Blood & Guts

Yes, that's BLOOD. My dad shot himself with a nail gun. Now the kids pray for his safety everyday!






Plumbing=Guts
















Heating=Lungs
















Electrical=Blood

Framing--The Skeleton

So framing is like creating the skeleton of the body. Our kids have understood the process better when we related it to us. Almost within days we had the walls framed inside and a sense of what the rooms will look like (of course privacy is lacking:)




Meet our builder--my dad and the best all-around guy out there--Jim Davenport. He's not only a great contractor, but he also puts up with my requests and questions.

Check out the doors--got to love them. We found the style in Mesa during a home show and fell in love.

Dad even gave us his personal touch--an under-the-stair playhouse!

Fun amidst the work!

Since we decided to wait to put all the backfill around the house, leaving soil to cover our sprinklers, it has become a play spot for the girls. Not only is it fun to see the changes on the house, but with a piece of discarded wood, you can slide or just play king of the mountain.

Dual Perspective

Its the transformation that
really draws you in.

• First its a sketch on a paper


• Second its a skeleton


• Finally it has rough skin awaiting color

I mentioned a few posts back that my
father had a bout of inspiration. It started with the stairs and a glance at our backyard view. His thought--a picture window to capture it. That spread to a gable in the back which widen under his capable hands. Even though I lost a kitchen closet I have gained a view to die for...

Top it off!

Dave was able to help again in putting on the trusses. What a job--between a crane that lifts up four at a time, to men & Sara balancing to put them in place. Believe me, I was grateful when this task was done.

The Man of the Hour-- My father...visionary, daring and absolutely wonderful!

I love this shot as the panneling on the roof is half done.

Surround 'Sounds'

One of the best parts about having your father build your home is being able to help. Dave was able to spend a Saturday morning framing the wall and leave his mark or nail on our home.






Now with the walls up, we can imagine
seating in the rooms and looking out the
windows.

Cap it off

What is so amazing that I'm constantly shocked is how quickly a house can come up. We started the digging on a Tuesday and had the basement walls up by Friday. Now its a new week and the floors are on, both top and bottom.

Thanks to my insistent mother and diligent father we have chalked lines on the basement floor and can walk around from 'room' to 'room'. It even feels large, and the best part is finally going from the paper plans we drew up a year ago to walking around on it!

I'm always pleasantly surprised at how what seemed like a simple drawing is more complex and wonderful. These stairs are not only great but they led my father to a wonderful change (to be posted soon).