Sunday, May 31, 2015

Failed Inspection, and why that's OK...


So lots of people have been asking what the outcome of our inspection was, and as I had expected, we did  not pass the first time.  However, this is not uncommon and it's all totally fixable and OK!  I thought I would explain a little bit of how this process works because I've had a lot of questions about why we even need an inspection, why we didn't pass, etc.  

Whenever you build a home certain parts of the building process have to be inspected.  For instance, our first inspection took place right after our foundation was poured.  Our second inspection took place once the shell was built, the wiring was done, and the plumbing was done, that's called a rough-in inspection.  It was during this inspection that we were told our bedroom windows did not have a large enough opening and were not up to code with the required dimensions of an "egress" window. Our house is not in town, it's outside of town in the county so we have more specific health and safety codes that we have to follow since we are farther away from emergency services.  We don't have a fire hydrant by our house so if there were a fire they would have to pump from the river or bring a tanker truck.  Because of this, the codes for the county are more strict.  So we went ahead and replaced the double-hung windows (which are not small by any means) in the bedrooms with casement windows that crank out.  It was frustrating and expensive, but we really had no choice since the windows did not meet the safety code.

For our occupancy inspection we had to meet a checklist of items and the inspector in our county is tough to work with and really seems to have some complex about the power he holds.  Unfortunately we have no other choice so we did everything that he had asked us to, but we still fell short of some of the codes.  We did not have hand rails on either side of the steps of the egress doors of the house (front door, back sliding door, and door leading from house to garage), our smoke alarms are all wired together but are not all sounding at the same time, a couple of our GFI outlets were wired backwards (Joe in a hurry to get it done), no lid on the sump pump, mostly easy fixes and we pretty much have everything checked off the list, there was about 10 different things, nothing serious, that we need to do in order to get him back out.  

Another thing we learned (or I learned I guess) is that there is a difference between and occupancy permit and final inspection.  When Joe called the 800# to schedule the inspection, he asked for final rather than occupancy so the inspector pointed out things like our siding not being 100% finished and that we don't have address numbers visible from the road.  When we call back this week we will specifically ask just for an occupancy inspection rather than a final.  

Although it was discouraging Friday to hear that we hadn't passed, we couldn't be any closer than we are now.  I am confident we will receive occupancy this week and be able to start moving in.  Of course we have 2 weddings this upcoming weekend, but in all the spare minutes that I have I will be cramming my car full of stuff and try to put a little bit of a dent into moving out of my parents basement.  We have been spending the last 3 weekends at the house and it's such a pain to transport overnight bags, laundry baskets, the dog, and everything else that you need to live back and forth between homes and I really just can't wait to start making our house a home!  Thank you all for the luck you had wished us, I know that it will only be a matter of days before we can finally call it done! 

Friday, May 29, 2015

Friday Faves!


Woohoo it's Friday!! I just LOVE short weeks!  Today is an extra special day because we are having our FINAL inspection done this afternoon.  Although I'm not usually one to allow any kind of negative thinking in my life, I'm not real optimistic that we will pass the first time around, it's more the attitude, personality, and history that we've had so far with this inspector, but I will jump for joy if he does pass us because that means we are free to move in!  Not only that but today is 6 weeks from IVFx4 baseline ultrasound & labs!  I can't believe we're only 6 weeks away!


Favorite Pin:
Hooray for a pin that actually leads somewhere!  I love Kei Jewelry but have yet to buy myself any pieces, although I definitely have my eye on a few things!
Favorite Recipe:
I haven't actually tried this yet, but I've heard great things and the ingredients are all on my shopping list for next week.  Do you guys meal plan?  I always have and really find that it helps me keep my grocery bill down and eat a healthier diet.  Of course I don't always stick to it and sometimes I crave a Chef Boyardee pizza, but for the most part, I try stick to my plan!
Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet

Favorite Workout:
Still focusing and practicing my yoga daily...

