Monday, January 12, 2015
Jenny and Juliet on the land
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Going Vertical!
Hello All!
So, we are now moving forward, from the theoretical idea of our three-dimensional dream, to a physical, three dimensional structure... well, the start of it.
So, since last post, there has been some forward progress. The footers were poured about a month or two ago (pic to the right), just after my last post. After that there was some movement of earth, and I am sure planning. Now, in the last week or two, they have been working on the rest of the foundation, laying the block. Now the foundation is about 1/2 way done, maybe more. Once completed (hopefully I the next week or so, weather pending) they will treat the ground, then move forward w/ framing. To the left you can se a view from the back of the house, towards the street. From what I can tell so far, it looks like the back of the house will be about 7-8 feet off the ground, which will be perfect for my crawlspace workshop! We are meeting w/ the builder next weekend for a onsite walkthrough of the house across the street (similar plan, and already framed/insulated, soon to be drywalled), and discuss the changes we requested for our house. Will probably also walk around our foundation area and discuss progress so far, and planned completion.
I will try to email this post to as many as I can, but blogger limits it, so if you could add yourself to the "follower" area on the right, that will ensure future updates (I think).
Hope everyone is doing well, we are just trying to stay warm in our NC winter!
So, we are now moving forward, from the theoretical idea of our three-dimensional dream, to a physical, three dimensional structure... well, the start of it. So, since last post, there has been some forward progress. The footers were poured about a month or two ago (pic to the right), just after my last post. After that there was some movement of earth, and I am sure planning. Now, in the last week or two, they have been working on the rest of the foundation, laying the block. Now the foundation is about 1/2 way done, maybe more. Once completed (hopefully I the next week or so, weather pending) they will treat the ground, then move forward w/ framing. To the left you can se a view from the back of the house, towards the street. From what I can tell so far, it looks like the back of the house will be about 7-8 feet off the ground, which will be perfect for my crawlspace workshop! We are meeting w/ the builder next weekend for a onsite walkthrough of the house across the street (similar plan, and already framed/insulated, soon to be drywalled), and discuss the changes we requested for our house. Will probably also walk around our foundation area and discuss progress so far, and planned completion. I will try to email this post to as many as I can, but blogger limits it, so if you could add yourself to the "follower" area on the right, that will ensure future updates (I think).
Hope everyone is doing well, we are just trying to stay warm in our NC winter!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Let the FUN BEGIN!
Hello All, I am back!
As you can tell, I have updated the blog. The background is our original picture of the lot for our new home, and the insert is an image of Falls Lake, which will be just down the street from our new home! In the past few weeks the weather has gotten colder, as expected. This weekend is our first COLD weekend...today's high was ~ 55 and the low is supposed to be 36! There was a light rain most of the day as well...Hopefully next week is dry and they can continue moving forward on the house.
Below is the background pic of of our wooded lot, from 9/30/2014...before the leaves started turning.
We have been eagerly awaiting our next step in the process..clearing the land. And this week was the week...our land is cleared. See the photos below!
For some reason I could not get the two pictures to post side-by-side, so this is as close as it is going to get. You can't tell from the pics, but the land does slope back a decent amount. There is about 50ft of trees remaining in the back of the lot, and they cleared the area for the future pool as well (back right of the lot). As you can see, the trees are turning...it is Fall. The driveway will be pretty much in the middle of the lot, and the house will be on the right part of the lot.
We walked around the lot w/ our boots on, and got pretty muddy since it had been raining most of the morning.
The house should be ~ 25ft off the property line, and the house next door is about the same...hard to tell in the pic.
It was very exciting to see some progress on our new home. Hopefully in the next week or two (if it dries out) they can start the foundation, and we can see some vertical progression!
Aside from the house, I have been trying to get back in shape. Last week, I started working out before work. Yes, I get up 30 minutes earlier than I need to (5am) to work out. It's the only time that I can consistently fit working out in my day. After work, Juliet demands my time, and after she goes to bed, I am generally not in the mood to work out anymore. I have been doing the Focus T25 videos for two weeks now, and so far so good. Will keep you posted.
