a foundation

Here's where we're at: the foundation/basement walls have been poured (but not without a terrible disfiguring trimming of a tree in the front yard unbeknownst to us). The forms are being removed to reveal that foundation. Then the area around the foundation will be backfilled with dirt. The slope in the backyard will be graded to reveal a new and improved flat yard ("but where will we sled?!") and the excess dirt will be trucked away. Then the new garage slab will be poured.

That brings us to another interesting point - we'll call him "sore loser neighbor." I received an email from the builder's office asst that our next door neighbor was challenging our easement. We were floored because we know our neighbors and have spoken with them about the project and everything was fine. So I contacted the builder's asst to discuss, and after a little research found out that the so-called neighbor lives 2 streets away! So I talked with our real neighbor today during my visit to "the site," and she said this gentleman had been over talking with her husband about the addition they did about 5 or 6 years ago and about our current addition. Apparently he wanted to put on an addition that went well over 5 feet into the easement and was subsequently denied and now he's looking to make trouble (that's my take on it not my neighbor's). So, our builder was "warned" to "not go 1/4" into the easement." We were so close to the line that he brought the surveyor back in to stake the property line with a huge stake and vibrant pink ribbon because our property line is not a straight shot from front to back. The back edge of the small bump-out on the garage is 1" from that line, so we may shave a few inches just to insure our project won't be a legal disaster.

There's been alot of action during these last several sunny days. Cement trucks have been lining the street waiting to back in the driveway and load the pumper truck. Oh, and Bennett has loved every minute of the big trucks!

On our visit last night, Brent and I discovered the tree and noticed the overall disshevled state of our precious home. I said that I felt I was having something akin to buyer's remorse and he said no, he felt it too, and it's just a sadness to see our house in such a state. Of course he was right because it's going to be a great house for our family - our own little "Father of the Bride" house.