Favorite Movie:
I watched Fury this past weekend, actually on Memorial Day and if you guys haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.  It had an all star cast of Brad Pitt (if he's not enough to make you watch it, then I give up), Shia LaBeouf, Michael Pena,  John Bernthal (for you Walking Dead fans, he played Shane in the 1st & 2nd season) and Logan Lerman.  Great movie, highly recommend it! I mean... if nothing else, watch it for the eye candy.
  
Favorite Link:
Max Greenfield aka. Schmidt from New Girl is joining the cast of American Horror Story: Hotel this October and I cannot wait!  Love me some Schmidt!

Favorite Thing I'm looking Forward to:
This is tough to say, it's all going to depend on the outcome of the inspection today!  Fingers crossed & wish us luck!

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

I'm sorry for what I said when I was on fertility drugs...


Well I'm 11 days into the progestin and it's been interesting to say the least.  I never experience many side effects from any kind of medications.  I've always responded well to any meds I've been on and have never had any problems with anything like weight gain, nausea, loss of appetite, none of that has ever been an issue for me when taking medications of any kind.  I can't say the same for the Aygestin that I've been taking!  I figured with something that was going to be rebalancing my hormones, I wasn't going to get by without any kind of side effects this time.  

So far I'm tired more often (especially for someone who seems to always be tired!), I am eating and craving sugar and sweets like no other!  I finally had to throw away what they refer to as a "share size" bag of Skittles (share my ass), and actually ate a container, an entire pound, of strawberries for lunch one day this week.  I have a hardcore sweet tooth as it is so this has been horrible.

Mood-wise, I've been a crab ass and I have moments of pure rage when I want to throw my brand new iPhone 6+ because something isn't working.  It's one thing to be bitchy to your husband, at least he knows that you're being fueled with mood changing fertility drugs, most people that you encounter or speak to during the day may not know that, I should post this exact ecard on the door of my office to warn people prior to entry. 

Other than that, we are moving slowly within this cycle.  Taking the progestin every day at least makes me feel like there is some progress being made.  Next Friday I take my second Lupron Depot injection at exactly 5 weeks away from baseline scan & blood work!  The time really is flying and I can't believe we are so close to June already!  My 29th birthday is fast approaching, June 8th I will officially celebrate my last year in my twenties and I can't believe it!

The house is really going to be the biggest distraction.  Right now we are soo close to final inspection that it's starting to feel like its dragging.  We are down to the very minor details as Joe was able to get the replacement windows in this weekend.  We spent 2 nights there and it was amazing.  We watched  some scary movies, enjoyed some cocktails, cooked out just the two of us, cooked out with our family, did some work on the house, and it was amazing.  I'm chomping at the bit to start moving stuff, but Joe is hesitant about calling for the final because he wants us to pass the first time.  I think that's pretty wishful thinking, but he says that he will try to get the inspector out at least by Friday so that if we don't pass, we know what we need to spend the weekend doing.  Or if the odds are in our favor, he does pass us, then we can start the moving process!

It can be, at times, a little overwhelming, and my mood and my overly energetic, go-go-go moments can really make me feel flustered and frustrated on top of the crazy hormones I'm having.  My daily yoga practice has helped this tremendously.  I've been spending at least 30-60 minutes per day and really working on my breathing and taking time in each pose and being in each moment.  It's amazing how much better I feel after each session, totally relaxed, focused, and refreshed.  I'm really hoping I can keep this motivation going and continue to practice every day.

Sorry that I have been MIA lately, there has been little going on in our world of infertility and we are kind of in a lull with the house and the rest of life in general which is fine by me!  We've got another quiet, commitment-free weekend coming up, the last before the month of June kicks off weddings, several Ridley family birthdays, and the start to all things summer!  I thought I'd give you guys an update and let you know I'm alive and crabby! ;-)

Friday, May 22, 2015

A Week of Favorites & a Blogiversary

Hooray for Friday!  And an extra hooray for 3-day weekend!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of those who have bravely served our country and sacrificed their lives for our freedom.  That is really what Memorial Day is about, remembering & standing for those who stood for us.


