hey texans, would you like me to send down my scarf and hat to you? i don't need them up here today! hehe.

hey sis, i see that you're at the same temp is the same as alaska today- 21 degrees. can't wait to see you for break!! Let it Snow!!

alright, i've made enough of you mad. today we went and did the specifics on the house so they will get things ordered. they do all the framing right there at Alpine Structures and then they bring everything out. they said they will probably get it up the week of the 18th!

THE CONCRETE IS HERE

They are working on it right now. I'm up to the house for a snack and I thought I'd put a picture on. I'll put more later tonight.

It was exciting to get the concrete in but I like being involved and there wasn't too much I could do.

Here's the final picture: in the front of the picture is the apron in front of the garage and then in the back is where our living/kitchen area is.

Next up? we need to go specify placement of windows and style roof, things like that. Then they can come whenever to build the structure.

WARM FLOORS

We finishd leveling and then laid the insulation down. After that we put down the tubing for in-the-floor heating. I did the stapling.

Here's what it all looks like now. One more step to go and that's the concrete over the top of all this.

THE UNDERGROUND PLUMBING IS IN!

It might not look like much but we only have two more steps to go through and you will be seeing pictures of the house going up.

Matt is digging the ditch for the water line on a steep hill.

We needed to bring the base up to 5 inches below the top block (exciting huh? this is probably boring some of you but hey, this is our life right now).

James and Matt are dumping dirt in and the rest of us pushed it around with shovels.

We had a bunch of awesome helpers, Matt's sister Mary's kids.

Thanks Joseph, Emily Jimmy and Jared.

Here we are leveling it out to that 5 inch mark.

Here's the Polcyn Bros "working their magic" as Matt said.

Yup, no pictures of me today but I slung a lot of dirt and I'll be sore tomorrow.

That's ok, this way I get to have a tan and nobody else does!

NEXT UP? Laying the insulation for in-the-floor heating.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone!

We were outside since it's a sweltering 54 degrees. Matt put the kids on Blaze and he did real good with them.

I am very thankful for those of you out there in my life, family and friends, who can be a part of my life even though far away.

On Saturday we needed to reinforce the center wall to the outside wall so we put rebar through it and then concrete down in. we mixed it up and filled those two places and then went around and put it in every 4 feet for the anchoring of the house. This looks like a good week for working outside.

Pictured: Adam, Jen, Laura

After we finished that we came in and got cleaned up, very muddy out there, and met the teens from church at one of the kids' house, big screen tv, and watched The Game. Although it was the outcome I was hoping for, it was a good game.

I haven't written in awhile b/c nothing really has been going on. But I was planning on writing today to let everyone know nothings been happening.

But... Matt just stopped by the house to pick up a few things for work and he said that our block layer is back there finishing up. He said the guy had to run and get something. I said "WHAT?" but Matt assured me that he left his toolbox there and will return.

So there should be some action going on in the next week. Matt said he has to order the showers so when they put the house up they put those in there before they enclose it. I'm SO excited!

here's a pic of the kids from Halloween. They were a little girl and boy from Switzerland.