Hot Sun Beating Down...

So despite the fact that it was approx. 132 degrees in the sun this weekend we got ALOT done! Beau met our very good and generous with their time friends Lee and Jason out there with our wonderful father-in-law Tom at 7:00 am Saturday Morning and they put up the trusses for the shed. The scaffolding they created looked a little scary but must have done the trick. By the time I had the kids dropped off with our equally as wonderful mother-in-law Bridgette and got out there with food around noon they had all the trusses up and done. There was also this HOT HOT Harley parked in it. Hmmmmm...thinking it looked REALLY good in there! After lunch I got to go down to the house site while Beau and Tom finished up the shed and start on all the pink foam. Easy I'm thinking. 1 inch strips around the concrete and then just put in the 2 inch stuff on the ground. No time at all. 3:00 Sunday afternoon finally finished up. Who knew. It was the biggest puzzle I'd ever done! It will def. be too soon for me to ever touch any type of foam again - pink or not! Beau and Tom got the infloor heating in just as I was finishing the foam in the garage. A quick glue job around the edges of the plastic and we were done for the weekend! Ready and set for hopefully a good inspection on Tuesday and Ron the concrete guy to come back for the final time on Wed. Lee is supposed to start building a week from today. Keep your fingers crossed for no high wind storms and just good weather on Wed. to get it done! Thanks to everyone for your help again - couldn't have finished it in that time frame without you and your expertise! We're so fortunate to have such great family and friends!

Radon protection

Last Thursday night we met Beau out at "the woods" as Adde calls it and put down the radon protection mat. After we had that down - way easy- Beau hit me with the trenching. Seriously. We had just spent a whole week putting fill back into the hole we had made - and then packing it down - putting more in - and then having to take it out because it was too high. NOW we had to dig trenches for some of the load bearing walls so the concrete would be deeper there. I'm thinking there has to be a WAY easier route to doing this -
hasn't anyone created a mold type thing yet

where you can just put it in and it lets you fill it with sand and you don't have to redo it a hundred times? Millions of dollars out there to be had! Either way - we dug the trenches - again - and then laid the plastic over the top. Adde loved that part. We had to tape the seams together so she kept going to Beau and asking for "little Poly" and then coming to me for tape. Random pieces of tape all over - but kept her VERY busy!

Here she is - she put herself over one of the stubbed in drains in the garage and was so excited that she was flying!

Theres a building!

So when I left the land Thursday night there was a window cut out and on the floor - thanks Jason! When Beau came out to SP on Saturday night there was a whole shed built! Lee, Jason and Joe came out to help Beau Friday night and Saturday afternoon. I think I underestimated the talent pool in the area ;) Looks like it's set for trusses this weekend ... any takers? Beau's excited and already planning on where to put everything - and I know my inlaws are excited too to ship all our stuff here and get their shed space back!!!!!! Thanks for all the help last weekend everyone! Please let me know when Beau can repay the favor ;)

Going up!

All right -From last night.

Here is the pile of lumber we got -











and here is the amazing Jason working some kind of magic.












And here is the window he made from that pile of lumber...without paint by numbers or Garanimals match up pictures! Thanks Jason - at least I know I'll have one right window ;)

We (and by we I mean Beau, my Dad and Jason) finished filling the house section last night. My mom and I just provided the food. Beau and Mitch the plumber roughed in all the PVC pipes last night. Apparently going UNDER the cement so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's done right - looked good to me though! Hopefully the inspector will think the same thing this afternoon!

Well.......

The Well guys have been there the past couple days with thier HUGE equipment. One of them said that he backed the truck up the whole driveway...that takes some serious skill. I have a hard time doing that in my little blazer. I figure if they can drive on our new driveway and not sink into the hill anything should be ok...They are supposed to finish up today but assuming that doesn't mean that we'll have water up there right away. Beau, Cody, my parents, adde, jackson and I stayed out there last night and finished filling and "tamping" (that how you spell it?) the house. Only parts left are the garage and the porch. took forever...but done! Mitch (our volunteer plumber) and Beau are out today roughing in the plumbing. Should be interesting. Again...a bit nervous about the beer ratio. The bottom picture is our "shed". Doesn't look anything like it did when I looked at the plans. There are no numbers...no color codes. Def. not an IKEA shed. Just some boards...nails and some plastic stuff - maybe saw some tape in there too. Would not even know where to begin...what board goes first? and you make it stand up how? I think mine would end up looking like a teepee. Good luck boys

oh yeah...and check out Adde's cute pony. She HAD to have one:)

filling the hole

After much hard work on the part of Beau - he has most of the pretty block work covered with dirt. No more fun hole in the ground for Adde! However now she has a big sandbox to play in! Took 9 truck loads of sand to fill up the hole! Mark the well guy is coming this afternoon to start drilling. I'm thinking he should have some pretty impressive equipment so I should take a picture...otherwise the plan is to get out there tonight and finish filling/compacting so the plumbing "rough in" can get done tomorrow. I also hear some rumblings about a shed building party this weekend. I'm kind of nervous about the beer to lumber going together ratio.