Also, I have to toot my own horn a bit here, it's my 3 year blogiversary today!  Can you guys believe it!?  It's only been within the last year or so that I've really evolved my blog into what it is today, in the beginning I didn't share or even allow followers, I treated it more as a journal, then I decided that it was imporant to start sharing my story and finidng others who could relate to my situation.  I'm so glad that I did because I have made some wonderful blogging buddies and seriously have the sweetest, most supportive readers and followers!  The little success that my blog has (which I consider to be more than I could've ever imagined!) is all thanks to you guys!  You all have been such a source of support and inspiration and I cannot thank you all enough for that!  Cheers to 3 years!


 Favorite Moment:
Shout out to one of my very best friends Jessica and Mike on their very unexpected engagement this past weekend on Saturday and thanks to Mike for letting me be there!  I don't even think he knew he was proposing until it actually happened!  Can't wait to start the planning!

I opened up a 3 year bottle of Norton wine from our favorite winery to celebrate their engagement and our first night in the house, it was DELISH!

Other than that, it was another relatively quiet week, the best moment was actually Sunday I started my medication for IVFx4!  I have to take it until July 8th which is roughly 49 more doses, and 51 more days until baseline ultrasound.  Although I am going to enjoy these next 7 weeks and not wish my time away, I am glad that I am moving within this cycle already and taking steps to correct what we believe to be the issues.  If you guys recall, I tested negative for Beta 3 Integrin Protein which is essential for the adhesion of an embryo to implant.  It simply boils down to a hormonal imbalance which we can thankfully correct!


Favorite House Update:
Last weekend we actually got to stay in our house for the first time.  Although we can't technically live there yet, we stayed over night and it was amazing to sleep in our big new bed and shower in that ginormous shower with a beautiful view.   I'm really hoping that we, and by we, I mean Joe, can get the replacement windows in this weekend and then we can get final inspected and hopefully pass the first time and move in!  I can't believe how close we are to finally making this our forever home.  Our furniture is in too and ready to be delivered at any time!  Woohoo!

Favorite Pin:

 how stinkin' cute is this suit?

Favorite Workout:
Still going strong on practicing yoga every day and trying to take at least 5 minutes to meditate and clear my head each day.  I've also been working hard on perfecting my handstand.

ps.  I meditate first, then take the picture when I'm done, if anyone was wondering.


Favorite Thing I'm looking forward To: 
Really crossing my fingers hard that Joe can get the windows done this weekend!  He told me that he is planning on calling in the inspection for Tuesday so if we pass, next weekend is moving weekend!  Also, getting fresh highlights and a head shave on Saturday along with a 3 day weekend!  We only have one goal this weekend and that is get the house ready for FINAL inspection!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend blogland!

Monday, May 18, 2015

Skull Bliss...



I have always been a fan of all things Southwestern.  I love fringe and turquoise, I love big belt buckles, Aztec print, feathers, arrows, serapes, dream catchers, cow hide, leather, you name it, if it’s Southwestern I love it.  I think my admiration and slight obsession came from my aunt Allison who we refer to as Walks with Smoke in her Eyes.  She always has on lots of turquoise rings and earrings, she has a giant, wooden carved Indian in her basement, she is just free spirited and her style and taste has inspired me since I was a kid.











Do you see where I'm going with this?  Getting my point?

A couple of my favorite decorating pieces that we own that fit this style are bull horns.  We have a huge set and a smaller set.  The smaller set had its permanent home on the front of my husband’s motorcycle that we wrecked on; luckily the horns were not hurt during the accident!  We have even ridden in a parade with the big 6’ set on the front of the bike and boy did we turn heads!  So naturally, when I found a page on Instagram called Skull Bliss I was an instant follower.  Their products are AH-mazing!  Not just the horns, but the hand-carved skulls of cows, buffalo, ram, and horse!  They are stunningly beautiful and you can clearly see the attention that is given to each skull in the detail of the design.





