Moving Along

Not much to post since I have not been to the house since Sunday (and that was only brief).  Our House #3 next door neighbor - B - is checking on the house daily.  She text me last week that she could not figure out where the stairs would go and if they were going to go where she thought, the space was WAY TOO NARROW. 

One of our "signature" architectural details in each house is wide stairs.  In House #2 and House #3 we had very wide stairs and everyone loved that!  Well in this house, the framers F#&%@D up - only by a few inches, but a few inches the wrong way.  Because they are going to have to fix this issue, we have the opportunity to make the stairs even wider than on our original plans - which now that we are looking closely, were a little less wide than our previous stairs - so not wide enough.  This is going to take a little space from the upstairs hall bath (Bath 4) and a little space from Mimi's "throne" commode in the in-law suite (aka Mimi and Pop Pop's quarters), but both had room to spare- we do not want Mimi getting too comfortable in there.

I just received a text picture from B - our "GC in training" saying "SURPRISE".  I am SUPRISED!  We have a second floor.  I am still in disbelief at the progress being made and to think we just started about 1 month ago!!!!! 

July 31st

Thanks B for the pic and keeping our framers in check!

Holy House!

Quick update on the house progress this week. 

Framing started yesterday (July 25th) and we already have a first floor.  I feel like the house is going to look HUGE, but it is actually shorter than the house across the street (House #3).  Hopefully it looks like that from the road.  I always try to be mindful of how the house will fit in with the others in the hood.

I cannot believe how fast they are moving.  Thanks to Josh (at JH who is helping manage the project since H and I are clearly super busy with our real jobs and the girls) for keeping on the framers - they are hauling "hiney"!!!!  Guess I need to get my cabinets picked out like yesterday.

Monday, July 23rd - Looks like the back porch wall is taller than BERGER here!

Monday, July 23rd - GARAGE

Tuesday, July 24th

Tuesday, July 24th

Tuesday, July 24th

Wednesday, July 25th - Hi Austin!  Our neighbor "checks" on the progress for us EVERY NIGHT!

Thursday, July 26th - Thanks Lisa (another neighbor) for the mid-day update today!

Is this for real?

While on Pinterest the other day (let's be serious, I am on there EVERY DAY), one of the pinners I follow pinned "How to Lose Up to 10 Pounds in 3 days" on this military diet.   Now, I am not a dieter, I like to EAT - A LOT, but lately, I have noticed that things just are not as firm as they used to be and the tush is turning to mush.  I know that actually doing some type of physical activity would help this "problem", but like I really have time - NOT. 

So is this for REAL?!?!?! 

A co-worker of mine just was telling us how she would like to lose 10 pounds - which I cannot imagine her losing 10 pounds because she would be TINY then, but that is her goal and of course, as a good co-worker (aka nosy, know it all friend), I sent her this diet.  It really does not seem too hard to keep to or follow, but she said it would be much easier to do with a friend  - and I agree - strength in numbers!!!!  I am so tempted to do the diet with her, more just out of curiosity to see if this thing works.  I am thinking that with any diet, the more you NEED to lose, the more comes off with programs like this. 

I will keep everyone posted if I decide to try it with her.  I LOVE to eat and snack all day long, so not sure I could realistically do it, but it is only 3 days right?  Instead, I will stick to my Body By Vi shakes which I LOVE LOVE LOVE and attempt to make time for some physcial activitiy.   I feel so great on the days I drink them and notice such a difference after a consistent week of drinking them for breakfast.  My energy level is up, my skin looks great, and most importantly, I feel less "fluffy" as Mimi says.  I am not losing weight from the shakes, I just wanted to be a little more healthy and not fill my tummy with chips and candy all day - if I am going to fill it, may as well be with healthy stuff right?!?!  I refer to the shakes as my "crack" because if I slack off for a few days, I go through withdrawal.  So for now, until my co-worker strong arms me into trying this CRASH diet with her, I will stick to them (and try to get everyone else to try them too ;) !

Let me know what you think or know anyone that has tried this 3-day Diet plan.

UPDATE: I do not think I need to lose 10 pounds, nor would ever try to!!!  I am really intrigued about this diet and why (or how) it works - serioulsy, 10 pounds in 3 days.  I do have a feeling that the more you need to lose, the more you will lose on this type of plan.  So, you can put the phone down to the eating disorder clinic.  I will try pilates to help the mushy tushy instead!!!!

Trying to keep up

I am back!  I had "planned" on posting a few times per week to keep everyone updated on the Bergers and the house, but of course, life happens and it has been a few weeks . . .  Until I get the hang of "blogging," my posts may be long - to catch you up on what has been going on with our fam.

This week is the FIRST week since mid May that we have not been traveling somewhere or moving - CRAZY!!!  Hubby and I went to Turks and Caicos on a much needed kid-free vacation in May with a few other couples - AMAZING time.

