Shopping, Windows, Shopping, Lights, Shopping, Donuts, More Lights, and More Shopping

If I gave you a review of what happened last week, I could sum it up with two words.  Shopping and Electrical!  Almost all of the electrical work was completed last week.  (I think they actually finished up with it today.)  We had our first issue with Ryland but they were able to fix what we needed taken care of.  There was a miscommunication during the design center time about what lights were standard and what lights were extra.  Long story short we got it all worked out thanks to Chris working with the construction manager (Kelvin) and our realtor (David). 

I mentioned in my last blog that we went shopping on Sunday of last weekend.  We ended up buying some things for the house from Bed Bath and Beyond and starting our Christmas shopping.  We got another picture for the house and a lot of kitchen gear (pizza stone, cutting boards etc).   We went to Michael's to get my painting of Al (the elephant) framed.   That was quite an experience because Chris has never gotten anything framed. They were having a 75% custom framing sale and when the price came back at over $200 I thought Chris was going to fall over. It was quite entertaining.  The best part of it was when I laid the painting on the counter the guy looks at me and says, "You must be an Alabama fan."   It is going to look awesome and I can't wait for it to be done!  It should be done this weekend.  Here it is still in the plastic and without framing. 

During the week last week, we did some shopping at Best Buy.  We thought we were going to have to sit outside of Best Buy on Thanksgiving night like some of those crazy people.  However, we found out that the things we wanted were only going to be $10 cheaper on Black Friday.  Chris also found a better TV deal during a one day online sale on Wednesday so that saved us from having to fight the madness for a doorbuster ticket on Friday.  Overall, we bought a new TV, soundbar and a blu ray player.  I also had to splurge while I was at Best Buy and buy the 2nd season of Walking Dead.  Love it! 

Thursday night after our Turkey Day time with our family I did a little online Black Friday shopping.  I also got my sister's to get me a few things at Target and Kohl's that were not online.  (Waffle Maker and Frames) Chris and I attempted to go to Kohl's at midnight on Black Friday to buy my Kitchen Aid mixer.  However, the line was over a mile long and it was 39 degrees.  We drove around the parking lot with our seat warmers on and looked at everyone standing in line.  We then drove by Best Buy to see the long line there.  We both said how thankful we were that we got that online deal on the TV or we would have been standing in that line.  We went home at 12:07 and went to bed. 

Friday morning we started our Black Friday shopping at 8:30am with a trip to Home Depot.  They had ceiling fans and ladders as doorbusters.  I'm not sure why we bought 3 ladders.  LOL.  We won't be able to decorate for Christmas this year because everything is in storage and we have no room in the house right now so we bought a .99 cent poinsetta to be our Christmas tree.

Next we went to Kohl's to get my Kitchenaid mixer.  We got an awesome deal on it and I have already used it.  :)   Kohl's was the longest line that we had to stand in during Black Friday. It was 10 minutes.  I didn't care what color we got so Chris picked the color (fire engine red)! 

We left there and went to get donuts and coffee for the guys doing the electrical work at the house.  It was really cold that day and they really appreciated it.  We met the rest of my family at the house so they could see it.  My sisters, brother in law and nephew had not seen it yet.  The last time my Daddy had been there it was just dirt.  I didn't take any pictures on Friday while we were there.  Here is a picture that Chris took when he was there on Wednesday.  We have windows and doors installed!! :)

While we were at the house, the guys doing the electrical work allowed us to customize the switches in the living room and kitchen (which switch turns which light on).  That was very nice of them to do and we appreciated them. 

We are very excited about one of the Black Friday deals we got at Rooms to Go.  We have been looking for an entertainment center for a few months.  We found one that we really liked at Rooms to Go.  We've been waiting to see what kind of deals they would have around Black Friday.  We were aware of most of the Black Friday deals because of the Black Friday websites and apps.  However, I was very suprised to open the paper on Thursday and find out that Rooms to Go was doing a BOGO on gift cards.  Buy one $100 gift card and get one $100 gift card free.  We decided to take my Daddy and Franklin with us to buy 4 gift cards so that we would have enough for the entertainment center when we are ready to buy it. 

After we had some lunch with my Daddy, Franklin and Rivers, we headed over to Kirkland's.  We bought another painting for my office, a small step stool for the kitchen, and this cute Buddha frog for the front porch.  He is packed up right now but I can't wait for you to see him!  I also found a cute red solo cup koozie in Houndstooth just in time for the SEC championship!

We went home after Kirkland's because we had no more room in the car for anything else.  We stopped at Homegoods and Sam's Club on our second round of shopping but didn't find anything that we had to have that day. Overall we had a good first Black Friday shopping day.  I will admit that while I have no interest in going Thanksgiving night, the deals we got on actual Black Friday were worth getting out.  Traffic was not that much worse and the lines in the stores were not bad at all! 

