Hooray for snow

A perfect day to be inside, cup of coffee, warm pup and music. I scurried outside to take a pic from the same spot I have been using to document the house addition. This scene is a far cry from July (see second photo). Gotta love the seasons.

Railing finished (before the snow!)

The finishing touches are happening around the house. Some painting, caulking and a few other small things remain undone. Yesterday, I made the last section of railing for the upper deck. It was a mild day, temperature-wise, so I hurried to complete the railing. Sam and I secured it to the posts last night, using the light from the bedroom to illuminate the scene. The weather was comfortable. But just hours later, a strong cold front blew in. Rain turned to snow. This afternoon the scene is different.

Are you kidding me? The kitchen is here

Well, after months of eating out, eating sandwiches, eating at friends, eating at QuikTrip, eating whatever we could find, the wait for a home-cooked meal is almost over. The kitchen cabinets showed up the other day, followed quickly by the counters. The installation took a few days. Some things still need completed, like the microwave and dishwasher. But, we can move into the space, fill the shelves with goodies, eat off of real plates and stop using plastic forks. Here are a few shots of the kitchen. Oh, the cabinets are made from alder. The counters are laminate.

Beautiful evening

It has been a gorgeous fall season. The trees are dumping their leaves and the house is getting close to the finish line. I still need to finish the deck railings (gotta pass inspection, you know) and create a decent yard for the dog this winter. Most of the yard will be too muddy for a dog, especially if we want to keep the house nice. That's hard enough with kids!

Fence back in action

Back in early July, I took down sections of our fence and gate to allow easy access to the construction zone. But those days are gone. So, I spent a couple days re-setting posts and welding the sections back in place. Good as new.