Testosterone is building this house

Our home has feet; now it's getting some bones! The framers started on Thursday, and we have a floor! We would have a wall or two if the lumber company had delivered the 2x6 boards (for energy efficiency we are building exterior walls that are two inches thicker than typical walls). You might remember that one of the main reasons we chose Indy was for his framer, Keith. Well, Keith's reputation precedes him, and he alongside five or six raft-guide-looking cohorts is getting the job done. And, yes, we have his cell number. Keith gave us his undivided attention and marked up his plans as we went over all of the changes we wanted in the house. You know remove a window here, move a wall there...and bippity boppity boo. We also went over this with Indy during a pow wow at the homestead on Friday as any part of skin not covered just froze. Pow wow is actually an appropriate term considering the framers had started a little fire up there to keep warm. A termite barrier has been placed between the block and board, and the foundation will get a termite treatment once the temperature warms up a bit. Our house might look like a holiday feast to these little arbor-munchin' boogers but they shall get no part of it. 

These men love to play with their wood!

Who are these dudes in our bedroom?!

Meet Keith...

Looking out on our floor from the bedroom.

Noel with Keith (in gray) and Indy (in orange). Take note that I'm blaming these three for breaking my camera because it shut off after taking this pic.

On Thursday the garage was lined with an expansion barrier, filled with gravel, leveled off, and all ready for concrete. Well, the icing was put on the cake on Friday, and my hand went straight into it. (Apparently sticking your hand in cold cement with no way to wash the cement off just didn't appeal to Noel; alas, my handprint sits in the corner of our garage all by its lonesome.) However, once the concrete was poured the sun went in and the temperature started dropping. Not exactly ideal to dry concrete, so two guys sat up at our homesite all night (man, I felt sorry for them because it was cold) waiting on the concrete to dry so they could finish it off. Needless to say, they maintained that fire the framers had started so they didn't freeze. Brrr!

The garage pre-concrete...and pre-handprint.

We made a decision on a roof -- a 26 gauge, 1.5" standing seam metal roof. Go us! We were torn between the thicker (and slightly more expensive) 24 gauge or the thinner 26 gauge metal, so, of course, we asked Indy what he would do. He said it's not worth the money for the thicker metal from a longevity and durability standpoint.


The decision-making doesn't end there, no sir. It's time to pick out exterior doors, windows, and tubs. We have magazines galore. We chose double-hung, low-E Southern Rose windows and an awesome bubble massage tub for the master bathroom. Can you say heaven?! (Noel, if at any point you can't find me, that's where I'll be.) We have chosen options for the exterior doors. Geez, you have to pick a style, grills or no grills, type of glass, type of wood, height. I mean, good grief! We also have to choose a tub for the upstairs bathroom. That's about the only thing we haven't nailed down just yet. And this is only the beginning!

A parting shot of our newest addition. Meet Ruthie. Noel's sis, Marianne, is her temporary mommy until she comes home with Noel, Soxy, and I. She is so stinkin' cute! I mean you can't have a farm without a farm dog, right?!