 Here's the bike after we wrecked, the horns survived!  You can see how twisted the bike is though.

This is the one I chose and I love it!  It's so amazing!


 Buffalo
 Cow
 Ram
Horse

I had such a hard time picking the Skull Carving I wanted.  I really like the Eagle and the Indian carved ones, but the tribal prints were also really pretty and intricate.  I ended up with a small skull in Tribal #1.  It was my first instinct so that’s the one I chose!  Their skulls are 100% handcrafted and come from Bali.  Carving bone is part of the Balinese culture and the artists spend a decade of their lifetime gaining the skills it takes to produce these extraordinary pieces.  Each piece that Skull Bliss sells goes to support the Balinese artists and their families—these artists usually aren’t recognized for their talent so they are forced to quit since it does not pay enough money for food or to support a family.

I love everything about this company.  I love that these are authentic pieces created by astoundingly talented artists.  I love that this company is making it possible for these Master Crafters to do what they love and make a living off of it and be recognized for their amazing talent.  In my eyes these things all make these pieces well worth the money.  They make perfect conversation pieces for any home and I cannot wait to hang mine up in my new house!

Friday, May 15, 2015

Friday Faves!


Woohoo!  Happy Friday lovelies!  I am so ready for the weekend!  Halfway through May already, can you believe it?!  I’m looking forward to a commitment-free weekend & spending time with my friends and family. 

Favorite Moment:
If you follow me on Instagram then you already saw we got our tattoos this week!  My cousin Logan and I both got my grandpas Navy tattoos and they turned out amazing!
so this one is mine and I'm sooooo in love!  It's perfect!

and this is my cousins! turned out equally amazing!

Honorable Mentions: I stopped BCP this week (mini-milestone #4 of 6 complete!) and I am anxiously awaiting (I hate to say that) AF to show up so that I can get the show on the road with my 6 week protocol!

House Update:
We have been getting hammered with rain here this last week and it has done nothing for our house situation.  Joe was off a couple days but couldn't work on the windows since it was raining.  He was able to get a bunch of trim up which I am definitely happy to see!  I love the way it turned out around our sliding glass door and windows.  He also got started on the banquette in the kitchen and it looks really good so far.  Now we need to pick out a fabric for the cushions so Joe’s mom can start making those for us. We also got the septic tank set & hooked up to the house! WOOHOO!! They still have to run the lines & the curtain drain, but we can flush the toilets and run the water!
Here's our kitchen bump out, Joe started on the banquette & got the windows trimmed out.  The seats of the banquette are on hinges so they lift up and we can use it as storage!

not really exciting, but here is our septic tank.

Favorite Purchase:
I ordered the perfect set of mala beads (commonly used to aid in prayer and meditation) from my new favorite store, OM Soul Shop this is the same place I got the Rose Quartz Druzy I had mentioned previously.  What really drew me to the mala bracelet was that it came with an angel card reading, a very gentle reading meant to be a positive way to connect with guidance, love, and support.  When I placed my order, the wonderful Brenda reached out to me and asked if I wanted any intentions with the bracelet.  I explained my infertility situation and that becoming a mother was the deepest desire of my soul.  I decided on the turquoise mala beads because it is one of the oldest protection stones and it's a stone that I've loved my whole life.  It promotes strength which I love and I feel is absolutely necessary for the journey of infertility.  When I received the package my heart was so full with what her note had said. she said when she went to do the reading, she was drawn to the very first card on the deck, it was the Answered Prayer card, which signifies that my prayers have been heard and will be answered.  I thought it was a truly amazing reading and I couldn't have asked for one better!