Chris went by the house today to find Santa Claus came a little early.  Our fireplace was delivered today!

Chris had the pre insulation meeting with the Construction Manager, Kelvin, this week.  Insulation should be done this week and then drywall should start by Monday.  Once the drywall goes up, we are about 55 days out from being able to move in. 

We'll go for another visit on Sunday and I'll be sure to take more pictures!  :)

Little Behind

I'm a little behind with the blog.  After Hannah passed away last weekend (November 17th), I really didn't have a desire to really do anything with the blog.  Saturday was a very emotional day for us so we decided to get out of the house on Sunday.  It was very therapeutic for both of us.  We probably spent too much money because of our sad hearts but oh well!  We went by the house after lunch on Sunday and I did take some pictures on 11/18 when we went to see the house.  I'm going to be honest with you that this blog will be short because the stuff that they got done the week of 11/12 is stuff that is not very sexy or exciting (to me).   Here are some pictures that show you the latest as of 11/18/2012.  (remember I'm a bit behind)

It was raining all day and muddy at the lot so Chris told me I had to wear my rainboots.  When I went to find my cute polka dot rain boots, I could not find them.  I'm sure they are packed in a box somewhere because I thought I would not need them.  Chris took me to buy some new ones and this was all I could find.  Cute huh?

 

When we drove up and I put my boots on, I noticed we had doors in the garage.  Not garage doors but actual doors to the house in the garage.  I got distracted by those when we first arrived. 

 

I typically have the same pattern when we arrive at the house.  I go look at the office, then the kitchen, and then the master bathroom.  Those are the rooms I'm most excited about so they get the attention first.  I noticed when I walked into the office that most of the AC work had been done. 

 

I walked to the kitchen and did what I do most weeks . . . day dream about cooking in the kitchen for the first time or throwing our first party.  Here is the island that will eventually be surrounded by our family and friends.

 

I noticed when I was walking past the laundry room that they have the water and gas lines set up for it. 

 

What a surprise I got when I walked into the master bathroom and saw our tub sitting in its place.  They also have all the pipes in for the toilet, tub, shower, and sinks.  I walked to the other bathrooms and saw the other shower/tubs in place as well. 

 

 

I noticed while walking through the rest of the house that there was blue writing and red writing on the walls.  After walking around and reading the writing, I noticed that blue was good and red was bad.  Red meant they had to redo something. 

 

Chris climbed into the attic and started walking around.  It is going to be a very large space but I hope it is easy to get in and out of. 

 

One other thing I thought was cool.  The plans to the house are nailed on the wall in the master bedroom.  I had to take a picture for memory sake. 

I'll do one more blog update tonight about our shopping adventure and our visit to the house on 11/23 to catch up! 

Until then . . .
Amy

In Memory of Hannah

You'll understand how this blog post relates to the house in the end. Writing is therapy for me so bear with me!

This story starts 15 years ago while I was waiting in line at Superpetz in Summerville.  It was 1997 and I was a junior at the College of Charleston but living in Mount Pleasant.  My Mom was terminally ill with cancer and in and out of Roper Hospital.  I was helping my Dad run some errands while my Mom was in the hospital in the fall of 1997.  I had to pick up some dog food and found myself falling in love with a 9 month old all black kitty cat that was at the check out.  There was a sign on her cage that said, "$20".  There was also some information about the local SPCA and that they would give you a discount for the spay and neuter clinic.  It was literally love at first sight so I put my dog food on the counter and said, "And I'll take that little black cat as well." That was how easy it was and boy am I thankful that I went with my instinct on that purchase. 

Hannah got her name from one of the kids I use to babysit when I was a freshman and sophomore in college.  The little girl I babysat was a red head, sassy, and oh so sweet.  My Mom had named me (my middle name) after one of her favorite students and so I did the same and named this sweet black kitty, Hannah. 

I pretty quickly took Hannah to the vet to get her checked out.  She was almost 9 months old so it was past time to get her spayed as well.  Within the first few months after I adopted her, she got a very bad kitty cold which I really wasn't sure if she would survive.  Then after they spayed her, they realized they got her weight wrong before they gave her anesthesia.  Long story short is that they gave her too much anesthesia and she had to stay in the kitty hospital for two nights.  (most animals never spend the night after getting spayed) Poor Baby Girl!  The fact that she survived her first year of life is truly amazing. 