Footings done!

All right...going through images 1, 2, 3. The first is of the shed...footings are set and apparently we can start building the shed. And by we I mean mostly Beau. I asked if we had plans or if the walls were going to come already put together so we just had to raise it up and nail it together...but was informed that all we're going to get is a pile of lumber...no plans...and have to put it together. Sure...easy Beau says "It's just a shed". He would say that!

The second two pictures are of the house footings. It actually looks like something now! Hard to believe they did all that work in 5 days. It actually looks kind of pretty - like art. Now we have to fill in the outside holes to get to filling in the inside holes. We're supposed to get a bunch of sand from Digger Bruce today but since it's pouring outside I'm thinking it's not going to happen. Thats ok...means I might get a husband for a night! Beau wants to get it filled in this week so he and _______ (any takers?) can do the plumbing this weekend. I offered but I think he may want help from someone who knows a bit more - even though I've proven myself a master infloor heat expert. No faith ;)

Concrete Evidence

Ron the concrete man has been busy this week! The little slab is for the outdoor woodstove...something that Beau said he was going to check out next week. When I asked for the definition of check out he said look at it and then buy it. Last time he went to check something out I ended up with a bobcat...just wanted to make sure this time! The larger concrete slab is the floor of the shed...with our professional infloor heat underneath (all those white tubes sticking up) Not sure when the lumber for the shed is being delivered but Ron is coming back tomorrow to finish laying block for the house. He also told us to fill in around the shed so we have dirt...sorry fill...being delivered this weekend and Beau is spending it in the bobcat pushing it in!

Watch out Dean and Miriam!

Dean and Miriam are the co-hosts of Hometime. It is kind of the MN version of This Old House if you've never seen it. Pretty sure after last night that Beau and I could have their jobs in a heartbeat ;) We were infloor heating pros.

The first picture I have to say...I have never been happier to see one of these before in my life! Was thrilled that it was finally delivered!

The second is the block that Ron and Crew got up yesterday. I was impressed...looked good...and really tall! Now I can see where we are going to need to put all that extra dirt...or "fill" as Beau calls it.

Adde, Jackson and I got to the land at about 6:30. Beau wanted to get the shed site ready for concrete (and Ron wants to pour tomorrow) which meant we had to put in the in floor tubing tonight. Who knew there was plastic AND styrofoam that had to go in before the tubing? We set Adde up with her sand toys and Jackson in the baby Bjorn and had it done by 8:15. I don't think it even looks too bad, almost professional! Took 3 coils of tubes to cover the floor (Beau told me to use a fancy term for the coils but I don't remember it). Ron got the rebar in today and I'm assuming they can put the concrete in. Next step is to build the shed...another job I'm sure I'll be great at...and I have just the pink tools I need :)

Moving Fast!

So this is our "spot" as of May 1st. The house is staked out...still really hard for me to imagine. We also still have a big pile in the middle to burn before Bruce the digger comes tomorrow. Again...I am probably a little worse than a novice at this building thing and the correct terms...so forgive the language and descriptions!

So here we are on May 2nd. The kids and I stayed home most of the day but went to visit Daddy and digger Bruce late afternoon. They already had 3/4 of the footings dug. Adde had a good time running around in the hole...Jackson just stayed put (as always). Beau got home about 8:30 that night and said they were ready for Ron the concrete man to come Monday! I can't believe how big the piles of dirt were and where they are going to go. Beau says we need more "fill" but as of right now I'm not sure where it's all going to go!

Beau took these Monday afternoon after Ron the concrete guy had left. I guess these are the concrete footings...said they went in easy and are ready go to. I think they have to cure overnight and they can start laying the block on top of it Tuesday afternoon. Still looks like a big mess to me...but it's progress I guess!

The Culprit....

This is the spot for Beau's shed. I only say Beau's because I've been informed that it is his shop. Pretty sure we (and by we I mean Beau) started at a 30 x 30 building...the last time I heard I think it was up in the 50's. Not sure what we ended up with. Whenever I'd ask I'd just hear...a shop can never get to big Katie...duh. I think by looking at the plans it's going to be nicer than the house....

OK...I am not a blogger but thought it might be a good way to share our "building" story and progress with family and friends! Beau and Adde are finishing final work before construction can actually begin in our motorcycle trade in...the new bobcat. Yes...Beau sold his motorcycle in favor of this more family friendly vehicle. So far it's a hit with Adde. She's got her own seat and LOVES to ride in it...and Jackson doesn't seem to mind. Construction is set to start on May 2nd!