Modifying As We Go!

We met Mike at the lot today after work to mark out the concrete options.  (I love being a part of every choice and having the opportunity to modify as we go.)  Sometimes the way it looks on paper is quite different when you see it in reality, so we were able to spray the measurements and made some changes like spacing of the firepit and size of the basketball area (yes... that was my wish, so that I can actually teach my kiddos how to play basketball, given the constant conflict during swimming!)  😃  It is refreshing to work with Mike...  he gives advice based on his learnings, listens to our desires/concerns, and problem-solves (one of my favorite skillsets!) 

We will have to make some tough choices on driveway and fencing pretty soon.  Costs are high with all the concrete/asphalt we would like to have - and as most of you know, lumber prices are CRAZY right now, so some will just have to be determined by final prices. (For example, Mike said red cedar is at an insanely high price at the moment.)  But there are some things that just make sense to do upfront vs. waiting a year or two.  We didn't go into this expecting it to be an "inexpensive" endeavor (after all it is a dream house!), so we are just trying to balance all the choices and be smart - with the intent of not wanting to look back saying: "why didn't we just [fill in the blank] upfront."

Next up:  Next week, the floor joists will get installed, and then the plumbing/HVAC under the house will get started.  Then we will get moving to flooring and soon after, the framing.  We are all so excited to watch the next phase!

Samuel was at swim practice, but Luke & Rachel came along for the ride and read their new Scholastic books while we worked through everything with Mike. 

Update -  June 5th:

We were headed to Starbucks this AM - and asked if any of the kiddos wanted to tag along for the ride.  Samuel asked if we could also drive by the lot, given he wasn't able to go with us last night - "of course," I replied! (I am always up for an excuse to stop by!)  After we had arrived, and roamed a bit, we quickly realized there had been changes since we had visited the night before!  There was vapor barrier, along w/ wood added on top of the forms (no idea what the correct technical terms are...)  😏

It was fun to see the changes, for sure!  Samuel is always so excited to explore and see the progress - which makes my heart happy.  He asks many questions, and is very intrigued with the build process.