Visible changes are slower this week (last week as I'm a little behind!) as it is mainly the subcontractors doing their work. Electrical has been out all week drilling holes, running wire and putting up plug & switch boxes. Often we see new plumbing too!
We picked up the boat and spent a day installing bumpers on the dock edge to protect our new investment. We've managed to go out a few times but the weather hasn't been very co-operative. Check out the photo of Ian at the end of the blog.

Here's a flashback shot from Kyle's bedroom. The one on the left is from the first week of demolition back in March, note the brick chimney and the stairs. Now the chimney is long-gone, the stairs have been turned and almost all the framing is new. You can also see the new heating ducts in the ceiling and the trench in the floor that contains the new plumbing.

Here is Ian installing bumpers along the edge of our dock. Our first docking experience was a little hairy as it was a little windy. Too much stress for us - a little protection made subsequent landings a breeze, well almost...we may have still provided some entertainment for anyone watching!

We started looking at boats last summer. We looked at several brands and models and after seeing it at the boat show in March, we decided on the Cobalt 200. It is just the right size for our lift, has a great seating layout, and drives beautifully on the water. Last week they brought it out for a test drive (how's that for service!), then they brought it back on Wednesday so we could test out our boat lift (we were a little worried that the 13 year-old lift might not be up to the task!). It went up with no problem so we closed the deal today!

Another week of work at the house, it is exciting to see the progress, we are still heading out a few times a week to see what is going on. The furnace guy worked fast - in two days he installed the furnace and duct work (I think he was heading out to Hawaii on day 3!). The main duct line runs through the crawl space and saves us a lot of head room on the lower level. The plumber continues to be in and out adding waste water pipes. We've been spending time at tile showrooms selecting tiles and counter samples for our architect to review. It's a slow process but we are narrowing it down and beginning to make progress. We settled on dark sapele wood for the kitchen cabinets and a natural sapele for the master bath. Our tile and counter tops will be neutral.

The framing continues...our pantry and staircase half wall were some of the biggest changes. The weather was so beautiful on the weekend, we couldn't stay away and spent time on the water in our kayak. Our crazy little dog hates getting in the water but loves riding along with us!

This has been an exciting week at the house. Big changes! While some demo is still happening, there have also been a lot of new walls going up. It's so much fun to see them pop up where we've been imagining them all these months.

Here's a look back a few weeks to the end of March when the demolition had just begun. Notice the new beams, walls and changes to the chimney and stairs.

Big news for this week is the new foundation wall outside - our mini-addition (all 30 sqft of it) has started. Progress inside has been a little harder to see this past week, we're waiting for the plumber on the lower level so not too much has changed down there. Demo has continued upstairs - the old bathrooms and closet are completely gone and we're right down to the 60-year-old floor boards. Take a close look at floor in the pictures, in several of the shots you can see right through to the lower level... I had to tip-toe around so I didn't fall through!

Check this out - a click-around tour of the upstairs. Best seen full screen, try clicking on the little thumbnails on the left. You can also view all the photos

Lots of exciting changes today when we toured the house. It is so much fun to see it all taking shape after so many months of planning and dreaming... We spent several hours yesterday touring kitchen and bathroom showrooms, faucets, sinks, toilets, shower heads, all the exciting stuff!

After a busy afternoon we came home to find Kyle had decided to make us all dinner!