The Year Behind Us, and the Year Ahead

It has been a big year for us and 2011 went by VERY fast. 

I took my last ARE exam in January and became a registered architect in February. The following month BVH promoted me to Associate of the Firm, so we had a celebratory party with many friends and coworkers. 

Really, just an excuse for a late winter party. 

In April David and I joined Jim and Marcia and their friends (now our friends too) Barbara Jean and Donna in Puerto Vallarta.

 

I went back to the Island on June 1 as my parents were moving into the house. I met with the contractors, had a nice evening with Carter. More about the house later. 

In July, David attended a conference in Savannah, and while there, got reacquainted with his step-mother and half brother and family in Beaufort, South Carolina.

In September we finally bit the bullet and painted our dining room, a task we had put off for far too long. Look at the picture holes in the walls that David filled!

Then in October, Tom, Jennifer, Emily and Bridget came here for Canadian Thanksgiving. It was wonderful to see them (see posting from October 14th). 

 

We had our first (and just about last, so far) snow storm on December 3rd. I'm including these because I've been asked to show a little more of our house here in Lincoln.  These outside photos are the view form our front and back porches.

NOW, back to the house. It seems a never-ending project, and it will take at least a couple of years and probably longer before all of the details are complete, but it has come a very long way since January 1 2011. Here is a recap:

January 12: Basement slab was new, and the additions were being framed

January 19: Roof was shingled

February 5: Windows installed

February 7: Stripping the old cedar shingles

March 11: Framing the Kitchen

March 22: New cedar shingles

April 13: Mechanical installation

April 28: Electrical installation

May 6: Insulation, drywall and pine

 

May 21: Plumbing fixtures

June 1: I got there. Mom and Dad moved in the previous weekend

June 4: Family gathering

June 5: apaintin and afixin while the drywall was being mudded

June 6: We visited the cabinet maker to inspect the Kitchen cabinets. Lois and Sandy came by

June 22: Mom and Dad were well into painting the interior

June 26: Appliances arrived

July 19: Lots more painting

 

August 7: Got a shed

August 16: Hardwood floors

August 23: Lights

September 20: Kitchen cabinets installed

November 9: Foundation was parged

December 10: The Machum's visited

That's 2011 for ya.

Lots to do in 2012 but the hard stuff is over. There is still trim to be added, the basement bathroom needs to be finished, and the second floor doesn't even have drywall yet, but it's getting there. My parents deserve a lot of credit for everything that they have done and continue to do. They have made it a home. Hopefully a place they can start to enjoy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

stay tuned...

Our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

David and I decorated the Norfolk Island Pine in our living room. 

Reminds me of something I've seen on TV...

I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love. 

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas

The Machum's in Murray River

My cousin Tom, wife Jennifer, and girls Emily and Bridget took Tom's Mom, Alva (my Mom's sister) to the Island for the weekend to celebrate her birthday, and they visited Mom and Dad at the house on Saturday. Tom and Jennifer took some pictures for me, see below. 

Jennifer sent me this photo of the back stairs from her I Phone while they were there.  Mom painted the stairs the week before so this is the first time I've seen them done. The treads are a charcoal black, and the risers are white. Looks great!

 

Below is Emily in the Living Room, which is being used as a guest room at the moment. The mantle will eventually be put back in it's original spot  where the head of the bed is, below the two sconces.

This is the Dining Room, which was the old Parlour. Many of the old window sills have been reinstalled, and Dad put plastic over the windows for the winter. 

Alva and Mom in the Butler's Pantry

Models in the Kitchen!

 Emily and the Kitchen sink

...and the fridge

Bridget trying out the tub

The Back Hall. I haven't ordered the sconces for the Hall yet, and it still needs the trim, but is pretty much finished.

Bridget under the Moravian Star over the stairs to the Basement

The Basement, where Mom and Dad hang out. Mom did a great job painting these stairs too.

The old Parlour chairs and Bridget

Dad built storage shelves in the Mechanical Room

Dad in the Basement Room. Mom painted this floor a few weeks ago.

Tom and Dad

Mom and Alva in the Kitchen

Bridget and Emily

Tom

The tiles of the house at the bathroom sink. Eventually they will be mudded to the wall with a white marble border.

Dad

This rocking chair belonged to Mom's and Alva's Mom, Tom's and my Granny. Granny made the runner in the foreground with an ax after the original broke, many decades ago. Dad's father Grampy refinished it. A real family treasure.

All of the exterior sconces are now in place

The grading is done around the house for now. You can see that Dad and Mom painted the trim on the main floor, white and green. Next spring we will hire somebody to finish the trim paint in the peak to cover over the red.

The west yard has been graded as well. This is where Mom and Dad will park over the winter. The earth will settle over the winter, and next year I'll have a layer of topsoil added to bring it up just a little higher against the house. A sandstone retaining wall will be built at the back corner to bring that end of the yard up almost level to the rest. Many of the trees along the property line will be cut down. They are crowding each other out, starting to die off, and hanging over the house, which isn't good for the roof. I'd like to have a hedge, maybe Peonies along the property line, and plant some new trees, possibly 3 or 4 Red Maples around the edge of the yard.

Dad put in a little stone retaining wall to hold the earth by the corner. Next year a larger stone retaining wall will be placed there,and the dirt will be built up so there is only 2 steps to get into the house. I'll have a concrete stained and stamped deck placed along the front of the kitchen with steps down the hill, as it was until the late 1970's.

View from the field

Many thanks to Tom and Jennifer for the pictures. It's good to see the house and Mom and Dad, and the amazing job they are doing.