Later All!
As you can tell, I have updated the blog. The background is our original picture of the lot for our new home, and the insert is an image of Falls Lake, which will be just down the street from our new home! In the past few weeks the weather has gotten colder, as expected. This weekend is our first COLD weekend...today's high was ~ 55 and the low is supposed to be 36! There was a light rain most of the day as well...Hopefully next week is dry and they can continue moving forward on the house.
Below is the background pic of of our wooded lot, from 9/30/2014...before the leaves started turning.
We have been eagerly awaiting our next step in the process..clearing the land. And this week was the week...our land is cleared. See the photos below!
For some reason I could not get the two pictures to post side-by-side, so this is as close as it is going to get. You can't tell from the pics, but the land does slope back a decent amount. There is about 50ft of trees remaining in the back of the lot, and they cleared the area for the future pool as well (back right of the lot). As you can see, the trees are turning...it is Fall. The driveway will be pretty much in the middle of the lot, and the house will be on the right part of the lot.
We walked around the lot w/ our boots on, and got pretty muddy since it had been raining most of the morning.
The house should be ~ 25ft off the property line, and the house next door is about the same...hard to tell in the pic.
It was very exciting to see some progress on our new home. Hopefully in the next week or two (if it dries out) they can start the foundation, and we can see some vertical progression!
Aside from the house, I have been trying to get back in shape. Last week, I started working out before work. Yes, I get up 30 minutes earlier than I need to (5am) to work out. It's the only time that I can consistently fit working out in my day. After work, Juliet demands my time, and after she goes to bed, I am generally not in the mood to work out anymore. I have been doing the Focus T25 videos for two weeks now, and so far so good. Will keep you posted.
Later All!
Friday, October 3, 2014
Wow, knock the dust off this blog... I have been inspired to start back up with the blog as a way to record the transformation of wooded lot to new home! Yes, there are many things going on in the Pepin world since last post, especially since the last post was 2011!!!!
Ok, so let's try to catch up quickly. Since Halloween of 2011 (yes it has been almost 3 years) Juliet has turned 2 and 3...she is huge now, about 42 in tall and 34 pounds! Here she is eating some pizza, and she has been known to eat 2 or even 3 pieces! Next...
Most of you probably know that we picked up and moved to North Carolina! Yes, we are no longer Floridians. While visiting NC for Aimee and Brian's wedding In 2013, in met up with Bill (friend from residency who works at the Durham VA for those who don't know) and caught up. I told him that sometime in the next 10 years we could see ourselves moving to NC. Little did I know that in August of 2013 he would forward me a posting for a position at the Durham VA! It was a job I knew I would enjoy, and in a place Jenny and I could see ourselves in the future (much sooner than expected). So, I put in for the job, figuring if it was meant to be it would work out and if not we would continue our happy lives in Florida. Turns out, a new adventure was I our future. I was selected for the job, we sold our house in just over a few months (from putting on the market to closing, thanks Lana). January 2014, with an army (thank you Mike, Ben, and Nick) we loaded up two 26ft uhaul trucks (yes, 2!) and headed north. Upon arrival, another army (thank you Mike, Dan, and Bill) unloaded into our 1900 sqft town home (rental). On January 27th, I started at the Durham VA.
Ok, pretty caught up (yes there is a lot more that has happened, but don't have the time/energy to cover everything) so let's move to the present.
Jenny, Juliet, and I are happily living in NC, I the triangle. For those not familiar with "the triangle", it is the geographical region surrounding Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Yes, this is where Duke and UNC (and yes NC state and ECU) are located. NC is the land of college basketball, and not so much college football...so that was a little change (GO GATORS!!!)
Back to the inspiration for this rekindling of the blog, our new house. We are about to begin the process of building a new house in a town called Franklinton, NC (just north of Wake Forest). We just signed our contract, and are hopeful that the lot (just over an acre) will be cleared in the coming week! I plan to post pictures as we embark upon this new journey, updating our progress to our dream home! Hopefully, we will be in our new house by April/May of 2015.
