New Year. New Home, New Blog.

I have done a horrible job of updating the blog. I know.  I am going to blame it on the fact that I have three kids.  I don't often use them as a scapegoat, but today I am going to.  It was them, and the fact we were living in my parents basement and my computer time was scarce.  So, new year, new home, new blog.  One of my resolutions this year will be to blog at least once per week.   I should be able to keep up with that.  What am I going to blog about?  Well, mostly my kids, I am sure.  How we are turning our new house into a home.  Plus, I am trying to be a better me, so I will want to write about that too.
Here is my New Year Resolution List.....I never do resolutions, but here we go!

1) Write in my blog once a week

2) Be more present and more intentional in my children's lives

3) Simplify our lives by getting rid of clutter and reducing our waste and eating more naturally

4) Become a better wife and mother by keeping a better home clean, focusing on my family and feeding them right

5)  Do some DIY projects

6) Be nicer.  I am a fairly nice person, but I can be nicer.  Compliment more, be more genuine and less judge, stop gossiping, random acts of kindness.  I think I will do one kind thing a day.  Set a reminder on my phone so I actually do it.

7) Make this house into our home.  We will be here forever.  We have put our bodies here, now I want to put our hearts here

8)  Read more.  The most exciting thing about going back to work in February is that I get two half hour breaks a day, where I can sit uninterrupted (usually) and just read

9)  Plant a vegetable garden.  The girls want to do this.  It will get us outside.  It will be beneficial to us all (except Matt who only eats corn)

10)  Be happy.  I believe happiness is a choice and I am choosing to be happy.  Meredith does this sometimes.  She will be crying and then all of a sudden will stop and look at me and say I'm happy now.  Just like that.  It is that simple.

10 goals for 2013.  I think I can do that!  What about you?

As time goes on

These pictures are now showing the roof and some walls.

Roofing has started.  The roof is Pewter Gray and we agonized over what I think should've been a simple decision.  I mean, it is just a roof!

Looking in from our big front window.

This is our future living room.

Our kitchen.  The closet is our pantry and the bathroom is right behind and the master bedroom is the room with the window.

This is the view when you walk in the front door.  To the right is the living room, to the left stairs to the basement and straight ahead is kitchen/dining area.  Going to love this view every breakfast!

Our dining area, view from outside.

Matt and Myles in the garage

Framing

This next series of pictures are of the framing of the house.  Things are really starting to take shape...ha! See what I did there?

Looking like a house!

A little bit more...

More pictures!!  This time, the cement forms are poured and we now have a basement!

What you can see driving up to the house.

This always scared me, I thought they would fall in 

Part of our basement!

Myles playing in the future playroom!

Wait? What? How much time has gone by?

Since there has been a lot...A LOT...of progress on our house since I last updated, I think I will do a couple of posts of progression pictures.  Sound good?  Good...here we go!

We have a laneway!

And the backhoe starts to dig!  This was so exciting to finally see!

The layout of our home!

  

I remember thinking how small it looked.

And the forms are going up so the cement can be poured for the walls.

Yay!

We are FINALLY starting the build today!!  I can't believe it.  I will try to go out today so I can get a picture of things happening!  SO happy:)

Have I mentioned I hate waiting?

We are still waiting on the lawyers to complete the paperwork on the land transfer.  It is looking like it won't be until the middle of July.  I just want to get started! Anyway, let me tell you about some of the choices we have made so far!

At first, we thought we were going to go with white kitchen cabinets.  But when we walked in the showroom and saw these (the ones on the right)  we kind of changed our minds.  Plus, the kitchen place we are dealing with doesn't do white, so decision made!  The top cabinets are shaker, but I think the bottom is the one we chose, raised panel.  I am digging the colour.  The counters are made of Meganite, better than laminate, but not quite as good as stone. 

This is a sample of the laminate we picked out, really love the grayish tones in it.

 

 

 

We are thinking of a gray tile backsplash.  Probably subway tile, but we have yet to find it. 

This is the counter top with cupboard. 

So the kitchen is coming together nicely.  We just need to get this hole dug!