Setting the forms

Random blob of cement on job site

Let it go to waste? I think not.

New pad in front of garage door. Hopefully people house hunting in Mead will appreciate it!


The rest can get broken up and spread down the driveway.

Footings

Sump pump


Garage footings

Digging a basement

It has started! They did the excavation today and are currently laying out the basement.

Here is a 360 view of how our lot looked last night:
360 view of lot

Here's some photos from this morning with stakes where the house will be:

The first cut!

Lauren playing (gotta get a shot of her in)

Watching the excavator



Here's what it looks like. We will have a daylight basement on the side closest. The deepest side is only like 3.5 feet into the ground. We are doing floor joists so all the ductwork will run through those so we are going to do 8 foot basement walls. This means that there will be 4.5 feet sticking up out of the ground. We will build up around the walls in the front of the house and slope it down.

Laurens First Birthday!

Lauren is finally one! She had a great party and enjoyed all her family being at her house to play with her. She also got some great gifts that she's having so much fun playing with and wearing.

She didn't get too messy while eating her cake...because she didn't eat it. She just played with the frosting and finally ended up smashing it a little.

One Year Photos

As Lauren's one year birthday approaches it is time for her one year photos.

Because my sister is good at taking pictures, because she has kids of her own so she knows how you have to take photos quickly and because I have a DSLR, and because I know how to work Photoshop, we decided to forgo "professional" pictures.

I really wanted to just let someone else take care of it.

I made an appointment with a photographer.

Then Adam enters the picture and once again reminds me that it's expensive.

Of course it is. Taking pictures of babies is exhausting and frustrating. After an off and on all day photo op, some run-away balloons that didn't even make it into any photos, and a kid who would NOT look at the camera all day, we ended up with over 500 photos and some turned out pretty cute. THANK GOODNESS.

Get ready. There's lots.




















Lauren and mommy.


Lauren and Daddy.


The Miller Family.







Whew, there's more of course :) but I think these are the best.

A few photos that didn't turn out so well look ok after "Photoshopping". What do you think? How'd we do?