Special delivery!

This week while we (mainly Abram) were unloading our firewood at our new land,

we saw this truck driving up the highway. It was loaded with lumber - specifically trusses. Then it slowed down at our road.

It was for us!! Special delivery indeed!!

McKay couldn't take his eyes off of the trusses being delivered. But I'm glad I took my eyes away long enough to see and capture the special moment from another view.

Two days later the rest of the lumber arrived, along with the hardware for framing.

The well was also completed this week, including the pump, water tank, and electricity hooked up to it.

Shortly after, the garage floor was poured. Too bad we didn't get there soon enough to put our hand prints in it! ('Course, we may have ended up with boot prints, too, so maybe it's a good thing.)

Starting Monday the framing goes up. They said if we get the Mexican crew, it will be done in TWO DAYS! If it's the white guy crew it will take 4-5 days (which still seems awfully fast to me!).

Stay tuned.

Making progress

Well, we're making good headway! They put the footings down, then molds for the foundation.

 The power company put up a pole and strung wires across the road for us. Since then, the electrician has put a box on the pole, and tomorrow (Tuesday) it will be inspected. Upon completion (and passing) of the inspection, the power company will be returning to add a meter and charge it up. They said they will do it tomorrow.

 And look! The molds got filled in and we have a foundation! Hooray!

 And the well has been drilled. At this very moment, they are up there setting the pump and the tank. We will have water as soon as the electricity gets hooked up!

I don't have pictures yet, but they have back filled now and have dumped a load of gravel for our driveway. I will post pictures later this week.

In the meantime, we have been packing and moving boxes into a storage unit. Next week we plan to move into our friends' big camper up on our property, hooked up to septic, water, and power. We'll use propane tanks for now and get a permanent (big) propane tank later. Abram and I have also been working on some of our own projects, which I'll have to post pictures of when I don't have so much to do. Back to work!

Week 1: It's really happening!!

We really are going to have our own house! Right here in this beautiful spot. I still can't believe it.

While I've been busy doing this: 

the kids have been busy doing this:

And the "worker guys" have been busy digging a hole for the crawlspace, putting in the septic system, and bringing a water line and a power line out to the well site.Check it out:

Elijah and Dancin' McKay in front of our new home site!

McKay inside our new house

The place for "solids", as the professionals call it.

Leach field.

Site for the well.

Let the fun begin!!

For 5 1/2 months we've been trying to buy a home or some land to build on. We have spent countless hours on the phone and in person with builders, sub-contractors of all kinds, utility companies, the county planning and zoning and building departments, the Division of Water Rights, etc, etc. We have a binder FULL, FULL, FULL of notes we've taken down, business cards, contacts, contracts, forms, house plans, and more. Many, many times our plans fell through, disappointing us, and then we were blessed with an even better situation. Trust the Lord! He really does know what is best for us!

We started this journey not knowing what we were doing, or where we would raise our family. But we have been so blessed.

Yesterday we signed papers and closed on this sweet little 5 acre farm. Can you see where we had the perc test done in the back of the property (see this big dirt/rock pile?).

Here's Elijah helping Pappa measure and stake out where the house will go!!

After so many months of paper work and leg work, we get to start on the fun stuff! Here we go... Wish us luck!

Just try to not say "Awwwww." I dare ya.

It's so fun having a little girl! We all adore this little one. She's a funny girl, making us all laugh every day.

The boys often bring books over to where Heidi is sitting. Yes, just sitting. She's almost 9 months old now, and she still doesn't know she could crawl if she tried. She doesn't even put any weight on her legs if we try to stand her up. She's content to just sit. Maybe because everything she wants is brought to her by her loyal big brothers.

 

Wait, did I say she was content to just sit? I meant to sit and grab everything. Elijah nicknamed her "Grabzilla." Ha! Those big eyes and smile tell it all.

The other night we had lentil soup full of spinach. I told the boys about Popeye and his amazing ability to grow super muscles after eating spinach. After supper, the boys grew their own big muscles. But they were made out of rice heat packs instead of spinach.

Personally, I like these even better than bunny slippers.

Miscellaneous family pictures from the last few weeks:

You still here? Thanks for stopping by.

This little baby....

is just growing up too fast.

6 months old already.

She's a thumb-sucking, big brother-adoring, attention-needing, music-loving dolly.

We adore her.

Cousin Fun

The boys got a special treat today --- they got to play with Miss Aspen most of the day. It was even warm enough to play outside for awhile. What a strange, warm winter it has been.