Living in our home

About once a week (for the last SEVEN months) I've thought to myself "I need to post on our blog."  There has been so much activity and change around the house since the last time I published a post.  For most of the regular followers, you've already been to our home for a visit.  So anything I would publish now would be old news.

I had the best of intentions and we all know the adage about the road to hell ...

So without any further delay, I'll state the obvious.  Shortly after the last post Brenda and I moved into our home.  We filled the garage with our boat, Sea Doo, and boxes from our storage unit.  We moved what little furniture we had kept from our Flower Mound house in and it helped quell the echos somewhat.

Slowly we unpacked and put away those items we wanted to keep - pictures, books, and special items given us over the years.  We don't want to store junk we never plan to use, so Brenda has been wonderful at helping me throw away stuff!  I'm much more of a pack rat than her.

We've had numerous visits from family and friends, and we look forward to many more years of visitors.  In fact, we built the house with that in mind - making our home a destination for our loved ones to come and share time with us.  So far, it's working.

We've had friends from nearby - Flower Mound and Plano - as well as family from all across the country (and Canada) - California to Florida and points in between - visit.  And our children and their families come often.  Each time is another opportunity to fire up the Big Green Egg and sear some animal flesh, jump in the lake (literally), and best of all - make memories.

Our landscaper completed most of the work we have planned for the yard.  We brought in more soil to level the back yard, covered the entire acre with sod, surrounded the house with flowering shrubs and trees, and added a stone pathway from the back porch down to the dock.  I installed low voltage lighting which adds to the appearance each evening.

We sold our motor coach to a very nice couple who have exciting plans to use it a lot this summer.  We would consider getting another one sometime in the future, but for now the proceeds from the sale were needed to complete projects around the house - landscaping, outdoor furniture, etc.  Besides, after we had lived in it for a year and a half the thought of leaving our new master bedroom suite and sleeping in a 300 square foot motor coach lost its appeal.

Here are just a couple of photos from around the place:

The low voltage LED landscaping lights I added

Taken from on the boat. (The lake is about 7 feet low.)

It really is coming together

The house is really coming together now, but it has not been without a few glitches.  After the septic tank was buried and awaiting the inspector, the rains began.  It rained enough to raise the lake level more than a foot, which we needed disparately, but which also saturated the ground around the house.

The first rain-related incident occurred when the tire on Brenda's car sank up to the axle in the front yard and it had to be towed out by Steven.  The next thing that went wrong was our septic tank "floated" out of its level position.  The tank had to be removed and the bottom of the hole scraped level again.  Gravel was added and leveled to alleviate the problem of the mud sticking to everything.  Also, the mud prevented the completion of the driveway and sidewalks.  Hopefully, tomorrow they can complete the forms, tying steel, and pouring concrete for those elements.

The wooden floors have been completed and the carpet begun.  The downstairs bedrooms are finished with the exception of one threshold that needs a piece of T-molding.  The carpet in the Exercise Room and Master Closet has been installed.






The jetted tub in the Master Bath was installed and the tile surrounding it looks great.  The glass wall separating the tub from the shower was also installed.






The vanity mirrors have been hung in each of the bathrooms.  Also, the metal fixtures (towel bars, toilet paper holders, etc.) have been installed on the walls.

Art glass in Dining Room

Today the electrician returned to hang the pendant lights over the Kitchen island.  They are an industrial style fixture made of raw nickel.  I was a little nervous when he was cutting holes in our pristine ceiling, hoping they would hang in the proper place.  It was needless worrying.

Island lights (Art Glass windows in view)

We found a diode which when attached to the doorbell button allowed it to function properly.  We love the whimsical music.


This week Brenda and I took a break from working on the house.  She dropped me off at the airport on Wednesday and headed to the Walker's house to help keep the children while Ashley worked on Thursday and Friday.  Then mid-day Friday she caught up with me for the last day of my trip.  We traveled together to Washington, DC to spend Friday evening and most of the day Saturday.

