guess what?

I'm bagged...so this will be brief. We move in Sunday, the appliances get hooked up tomorrow, the house was cleaned today and the cabinet dudes (who said "this job will take 5 days"...they said that 3 weeks ago) finished 95% of their stuff.

This is a pic from the family room (back of the house) to the living room (front) of the house.

taken from the huge built-ins in the family room, to the kitchen...

taken from the kitchen, to the family room....the built ins will hold the TV and all sorts of 'fun' stuff.

The storage bin showed up today as well...full of who-knows-what really...I almost don't remember what's in there...but it is Xmas right?


We'll wake up to this view (hopefully minus the snow) from now on...

ahhhhhhhh........................

OK, time for an update (many have asked, little has been updated).

The new move-in date is December 20th...which is DEFINETLY happening. 

Since the last update we've had cabinet makers there installing all our, well, cabinets.

Below is "guy" installing the kitchen cabinets, I counted 19 drawers today....NINETEEN!

Amazing considering our old house had 6.

Then the railing guy was there, he did his thing in 2 days and we now have a railing. I think we're changing the 'corners' as we'd ordered squared, not rounded...but I digress.

The hardwood is totally done, and looks truly amazing. Oleg the Crazy Russian was a work horse, and a nice guy...Guten Tag Oleg (yeah...I know....German...whatever).

Next, we have the master ensuite (the Spa as we call it) and it's cabinet...holy nice!

umm...another railing shot....can't have enough right?

And now, the kids bathroom cabinet. All we need is the sink/faucet/countertop.

There you have it, the electricians were back (or are there) today installing the potlights (55 I think) and switches/plugs.

more soon...stay tuned!

time flies

Hi all.

   Our move-in date of December 15th (ish) is fast approaching and the work is moving along very well. Exterior is completely done (minus small paint touch-ups). The garage is totally done. The tile's are all done inside, grouted and everything. The hardwood arrived yesterday and I think it goes down tomorrow (starting at least). Cabinets arrive on Monday to be installed in the kitchen/bathrooms/laundry room. Then it's electrical finishing (installing outlets/switches) and the plumbing (toilets/sinks/taps). The railings will go in next week I assume, then it's really the small details before we get in. It'll be a very merry Christmas this year...or should I say "Murray Christmas"....no...no I shouldn't...that's so 1984!

The landscapers were there today doing their thing, framing for concrete paths and levelling the front and back yards. Moving our rhodo's (I can't believe they survived...) to their new locations.

All is moving swimmingly...stay tuned for the last entry and the move-in pics!

the pics above are of the suite bathroom tiles, the master ensuite shower, the kids bathroom tiles and the crazy looking fireplace.

later all

Marc, Jen, Madeleine and Cash

siding siding siding

yeah yeah, I know. The blog's wheels have fallen off. 2 kids, 5th sublet, work and all that keeps us busy and there's been nothing monumental to take pics of and upload...

that is.

until now!

The drywallers are gone, mudding and sanding done and the painter (J.F or F.J or something like that) shows up today and starts priming the house. Starting with the ceilings in the garage and house I believe. 

Also, the Hardy board siding (composite of wood, fiber, concrete and glue) showed up last week. The

 garage is 1/2 done and the house close to 1/2 as well. Painted at the factory (to give us the 25 year

 warranty) in Boothbay Blue. It looks amazing. Big decision picking the siding without really seeing what it looks like, then all of a sudden, it's a plastered (nailed actually) all over your house. We made a solid decision and are both happy with the colour. More grey than blue I think.

Painting will take a week and a bit, the siding another week, then it's flooring time and cabinet time. Here a couple pics of the siding, not sure if you'll really get the 'gist' of the colour, but don't complain!

Landscaper came by yesterday to scope it out...we're doing a retaining wall around the front of the house. Stones or garden ties, not sure of that (that'll be a $$ decision) but it'll be nice and semi-private.

that's it. 

The kids are great, Cash is growing (the boy, not the bank account). Maddie is amazing and enamored

 with her little brother. She "loves him cause he's a baby, he's small and he's her brother". Oh, Maddie also told me the other day (it was raining out) that

 it was "friggin' yucky out'. 

Time to watch our mouth's at home a little closer I guess.

drywall up...tape on...what's next?

so, the drywall went up last week, "2 day job" but it took them 4 days, actually 5, but they didn't show up on Monday (great!).

