Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Friday, July 21, 2006


Productive Week! After sitting on our plans for months, the doors are finally opening to begin building our home. The property has a temporary address, not just a lot number, and the building permit just needed a few more signatures to complete the process. The excavators are anxious to start "grubbing" out the land and rearranging the building site with their backhoes and graders. We sent in our sewer and water hookup fees and applications too. Lots of paperwork and little incidental things a first time home builder couldn't even imagine was needed. The builder came over with a budget in hand and went over the numbers with us. He's been a wonderful blessing and we can see God's hand in the decision to get the right builder for the job. His heart is really into making our home nice, and since this will be a step up in building for him, he's giving us 110% of his effort and knowledge in the process. This will probably lead him to more custom home customers in the end, so it's a win-win situation for all of us. Today we meet with the banker to finalize our financing; we'll have just a small mortgage to carry so it shouldn't be too bad. Bids have been pouring in for the cabinets, plumbing, countertops and lighting. I'd like to go checkout flooring and make a few adjustments to the lighting order. This is a lot easier to do with dh home this week and will give me more peace of mind when he returns to work next week.

3 comments:

Pat said...

How did you happen to choose this particular builder? Was he someone you knew? I'm going through all this with you like as if I'll ever build...but who knows, my life is in Gods hands.
Thanks for the petunia tips! Can they grow successfully in a pot or only planted in the ground?

Mrs. Mac said...

bg ... when we moved into our current rental home, we met the builder and struck up a conversation with him. After some time, and having lived in a house he built, we decided to ask him to build our home after the other builder fell through. Plus, a neighbor two dorrs down is having him build their home and just raved about him. I think it was divine intervention :) Petunias need to be planted in the ground early in the growing season ... if you wait too long, and it gets to hot, they seem to not doo to well. However, a potted plant should do ok if it's not too stressed by excess heat, watered regularly, but not left sitting in water. Pinching the blooms helps keep up the flower production.

Pat said...

I think it was divine intervention that you found that builder. God is into the details of our lives, isn't it amazing? thanks for the petunia tips. It's has been so hot, everyday in the 90's so I'm claiming that as petunia stress, not my lack of caring! And I'm pinching and expecting a new harvest of blooms!
Thanks bunches!
Pat