The weather was very nice with clear skies and cool temperatures.  The arrival that night took us directly over our previous home in Accokeek, Maryland as I flew up the Potomac River.  The lights of the city made the arrival spectacular.   Then after parking the aircraft and waiting outside for the hotel van, I realized we had just arrived at the same terminal where we had received Todd just over 20 years ago.  In fact, the next day while waiting for our aircraft to arrive we were at the exact same gate where we first laid eyes on him.

At Washington National Airport's old terminal

On Saturday morning we caught the Metro subway train into the city to visit the sights. We began at the National Archives hoping to view the Declaration of Independence or Preamble of the Constitution.  Unfortunately the line was long and slow moving.  The woman behind us was trying to impress her companion and asked about an art gallery.  I just tried to be helpful and was throughly rebuffed with her comment, "You're no expert", which was true but still hurt my feelings.  So we left.

We strolled through the National Sculpture Garden on our way to the National Museum of Natural History.  Boston and Cade had suggested we visit the International Spy Museum, but it was a little too far to walk.  Besides, dinosaurs and geodes are much better than tiny radios and cameras.

 

The Trailer Problem exhibit caught my eye

We also visited the National Museum of American History before spending the rest of our time strolling along the Mall.

And finally, I just found out about "selfies" from Brenda (who learned about it from one of her favorite shows "The Mindy Project").  I never thought I'd lose my inhibition but obviously I've gotten past it.

Septic Tank, Tile, and Flooring

This week Jimmy Rash's crew dug a huge hole for the concrete septic tank and piled the dirt in the back yard.  The three-compartment tank was delivered, placed in the hole, and connected to the sewage lines coming from the house.  The hole must remain open until it is inspected.  

The bacteria which will eventually work their magic in the septic system must be fed air through an air line from an electric pump.

In addition to the septic system, the air conditioners were delivered and being installed the same day.  They, too, are being placed near the back door of the garage (the utility area of the house) on concrete pads poured to accommodate them.  When I arrived the compressors had been placed is a way that was most convenient for the HVAC installer and any future repairman who may be dispatched to work on them.  Unfortunately, that placement took up too much of the utility pad.  With a little "what-if"-ing on everyone's part, we were able to rotate the compressors, shift them outwards to the edge of the concrete, and make room between them for the septic tank air compressor and its control box.  Crisis averted.

Kenny the electrician connecting the AC

In the Master Bathroom Augustine was completing the installation of the tile surrounding the tub.  He had to wait until the marble top was in place before he could add the basket weave stone tiles and border.  The plumber will connect the plumbing and electric pumps for the jets.

Master tub tile

Willie marking board to be trimmed

Willie and his crew have been installing the hardwood flooring this week.  The flooring is engineered hardwood veneer on plywood backing. It comes pre-finished with a very durable satin lacquer finish which should stand up to both traffic and lakeside moisture.  It is glued directly onto the concrete slab that had to be leveled (floated) in a few places.

The boards are 7 inches wide and have already been scraped prior to being finished.  They fit under the baseboards but any gap will be covered with small molding painted to match the walls. They began in the Dining Room and have finished most of the Family Room.  The Kitchen, Breakfast Nook, Library and Master Bedroom will also be covered.  The remainder of the house will be carpeted.

Dining Room floor

Cardboard pathways provide some protection

Finally, this weekend Ashley and Jamie along with their children came for a quick visit.  Jamie and the boys camped out upstairs while Ashley and Avery stayed in the motorhome with Brenda.  The Walker boys may have attained a head start in the next round of Hide-and-Seek but I have no doubt the Nydeggers can catch up quickly.

The Crescendo Continues

The workers have been very busy for the past two weeks around our house. They've been installing electrical and plumbing fixtures, completing the retaining wall, and installing granite and marble countertops. Brenda and I have been working right alongside them many of the days too. We put in long hours cleaning inside and outside, as well as installing and adjusting whatever we could.  Each morning I would begin my day with a trip to Home Depot to return unnecessary or excess items and buying even more parts.

Kitchen granite before the cooktop hole was cut.

