Setting the House on the Basement (Fri. 12/12/08)

Here is the first half of the house being lifted off the trailer and set on the basement. It is the inside of our house.

Here is the second half of the house.










Lining up the second half to the basement.















Here is a good shot at the crane. This is the walkout (East) side of the house.


















Raising the roof.












Nailing the supports to the roof.













The roof is raised. I think they are putting the shingles down in this picture.










Here is Logan sitting on our new septic tank that was delivered Monday.

Logan

Matt and Logan watching the house construction.
















Here is Logan with his new overalls to wear to the construction site.

















Logan and Matt playing computer games.

Low-Tech Sim City

This is a project Grandpa Ed and Logan worked on one day we were all at work. Logan's city includes all of his favorite places: The Ice Cream Factory (aka Dairy Queen), Mexican Food, Wal-Mart, play ground, and Uncle Ryan's Apartment in Chicago.

They later discovered they forgot to make a railroad for Logan's favorite toys...trains!

They have since constructed a new city...pictures to come later:)

House Update

The crane is coming to set the house on the basement Friday (12/12/08). Hopefully all goes well and I have some good pictures to post. I have to work, but my Dad, Matt and Logan should be there to video and photograph. After the house is set, they'll start on the roof. They will also site-build the utility room, garage and porch.

Since I have no new construction pictures, I'm posting a "before" picture of the building site. It is after my Dad re-worked the piece of land and made a driveway, but before any major excavation took place.

Here is a picture of Logan playing "King of the Mountain." Most of the pictures I am posting are courtesy of my Dad. He is retired and able to be at the site whenever the crews are working on things.

House Delivery

The weather did not cooperate today (12/9/08) for the crane to set the house pieces on the basement. We have no idea when they will have another day available.

Here are the two pieces that are sitting on our land. They are shrink-wrapped to protect the house from the rain.

The drywall is already hung inside the house, but no doors or trim have been installed.

There's Dad's backhoe and the house. The lumber for the trusses is to the right of the house.

I'm sure it will look much better after we get a roofline!

That is the place for the front door. There will be a covered porch over the door and two windows.

The shutters are a deep maroon/wine color. The vinyl is tan.

House Pictures

Logan standing where his future bedroom will be before we broke ground.

















Logan watching the excavation..........and playing in the dirt.








Logan and Grandpa Ed watching them pour the concrete basement floor. It was really cold that morning.

Later that day, our beloved dog, Cami, crossed the road and put her tracks in the basement floor AND the garage floor. Luckily the guys were still there and able to fix it. Gotta love that dog!!!









Pouring the basement floor.









Here is a picture of the east wall of the basement. It is a walkout with a door and window.

I have more pictures...the house was delivered today...but have run out of time. I have to run to night class. They are supposed to set the house on the basement tomorrow (Dec 9 ), but with rain in the forecast, I'm sure we'll have to wait a while.

Misc. Pics...not in any order

My friends at Courtney & Nathan's house during the Fall Festival weekend.













Logan playing on his V-Tech "laptop" from Mims & Dandy. He loves to act just like his Daddy when he is working.













My friends at Emily's baby shower.

Logan with his birthday cake....in case you cannot tell...that is Thomas the Train on his cake.

Breaking Ground!

Logan & Grandpa Ed watched the track-hoe and bulldozer working on our basement. Logan was very anxious to play in the big hole in the ground.

Here I am in the basement. Behind me is the walk-out that will be under the bedrooms on the east side of the house.

Hopefully the weather cooperates over the next week to pour the concrete.

Misc. Pics from Sept/Oct

We went to Iowa City/Coralville, Iowa last weekend for my cousin, Alice's wedding. I didn't get very many pictures, but here is the only picture of me in the last month-and-a-half.

This was taken outside the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. The restaurant used to be a power plant...it was very nice. We walked the bridge and watched the water falling.










Here are Logan and his cousin, Alex swimming in the hotel pool.
