Favorite Work out:
I've been trying to practice yoga every day, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.  This week I did my first ever handstand inversion!  I couldn't believe I actually did it.  I am not very flexible at all so it takes a little more effort, but I am going to continue to practice it and hopefully perfect it as best I can.  I’m still doing the 30-day Yoga Challenge.

Favorite Thing I’m looking forward to: 
It’s going to be a quiet weekend and I’m totally OK with that.  Last weekend was a complete blur with all of my family in town for my grandpa’s funeral and Mother’s Day celebrations.  This weekend I plan on doing a lot of moving and cleaning at the new house.  We also have Will Call for our Wine Club this weekend which is always a pleasure!  Looking forward to whatever the pairing is and trying their new infused wine and most importantly, looking forward to catching up with my bestie, I haven’t seen her in weeks!  Also looking forward to a couple quiet weekends coming up, especially Memorial Day weekend next week.  Although we aren’t doing out Annual Ridley Camp Out Extravaganza this year, we may have a low-key bon fire or maybe head to my aunts camper for at least a night and maybe even get a trip on the bike!

Monday, May 11, 2015

Mother's Day & IVFx4


Happy Monday afternoon everyone!  I’m a little later with this post than I wanted to be, but it was such a busy weekend with my grandpas funeral services and several family members home, it was a constant go go go couple of days and I’m exhausted and still recovering!

I hope everyone enjoyed Mother’s Day weekend with their favorite moms.  I had 3 separate gatherings to attend and it was my grandma’s birthday so it was a busy day.  I know Mother’s Day can be a challenge for those who are TTC.  I see many people curse the day and I admit, it’s something I wish I was celebrating for myself, as a mom, but I’m not yet.  What I think about Mother’s Day is nothing negative.  It’s a day for my mom and all my mom friends, and my MIL, and my step-mom and my grandma and my aunts, and all the wonderful women in my life who are moms.  Just because I haven’t been able to enjoy it yet for myself, doesn’t mean that I won’t celebrate it for those who have been lucky enough to become moms.  I can’t be bitter about Mother’s Day because that wouldn’t be fair to all these wonderful moms that I know.  And I remind myself that one day, I will get to be on the receiving end.







That being said, today is 2 months until the official kick off of IVFx4.  In 60 days I will have my baseline ultrasound and labs and will finally be able to start stims.  I am anxious and excited to see how this cycle will differ from previous cycles.  I already know that my medications will be different from what I’ve done in the past.  This time I will be adding Menopur which I’ve never used, I will be monitored more closely, and we are shooting for about half the follicles that I had last time (34).  This week is a pretty big week.  I take my last BCP and once AF shows, I finally start the Aygestin protocol for the negative Beta 3 Integrin protein.  Aygestin is a form of progestin that will help my hormones align.  It is normally used for people who have had missing periods.  My guess is I will be starting that a week from today.


If you guys recall I said I had set 6 mini-milestones for myself to help the time pass, I’ve already successfully made it through 3 of those 6!  It is amazing how quickly the time is passing!   I’m really looking forward to being able to enjoy some nice weather, moving into our home, my 29th birthday,  a couple weddings, a bike trip, some camping, and whatever else comes over these next couple months.  I know that I will be totally preoccupied once we are finally able to move into the house.  Right now we are being held up pretty badly by all the rain.  The last two things we need to do (the septic & replacement windows) require several days of dry weather.  Although our septic is next on their schedule, our wet, muddy yard will bring things to a complete stop until its dry enough.  Right now our goal is to be in at the end of this month.

When I think about our TTC journey and how naïve I was back in June of 2011 when I took myself off of birth control and that first month of being married, thinking on my honeymoon with a late period that I might already be pregnant, and now, almost 4 years later heading into a 4thround of IVF, I just have to remind myself that life is an adventure, it’s a challenge, it doesn’t always come easy, and it won’t always go according to plan.  Although we haven’t become parents yet, I know that one day soon we will and that everything will fall into place.  We are so blessed already, adding a baby to the mix would be the sweetest buttercream frosting on the tastiest cake called known as life.  No matter how long it takes us to get there, or how we end up getting there, the bottom line is we will get there. 

