Addi was pleased the forms were removed today

Party

You know you are in need of excitement when changing a diaper was the highlight of your day. ;)

Foundation Walls

The foundation walls were poured today.

Letters

Emma is doing quite well with her letters.

Footings

The footings were formed and poured today. Progress is a good thing.

The Daily Mess

4.15.08 - Day 1

The foundation was dug yesterday. I discovered this at 9 PM while driving back from Orem. I will try to get a picture today.

Get It Going

We noticed some stakes today. Maybe they are finally close to digging.

Back In The Chair

Kids

The day was filled with baths, teeth brushing and chew toys.

Happy

Britt had Addi smiling for a while.

Addi

Let's Go

It's pretty obvious a lot has been done since the first picture.

Oops!

A teenager hit Britt's car. Enough said.

No Thanks

We let Addi have a go in the bouncer. She wasn't buying it.

Road Trip

Britt has a WebEx at noon and she has asked me to take the girls somewhere. It's quite professional when the sound of a tired and screaming two-year old is heard by the customer.

I'm thinking we may take a drive to the property and see if they are digging the foundation yet.

Let's Burn It Down

My entry title is a little dramatic but it’s somewhat the truth.

We are REALLY looking forward to living in a new house again. We will miss the rental’s sweet sewer pipe smell. I’m always thinking Emma has strategically placed a dirty diaper around the house.

I will miss the low ceilings in the basement. I have repeatedly slammed my head on the overhang while walking downstairs. I'm then forced to inflict severe punishment on the nearest stuffed animal.

We will miss replacing light bulbs every week. The basement is now completely dark because I refuse to buy more bulbs. Emma does not set foot downstairs unless it’s during the day.

We will miss the 1/8 of an inch vertical gap between the front door and the jamb…not to mention the ability to slide all five toes underneath the door. The draft from underneath is strong enough to blow a tissue across the room. This equals to a payment of over $350 a month for utilities.

Brittany will miss the quality dryer which requires an eight-hour work day to successfully dry a couple shirts and a pair of pants.

I will admit something.

Rental homes are never as nice as you would like them to be. That's understandable.

This rental allowed us to move across the country without buying a house sight unseen. Our landlord has been EXTREMELY nice and that really helped with my transition from Kentucky to Utah. The location of the rental has allowed us to see Kristie on a fairly usual basis and that’s been good for the girls. The neighborhood is quiet with almost no traffic and the ward has been pleasant.

BUT…

It’s still time to move…in a few months.

Yo, Holmes

Emma insisted on doing her own makeup.

Takes A While

Life is always joyful when Emma wakes from a nap.

Build Time

We met with the builder yesterday to finalize last minute changes to the house. We then picked the colors for the stucco, countertops and paint. The builder mentioned there was a possibility to have the house finished in 90-100 days. This is due to the housing market being almost at a crawl. He would be able to put crews normally at another build on our house. We’ll see what happens. I’m still guessing four months. Too many things can happen to slow down the process.

Asleep

Both girls were out like a light. Emma was still sleeping over an hour later.

Small Lot

...building lot.

Makes Me Nervous

Happy trails to you until I break your piano. ;)

House

Our house will not have a porch but everything else looks the same. The colors will probably look a little different. It's not a big house but it will work fine for a few years.

Floor Plans

That burst pipe is going to make a mess.

New Build

Yesterday Britt and I signed a contract for a new build in the Ranches. Tyler and Aids can relate to that area. We had put an offer (with a condition to withdraw) on a house in Herriman but after walking through again we discovered it reminded us of a fish bowl. We needed to buy a new kitchen table due to the room being so freakin’ small. We needed to finish a large part of the basement in order to have a place for Emma’s toys. The yard wasn’t even big enough for Emma to play.

After telling Britt of my concerns we took a drive to Eagle Mountain and contacted the realtors of Prestige Homes. We talked to them a couple months back but we were unsure of whether we wanted to buy or just stay with renting. He took us through a house that had a great floor plan, spacious and was cheaper (before some upgrades) than the house in Herriman. We realize this new house is a little further away which necessitates a longer commute for school. It’s still worth it. Britt LOVES the house and I feel a lot better about the situation.

The neighborhood is loaded with kids and our house will be built between two larger homes. The house will have 4 bedrooms (all upstairs) and 2.5 (we are adding a half-bath next to the laundry room) baths. Britt will have her office and she decided to give each girl their own room. The unfinished basement has a rough-in for a full bath and room for a couple bedrooms in the future. My office will be finished after we move in. The approximate build time is 4 months.

Britt is giddy. Life is good. End of story.

Grow Up Already

Maybe we are pushing Addi too soon.

Night Night

Emma was obviously uncomfortable but refused to leave the car. Sweet dreams.

Sugarhouse

Britt and I were feeling a little closed in today so we took the girls to the park.

Easter

Emma opened her Easter basket while Addi relaxed after a long night of sleep. Later we had Easter dinner in Marion.

Shark

Addi shared her strategy with Travis during Hand & Foot.

Attractive

We are hoping Emma outgrows her attractive lip look soon.

Calm

Addi actually allowed me to give her a bath without freaking out.

Dad...please.

...fast forward eight years with that look.

Sisters

...just in case Addi needed some help.

Good Times

Britt’s strep throat is better today. She is still feeling a little crappy but at least she can eat like a normal human being. She leaves today for Portland and is due back Friday.

I have three exams this week and our babysitter is sick...totally figures.

Funny

Papa had Emma laughing like only Papa could.

Claws

Emma discovered outdoor cats have claws.

More Time For Herself

Emma enjoyed her time alone with Papa much better.

Papa

Addi, Papa and a grumpy Emma. ;)

Hello, Papa.

Addi met her great grandfather for the very first time.

Cousins

Addi spent more time chilling with Madelyn.

Kentucky

We are in Kentucky. Grandpa Beavin is enjoying his time with Addi while Emma is into EVERYTHING. ;)

Britt is gone and I feel like a Mac truck hit me. Good times.

Travel

Britt is back out of town again. She gets back Thursday and we then leave Friday for Ky. Addi will probably sleep for most of the flight but it's Emma I'm worried about. Hopefully we will have a family with a bunch of kids around us. We then won't be the only ones making noise.