I never told my parents about Hannah after I adopted her.  I was living on my own and I knew I would get a lecture from them about me not needing a pet right now. Fast forward to Christmas break, I was going to spend about 2 1/2 weeks at my parents house to spend time with my Mom (she was out of the hospital at this time but not doing well). I decided to bring Hannah with me but hide her in my room.  I would sneak her in and then sneak her out.  That was my plan . . . until my bedroom door was left open one morning.  I don't remember where I had gone but by the time I got home Hannah was laying in the bed with my Mom (we had her hospital bed set up in the living room).  I came in and said, "Uh oh!"  You have to understand that my Mom was not a pet person.  She tolerated the pets we had but was never overly excited about them like my Dad and I were.   From that day on, she laid next to my Mom until she went into the hospital on January 2nd for surgery.  Before my Mom died on January 17 (1998), she asked me for fried chicken and Hannah girl. So sweet!

Hannah was the greatest partner to me for the past 15 years.  She lived in more houses than most humans live in their lifetime.  She followed me through my finishing college, getting into the real world, she helped me chase my career, and she grew up with me.  One of her favorite places that we lived was in Greenville, SC.  We lived in a corner apartment with a wrap around porch that was up on a hill with a garden outside of the porch.  She loved going out on the porch, rolling around on the concrete and then going into the garden.  She was always scared so the garden (since it was up a hill) offered her the security that she could play without being attacked by another cat, dog or human.  I knew she would not run away so I would often leave the porch door open for her to roam freely while I was home.  One afternoon, she was outside and I saw her on the edge of the window.  This was getting a little too far from where the garden was so I go outside to call her back in and I see that she is in the garden.  I thought I was seeing things until I realized their were two black cats outside of my porch and I had no clue which one was mine!  I said, "Hannah?"  They both looked.  Finally I was able to see Hannah's ear and identify her and grab her before that other black cat got her.  She had a piece of her ear missing from a run in with another cat when she was about 2 years old.  Poor Baby Girl!  After this incident, I would often find that black cat sitting on our porch staring in while she was inside staring out to that cat.  It was like she was looking in a mirror. 

Hannah gave me cat scratch fever about 10 years ago.  I scared her in my sleep with my hand and she bit it thinking it was something after her.  She was scared when she bit me, broke my skin, and that is how I ended up with cat scratch fever. (google it if that doesn't make sense)  I woke up with blood on my hand trying to figure out what happened.  I vaguely remember her biting me in my sleep.  I went to work that day with a swollen hand.  I told the ladies that I worked with to look at my hand because it was swollen and had its own heart beat!  (no lie)  This lady Lisa, scared me to death and told me I could die if I didn't go to the doctor.  I cancel my afternoon appointments and go to the urgent care.  As I am in the waiting room, I had a minor freak out!  What if they take my Baby Girl away from me for giving me Cat Scratch Fever!?!  OH NO!  What should I say?  I go back and the doctor is looking at my hand and asking me what happened.  I made it seem like nothing happened until he pressured me some more and I broke down and told him she bit me.  I then proceeded to beg him not to take my Baby Girl away from me.  He laughed and told me to relax.  He said he wasn't going to send someone to come get my cat but told me it was good I got in to see him when I did.  Note to self . . . if you get cat scratch fever .  . . . get to the doctor. 

One of my favorite Hannah stories occurred in April 2001.  My company had transferred me from Durham to Greenville, SC.  Hannah did not travel well.  It did not matter if it was 1 mile or 300 miles.  She would cry, growl, throw up and everything else no matter the time or distance.  The drive from Durham to Greenville was a long one and about an hour into it I could not take the crying anymore.  I got her out of her kennel and let her lay on my lap.  At one point, I was stuck in traffic on the interstate and noticed the guy in the car next to me was looking in my car horrified.  I looked at Hannah and she looked like a rapid animal.  She was so sick because of the travel that she was foaming at the mouth with drool (and possibly the benedryl that I popped her with before we left).   I laughed so hard imagining that guy thought I was riding down the road with a rabid cat in my lap. 

I'm telling you all of my favorite Hannah stories because we lost her yesterday.  She lived 15 great years.  She died a happy kitty who got enjoy her favorite wet food a few hours before she passed and got to play chase the feather with Daddy last night before going to bed.  Something happened to Hannah during the middle of the night Friday night because she lost her balance and fell over everything.  We spent most of the morning with the vet and she progressively got worse throughout the day.  By the end she was very uncomfortable and could not walk, stand, sit or hold her head up.  My poor Baby Girl!  I already miss seeing her come into the bathroom in the morning to say hello or meow so loudly at night.  That was her call to us to come to bed when we were in the living room.  It's going to take a while to get use to the new normal without Hannah.  We will miss her dearly but I will always remember my funny Hannah stories.  She was playful, sassy, sweet, vocal, and queen of our castle. 

