My Dirt

OFF THE MARKET!!!

It has been extremely stressful and crazy over the last 2 months trying to get this lot under contract.  We were told multiple times prior to starting this process that, "building a house is one of the most stressful things to do to a marriage."  Little did they know we've been stressed and the dirt hasn't even been touched yet!!!
We have had so many issues with the company Smart Choice Communities.  They misrepresented themselves and are extremely unethical, greedy, and flat out liars about everything.  They chose to place the lot under contract with them so they could hold control over our decisions, when in reality it is unethical to put a lot under contract with someone else's earnest money.   It just goes to show you that you have to be extremely careful in who you choose to work with and make sure everything is well documented.  Luckily with the help of our good friend and agent Natalie, the builder, and his representation we were able to completely remove this Smart Choice Communities from our contract.  They will no longer be hindering the progression of our home and we are so grateful for the team we currently have and the hard work they have put in to make our dream come true.

Just this past week we were able to close on our lot, our builder was able to submit our official set of plans to the city of Draper, and we have moved out of our cute duplex and are off to Lance's mom's house for the next 4-5 months.

Our stresses have not only stem from the chaos with Smart Choice, but also with trying to move!!  With both of our schedules it was been nearly impossible to find time that we are both home and both available to move our furniture.  We started at the beginning of the month of January packing up the majority of our furniture (dining room table, chairs, misc) to a storage unit.  It is slightly a breath of fresh air to have all of these items that we don't NEED put away and out of sight, but getting it all gathered has been absolutely crazzzzzzy.  We were supposed to have all of our stuff moved out on Monday, but with the elements down pouring onto our great Salt Lake... Lance has had to plow every day and every night since.  Because of this we have yet to move out our bed and dresser and TVs... just waiting for a day that we are free..... but there hasn't been one.

Oh gotta love the stress and chaos that comes with building a home.

Babies, Guts, and Glory

It's official. I have made it through my first week of my capstone.  With 3 days (28 hours) under my belt, which includes 2 deliveries and 2 c-sections I can honestly say that I love the nature of the specialty.  I have learned a lot about the difference in demeanor of a person in labor and in pain to those who are just uncomfortable and wish they'd be in labor.  I've learned a lot of charting techniques and FAQ's and answers to those questions.  I've also learned and grown a lot as a nurse and am less scared to enter the real world of nursing in just 3 1/2 short months.  It is absolutely mind boggling that this is what I've wish and hoped and dreamed of becoming and the countless tears, stresses, and frustrations along the way all make it worth it.  I will be a licensed nurse in May of 2013 and with February just around the corner.

Things I have learned:

• I love the moment when the baby is out and the mother is overjoyed and in awe that that baby is HER baby. She has such joy and gratitude in her eyes for this little miracle, and that she has the privilege to call it her own.
• I love the giddy and nervous energy coming from dad who wants no part of the guts and grossness associated with the delivery because I KNOW my husband will be the exact same way and I find it innocent and cute. 
• I love the first cry, delayed but piercing as it allows everyone to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing this baby's lungs are working and everything is okay.
• I love the atmosphere, so excited yet so at peace (with an epidural.. haha!).  This little angel is coming slowly but surely and of course on the baby's time table, not any of ours.
• I love the knowledge, skill, and experience from the nurses I've watched.  They know just what to do and when to do it. Also what to look out for when things go bad, and how to prevent bad things from happening.  It's so intricate and overwhelming the amount of knowledge they have, that one day I hope to have. 
• I love the blood, guts, and grossness!!! I know. Everything thinks its crazy and weird, but I love the whole process from checking dilation to cutting open a belly. 
• I have also learned that for whatever reason Heavenly Father has given these mothers and fathers His children and that although I might not agree with His decision, I have to learn to accept His will, for He knows all things.  While it is frustrating to see children born into a family that isn't entirely grateful or they are unprepared with the necessities, it isn't my place to judge them.  

 All in all it has been an amazing, life (literally) filled experience. I'm so grateful for the next 92 hours I get to spend learning and loving the little ones as they enter this world.

Almost finalized....

The forever process of planning out the architecture, the materials to build with, and special things I've wanted is now ALMOST over.  With our closing deadline on the lot looming in the near future we were finally able to sit down with the builder last night and go through a step by step breakdown of costs.  One interesting fact was our builder took our house and all of the "upgrades" we have and went over to Bellevue which is an Ivory Home community directly across the street from our lot.  He asked them to give him an estimate of how much this house would cost if they were to build it.... The crazy thing was their estimate was 130-160 THOUSAND dollars more.
They said, "due to high demand, they are increasing their prices 30k in the next 30 days"... what a RIP!
Needless to say, I was in awe at the price difference, and happy that we are on track to build an affordable home.

And for those of you wanting to see a taste, this is what we are building....

front view. 3rd car garage visible.

side view with side load garage visible.

layout with secluded guest suite on the main level.

upstairs. 4 bedrooms and laundry.

basement layout. will be finished later.

kitchen layout. floor to ceiling cabinets.. upper cabinets with glass front doors. :)

 We are doing the entire main floor in hardwood except the front living room and guest bedroom. The rest of the house is this super lush multicolored carpet.  Cabinetry in the kitchen is white foil, not painted so it doesn't get scratched!! The island is going to be stained dark to help balance everything out.

We haven't decided on tile, stone, or colors yet, but things are coming together slowly but surely.  We should have everything finalized by next Wednesday, and start building the middle of February!!