Cousins

We went to Boston a few weeks ago to visit Nate, Mandy, Edie, and Allison. The girls had such a good time! We didn't even see Brynn and Edie the day we got there, as they were tearing it up all around the house together. The only thing missing was Kenley. And Uncle Matt and Aunt Regen and Adam and Gramma and Grampa. Here's some pics:

Uncle Matt, this was taken for you...note the Yankee being eaten by the big green monster















The Boston children's museum bubble exhibit:















Elyse's loved the IKEA rocking horse!














Brynn and Edie holding hands at church...awww!















Uncle Jeremy showing them nature in the man hole cover at the park:















This picture was taken after Brynn captured Elyse in her bug net...one of her favorite birthday presents!

More house!

Sorry we have been so delayed at posting...things have been so hectic with all the decisions that need to be made on the new house and stuff to get done to sell the old. Worst thing that has come up...2 weeks after we got a full price offer on the house we got a letter from the Borough that we need to have our sewer inspected. Long story short=> municipal problems=sellers problem=$4500 down the pooper (literally). Someone tell me again why it's great to be a home owner? Oh yea, the sale funds the pictures below:

More cement blocks

Looks like most of the outer walls are done except the one hole in the front right there. They got rid of the moat by filling in with stone and all around the foundation is stone covered with hay.

Elyse turns 1!!

Here's Elyse not too sure about the festivities:



And some pics:

oooh...lots of cement blocks

Here's the beginnings of the house:















This is where the garage doors will be. No, we will not have a moat in front of our garage....just a side effect of construction.

House basement starting tomorrow!

Not to be overshadowed by Elyse's first birthday (pictures coming after the family party tomorrow) the weather will break next week for them to start laying the block foundation! We have had a giant hole in the ground for about a month with daytime temperatures below freezing with the exception of a day to two here and there. I guess the mortar freezes to the metal mixer in when it is below 32 degrees. But tomorrow will be nice as will next week so we'll start getting somewhere!

Here is a bad representation of what the house will kinda-sorta look like:

http://images.familyhomeplans.com/plans/71057/71057-B600.jpg

And here is the floor plan but we will have some variations:

http://images.familyhomeplans.com/plans/71057/71057-1L.gif

We are eliminating the breakfast nook in the back of the kitchen with a straight wall (with cabinets and window there instead) and we will have an island where the left wall of the kitchen is. Also, the whole left wall of the house will go out 4 more feet (so the dining room will be 14' x 14') and the whole front of the house will be pushed out 2 feet so the bedrooms will be 12' x 12' and the family room will 16' x 26'. We got rid of the closets in the family room that jut out into the room, and we will have two sinks in the master bath. Most everything else will be the same. Stay tuned for more photos!!

Brynn + scissors = new hair cut

While decluttering the garage on New Year's Day, a load of stuff was brought into the house. Little did we know that a nice, sharp, pair of scissors was in the pile. Brynn made quick work of her haircutter skills:
Notice how the whole spot from bangs to back of hair is missing...and is nice and close to the scalp!