Cooper has been so sweet during the past 36 hours.  He knows something is going on and has been extra caring and sweet to both Chris and I.  He really would be a great therapy dog!  I'm not sure Eddie really knows what is going on right now.  Chris and I are heartbroken that we don't get to take our sweet Baby Girl to the new house.  She may not be there physically when we move but she will be there with us no matter what.  Give your 4 legged family an extra hug tonight.  I would never have believed on Friday night that I would be typing this kind of blog update right now.  We miss you Baby Girl! 

Mid Week Update

We have shingles on the roof, the plumbing is almost finished being installed, and the termite protection has been sprayed. They finished wrapping the house with the water barrier wrap this afternoon!

The boys approve!

I've got TONS of pictures for today's blog.  The change on the house has been amazing in the past week.  As my last blog mentioned, the fast forward button is on.

Here is last Sunday:

 Here is this Sunday: 

Chris took the guys some coffee and Dunkin Donuts on Friday. It ended up being a chilly day and they really appreciated it.  We both stopped by at lunch to see the house and all the guys waved as we pulled up.  Chris is there at least twice a day so they know him well. :)

Since we actually have a house with walls (but nothing that can get messed up yet) we decided to take the boys with us to see the house.  They had so much fun!!  When we first let them off the leash they decided to run from in the house to the backyard over and over again.  However, you would think they would have used the screened porch opening.  Nope . . . they jumped through the windows like they were on an agility course.  I tried to get a picture but they were too quick for me.  I started taking a video and then they ran off up the stairs.  Cooper LOVED the stairs.  He went up and down and up and down and up and down.  We have already decided that we must purchase a baby gate to keep him off the stairs when we move in. 

Here is a video that I took. 
http://youtu.be/jDoKJGDv8wg

This week we made a big purchase! We bought the china cabinet for the dining room.  I have never been one that wanted a china cabinet but I really love it.  It is our favorite piece of furniture right now!  The great thing about this purchase is that we got it from a family that was moving and could not take it with them.  We got a good deal on it and it matches the table we bought a few weeks ago from another Craigslist hunt.  From that purchase we had the table and 6 regular chairs but no arm chairs.  This guy was selling the matching china cabinet, 4 arm chairs, another table, and two white chairs.  We didn't need it all but decided to buy it all since it was a good deal.  Now we have seating for 10 in the dining room.  I'm going to put the two white chairs in my office and we are selling the extra table.  So if you are looking for a nice dining room table (no chairs included) . . . Let me know!!

I think we have reached capacity for new things in the apartment right now. We are tripping over each other, furniture and chairs.  However, we spent most of Sunday looking at furniture, TVs and appliances.  We are going to try to get some black friday deals with some stores that will delay delivery until late January. 

Here are the pictures I mentioned at the beginning of the blog.

 

 

Cooper says, "Welcome to our house"

Here are the pictures of the front of the house. (Garage, Guest Bedrooms, Office, and Guest Bathroom)
Here is the Garage:

 Here is the Guest Bathroom (downstairs).

 Here is Guestbedroom 1.

 Here is Guestbedroom 2

 One of the reasons I fell in love with this floor plan . . . all the arches.  This is the front foyer as you walk in the door.

 The office which is immediately to your left when you walk in the front door.

Next is the Dining Room, Kitchen, Foyer, and Living Room. Most two story houses have a foyer on each floor.  Since our house is all first floor with the exception of the bonus room, we have two foyers downstairs due to how spread out the house is.  I felt like I needed to say that because saying the 2nd foyer sounds so hoity toity!  Here is the 2nd foyer. (that door is the coat closet) The window you see in the back is the office.  I took this picture while standing in the kitchen. 

The Dining Room.

The Living Room (view into the backyard)

Kitchen view with pass through to the dining room.

Here is the Master Bedroom. (view into the master while in the backyard)

 It doesn't look very nice but our sinks will be here. 

 Master Bedroom.

 Master Closet

 The tub and shower will be here. 

 It is hard to see but there is a room here for the linen closet and toilet closet. 

Let's go upstairs to the Bonus Room.  The boys loved this room! 

 The bonus room will have a full bathroom and walk in closet.  It will be the biggest room of all the bedrooms. 

 Chris making sure they didn't try to jump out of that window!

 Eddie loved this view.  I wonder if I will ever be able to keep him out of this room.

Last but not least . . . The backyard!

 Eddie was very curious about the neighbor's yard. 

 The screeened in porch!

Cooper and Eddie were so tired after the adventure to the new house. 

We hope to have a roof and all the electrical in the house by next week. 

Until next week!