So, here is our heavily wooded lot. The plan is to clear for the house, 25 ft around the house, and for the septic. Some of the mature trees will be kept...will have to wait and see!
Comment with any questions, comments, or concerns and I will attempt to address in future posts. I will also be updating the look of the blog, as well as adding more pics of the family.
Ok, so let's try to catch up quickly. Since Halloween of 2011 (yes it has been almost 3 years) Juliet has turned 2 and 3...she is huge now, about 42 in tall and 34 pounds! Here she is eating some pizza, and she has been known to eat 2 or even 3 pieces! Next...Most of you probably know that we picked up and moved to North Carolina! Yes, we are no longer Floridians. While visiting NC for Aimee and Brian's wedding In 2013, in met up with Bill (friend from residency who works at the Durham VA for those who don't know) and caught up. I told him that sometime in the next 10 years we could see ourselves moving to NC. Little did I know that in August of 2013 he would forward me a posting for a position at the Durham VA! It was a job I knew I would enjoy, and in a place Jenny and I could see ourselves in the future (much sooner than expected). So, I put in for the job, figuring if it was meant to be it would work out and if not we would continue our happy lives in Florida. Turns out, a new adventure was I our future. I was selected for the job, we sold our house in just over a few months (from putting on the market to closing, thanks Lana). January 2014, with an army (thank you Mike, Ben, and Nick) we loaded up two 26ft uhaul trucks (yes, 2!) and headed north. Upon arrival, another army (thank you Mike, Dan, and Bill) unloaded into our 1900 sqft town home (rental). On January 27th, I started at the Durham VA.
Ok, pretty caught up (yes there is a lot more that has happened, but don't have the time/energy to cover everything) so let's move to the present.
Back to the inspiration for this rekindling of the blog, our new house. We are about to begin the process of building a new house in a town called Franklinton, NC (just north of Wake Forest). We just signed our contract, and are hopeful that the lot (just over an acre) will be cleared in the coming week! I plan to post pictures as we embark upon this new journey, updating our progress to our dream home! Hopefully, we will be in our new house by April/May of 2015.
So, here is our heavily wooded lot. The plan is to clear for the house, 25 ft around the house, and for the septic. Some of the mature trees will be kept...will have to wait and see!
Comment with any questions, comments, or concerns and I will attempt to address in future posts. I will also be updating the look of the blog, as well as adding more pics of the family.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Happy Halloween!
Hello Friends and Family!
Well it has been way too long. This blog is turning into a bi yearly update. There is way too many things going on in our lives to not post more updates so we will keep them coming! Juliet is now 6...no almost 7 months! It is truely flying by.
Here's our newest pictures of her. We went to a fall festival and got pictures in the pumpkin patch with her friends Augustino and Carson! Juliet is decked out in her Mummy bib and hat thanks to Steph (Augie's mom). I am working (slowly) on collecting the 100s of Juliet Pictures we take but stay on the SD card. Got to get organized...can you believe the holidays are coming!
Talk soon
Jenny
Jenny
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Sorry for the Delay!
Hello all!
Life is good. Juliet has definitely been a life changing experience, and I would not change it for the world. She is an amazing daughter, and I am also blessed with an amazing wife, Jenny. She has been so wonderful taking great care of our new baby. Juliet is now about 2 1/2 months and she changes almost daily.
I have posted a slide show of some of the pics of Juliet at and leaving the hospital, as well as the first few days at home. I know these are old news, but I am working on getting some more recent pics uploaded...it takes a while to upload 1500 pictures!
Jenny and I are getting the hang of things, I think Juliet has gotten us pretty well trained! She has been sleeping in her crib since she was 2 weeks old, and for the past month or so, she sleeps through the night. When I say through the night, I mean she goes to bed @ 9-10pm and sleeps until 7-8am! Jenny and I have been enjoying our sleep and are very thankful to the inventor of the swaddle. Juliet gets a double swaddle. We have the swaddler w/ the velcro that keeps her in a bundle, then we swaddle her with a linen blanket on top of that. If we don't use the blanket, Juliet a.k.a Houdini will work her way out of the velcro swaddle.
