I think we may have moved in...

I said to Bikeman the other night: "Do you know what? I think we may have moved in without realising". He laughed at me and agreed that perhaps we have. It started with sleeping over a few nights. Bikeman has been here for weeks now, keeping an eye on things and making sure stuff didn't get nicked (as is apparently common at this stage of building). The kids and I stayed every now and then, until the start of last week. We intended to stay for 2 nights, then the kids friends were going to have a sleepover (which didn't eventuate) so that meant another night, then my family came over for dinner the next night (we're up to 4 nights now) and then we stayed Friday night (just because it was Friday). Then it made sense to stay the weekend and now we're at Wednesday and haven't been 'home' yet. Of course we have been 'home', to feed the cats and do washing, but we haven't stayed there. And I'm not sure that we will again. So.... officially moving day is looking like Sunday, possibly... Doo Bah is going to return a favour (or 3) and help move some big furniture into the house. We're nearly ready - only a few arcs and skirts to finish off and we can get that done around the furniture. Enough already! We need to be in, and now. I've had enough of waiting!

What's been happening at 'The Block'

Firstly Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hope that 201o finds you healthy and happy. A lot has happened at 'The Block' over the last few weeks. Firstly I have reverted to calling it 'The Block'. Firstly it is helping me mentally get back into work mode and secondly it requires further explanation when I say 'home' so that way it is clear! Anyway, we and a variety of our wonderful friends and family have been very busy. Carpets went in thanks to Steve J (they look great) and the pool has the filter and pump attached so would be swimmable if it wasn't so murky. Nothing that a bit of attention from the pool vaccuum and some big time chemicals won't fix! Big thanks to the Sandhurst Crew for fronting up New Years Day after a big night the night before to work their butts off all day to get the fancy plumbing work done. Then came the storm, just minutes after the Sandhurst Crew had downed tools for the day (at 7.20pm I might add) and we were able to watch the most spectacular lightning show that I have seen in some time. Fantastic! Stevie B and his myriad of beasts (machinery, not children!) arrived a couple of days later after the soil had dried out to move around a whole heap of crushed rock. The result: around the pool is now flat and even, able to be walked on without the fear of being held hostage by mud as you walk around. The outside is pretty much now ready for paving/concrete and around the pool is nearly ready for the concrete beam required. Looks FANTASTIC! And not to mention that the Sparkies were back in on Christmas Eve to add in another light at the front (drilling through the wall at 7.30am - not good while suffering from a hangover from the street Xmas Party from the night before!) and powerpoint to the front and the back area (for the pool). And the roofers were back in to finish the downpipes. I've had a heap of 'spakfilla' helpers - Nana P and Jordan B, thanks to you both for your sanding/spakfilla efforts. And unmentioned previously was Orange (cousin of Pink and Blue) who helped me paint the front entrance way and did a GREAT job! Oh and in between all that I finally painted my last wall - our bedroom. Hurrah! Not content with all that walls had to offer, I have moved on to skirting boards and architraves and eventually will finish the doors as well. I must say the rooms look much more finished now with the skirts/arcs painted. All the carpeted areas are now done, apart from doors, so as a result we moved our bed and Blue's bed in over the weekend. And a heap of toys, to keep the billy lids happy while we frantically try and finish it all. Oh ...... and last but definitely not least : we have CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY!!! Meaning that officially we can move in - which we had planned to do before now but we're just not quite ready. So hopefully now we will be in over the next 2 weeks - probably gradually, each time we go up we'll take another load. And in between all that we had Xmas in the Mount and New Years at home. Is it any wonder we're looking a bit weary? Looking forward to being able to lay my hat at the new house and call it 'home'. Fancy Plumbing by the Sandhurst Crew, designed by Mrs B Skirting, Architraves, Carpet and a bed! Starting to look like a real room - Blue's Room. Even sheets as curtains!

Our bedroom - pink post it hearts courtesy of Pink. 'Up high so the babies can't get them' - not sure what babies but a cute thought. Very nice to have carpet underfoot and a real bed to sleep on!

Stevie B in the midst of moving around crushed rock. By the end of the day was all level around the pool.

Thanks to all our helpers we are soooooo lucky to have such wonderful people around to help us. Happy New Year to you all and my New Years Resolution for this year: To spend more time with my family and friends. And not so much on the bloomin' house!

Current pics

Excavation around the pool and rock placement View from the back (the new 'hill' - the water tank!)

Driveway ... love the shape!

Bikeman and the kids getting their feet wet. Looks so much better down that side with the excess dirt removed, a much more usable area.

So close but yet so far.....

Everything seems to have ground to a halt. Mentally that is. It all started when we had a sleepover (which was great fun, I might add!) but ever since that day I no longer see this place as a construction site that has work to be done but instead I see it as a home. And I want to clean it and live in it! 'Who cares if we don't have skirting boards anyway' I find myself thinking. I see now why everyone says 'finish it before you move in or you never will' - it's that mental step that you take from giving you the drive to finish and just wanting it all to be over. Although the interior has stalled a little (yes I'm STILL painting... egads!) the exterior is looking absolutely brilliant! Dean the Digger has been here many days now shaping the driveway and the back yard around the pool with some granite rocks sourced from another building site and they look fantastic! How that man can make that huge machine carry and place those massive boulders like they are light as a feather I will never know. He is brilliant at his job (and a great guy to boot)! Photos to follow soon - to top it all off both my computer and Bikemans computers died within a week of each other so I'm using a borrowed laptop and I'm missing my Photoshop for minimising those photos! Oh the timber floor is finished and it looks fabulous. Not too red at all, it's just perfect. And the timber floor layer was excellent, a 'devilishly handsome irishman' (self proclaimed) who was quite cute, I might add, although I could only understand about half of what he said his accent was so thick. Gorgeous, but who knows what I could have agreed to??? We all stayed over again at the 'block' tonight as Blue has his new school orientation tomorrow morning, and Pink has her last day of kinder (and I've volunteered for Kinder Duty - she's been bugging me all term to do it!). So as we were here for basketball tonight anyway thought it was just as easy to stay. This really is a lovely house and I'm so looking forward to moving in here. At night in particular it is just so lovely to sit and look at the view, the lighting inside is just perfect and it feels like HOME. Mind you a real bed and some more furniture would just be the icing on the cake! So when are we moving in .... well moving date has been pushed out a little to be the week between Christmas and New Year due to a few 'hiccups' and also that we are having the carpet laid on the 23rd Dec. Nothing like leaving it til the last minute! And we need time to get motivated again.

Let there be light :)

It finally happened ... we have electricity. No more plugging in 3 extension cords and having to turn off the floodlights when we want a coffee. No more having to go home when it is dark. No more going to the toilet with a torch. Let there be light!! And yes that shadowy figure is me, working working working .... sweeping at 9pm ready for the flooring to be laid the next day. Rumpus room looking back toward the front entry way - can just see the bottom of the beautiful chandelier KQ suggested ... love it! Don't have a very good picture of it yet, bit hard to photograph with a camera phone. Best to come visit and see it in all its glory!

I LOVE the way the house looks from the front. The front lights that Bikeman suggested look just perfect with the front of the house. And with the chandelier on it lights up the little triangular window above the door. Fantastic!!

When are we moving in again? Seems like a real house now.... click! Lights off, goodnight...