Dinner in Turks

The boys and their CONCHs

Mr. and Mrs. Berger (Camera encountered a random black fuzzy spot in Turks which of course ended up on my face in most pics)

The rest of May and early part of June we packed and moved (see previous post about moving)!

Late June, I packed the girls up for 10 days with my parents (Mimi and Pop Pop) split between the beach and their home in Maryland.  I flew the Bergerbabes up, stayed a few days, flew back, worked a few days, then flew back to spend the weekend after the 4th with the fam and then we all headed back.  The girls had the best time at the beach, pool, rides, visiting with family and even at the airports - these girls are frequent flyers and "know" the drill so traveling sans hubby is pretty easy (actually easier than when he is with us).

at BWI - Girls feet hurt so we needed a lift.  Hot concrete + pruned feet from the pool = blisters

Dinner in the front yard at the beach

Boardwalk Rides

Boardwalk rides

The Bergerbabes found mimi's glasses

Riding bikes on the boardwalk

Chil-axing

Fav form of transportation at Frab Frans (Bergerbabes only living great grandma)

Hanging with 2nd cousins

Berger dressed Uncle M up as a girl -this happens often

Button at Dinner in Baltimore

While girls were in MD, we spent the 4th at the lake - thanks BUDWEISER man for all the free BEER!!!

4 days after we got back from the Maryland trip, we headed to Emerald Isle with our great friends.  Though the drive was LONG, it was totally worth it.   I think I ate one of the BEST meals of my life at Beaufory Grocery Co.  Our waitress convinced the guys to get steaks - which they were hesitant because we were at the beach, but it was AMAZING.  I ordered the grouper which was FAB as well.

Pulling C around the beach

Adults in Emerald Isle before dinner

Of course we had to take one with the kids - notice who is holding BOTH the Bergersbabes

We came back Sunday evening and this is literally my first full week of work in gosh knows how long; it is the longest consecutive nights the girls have slept in the townhouse (6 tomorrow); and the first weekend we are not out of town or moving since May - again - CRAZY!!!!

All we have planned this weekend is our monthly going out to dinner - dinner club with a few couples.  The girls will spend the night with Lulu and Grand Crops so we can enjoy a late evening and a lazy Sunday sleeping in (most of you know that is not in Hubby's DNA, so I will be sleeping in solo - which is fine by me)! UPDATE: H slept till 9:30 and I slept till 10:33 Sunday AM!!!!

Oh yeah - the house!  Foundation is in.  We decided to go for a white washed brick this time and it looks GREAT.  We start framing next week.  Seems like we are moving right along and on schedule - WHOOP WHOOP!

We have a FOUNDATION - screen porch view

Back left corner of house

Our Move from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks

I started packing House #3 Memorial day weekend and must pat myself on the pack for how organized I was this move.  I packed the 90% of the house myself while hubby manned the kids and got it all done with very minimal thrown into random boxes on move day.

Because the T/H is so much smaller, we put a majority of our things into a garage at the townhouse the weekend before our actual move (6/16).  About 1 hour after the moving truck leaves the complex, one of the leasing agents tells me we moved into the WRONG garage . . . I tried to calmly explain to her that the garage door opener that was given to us ONLY OPENS ONE GARAGE - the one we paid movers for 5 hours to just strategically load so all would fit.  The person who has been renting that same garage for his AUDI, would not switch with us and 5 days later (6/21) we had to have the movers come back, unpack the garage, reload their truck, unload the truck and unpack the garages again - this time in only 2 hours! Then the next day (6/22) they were back to move us into the T/H. So by June 23rd, my favorite movers in Charlotte - TNT Moving, who has now moved us to 5 different houses - hung out with the Bergers 3 times in one week - I may be there best client for the mth of June.

Hubby and I are pretty crazy - we are both neat, clean, and OCD, so I had all the boxes unpacked and the townhouse organized in less than 24 hours.  We were lucky that hubby's parents (Lulu and Grand-crops) took the Berger Babes for the night so I could unpack without "help".  Once they came back Saturday, we were good to go and spent the rest of the weekend at the pool.  Our move did not start off on a good foot, but we made it.  I will keep my fingers crossed in hopes that this event will be the only hiccup in our move / build process for house #4 - but who am I kidding . . .

A little background to get you up to speed

Here is a VERY quick recap of the last 9 years . . .

2003

Hubby and I both move to our current city in NC - separately - we do not know each other at this time, but little did we know, fate was about to jump in!!  In June, we both start our careers, me at a large bank, and Hubby at a national home builder (BTW - we are both at the same companies now as we were when we made our way into the working world in 2003).  Hubby purchases the bungalow across the street from where I was renting (Rental #1) with college boyfriend.  Hubby is dating college girlfriend - none of us get along and both our significant others are suspicious of something other than a friendship - which at the time, there were NONE - for real!!!

The Bungalow (soon to be House #2)

2004

I buy a house 10 minutes away from Hubby's bungalow. As you may have guessed, our other relationships did not last much longer.

