Here is how Ron and I have been spending these nice evenings this week!

Ron wanted to install the drain at the back before beginning the siding. So he cleaned out the footing ditch and last evening (with my help), installed the "sealant" that came with our "arxx" block system (you will notice it in the photo's). Then he started getting the drainpipe ready to install. Normally one would just drop it in the drainage ditch and cover with gravel, then dirt. Now "they" make a sheath like cover (it looks like a thin sock material) that you slide over the drainpipe then just drop in the ditch and cover with dirt. Let me be the one to say...pulling that sheath over a drainpipe that is 64 feet long in the dark with the wind howling/whipping around and the temps hovering around 50 is just the most fun thing there is to do in Pool, WV on a Thursday night! LOLOL (SO NOT TRUE) Ron and I were so tired when we finally finished (at 10:45pm) that when we got finished and managed to get in the house, we brushed our teeth and hit the tick! Thankfully, God blessed us by not letting our muscles stiffen in the night and we both made it out to work on Friday.

We were able to get an electrician to come and take care of getting our new power meter set up and the electric moved from the old meter to the new meter. Ron also got the doors made so we could get the opening to the crawl space closed up.

Wow! What a Labor Day this has been!

We were so blessed to have our friends (The Deitz's) to come and help put that big ole huge window in. They brought Melissa's brother along as well. They faired pretty good tho, I fixed them a nice breakfast afterwards!

This has been another burden removed...thank you Lord! And NO ONE injured! WOO HOO!!!

OH! And lest I forget! These photo's, except a few at the end, were taken by my beloved Ashley (age 9). I thought Ashley did an EXCEPTIONAL job of taking the photo's! ( I was busy cooking breakfast and she took care of shutterbug detail) Thanks Ashley!!!! Excellent job!!!

Ron finished up the front this past Friday and started on the side next to where we park. It's looking so nice!

Today is both 1st Cousin Nancy and 3rd Cousin Nikolette's birthday. In honor of their special day, we worked on siding! Woo Hoo!!
Happy Birthday to 2 of my beloved cousins. Oh and Aunt Bill came over and hung out with Aunt Ethel too. Hope you both had a great day!

While we've had several thunderstorms blow thru, Ron has had opportunities to work on the siding. We also have been keeping an eye on our neighbor's beloved dog "Penny" while they went on a little excursion for a few days. Thought I'd throw in some shots of a new face for you to enjoy!

It's taken some time and a lot of patience but Ron has finally got to the point where he can begin siding the house! YAY!!!! He is off this week and is busy, busy, busy!!! I hope to be adding to this daily (or as my time permits cos we're in the midst of VBS at church so bear with me!!!)

Hopefully I spelled soffitt and facia correctly!

Anyways, Ron and I took sometime off and worked on the non-gabled ends of our roof to keep the birds/bees out. Just a few photo's for you to peruse thru!

Oh and we did have 1 visitor while we worked...see if you can figure out who our mystery guest was...;)

Ron has begun his task of closing up holes that birds (once they are back for spring) may see as "nesting/roosting" habitat.

Ron was able to finally start to close in the back gabled end of the house...I'm just thankful that my brother was able to come up and help him some!

Today was "DOOR" day at Toad Hill Manor. We actually got the front door "tacked" in but the weather was so nasty that I didn't go get any photo's.

Later this afternoon, Ron decided to install the French Doors but needed a new type of saw so off to Lowes we went. While there we purchased our last door but that will have to wait for now to be installed.

One note, our cat (Peaches) wasn't exactly sure what was going on when Ron was getting the opening ready for the French Doors and at 1 point decided to run out on the porch, this was NOT a good idea because then she couldn't get back in! Poor Kitty! We finally got the door in enough for now and managed to get the door open and back in she popped! The last photo is of Ron hold his precious little Peaches (or as I call her, a most pampered peach pooh princess! lololol)

Nathan and Trey came over and helped Ron get the 4 big windows put in...things got just a wee bit hairy with the first window but as you will see...they are in...woo hoo!!!!

Since I was all the help that Ron had (Poor Ron!) we started with the little kitchen window...BUT we got 'er in and I think it looks beautiful!

Ron has been busy working on getting the window boxes built in the attic AND our windows arrived today as well as our front door. Our French Door is to arrive later this week. \0/ YAY!!!

We got the roof finished this past Monday (Oct 22, 2007) and just in the nick of time before the rains hit...WHEW!!!

Yes it's been a while but now that the weather has gotten cooler, our beloved roofers are back!

FINALLY the materials lifter was delivered today!!! Nathan and Trey came over and helped Ron start putting down the sheeting.