Logan riding his trike outside our latest "new" house.


Construction on our new house is about to begin. I will try to get pictures and post them quickly.













Just a picture of my GAP boy









This is a picture of Logan's new Thomas the Train Table. His cousins from Chicago have outgrown it and were nice enough to pass it along to Logan.

All he wants for his birthday are more of Thomas' friends. We already have a lot of them, though.


I try to ask him what he wants for Christmas if he gets all of the trains he wants for his birthday. He hasn't really given me any ideas. So for those of you relatives wondering what to get him...good luck! Other than Thomas, he likes books. We only have one Thomas book...maybe that is an idea.

Appleknocker Pictures

Logan driving one of the big trucks

Logan checking out the fire and rescue trucks at Appleknocker.

Robin & Tanner (our niece) checking out the animals at the petting-zoo exhibit

Robin, Logan & Tanner

I love this picture...

This was taken later that night. Tanner just took off with Landrey's beloved "Pickle" (pink-stuffed elephant) and Landrey is going to get it back!

Does anyone want a kitty?

My mother-in-law, Robin, rescued 4 cats that had been thrown into a creek off a country road north of Flora in August. She has found homes for 3 of them. This black and white kitty still needs a home!

If you know someone that wants a cat, please contact Robin or me.

Logan's First Trip to the ER...

I'm posting the ER story first...his picture is last. This is your warning in case you don't care to see Logan's fresh stitches:)

Logan fell down a few stairs at my parents' house (July 27) and hit the brick fireplace to the right of his right eye. We waited over an hour at Clay County Hospital (in Flora) to see a doctor. The doctor that was working when we registered was at the end of his shift. I am almost certain that when he heard there was a 2 1/2 year old that needed stitches in the waiting room, he let us wait just long enought to pass us off to the next doctor. It took 4 adults to restrain Logan so that the doctor could give Logan 3 stitches.

We had a much better time getting them out a few days later with our nurse-practitioner...she was good!

Here are a few misc. pictures from the last month...





Logan loves playing with Thomas the Train. He already has a list of trains he wants for his birthday in November.

I'm posting this picture to prove that Logan does have bad days and isn't always smiling for the camera.






Logan loves his cousins.



Here he is holding Tanner (Shannon & John's girl) even thought she is 1 year old and walking now!












Here he is trying to give Landrey kisses! She is almost 18 months old now.











Here are the fresh stitches!

June & July Photos

This is Logan's John Deere lawn tractor (battery operated) at Grandma & Grandpa Hayes' house. He's getting pretty good at steering it.












This is Logan's outdoor John Deere pedal tractor at Nana & Pops Atwood's house. He is "working on it with his tools" in this photo.

He also has a restored pedal tractor that stays inside. I'll have to work on a new photo of that one to post.








I didn't get a good photo of Logan's face on his crocodile float. I don't know what to put this kid on in the water. I guess it has been decided since I was a kid that swim wings and inner tubes are too dangerous for kids. The only option I have seen is the swimsuit with the built-in floatation device.

So for right now, Logan just sits on his crocodile.

This is Logan's newest "Big-Boy Bed" in our newest house. He likes to read books and listen to The Wiggles before bedtime. I know a lot of people hate The Wiggles TV show, but I really like the audio CDs. I would rather listen to their catchy songs, than CDs of little kids trying to sing nursary rhymes.

He likes Critter books, How Do Dinosaurs... books, No David! books and any book with a tractor, concrete mixer or backhoe in it!

Shannon's 3-Day for Susan G. Komen for the Cure

My Sister-In-Law, Shannon Hurliman is participating in The Breast Cancer 3-Day in Chicago in August.

It is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and National Philanthropic Trust, funding important breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment.

She has a personal goal of $2,200 and has raised $1,987 so far. Please click on her link under "My Friends" to donate. You can do it online with a credit card or print a form off the site to mail.