7 weeks in, a house is becoming a home

Dateline August 25th 2009, 1126 East 9th is feeling a lot like home.

Life is slowly returning to pre-build state. I have starting riding the Tues/Thursday training ride, I actually went to church this week. We all went to the State Fair last week where Eliza caught a couple of Blue Gill on a cane pole. Kelly and I got about 25 miles in on the tandem while chasing the hot air balloons up the Monon.

Last Saturday Eliza and I decided to make doughnuts from the mix we bought from the New Hebron, IL Amish salvage grocery store. Huh?

Well the mix makes approximately 6 dozen doughnuts. We needed friends to help eat. And if friends are coming to eat sweets we better feed them dinner first. So doughnuts turned into a backyard feast with many friends and neighbors.

Eliza and I mix kneaded the batter, then let it rise. I wanted to fry the doughnuts in a dutch oven on an open fire. So while I started the grill and cooked the food, we called on our Order of Arrow neighbor, Dan, to start a camp fire (he never made Fire Crafter - we accept him for the man he became) to get the oil going.

They turned out pretty good. I am not sure why frying food is so much fun, but it is, and so when we ran out of doughnut batter, Martin started cutting up potatos and tossing them in the vat.

What else can we fry?

There is plenty to do around the house. The front yard is slowly taking shape, I have some grass growing and planted some hand-me-down hostas and irises.

The living roof is a long way off but I have managed to get some seating moved up and out. Last night friends Martin, Dan, and Brian stopped by with something called a growler of beer which we promptly drank - on the roof. One unforeseen problem socializing on the roof - we have to go through the second floor where Eliza sleeps. The electric hoist might come in useful again as a means of external roof top personnel access.

We have never had "real" curtains so we are struggling to understand how they are intended to be installed and used.

2009 contiunes to fly by, summer is winding down, the fair is over and I have realized that I have a lot of work left to do on both the old house and new, and, that work will will be there when I get around to it.

Water Leak!

Last night at 11:30, Dana woke me up because he needed towels to mop up a leak. Coming out of a fog, it took me a minute to realize the leak was still leaking down all three levels of the house. He had the heater exposed, where the pipes are, on the second floor. Water was spraying everywhere, leaking down to the kitchen & the basement, and down the stairway wall. In all the commotion, I called and woke Brian up because I thought he would be able to help more than Beth and I. For some reason, I thought Dana was frustrated with our inability to see leaks and unscrew bolts. Maybe it was all the frantic running up and down the stairs and profanity? By the time Brian arrived, Dana had finally located the leak - in layman's terms, some sort of cap to the hot water came off. (Sorry, Brian!) Dana shut off the water, while Aunt Beth and I mopped up water coming from everywhere. Fans are being used to dry the carpet and Dana doesn't think there is any real permanent damage. The plumber just arrived.

We continue to make slow progress unpacking and getting settled. My aunt & cousins have been staying with us since last Wednesday, so I have been on vacation, so to speak. In other news, we have decided to rent the old house instead of selling it right away. If you know any good (meaning quiet and low-maintenance) renters, send them our way.

We Have Moved!

This post is a little late as we moved on July 4th. We had invited a bunch of people to help the day of the 4th. Carolyn & Terry (Dana's parents), Julie & Kyle, Melissa & Brian, Daniel, Martin, Joe, Karen, Roy, James, Patrick & Valerie. Bobby, Melissa's 11 year old nephew was also there to help as did other neighbors, James, & Jeroen. Between all of those people, everything was moved by 1:30 Saturday afternoon. It only took 6 hours. And, the kitchen was even unpacked & put away!

Furthermore, Jessica babysat Ansel & Ollie the day of the move. My parents took Eliza for the day. Sarah made a wonderful lunch for all of us on Saturday. Melissa & Brian provided pizza on Saturday night. And, Julie & Kyle brought us dinner on Sunday night. Suzanne brought us flowers. Jennifer helped me take the paper off of the stairs & brought us dinner on Thursday night. Tim & Maribeth left us flowers for our garden. I am probably leaving somebody out, but the point is that we have had lots of help & support throughout the whole process & beyond.

This week we have been unpacking, unpacking, and unpacking. Dana installed our new induction cooktop. (He did forget to tell me that only cast iron pots & pans would work with it so I am currently in the market for these before I start cooking again.) He is trying to finish up the master bathroom. Currently, he is installing 4 gates on our stairs because after a week off, I am babysitting Ollie again.

There is a "For Sale" sign in the yard of our "old" house. However, Dana has a list of things to do before we are able to show it. And, I need to do some serious cleaning! Of course, the work isn't over, yet.

We have felt very strange since the move. Sometimes we have felt like it is odd to be living in something so big & it somehow doesn't seem "right." Other times we have had moments where we realize that we aren't going "home" because it doesn't quite feel like home yet. And, we have felt sadness because we have left our first house, where our baby was born. But, we are still excited and know that things won't come all at once.