Yeah I know...I promise...no more photo's of the rafters...I'm going to hold out for when Ron start's on the sheeting...but that means you won't have any photo's for over a week...:P

We tackled the other side of the roof on July 4th. Ron got 23 rafters finished on July4 and the other 22 by 9:30pm, July 5, 2007. God is good! The weather called for rain/t-storms and it didn't start to rain on July 4 until he got down off the roof. On July 5, I watched black cloud (no kidding, BLACK) after black cloud pass over head...no rain. Now for the sheeting...stay tuned! :)

Here are photos taken for the past couple of days of Ron's hard work getting the side next to "Pool Road" ready for the sheeting and starting on the side next to our neighbors.

Ron got out EARLY this am and was able to get the rafters put up over the porch.

This afternoon, Ron started to attach the bottom portion of the rafters. More photo's will be added here, promise! I plan to put the rest of the photo's I take and when he is finished with the rafters, I will put an "end" date on this particular collection...keep coming back and checking things out!

The weather finally broke and Ron was able to "fill in the gap" in the upper section of the roof. Now he is getting ready to take the rafters on down to the bottom of the roof!

Ron was getting a wee bit antsy about the double 2x4's he had used to support the ceiling/attic/roof. The one in the kitchen had already broken thru the plywood subfloor even! So, on Jan 1, Ron went and poured concrete pads and on Jan 2, he set all three posts in place. And that was not an easy feat!

Brother John came up for Mother's birthday and he came over to see the progress Ron has made on the roof.

Ron was finally able to finish the attic ceiling joists (even adding a "hole" so he could access the area above the attic) so he could start on the rafters. Thanks to Brother in Law Doc (and sister Yonnie) for coming to his aid!

Ron has reached the point where he can start to work on getting the framing of the attic done so he can begin to work on the roof! YAY!!! However, it's very cold work. It was in the 50's the day he started and we had snow yesterday and today (Oct 23/24). Poor Ron!!!

Ron decided to build a ramp so he could more easily hoist the heavy sheets of plywood up to the top floor. I've also included some photo's he took of the attic area.

Ron replaced the concrete "pillars" with 2x4's tonight.

We FINALLY got the other 750 lb beam moved to where Ron wanted it...THE PORCH! We strugged with Wind, Rain AND Dark of Night but as Larry the Cable Guy would say...we "got 'er done"!!!

Ron has begun work on the ceiling of the main floor. We decided when we started this that we wanted a nice large attic. He planned the main floor to have 9 foot ceilings and the attic to have 8 foot ceilings.

We had to let the concrete "cure" for about 2-3 weeks. Ron did get some boards put on top of the concrete before the ARXX guys removed the bracing. This will be what he ties the roof into (somehow!)

Today was THE day! We had "the crew" from the ARXX folks in to oversee the pour as well. It took about 4 hours (mebbe 5) but 55 sq. ft of a special "slurry mix" of concrete was pumped into the walls of our house. I was so tired from just getting things ready that I crashed right in the middle of the pour! I did "come to" when Ron came flying in the door wanting the check book...lol

Here are some photo's taken of the mad race we were in to get the finishing touches done so we'd be ready for the concrete to be poured into the ICF blocks. We were SOOOOOO blessed to have help from Doc and Yonnie Michael and Steve and Donna Shank! We were up until the wee hours of the morning and worked out tushies off! But...we did it, by the grace of God!

The crew from the place we bought our ARXX blocks from, came to "brace" the walls. After they finished putting up the braces, I felt like I lived in a can of "pick up stix" lol

Here you will notice the walls are starting to hid the old house. I keep waiting to see the "house". We're not quite there yet...but it's getting closer!

We had a very fierce wind during a rain storm and as Ron watched out the present kitchen window, the front wall collapsed...afterwards, we restored the wall. Mind you, there was rebar in the wall already making it quite heavy.

Ron dug into the blocks and started laying the first rows of the house.

Ron had Mr. McMillion dig out the crawl space once the footings had cured. Also, the ARXX blocks arrived via a tractor-trailer. The DOH had recently paved Pool Road and of all days, decided the day our blocks arrived to work on the berms. Talk about a mess! OH MY! and it even rained...

Nothing would do Ron but that he dig until he was within 6' of the other footing...thought I'd get some photo's. Our cat Peach Pooh guarded him as he did his digging. She's quite the little guard kitty!

Here are the photo's of all the hard work of digging the footings. Ron had to hand dig the footing at the back of the house due to the gas and water that comes into the present house. Fortunately, we had Mr. McMillion to dig the rest of the footings plus he came back when the concrete was poured and help. Our dear friend Nathan the contractor also helped out. We are very blessed!

Ok, I know I said to check the other collection but I changed my mind...lol

Thought you'd like to see what our cats thought of the moat bridge! Enjoy!

Here are photo's of the contruction of the addition to our house...keep checking back as I'll be adding more frequently.