32. Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone.

We are thrilled to celebrate Christmas is our new home this year. 

Although it seems like it has taken such a long time, the reality is that we are in and almost settled.

(Just don't look in the storeroom or garage)

The driveway has been poured and now apart from the gardens, we are at least "sand free".

Our furniture has arrived and the house is starting to feel more like a home.

The chair collection is complete.

The reticulation is almost done (just a problem getting the required length to go around the back..hopefully they will finish this week)



Roses and hydreangeas out the front.

Our token lawn area, just a little section for the dog really. (Lily's Lawn or the Piddle Patch)

Our new gate..made by master craftsman..Ryan!   Thanks Ryan, we know how busy you are, we are very happy to be able to have our pets home at last.

 

Snowbushes and magnolia.

 

Our beautiful gingerbread house made by our clever niece Taylor and her friend Tori. (Orders taken for next Christmas :)

Well that really complete the journey of our house construction over the last twelve months. 

We would like to say a big thank you to our family and friends for all your help and support throughout this undertaking. 

Merry Christmas.

31. We Are In!

Yay..we are now sleeping in our new home..well some of us are anyway!  

We are still waiting for the container with most of our furniture to be delivered and so the kids and pets are still at Dad's. 

We were so lucky to be temporarily accomodated in luxury with Chelle and Rob but it is nice to unpack and be in our own home at last. 

We moved out of our last home in September 2009 and been in rentals since, so it has been a while.

French Champagne and delicious pizza with the Mason's for our first night.

So to update:  The floors were finished last week and the fireplace installed Monday.

I am very excited to finally have this fireplace installed.  It is a sentimental piece as it is from my grandmother's original farmhouse in Maddington.  It has travelled to Denmark with Nanna and Reg, then back to Maddington before coming to us to be finally installed in our new home. 

It is an expensive indulgence but we love it, bring on winter!

As soon as the firplace and skirting boards were finished and painted we could have our blinds, curtains and shutters installed. (Thursday was a very busy day), 

The Christmas tree is up and it is beginning to feel like home.

Our new sofa, we worked out that our previous sofa (that has gone to live with Hannah) was over 16 years old...about time we updated!

It is so nice to unpack at last.

Just when everyone is thinking we are so organised...a few snapshots to bring us all back to reality.

We are sleeping on Jake's matteress on the floor until our container arrives Friday. 

Still unpacking our clothes (this is tidier now :)

Our main TV is still in the storage container.

The front area still looks like a bomb site.  This is Craig loading up the rubble and rubbish to take out to the skip bin on the verge over the weekend.

This week the driveway will go down, then fences (to keep pets in) and then finally on Friday (the first day of  our holidays) we will have the furniture that we have had to store, delivered. 

Hope to be all sorted by  Monday (too optimistic?)

Reticulation, gardens etc will just have to wait until we have some time...I need to get organised and start baking for Christmas!

30. It Is All Coming Together

We have had a very hectic fortnight that has seen us move out of our rental property.  

Unfortunately the owners of the rental would not extend our lease for another 3 weeks and so we have had to put our furniture into storage and "Couch Surf" until the wood flooring is finished. 

This is not quite as tricky as it seems as the kids and pets are being accommodated (and spoiled) with Dad and Craig and I have taken up residence with Chelle and Rob in "the Mansion". 

 If you have to be temporarily homeless, this is a pretty good way to do it!

Since my last update we have been working on the outside while the team from Floors Of Distinction have been sanding and sealing inside.

Levelling in preparation for "The Big Pour".

Mark and his team started work early yesterday to set out the form work, another early start today and the limestone around the back and verandah has been poured.  

  

We popped over this afternoon and the guys were just finishing off the texture and putting in the cuts and expansion joints.   

Here the verandah has been freshly poured, awaiting the finishing touches.

Tomorrow the guys will clean the limestone and seal it, we will be allowed to walk on it by the weekend..so looking forward to no sand and getting started on the gar

By Monday the floors should all be done and so the skirting boards, carpet, aircon and window treatments will follow.  Another hectic week scheduled so we can finally get the driveway done and then have our sea container delivered and actually move in.

:)