The dog, Willy, adjusted right away & began barking immediately. Lucy, our indoor cat, seems to be absolutely fine. And, Cirrus, our annoying outdoor cat, also took to the house without a problem. Nimbus & Gilligan, our sweet outdoor cats need a little bit more time, but now they come into the house. They still live in our former yard, for the most part.

I still haven't found my cord that will allow me to download pictures from my camera, so this shot from moving day is from Uncle Roy.



Stay with us. . . there will be more to come!

Just 2 more days

I should be packing right now because I still have a lot left to pack! It has been a long, exhausting week so far. We've been too busy for photography or even to see the light at the end of the tunnel. With so many things going on, it has been difficult to feel excited. We are mostly just exhausted all of the time!

The carpet upstairs was installed last week & we think it looks really good. Dana added a plexiglass-type of material to make our stairs safer. He's been working on installing bathroom sinks and cabinets. His mom & dad have been at the new house every evening cleaning & installing odds & ends. My dad has been working on lighting & miscellaneous stuff and has also been here to sit with Eliza while she supposedly sleeps and I clean at the new house. Glass tile has proved to take longer to install & our "tile guy" that we had to find at the last minute has been working all week. After he is finished, Dana needs to install all of the fixtures & cabinets in the master bathroom. Finally, Dave, the plumber, heating & air guy does work at his own pace. But, the bank & city inspectors seem to be satisfied so far.

So, July 4th & 5th really seem to be moving days! I have been extremely nervous & haven't been able to plan for this weekend until tonight when it took me a half an hour to send an email to all of our helpers.

Will post pictures soon. Wish us luck!

Happy Birthday, Dana & What We Do For Air Conditioning

Dana turns 34 today! In this video he celebrates by using his prized hoist to pull the air conditioner up the side of the house. This is the second attempt. Eliza & I witnessed Brian S, Dana, & Dan finally pulling the box through the opening after about 30 minutes of readjusting, & pulling. It is officially on the roof!

Dana isn't a birthday person, but he does enjoy a homemade cherry pie. Eliza and I made a not-too-bad one using the cherries from the tree at our current house. Also, enjoyed a little bit of time with Grandma Rains & Aunt Pat.

T minus 24 Days - And yeah, those are Kitchen Cabinets

Holy shit, it has been a whole year since we dug the hole for the foundation. With 24 days till we move in - ok we are flexible - it is hard to digest all that has happened in what has been the fastest year of my life.

Brian the painter is wrapping up the final touches upstairs, Keith will be in the house next week to finish the last bit of tile in our bathroom, Dave the plumber-heating and air-cabinet maker-flooring contractor is coming to hook up the AC and turn on the hot water heater, and I have almost finished installing the ktichen cabinets.

Thanks to Ed for assembling the IKEA ktichen and bath cabinets. I think he is considering contracting himself out to do IKEA builds fulltime.

So, barring famine, flood, or fire, in about 4 weeks we will be done with the house. I am looking for a new project if you think of anything I can work on?

The Real Truth

Most of this blog focuses on the positive and exciting aspects of building a house. We are incredibly lucky and grateful to be able to take on this challenge, BUT . . . it hasn't come without huge sacrifice and has been difficult. For those of you thinking about building a house and doing work yourselves, know what you are getting into. We had a pretty good idea, but at times we have felt like our eyes have been bigger than our stomachs.

A typical day for Dana includes going to work and then coming home to work on the hosue. He stops by for dinner and then back to work until late at night. When he comes home, Eliza is asleep and if we are lucky we get to sit and watch tv, too tired for talking, for a few minutes. On other nights, we discuss choices of tile, paint, carpeting, et, (fight about) finances, make to do lists, or plans for the next day. All weekends are reserved for work on the house. Eliza and I usually continue to do our thing, visiting city sights, playdates with friends, going to church. One thing we hadn't planned on is how much we would really miss little weekend trips to Cincinnati and Robinson.

And, I have been going a little nuts (sometimes a lot nuts) practicing at the single-parenting. While we have had lots of help from friends and family in taking care of Eliza, it's just not the same as a dad who comes home every evening. Lately, Eliza has been hanging on Dana when he stops by and begging him not to leave again. Seriously hard to pry her away!

So, the perpetual question is, "When will it be ready?" The bank says that we have a year from when we started which is July 9th. Honestly, I haven't researched the penalties involved in being a little late . . . yet. Our goal for moving is July 4th. However, with set-backs like the floor fiasco this week, it is going to be close.

Once we move, the immediate concern will be getting our current house ready to put on the market. Then, we hope for a miracle in today's economy, that is sells quickly so we can be finished with double mortgages!

Deep breaths . . . Five weeks and counting!