House #1 - MY House

2005

Hubby and I start dating in January; We get engaged in December at Litchfield Beach, a special place in my husbands heart and of course now in mine.  We vacation at the house my husband and his family owned since he was little.  They have such great memories there and I love that we are all creating new ones together with our girls.

I said YES of course!  Ring in seashell between Marry and Me!!!

                                   

Engagement Dinner at Franks - Litchfield Beach, South Carolina

2006

Hubby moves in to MY house and we rent out his bungalow.  We renovate the kitchen, baths, basement, and add a deck to the house.  In August, we tied the knot.

Mr. and Mrs. "Berger"

Our Interfaith wedding - Baltimore, Maryland

2007

We decide to basically tear down and rebuild hubby's bungalow, adding 2000 sq ft - heading back to where it all started. We find out we are UNEXPECTEDLY preggo with "Berger Babe #1" in August right before our 1 year anniversary , so we change one of the 3 guest bedrooms to a nursery!!  MY house - well I guess it is OUR house now - goes on the market and sells in 3 days in September and we move into OUR new house in December (formerly the bungalow across the street from my rental  - Rental #1)

35 weeks preggo with Berger Babe #1

2008
We settle into OUR new house and Berger arrives in May - our lives are changed forever - she is amazing! The first year went by so fast - this may have been the only year in the last 9 that we actually did not do much - if one considers taking care of a new baby is not doing much :)

H's Bungalow (House #2)

Berger is here!!!

2009

In July, we find out we are expecting Berger #2 - a few weeks AFTER we put House #2 on the market. Luckily it sold pretty quickly and we moved out in October to a GREAT rental 2 streets away from House #2 (all while pregnant with a 15 mth old and working full time) We also bought a lot for House #3 in December.  House #3 is 3 streets away from Rental #2 and 5 streets from House #2 - same general area but a different neighborhood with AWESOME schools.

2010

Berger Babe #2 arrives in March  (we call her Button), Construction begins on House #3 in late January (9 mths preggo) and is complete in June - we move in immediately of course - Berger is 26 mths and Button is 4 mths - YES we are CRAZY.  We LOVE our new neighbors, friends, and hood.  We could not be happier and plan to never leave them . . .

Button arrives, Berger is IN LOVE

The Berger Girls

House #3

House #3 - Kitchen, Breakfast and Family Room

2011

A tree fell on a house basically across the street from us while we were building House #3 in 2010.  We knew we were going to eventually "flip this house", so made an offer to the owner of the now empty lot in late August.  We could not agree on a price, so we waited hoping he would come around . . .  In October, House #3 was featured on our neighborhood home tour - we felt so honored we were even considered and that we could help raise money for two local charities and our historic neighborhood (one of the oldest in our city).

2012

The owner of the lot finally caved in March and it was ours.  House #3 went on the market in April and less than 24 hours later there was an offer, then another, then another...  Finally 3 days later we were under contract and finalized plans for House #4 - across the street and 4 houses over - yep, that close!

House #4 Sketch

So here we are in July - As of a few weeks ago, a cute new family lives in House #3 which we know will fit right into the mix of our street.  We are renting a 1400 sq ft townhouse (Rental #3) in a complex that used to be PARTY-CENTRAL back in the day - well it still kind of is - dubbed "Sleepover Ridge".  Though we have downsized big time while renting, the T/H is great.  There are pools, gyms, tennis courts, etc . . . There is less to keep up with and more time for family fun and traveling - and it is only temporarily.  Sleepover Ridge is in very close proximity to our old neighborhood which is nice since we can easily go back to our street almost every day to see our neighbors and the progress of House #4.  We may miss the impromptu pizza party in a front yard, wine parties on the sidewalk just because, fire gatherings on mother's day, puddle jumping, etc . . . we know we will be back soon to move into our new beautiful home (hopefully by January) which makes whole process totally worth it!

  

House #4 - Lot staked

Of course I skipped so many exciting details of the last 9 years, but many of you know of them  - there have been more weddings, vacations, celebrations of grandparents lives and everyday craziness. I will try my best to take pictures keep everyone in the loop on all things BERGER and the house . . .

The "Bergers" - Fall 2011

Bergerbabes walking down the isle at Uncle M and Aunt Ks wedding

Here we go . . .

Here we go . . . Please bear with me as I am new the blogging world.  I follow many blogs of friends, designers, foodies and more . . . I finally decided to make the leap and start my own blog.  Initially I thought it would be a great way to keep family and friends updated on what is happening in the life of the "Bergers" but it seems that many are interested in hearing about our world of building houses, selling them and moving - hence the Blog name BERGERS ON THE MOVE!!!!  I hope this helps keep everyone up-to-date on everything BERGER related, and will do my best to incorporate other things, like building, design, recipes, kids fun, eBay finds, and more . . .  Enjoy a little view into our fun filled and chaotic world.