WHAT A SIGHT? WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER IN HER PARTY DRESS AND ACCESSORIES :)

View of the Front - obviously

Living Room/Dinning Room Side

Family Room with Side Fireplace :)

Rear View of Morning Room

 A tremendous thanks to Collin this week, he provided us with our status and these beautiful photos!!  Okay now everyone one on my RH team will have to share the Hawaiian treats headed your way!!!  We are excited about our homes completion thus far, and will make it to VA in time for the pre-drywall meeting on the 10th!  We can't wait to see it.  We will actually be driving up from Norfolk in the early afternoon of the 8th after picking up Rob's POV - We won't be able to Not Stop - ourselves - we will be visiting our new home for the FIRST time since it was a dirt lot with no roads.  And this time hopefully the kids can walk through too.  I want to send a special call out to our neighbor in Lot 3 "Rome Is Where The Heart Is" Blog for posting the culd-a-sac photos that shows ours and lot 11 homes as well - thank you!

THE BEAUTY OF WALLS!!

Lumber Delivery

Finishing the First Floor

Looking down into that Basement!

First Floor Walls Almost Finished!

Phil was good enough to email us this weeks updates with GREAT photos. They range from the delivery of the lumber to the first floor of our new home almost completed.  We were also informed that the home will be ready for the pre-drywall inspection the week of July 8th - just about when we arrive in the area.  I'm going to add a time line page much like our fellow Rome blogger - and future neighbor Melissa.  Hopefully by the end of the week we will have a goal date for closing and I can get Rob to add the count-down widget.

Recent Update

Although there has been some rather severe weather this week they were able to dodge some rain drops and still make significant progress on our new home. They were able to tie in to the city water and sewer mains as well as install ground works (the pipes beneath the basement slab). They installed a drain tile system (a below grade drainage system that prevents water from building up around the foundation) and were able to backfill the dirt up against the basement walls. They plan to prep and pour the basement slab Friday or Monday, and then they will be ready to begin framing! (Thanks Phil, for the specific details and pics!)

GOT FOOTINGS? WE DO!!

Thanks to Phil he provided these photo updates on Thursday last week June 6th, showing the progress on our lot.  They poured the concrete footings and started some wall structure.  I wish I could understand exactly what we are looking at, but I look forward to the next set of progress photos to hopefully better understand what is what and where!

A HOLE IN OUR HEARTS

We have had nothing but exciting news these last two days.  On Thursday as we scrubbed our house in Hawaii for turnover to housing - we got the below pictures..

FINALLY - A SOLD SIGN!

WE ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY READY!

 Then as our Thursday progressed, we got these fabulous pictures!

THE DIGGING HAS BEGUN

PHIL TAKES GREAT ACTION SHOTS!

Then Friday comes around and we are extremely busy shipping cars - having housing inspections driving around with more errands then time and this photo of an intriguing hole appears in our inbox...

A HOLE  IN OUR HEARTS IS OPEN - AND READY FOR FOOTINGS!

Phil has advised that the concrete is ready to start Monday for the footings with the concrete foundation being completed shortly after.  THANK YOU PHIL!  As it ended up on Friday May 31st - we closed the door on our Hawaiian home and the ground opened up to our future.

MEANWHILE -

I had forgotten to get into some new details.  The New Rome Model has come out - version 5 I think, and they have a few additions I may or may not have chosen mainly additional rooms. (But that would just mean more square footage to clean!!)  However my dream kitchen that I wanted from the Stanhope model had a double wall oven!  It was not an option for the Rome in January and when I requested it - I was informed that it was not even a "red tag" item and a no-go from the start.  So I gave up, disappointed and expressed to Tina that RH needs to correct that deficiency - and before our build so I could get one ;) and Low and Behold the version 5 has it!!  Not like I've seen in some of the blogs where people requested it - and got it. But nonetheless it is available.  So as  I grumbled to Tina our Sales Rep about this - And of course in her Awesomeness she came through!  It took about 2 or more weeks, but a DREAM KITCHEN will be ours!  I even went with the all out appliance package and changed to gas to complete the deal - I know it will be beautiful and so functional!  Did it cost me ---- Of Course, nothing is free these days, and I took my husbands patio money to get it, that means I OWE HIM! :) And he must REALLY LOVE ME!!!

NEW KITCHEN LAYOUT

OUR APPLIANCE CHOICES