More Detail for the Interested

This picture shows the trim detail. The bottom board is thicker than the side boards, which creates some interest, but also makes the butt joint look better than if the boards were the same thickness. There will be no miter joints anywhere in the trim or cupboards. The trim is poplar which will be stained the color of our kitchen cabinets.

This picture of the door leading down into the lower basement shows the panel design better. We're really happy with the doors - they are solid and substantial feeling compared to the hollow-core flush doors we've always had previously.

Construction Pictures

It's hard to take pictures right now because the progress is less dramatic, and until the painting is done, the drywall is not very photogenic. The top picture is of a closet door in the lower entryway. You can also see the baseboard. The bottom picture is the window in the playroom looking toward our neighbors' house. The top and bottom of the window are trimmed the same as the top of the door.

Birthday Party at Go-Kart, Mini-Golf Fun Park

Birthday Boy

This cake was designed by Isaac and decorated by Mom.

Spencer, Eliot, Isaac, and Dylan

Birthday Boy Post-Haircut and Burn

Birthday Boy Pre-Haircut

Avritt's Baptism

Pictures from the Weekend of Avritt's Baptism

Mike was the captain of the pontoon boat (and speed boat) for the weekend that we stayed at a house on a lake where Avritt was baptized. My parents and sisters came to stay with us at the house, which is owned by our good friend, Jason's, parents.

Emily enjoying the ride.

My dad and younger sister.

House Details

For the few who are interested, these are samples of:
(Top picture) the porcelein tile in the kids' bathroom
(Middle picture) the porcelein tile and slate accent in the upstairs bathroom shower
(Bottom picture) the wood floor in the kitchen, hallway, and office upstairs

Update

Lots has happened since the camping posts. Emily started band camp, Avritt started football, Isaac signed up for soccer and is waiting for the first practice, the drywall was finished in the basement, the finish carpenter started working in the basement (the doors are hung, the window casing is almost done, and the baseboard is half done), I started teaching again, I accidentally ran into Isaac's eyelid with a hot cookie sheet and burned him (he turned around and I turned around with the cookie sheet and we collided), a skunk was hit in the road right in front of our house, sprayed the stinky stuff, and crawled under our pine tree and died, I had to move the said skunk back beside the road (so that the local road commission would pick it up) after it was dragged behind our shed by a neighborhood dog, Avritt was baptized, and Isaac had a birthday.

The kids finally start back next Tuesday. All of us would have loved another month off, but since I'm back to teaching, it will be good for the kids to be in school. I don't want to repeat this last week again for awhile (I guess a year, actually). My classes did go well this week despite everything. I have two sections (25 students each) of the core math class, and one section of remedial algebra with 6 students.

The house has kept me busy all summer. I have been making decisions about paint colors, how the trim will look, the design of the bathroom upstairs (we're gutting it and redoing everything in there), the design of the kids' windowseats, the tile designs in the both bathrooms, the new front door, the design of the french doors upstairs, and the cabinet and door hardware, among other things. I have discovered that I really enjoy all the work that goes into a major remodel. The design work and coordination of all the details is interesting and challenging. I like the intricacy of how everything fits together. It has been rewarding. We are finishing the basement (except the Master Bedroom area) and then we will move in down there while the upstairs is being finished. We have a lot of work to do, and many times over the last few weeks I have been frustrated to my limits with the dust, mess, and chaos of it all, but progress is exciting and enough to overcome the struggles.

Isaac Skimboarding

Avritt Skimboarding

Summer

Beach Fun

Camping Pics taken by Emily

Goofy Kids

The Kids at the Campground

Yearly Camping Trip

We enjoyed camping last week. It was the first year that it didn't rain the whole time we were there. Packing up is much easier if things are dry! We bought a hammock this year, which turned out to be the most fought after seat in our campsite. After spending three perfect, sunny days at the beach, on the last day we hung around the site and spent a lot of time crowding in the hammock together. I read for an hour to the boys that afternoon. Emily found some new recipes, and our favorite was Cinnamon Pies. We put two pieces of store-bought crescent rolls together in a pie iron, spread butter and cinnamon sugar over it, and then another layer of crescent rolls. They tasted like cinnamon rolls, and were gooey in the middle. Yum!