Coming Along!

Y'all would not believe how long I've waited to post this update!  I've had a myriad of computer issues that have nearly gotten the best of me, but in the end I came out with a brand new Windows Surface replacing my original Surface that I got last Christmas.  It ended up being a faulty piece of equipment.  My dinosaur of a laptop is going in for a tune-up this week.  Shhh, it might be beyond help at the stage it's in.  But I'm willing to give it one last chance!

Anyway, following are some captioned photos of  the house and the progress thus far.  Needless to say, WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!



front of house

back porch ceiling

view of staircase from front door

through the master bedroom pocket doors to the study

looking from the dining room into the kitchen toward the breakfast and family rooms

looking back toward the kitchen from the family room

family room fireplace and ceiling height chimney

view from second story down to family room

view from the wooded driveway

window and door trim begun

window trim

crown molding going up

making sure our Moroccan arched stained glass window fits its opening

columns and coffered ceiling!

arching the doorways!

second story arch

master bath tub surround

living room columns, again

backyard patio

outdoor fireplace began last Thursday

patio fireplace:  this was done in just 2 days!

 

 

Update on The Dream

A bit of an update on the house project from April through yesterday...

 

Drywall and brick will start going up next week!

 

www.tisdalebuilders.com



front door and framework



looking from the family room toward the kitchen



upper storey framework and walls - front

upper storey framework and walls - rear

roof!

view from driveway

front door and my soldier

front door interior

breakfast room and door leading onto back porch

friendship entrance door

master bath barrel ceiling

Maggie in her room

roof shingles going on

 

front of house

 

energy efficient foam insulation

foam insulation

 

Taking Shape

Finally, the dream is really starting to take shape!  I expect the next few weeks will be a flurry of activity as the second storey comes into view, and the house will take on a whole different look.

 

Here are a few photos from the ground up, the most recent shots taken yesterday:

 

 

The Dream

Pardon my absence!  I've been a little busy.  Building a house is a time-consuming process.  That’s a really silly, very obvious comment….  But when you’re actually doing it, it’s a realization that stops you in your tracks, especially if you’re on a limited time frame. 

Building a house is also a dream that often never comes to life, for you're always waiting for the right time and place to come along.  As I get older, I realize Carpe Diem should be my mantra!

My family and I returned from Morocco to South Carolina exactly 18 months ago.  My husband is currently serving a 2 year assignment with Army Central Command (ARCENT).  The first 9 months of the assignment, he was deployed.  Needless to say, a house building project should be done together so nothing was accomplished during his absence.  Not that I couldn’t have made some decisions, or gotten some of the work started, but let’s just suffice it to say that two heads are better than one when making decisions about the home where we will spend the rest of our lives. Hence, the “limited time constraint”. It’s almost time for my husband's next assignment, and we haven’t even broken ground yet!

 

Let me back up a bit.  When we started dating almost 30 years ago, our dream was barely a thought. We were young, inexperienced, and had the door to the world opening before us.  We were on the move, not to mention we are owned by the US Army so we have to go when and where they tell us!  Stay in South Carolina?  No way!  Not when we had the opportunity to see the world!  So off we went to faraway lands, both domestic and foreign.  But our dream kept popping up.  There were changes, there were new ideas, there were new hopes, and there were new military assignments that kept us on the move, so the dream had to wait.  However, we held to it tightly, because it was our future, our goal.

My parents were always aware of our dream.  My father gave the dream his blessing before he passed away back in 1987, and assured us that anything is possible with faith in God and hard work. And so, through our entire marriage, my mother was often reminded of our intentions….to return to South Carolina, build a home, and start a cattle farm.  The first step to reality occurred two Christmases ago when my mother deeded the land to me.  Were it not for my dear parents, who were true stewards of the land, the dream would still be just that, a dream.

Join me here, as I try to post as regularly as possible, the many hurdles and victories involved in building a home in a rural community on undeveloped land.