Basement...

The winter project (one always needs a project) is to finish off the basement for a couple of bedrooms. Ethan has the smallest bedroom in the house, and as he's going to be around for awhile, he suggested having a room in the basement. We came up with some plans and got the permit last year. Seeing as how we are procrastinators, we're finally getting started. The two egress windows will be installed early November. We've already got some of the studs up, but found out we need a plastic barrier between the outside walls and the studs, so we need to fix that. I got a book from Menard's on concrete staining and I'm going to try out some ideas in the laundy room down there. We'll need two large shelf units, the ones that can hold 2000 lbs each for all the plastic buckets of stuff I can't part with. I want ceiling tiles on the entire basement, because I HATE spiders. David said we'll still have spiders with a ceiling, but at least I won't have to be down there with the vacuum attachment in the air, sucking up webs and bugs. YUK! This way I can just go around the edges and suck up webs and bugs. Andy was going to buy a house with a friend, but I think that's going to be put on hold for awhile, so he's going to have the other side of the basement, the side that will be our entertainment room when they're all gone. I'll have lots of sneaky storage places so there's not a bunch of junk laying around. They'll have to vacuum and dust regularly too, or maybe I'll just do it. I'm such an enabler, (as are most mothers) no wonder men aren't capable of surviving on their own unless they're living in filth. ha ha just kidding...NOT
Anyway, the basement looks really cool in my head, nothing fancy, because that's not who we are, but very livable and nice.

Last minute...

Well it's October 14, 2009 and it has already snowed 3 times. There is 100% chance of precipitation tonight. Of course, I have tomorrow off and I wanted to finish up a few chores in the yard, like moving some plants. I think I might have to wait until the weekend.
David, and the boys dug out the egress window spot, a trench for the electrical pipes to the pond, and filled in the arbor floor. Justin and David started moving the flagstone yesterday, and when I got home from work, I took over. We have most of it filled in now. Next we'll have to dig down a little I think, or just fill in around the pieces, they aren't all the same thickness, and will need to be played with. I think we'll have a good amount left over to play with around the patio. I don't like things to be all neat and perfect, I like them natural. We'll pour concrete in wedge shapes for the patio and incorperate the flagstone. I can't wait until it's all done. Hopefully...we'll get it done in the spring. I'd really like to be taking advantage of it, and sitting in the adirondak chair with a cool beverage and a good book, instead of hauling stones and rocks.
David has been working sooooo hard on this all summer and he has done a fantastic job. As do-it-yourselfer's, it's wonderful.