Island top installed

Oven installed and ready for baking

Breakfast nook ceiling fan

Rear bedroom fan

Family Room fan (before raising it 2 feet)

There have been a few glitches.  For example, after buying down rods for the ceiling fans according to the buying guide at the store, we discovered they were too long and caused the fans to hang too low.  So, next day I returned to the store for shorter rods and had the electrician make the changes.  Also, some of the connections hardware for the internet, cable, and media room I bought several months ago was wrong which meant even more trips back to the store. 

When the electrician hung the Dining Room lighting fixture it wasn't aligned with the centerline of the room.  It was very easy to adjust, but I needed a very tall ladder to do so.

Gotta love the swan faucet

The piles of scrap wood, saw horses, and empty pallets were getting out of hand, but luckily we had some much needed rain this week which allowed the burn ban to be lifted.  On Wednesday we started burning the piles and added to it all the empty cardboard boxes from the lighting fixtures and appliances.  We had also trimmed several trees behind the house so I took the opportunity to burn those limbs too.

I left for work on Thursday morning and shortly afterwards the concrete crew began forming the driveway and installing the steel rebar and sand foundation.  I've asked them to bury PVC pipe under the driveway and sidewalk so I can add landscape irrigation and lighting afterwards.

The Jack and Jill bathroom vanities are topped with granite which closely matches the floor tile.  The mirrors have been delivered but not yet installed.  Each vanity has an electrical outlet installed in the drawer to allow hairdryers or razors to remain plugged in and ready for use.

Guest bath vanity

Utility Room countertop

Kitchen cooktop in place with backsplash slate tile

Master bath marble tub surround

Bren's vanity lighting and marble

Beginning tomorrow the wooden floors will be laid and the glass shower door will be measured for installation next week.  I plan to mow the grass, cut the stumps in the lake which have been exposed by the lower lake level, and continue installing the media components.  It should be another busy week.  About the only thing left to install will be the appliances which sit on the flooring and the carpet in the guest bedrooms and Game Rooms upstairs.  The cleaning team will then come in to remove all the protective covers, as well as vacuum, wash, and dust everything.  Finally, the painters will touchup any scraps or dings that may have occurred.  We still look forward to moving in very soon.

The Crescendo

 The orchestra has been playing for the past eight months and now the symphony is building to a crescendo.  The level of activity around the house is increasing every day.

As I returned from flying this week I discovered the electrician had been busy installing electrical outlets and light switches throughout the house.  He had also hung several ceiling fans and most of the out door lights.  I met with him late Monday afternoon and walked through the house explaining where I wanted various dimmer switches or specialty items.  

Wall sconces at the Entry Door

Medium coach lights on Garage

Large coach lights on front

The tile work in each of the bathrooms was completed as far as possible.  They added grout and will eventually seal it all.  After the marble tub surround and vanity tops are installed the remainder of the tile will be placed around the tub.  They will also install the tile backsplash in the kitchen at that time.

Master Shower mosaic 

Shampoo and soap shelves

The retaining wall in back of the house is coming along nicely.  I buried electrical wire in conduit behind the wall to allow for three outlets to be added.  Brenda helped me cut and glue all the PVC conduit together.  I left the provision for future additional needs where the barbecue pit will be built.  The flagstone which will cap the top of the wall was delivered late this afternoon.

Retaining wall under Master Bedroom

South retaining wall near the large pecan tree

We are building a set of concrete steps to lead down from the Lanai to the backyard.  One of the features of Brenda's favorite house here in the neighborhood (not counting our own, of course) is a set of grand steps.  Ours may not be as tall since the house is only four feet above grade, but will be just as grand.  The concrete has been stamped and will be stained to match the other outdoor porch areas and it will have embedded LED pathway lights.

Forms set and ready for concrete

Concrete ready for stamping

Additionally inside the house many of the door handles and stops have been installed.  The plumbers have installed the tankless water heaters and connected water throughout much of the house.  The appliances were delivered today and will be connected by the electrician this week.  Tomorrow the granite countertops may be added and we will make the final selection of tops for the Utility Room and Guest Bathroom vanities.  The flooring is ready to be installed but Marcus postponed it for a short time to allow the other craftsmen to complete their work without scratching the wood.

Finally, one of the many features which we've added to make this house our home includes this special doorbell button.  Who could possibly approach such a doorway without feeling they're about to enter a very happy place?