Friday, May 08, 2015

Friday Faves...

In case you weren't sure...

I've missed these posts!  These are some of the most fun to write because you get to share everything you’re loving and you get to read what everyone else is loving!  These are usually the posts that get me in trouble though because everyone has links to their favorite purchases and pins of the week and it sometimes can be damaging to my wallet!  So without further ado…

Favorite Moment:
This was a pretty quiet week.  There wasn't really a specific moment to talk about although Joe was off work because of all the rain so Tuesday we went out for Cinco de Mayo and had some yummy margaritas & other festive foods!  Another moment I would say was more progress than pleasant was doing my first Lupron Depot shot today.  It is a shot in the butt basically and it’s not fun, but it’s one step closer to IVFx4 and another milestone checked off my list!



House Update:
We finally got a possible start day for our septic.  Joe’s work does field tiling and they also do septic systems every once in a while so I've been nagging Joe for weeks to find out when exactly they planned on doing ours.  He finally got word this week that once they finish the job they’re on (just a couple more days of work) they will be able to start our septic.  Our septic permit expires in a month so we really need to get it in and done and inspected.  This is the last biggest piece of the puzzle we need to be able to get our occupancy permit and move in!


Frank found his spot!

Favorite Purchase:
I’ve been jewelry UHBsessed lately.  Do you guys follow McKenna Bleu?  She is beautiful and seriously has an amazing style!  She shared this amazing look this week and I loved every piece of it, especially that Kate Spade bag.  Unfortunately I couldn't justify spending that kind of money, but I could justify the turquoise and gold ring she was wearing from Sole Society.  So cute & free shipping!



Favorite Pin:
I’ll be honest, I haven’t been on Pinterest much, but there’s always a pin to love!



Favorite Workout:
You guys might have read my post about the 30 Day Yoga Challenge with Erin Motz.  I’ve been doing that every day this week along with my weekly yoga class Wednesay.  I’m working on perfecting my Crow Pose and Erin had us hitting the abs pretty hard this week which I needed after all the margaritas I drank for Cinco de Mayo.


mastered Crow Pose!

Tree Pose outside yesterday.

Favorite thing I’m looking forward to:
This weekend is the mass for my grandpa who passed away a month ago Wednesday. Although it will be hard, I am looking forward to seeing all of my family and celebrating his life.  It is also my grandma’s birthday Sunday, Mother’s Day, so we will have a lot to celebrate this weekend.  Then next Wednesday is my appointment for my new tattoo that was my grandpas Navy tattoo.  My cousin and I are getting tattooed at the same time and are each getting one of the two tattoos grandpa had.  I can’t wait!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

From Starter to Forever...


Home.  Most people when they think of what “home” is they get warm inside, nostalgia may set in, memories flood your mind.  You might think of mom’s cooking, your bedroom where your walls were plastered with Nsync posters, the place that you spent your childhood, the place you grew up.  Then as you get older you create your own home, whether it be an apartment, a rental house, a home you purchase, a home you build, whatever the case may be.  You make a space that is YOURS, it’s a sacred space where you can lose your inhibitions, you can really be yourself, you will do things in your home you wouldn't do anywhere else.  It’s where you feel most comfortable and relaxed.  It’s where you can’t wait to get to after a long day at work or even after a vacation.  Nothing is quite like home.

When Compassa new real estate service that helps people find the perfect neighborhood to call home, reached out to me to share a story about my starter home, I actually kind of brushed it off.  I mean we are well past our starter home and right smack dab in the middle of building our forever home.  I really didn't want to talk about our starter homes because I am just too excited about the home I plan to live the rest of my life in and start my family in.  They reached out to me a second time and when I explained my current situation they were all for a story about our forever home! 