All the drywall is up, however, and the taping has begun and should be done today. Then we let it dry for a day and then the mud goes on, then dries, then gets sanded then, I believe, they do another run of mudding (dry/sand) then we're ready for paint. After the paint, I think we really start to move then. Floors, cabinets and the finishing can begin. Hydro has been hooked up, the water has been hooked up for a couple weeks now.

We've moved into our, sigh, 4th sublet and it's quite exciting to think we're moving from here to the house. No more sluggin boxes of food and crap to another place...we can actually move 'home' after this move. 

Jen and I were actually laughing last night before bed. Maddie sleeping in bed with is (lying across the pillows...feet in my face/neck/windpipe). It's really quite comical what we've been through this year and the fact that we're still talking, let alone married and able to stay in the same house is amazing really. The whole process has been harder on Jen than on me...but women's like to be 'organized' and 'settled' and have 'normal lives' whereas men can live anywhere, as long as they have cable, cold beer and hi-speed internet (I'm kidding...sort of).

I'll be happy for Jen to be able to move home...and even happier for the kids to be home. Maddie and Cash have both been troopers through all this...Maddie certainly finds the bright spots of an overcast situation...such as the view we have at the latest sublet. Amazing panoramic view of downtown Vancouver and the N. Shore mountains. She says "holy cooowwwww"...and Cash..well he just smiles and wants to be fed. He couldn't be easier and more malleable.

here are a coupls pics to peek at.

enjoy!

update update...read all about it!

OK...OK...OK....I know I've fallen off the tracks for a month (or 2) but the progress has been boring to be honest. The plumbing was done, radiant heat flooring, fire sprinklers (thanks City of Vancouver!) kitchen hookups etc. The electrical was done, the insulation went in yesterda....er....Tueday and the drywall showed up yesterday. The dudes show up Monday to begin what should be 2.5 weeks of steady work. Taking us to the end of September when the real motion takes over. Paint, flooring, all the good finishing work. The exterior window's are all boxed in, and the siding (James Hardie "Boothbay Blue" for those interested).

The outside has been wrapped in tar paper, so we're essentially, air tight in a week or 2.

Short...brief....precise...what more could you ask for in a blog?

Lockup!

Lockup stage is here...finally. Doors, windows are all in place, so the house can be locked up at night. Bogdan was here all last week (and again this morning) to install the remaining windows and doors.

Now we wait for the plumber to finish his thing, and the electrical do be done. We've done the electrical design (which wasn't as easy as you'd think). We walked through yesterday and figured out what lighting we want and where to put it. We are going with flush mounted potlights almost everywhere. More expensive now, but we don't have to buy lamps and other fixtures, plus potlights are clean and simple looking...I likie!
Here are a couple pics of the front of the house

the rear patio door being installed





and the large and exciting garage



Garage door should come this week too.

yay.

and then there was a deck

Bogdan the framer is back for the week to install windows/doors and finish the framing. The front porch is all done, the rear (small) deck is pretty much done. The place is coming along so so well....amazing actually.
The front porch posts are beautiful fir (I believe)...really nice looking wood.

this'll be a big week, so tune in for more updates (mainly, the windows...that'll be huge!)

Concrete jungle

Early morning today at 581 with a cement truck and 5 guys to help pour it.

They were there for 12 hours, pouring, smoothing, pouring and smoothing some more.



doing their thing. Looks pretty awesome. The garage floor is done, as is the basement, main and upper floor as well as the stairs to the basement entrance.

 

Meanwhile, Yuval wants bathtubs picked asap, so Jen and I wandered down to 'his' store to pick them out...tubs are pretty easy as there are really only a few styles, and it's either tacky and ugly, or simple...we went with simple. Jen was asking all sorts of "Jen" questions, so finally she hopped into the tubs, in the back parking lot of the plumbing shop...what a nutbar!
Have a gander at the pics...

iPhone shmiphone!

It's friday night and the cement comes on Monday...to be poured into the garage floor, and all 3 floors of the house. The radiant heat is in place (see the pics...neato!)
 and the cement will be poured on top of the tubes to create sweet warmthiness floors (should I spellcheck warmthiness?).

All the plastic piping is down, so I'm thinking the majority of the plumbing is now done. It'll sure be a different place by next Friday...with floors and windows/doors to be installed.

Just had monster burgers and ridiculous beans (thanks Donna!!!!) mixed with beer...the 3 B's!

Graeme, Rachel and Julius were visiting...great to see G as always.

Cash is asleep, Maddie (and Donna) are asleep and Jen is fad....i....n........g.

ganight!