDING!!!!! They were starting the siding as Bobby and I were taking pictures today (Wednesday). They should be finished with that tomorrow!

Wow. I can't believe how much they were able to get done this week! I think next week should be just as exciting as they will install the granite in the kitchen, install all the lighting details, deliver the appliances, etc. The house is estimated to be complete on September 16th. HOWEVER, they run Quality Assurance tests to ensure everything works properly before we move in. Settlement is still scheduled for early-mid October.

SO, here's your update!

Schedule Update:
Day #60 - Friday, August 14, 2009: Drywall installed, not complete.
Day #61 - Saturday, August 15, 2009: Drywall taped and mudded (but not sanded), columns arrive.
Day #65 - Wednesday, August 19, 2009: Drywall sanded.
Day #66 - Thursday, August 20, 2009: Columns begin to be completed. Primer is applied to walls.
Day #67 - Friday, August 21, 2009: Columns finished!!! Walls painted. Trim and Doors delivered.
Day #70 - Monday, August 24, 2009: Baseboards, Trim and Doors installed!
Day #71 - Tuesday, August 25, 2009: Cabinets delivered.
Day #72 - Wednesday, August 26, 2009: Cabinets installed in kitchen and bathrooms!
Day#74 - Friday, August 28, 2009: Front porch finished. Garage Doors installed.
Day#77 - Monday, August 31, 2009: Interior drywall touch-ups, walls painted.
Day#78 - Tuesday, September 1, 2009: Tile and linoleum laid.
Day#79 - Wednesday, September 2, 2009: Hardwood floors installed, plumbing finished, siding started.

If you're looking for me or Bobby this LOONNNGGG weekend, we will be found on the beach. Relaxing. Getting sand in our hair. Hopefully not breaking out in a rash from sunscreen. We'll be back on Monday with more updates from Thursday and Friday! Happy Labor Day Weekend!!!