With great pleasure I announce that we have walls! The pixies snuck in one day this week and managed to get the first level done. Happy New Year to everyone!

Season's Greetings

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Christmas Break? What Christmas Break?

Okay, so we were very excited once again after the pipes were laid and the slab poured. 'Of course', we thought, 'they'll get the slab down so we can pay the nice big bill just before the Christmas break and then there'll be nothing for a month.' So we ran around on the slab for a day or two and left the site alone (and went to the bank to pay the big bill).

Then we get a surprise phone call from our future neighbour telling us that there was more movement at the station... Of course we flew over there and, sure enough, the pixies were laying out timber for the frame!! The darlings are going to have the weekend off and will be back on Monday. What a lovely treat!

Our only concern now, though, is that everything looks so tiny!! We have been assured by a few experienced home builders that the slab always looks small, but really - nothing is going to fit! 'Too late now!' she cried. We will just have to make do.

Lift Off!!

Original start date - 12/12/08...Actual start date 08/12/08!! I'm impressed already. I barely had time to take a quick photo of our new neighbours before there was action on our block. So after three days we have had our site scrape, tap installed, temporary fencing and......wait for it......Port-a-Loo!! Yayyy!! I know, I know - it will all end next week as everyone has a break for Christmas - but we are sooo excited! I haven't met our supervisor yet, and we've driven past a few times and haven't yet caught anyone on site, just something new there everytime. I'm beginning to think they're just magical pixies....???

I can't believe it actually rained on day 2! It never rains here! Luckily, it was just a lovely shower and has not set in for the week. I wonder what the pixies will bring tomorrow.....

We have neighbours!!

On inspection of our land it seems the estate is a hive of activity. We had noticed a couple of blocks being cleared behind us and now a huge frame has gone up! Of course we had to go and have a look and, lo and behold, it's a Porter Davis Prestige creation! I'm thinking maybe the Brookvale 50? I will have to take some pics... I will be keeping an eye on the worksite, though, to see how messy these PD builders can be.

Contract Signed

17.10.2008 The contract has been signed and it seems it's all systems go. We must have been a bit more thorough with our contract appointment than expected because it went for over 5 hours! I think our host had to reassign other appointments for the day and I'm not sure if she got lunch.... At least we know most things have been sorted out and clarified to our satisfaction, although we're sure we've still missed a few things. There is so much to think about! It seems we had forgotten to include carpet in one room, and concrete which we had been told was included is now not included... go figure!

Colour Selection

This is what we have selected for our home - looks great in our imaginations.....

* Feature walls (Master & Rumpus): Wattyl Exotic Night
* Feature wall (stairwell): Wattyl Tivo
* Walls: Wattyl Kid Leather
* Cabinets: Fudge Stream
* Overhead cabinets: Moleskin
* Bench Tops: QQ New Diamond White
* Glass splashback: Dulux Fanfare
* Floor tiles: Kimberly Stone
* Feature tiles - Mirage Pepper
* Front Door: Double MAD101 with Cedar stain
* Garage: Cedar
* Portico render: Dulux Brood
* Front render: Dune
* Windows: Woodland Grey
* Fascia: Dune
*Gutters & Drainpipes: Woodland Grey
* Roof: Colorbond Woodland Grey
* Bricks: Boral Mocha with raked natural mortar

Blank canvas

Okay so we have quite a bit of work to do...Is that an understatement? What a lovely view though. I can't wait 'til things get started.

12 months on and the family is all grown up!

Where did that time go?

Well so much for that idea!!! I was going to ramble on about the joys of being at home with a young baby, blah blah blah. All of a sudden 12 months has just flashed by!
Things have been very busy, but at the same time most enjoyable. Nellie is 13 months old now and running around with the kids and the dog (that was another addition to our family). I have returned to study and have taken on 12 hours a week work as an aide at the kids' school. This is helping to pay for the block of land we bought in May and the Porter Davis house we signed up to build this week. If I get enough time I might blog a bit about how that goes.

The Return of the Cheddar

Okay, that heading has absolutely nothing to do with what I am about to write, I just thought it sounded catchy.

I had my beautiful baby on Tuesday, August 14 2007. Nellie Alice was a much anticipated and exciting addition to our family. She was nine days overdue and induced because it seemed she had no intention of coming out on her own! She is, however, a very good girl and I can't believe it took so much to decide to have her. We are now a complete family of six. Our dinner table no longer has an empty seat.

I have taken a year's break from my studies and I'm thinking that from now on, I might post a few tips I have learnt from my experience as a mother. More later...