I found the perfect pantry!

On our final build, we have a walk-in butler pantry with a pass-through to the kitchen plus a space to slide the coffee pot & toaster back out of view.

and finally the kitchen on the 1 yr anniversary of getting our C.O.

I can not believe we got our certificate of occupancy a YEAR ago today. I feel like we just moved in. I also can’t believe it’s taken me a year to get to all the posts on the house we built and that we’re already working on the next one and final one…. but here we go – who needs a break anyway 🙂

Windows, doors, studs and rain chains, oh my

This is mostly about what we did in the house we’re in now that we built and moved into last April, the alabaster modern farmhouse, but there are references to our past homes and what will be our final build, that we’re working on the land now while we WAIT on others to do what they need to do before we can really get going.

Firsts on the new house

Before I really get into sharing more on the last house we will be building in 2022, I thought I’d share a broad list of the few things we tried new for the house we’re in now, that we built and moved into in 2021.

This will likely be part 1 on a 3 part series.

Hubby and I have come a long way over the years and house builds. Not to say we agree on every detail because we absolutely don’t. We both have what’s important to each of us, and where we can and will compromise. We also have things we like that get repeated and things we want to try something different.

This 2021 alabaster farmhouse had an entire page of “rules” I had to stick to on the design because it’s the smallest land we’ve built on and the septic took up most of the yard, moving the house South and East more than we preferred. There was also a fine line between how high it was getting in the back, how many courses of block for the daylight basement, how high off the ground to work versus how far below the road and the driveway steepness. All a balancing act of what would be best for us, and best for resale.

We did lots and lots of first.

The house before

If you read my Christmas post you know we have been looking for land for over 10 years, probably closer to 15.

When I started thinking about why we built and moved from house to house I had to chuckle. I’m guessing others do not share in our same catalyst for deciding to build and move.

Merry 2021 Christmas

After the nineteen months of “2 weeks to flattening the curve“, I felt like reaching out and had intentions of using up the stack of free Christmas cards I’ve accumulated. They’ll go back in the drawer for another year because despite my good intentions, somehow with everything going on I ran out of time… again. On the bright side, this Christmas letter comes with more pictures and links 🙂

Answered prayers

Have you ever felt God’s hand in your life?
We have.

Remember me?

Wow, how time flies when you’re working six days a week and exhausted. Kinda gave new meaning to Sunday being a day of rest because all I wanted to do after church… was sleep!

A few updates since my only (non-recall) post this year except for Tyler’s birthday. I’ll try to get back into a post here and there besides just putting up pet food recalls. I see I started one from last August that I never put up. Maybe I’ll do a flashback and post it too. Who knows. The best-laid plans and all.

You Had Me at Meow my little paperback I was motivated to write because of Trinity has been out 6 years today.

A flower that had never bloomed, bloomed at Trinity’s grave just before we moved.

Happy International Cat Day!

So for this cat day, my boy refused to eat his breakfast until I put freeze-dried turkey sprinkles on. Yesterday he thought the other part of the same can, was so great he licked the bowl clean.

Gotcha Day

TnT

13 years ago today, we adopted Tyler and Trinity.  What a perfect fit for our family!