Here is some viewable progress to look at on the house!!

They have started preparing the outside for all the stucco. Justin hopes to use the scaffolding to trim the trees some more. 

This picture is taken from inside the kitchen, behind the island. Sorry about the bad focus. At least you can tell we went with very simplistic trim. I am really happy with the way the fireplace turned out.  

This is a view from the front door, across the library and into the dining room. The quality of this picture is a little better so you might be able to tell that the corners are rounded. 

And here's one of my favorite parts -- the kitchen. The cabinets haven't been finished yet, but you can sort of see the simple, "Mission style" faces. I can't wait to see them next to our stainless steel appliances! 

Still breathing

Yes, the house is progressing. No, I'm sorry there aren't new pictures -- the changes are harder to see now, since they are working more on the "little details". I will definitely put some up after the painting is done. Yes, Justin is still in school, and I am still at US Central. No, nothing exciting has been happening. Thanks for checking in. Only 47 days left before cruising!!

Non-visual Update

Things are moving along with the house, but not worth pictures at this point. Just the plumbing and electrical mostly. According to the builder, they should start putting in insulation by the end of this week, and after that the dry-wallers will come in. Right now, Justin and I are finalizing our choices for tile, carpet, colors, etc. This is the fun part, but it is also time consuming. I'll be glad when we've settled with our picks and then can just wait. Otherwise, our lives are pretty quiet. I am still trying to adjust to the chaos that is my new job. It is slowly moving in the right direction there, in large part due to the fact that I now have the most seniority on my team. By December when my contract is up, I will be able to tell if they have the capability to be a place I want to stay at for the long term. Justin is starting school again in a couple weeks. He wants to finish up an electronics program at the community college but the interest is fairly low, so there is a chance some of the classes will be cancelled. Other than that, we are excitedly awaiting the cruise! Only 80 more days!

You can start to see what the house will really look like inside now. Here is a shot of the great room taken while standing in the kitchen.