So, nights are more quiet now, and we are all getting some much-needed rest. Things are settling down, and we are also starting to get back into the fun of cooking! Last night we made a Manhattan Clam Chowder, and we also finally tried out the ice cream attachment for our kitchenaid.
The ice cream attachment is pretty awesome, and I have to thank Melonie for the inspiration. On our recent trip to Gainesville (which was Juliet's first trip out of the Tampa Area, and was great, and probably deserves its own posting) Melonie had made some espresso ice cream. We had had some of her ice cream creations before, including her Spicy Cinnamon Ice Cream, but this was different. First off, coffee ice cream is my favorite flavor EVER, and Jenny's as well. This espresso ice cream was like coffee ice cream on steroids, and it was so rich and creamy and delicious. Secondly, I was able to witness the master ice cream maker in action, and watched Melonie make the ice cream from scratch. It motivated me to try out our ice cream maker, which we have had for two or three years now (just sitting on the shelf).
Anyway, I ended up making a Berry Frozen Yogurt, which turned out quite good. I will admit, I did use store-bought non-fat yogurt as a base, but it did turn out very good. Only complaint I would have is that the blackberry seeds were a bit annoying while consuming the frozen yogurt, otherwise, it was great.
I have to wrap this up, so , things are great here, Juliet is happy, healthy, and changing everyday, it is amazing. I will work on getting some more pics uploaded, not sure if I will add them to the same slide show or just have a few slide shows, so check back for updates!
Jenny, Juliet, and I love you all, and thank all of you for your help and support.
Life is good. Juliet has definitely been a life changing experience, and I would not change it for the world. She is an amazing daughter, and I am also blessed with an amazing wife, Jenny. She has been so wonderful taking great care of our new baby. Juliet is now about 2 1/2 months and she changes almost daily.
I have posted a slide show of some of the pics of Juliet at and leaving the hospital, as well as the first few days at home. I know these are old news, but I am working on getting some more recent pics uploaded...it takes a while to upload 1500 pictures!
Jenny and I are getting the hang of things, I think Juliet has gotten us pretty well trained! She has been sleeping in her crib since she was 2 weeks old, and for the past month or so, she sleeps through the night. When I say through the night, I mean she goes to bed @ 9-10pm and sleeps until 7-8am! Jenny and I have been enjoying our sleep and are very thankful to the inventor of the swaddle. Juliet gets a double swaddle. We have the swaddler w/ the velcro that keeps her in a bundle, then we swaddle her with a linen blanket on top of that. If we don't use the blanket, Juliet a.k.a Houdini will work her way out of the velcro swaddle.
So, nights are more quiet now, and we are all getting some much-needed rest. Things are settling down, and we are also starting to get back into the fun of cooking! Last night we made a Manhattan Clam Chowder, and we also finally tried out the ice cream attachment for our kitchenaid.
The ice cream attachment is pretty awesome, and I have to thank Melonie for the inspiration. On our recent trip to Gainesville (which was Juliet's first trip out of the Tampa Area, and was great, and probably deserves its own posting) Melonie had made some espresso ice cream. We had had some of her ice cream creations before, including her Spicy Cinnamon Ice Cream, but this was different. First off, coffee ice cream is my favorite flavor EVER, and Jenny's as well. This espresso ice cream was like coffee ice cream on steroids, and it was so rich and creamy and delicious. Secondly, I was able to witness the master ice cream maker in action, and watched Melonie make the ice cream from scratch. It motivated me to try out our ice cream maker, which we have had for two or three years now (just sitting on the shelf).
Anyway, I ended up making a Berry Frozen Yogurt, which turned out quite good. I will admit, I did use store-bought non-fat yogurt as a base, but it did turn out very good. Only complaint I would have is that the blackberry seeds were a bit annoying while consuming the frozen yogurt, otherwise, it was great.
I have to wrap this up, so , things are great here, Juliet is happy, healthy, and changing everyday, it is amazing. I will work on getting some more pics uploaded, not sure if I will add them to the same slide show or just have a few slide shows, so check back for updates!
Jenny, Juliet, and I love you all, and thank all of you for your help and support.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
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