I thought I would talk briefly about the home that Joe and I first lived in together.  It was a rental (his parents own it) and it is located just a few houses behind his parents.  It’s what they called a “Sears Home”, you literally picked these houses out of a catalog and they brought them in in pieces.  We called this house the Bomb Shelter because the walls inside were made of metal.  Seriously in our bedrooms and bathroom and closets you could stick magnets on the walls!  It was a cute little home, it has a big yard, we planted a garden, we had tons of bon fires and parties, we recovered from our motorcycle accident, we spent our first night as a married couple, we struggled and we thrived in this home.  It was kind of where we started our lives together and it will always have a special place in my heart.

  
Then one day, we found a deal on a house that we just couldn't pass up.  A 1000 sq. foot brick bungalow in a neighboring town (the town I grew up in) was for sale.  It had sat empty for 3 years and was in foreclosure so it was a STEAL.  We put a cash offer on it and got the house!  We did some fixing up and called it our home for a year & a half.  Then we decided it was time to start building our forever home. We sold the brick bungalow and moved in with my parents and are still living with them while the house is being built.

we did a lot of work to it, this was the day we bought it!

much cuter!

We bought the land that we would eventually build on back in 2010.  It’s in a subdivision in the country that never really took off.  There is only one other house that was ever built there.  The subdivision is called the Rapid River Estates and it sits on the Vermilion River, a small river that is popular for kayaking and river rafting.  It’s quiet, quaint, and everything that we wanted.  We hardly get cell phone service and it can’t be found on Google maps.  Until we started building, we would camp there often.  Every year we’d have a big camp out on Memorial Day weekend and throughout the year we would have smaller gatherings & bon fires.  It is the perfect spot.

the day we bought the lot.

one of the campouts, my leg was broke from the motorcycle accident, see my crutches?

we held this sign for our engagement pictures and included this in our wedding invites.  We asked for money towards our forever home rather than gifts from a registry.



In June of 2015, we finally broke ground!  Now, almost a year later we are just weekends away from being completed and inspected for occupancy and can start moving in.  It is truly an amazing thing to watch your dreams be built right in front of your eyes.  The best and most rewarding part about the whole thing is that my husband drew the plans himself on paper 5 years ago and now they have been brought to life.  We had the shell of the house built, the HVAC and the plumbing done by contractors, but the rest of the work we have done ourselves, mostly my husband!  He’s done the wiring, the drywall, the painting, the flooring, all the intricate tile work and more!  It has been amazing watching him and his dad literally build almost the entire house.  

















Of course building a home does not come without challenges.  Since we are in the county and not in town, every stage of the building process has to be inspected and we have very specific codes we have to follow.  It was a lot of really long days for my husband, it definitely can put a strain on a relationship because we don’t see each other as often and there can be headaches that can cause frustration, but when you look at the bigger picture of the situation, you know there is an end in sight and that end is making our dream come true.  There were too many challenges to name them all, but we knew going into it that there would be and I don’t think you could build a house without something going wrong or being wrong! 

As we draw nearer to completion of our home I can’t help but reflect back on what this process has been like, the time it has taken, the commitment it has taken, the effort, the dedication, determination, all positive things that in the end when we look at what we've created we can say that WE did this.  Although there have been moments of distance and frustration, there have been more moments of accomplishment and pride in what we have done, in what my husband has done for us.  We are beyond blessed to have been able to build our forever home.  It has been a true testament to the saying “dreams don’t work unless you do” because if we wouldn't have put the effort into it that we did, we wouldn't be where we are today and we wouldn't be able to say that we did this.  It can certainly be a daunting task, but in the end it is worth everything that you put into it. 

I'd like to thank Compass for the opportunity to share my story.  I love that their mission is to help people find the right neighborhood for them rather than just trying to sell a property.  A home should be an amazing place, an amazing thing, and finding one should be pleasant experience and it is their mission to make sure that that happens for anyone who is searching for their perfect home.
 
Blog Design by Imagination Designs
Graphic by OctopusArtis