Today was a day full of wonderful surprises! We went to take a peek at the progress on our home, as we got a call earlier this week from Kimerie at Baywest telling us we had a second floor in our house! So we wanted to see it for ourselves, and when we arrived, were we ever surprised! We actually thought a house that didn't have a roof on it yet was ours, but it turned out to be from another builder, and were absolutely floored when we realized ours was the one that's nearly completely framed on the exterior, and the interior! WOW!



We realized after we arrived that we'd forgotten our camera, a little digital Canon S110 - awesome for carrying anywhere because of its size, so we were a bit disappointed that we weren't going to catch the awesome progress while we were there. So, Jason, being the bright thinker that he is, decided that because he had to stop at CompuSmart and pick up an order that had arrived, he was going to talk to the manager and see if we could borrow one of their cameras for about a half hour to go take some photos! Jason carries a Pocket PC with him always, and has a 512 meg CompactFlash card in it, so we had our film with us! Anyway, (much thanks to the Crowfoot CompuSmart in Calgary!), the manager agreed to let us borrow the camera if Jason left his VISA card at the store! YAY! So, we returned, and well, you're seeing the photos! The quality is a bit less than what you're used to, but hey, who's complaining? :-)

This next photo is taken in the front doorway, looking up towards the second floor. VERY cool!



We were told by one of the gentlemen (unfortunately we didn't get his name, but thank you anyway!), that it was safe for us to walk into the home, and take a look at what was being done. So, after we walked through the front door and saw the incredible progress that had been made, we wandered upstairs to see the bonus room, which we hadn't ever seen because the showhome we chose our floorplan from (Aspen) didn't have the bonus room. Here's what we saw.



You'll have to excuse the snow-like dots in the photo, but that's the dust that was floating in the air while we were there! The sawing and hammering sure does stir up quite a little storm!

Just as we were leaving, one of the construction workers was using a chainsaw to saw through some of the beams that appeared to be above a doorway, and we thought it was strange to see how much cutting goes on that you never really realize. I also thought it was odd to think of them cutting chunks of wood away from what looks like to me, to be a perfectly framed interior! But they're the experts, right!



Once we had toured the main and upper floors, we went around back and peeked into the basement, which will not be finished upon possession, but our loving fathers are going to help us complete them, along with a very generous and kind friend from church, as soon after we move in as possible. It looks rather stark and cold right now, but I'm sure the dirt will be covered by concrete soon enough. :-)



Well, we were absolutely thrilled to see how quickly things are moving. We had a single wall on Sunday, and now the whole home is framed, including the roof! We're hoping that this means the interior wiring and insulation and all the other stuff that has to occur before the drywall is put up, will be completed shortly as well. Thrilled, elated and very thankful are just a few words that come to mind when I think of the service we've gotten from Baywest, and the experience we're having with them.

There are always glitches, as we're discovering, that go into building a new home, but all in all, this has been a wonderful time for us, and a great learning experience!