I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK

 

So, what have we been up to?

In mid September, the girls and I went to Baltimore for Uncle M's 30th Birthday - we surprised him at his party - yes, babes are at the bar - and ‎Rosh Hashanah (the jewish New Year).  I try to ensure the girls are exposed to both Judiasm and Christianity since we are an interfaith family.  As always, we had a great trip. Here are a few pictures from our trip - Hubby stayed in NC to get some house stuff accomplished!

Uncle M's little candle helpers

Princess button

Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars

Baltimore boyfriends

Baltimore Boyfriends

Later in September, I took the Bergerbabes (and my in-laws) to the Fresh Beat Band Concert - we went with our neighbors the "NurkBergers".  OMG - my girls are such groupies.  They have been talking about the concert non stop since we left and even decided to be Kiki and Marina for Halloween (pics will be below) - Hubby was on a golf trip but VERY sad to have missed this and is already pumping the girls up for next year - they better come back to NC!!

Fresh Beat Groupies

October is where things got hectic.  Besides working full time, building a house, being a good mommy, a good wife, and a good friend - I volunteered to chair our neighoborhoods Home Tour along with my friend / neighbor (mom of the NurkBergers - who we do just about everything with these days).  It was a lot of work, but the weekend was a success - we raised ~ $8,000 net of expenses and charitable donations.  I sent the babes and hubby to the beach with his parents because I knew I would be MIA all weekend. 

Once the home tour was over, I could start concentrating again on the house ( and the rest of my life).  Low and behold, I got sick - probably from running around crazy the past few weeks.  I was down for the count - it started with a cough, then a stomach flu, bronchitis and almost pneumonia (the girls had bronchitis too).  10 days later, 3 trips to the doctor, 1 shot and 2 perscriptions for me, 1 each for the bergers plus many breathing treatments , I was finally starting to feel better right around Halloween.  We had to miss my grandmother GiGi's unveiling -  a jewish tradition within the year after someone passes away. I was devastated to miss, but the between the girls and I being sick, my parents felt it was not smart to get on a plane . . . poor hubby is now feeling the effects from us all being sick - he has the awful cough now.

Ice cream for all to help soothe our throats

Halloween is one of our favorite Holidays. The girls decided they wanted to be Kiki and Marina and hubby was going to be Twist at request of his bergers.  I was totally on board with this UNTIL I discovered that these costumes are not mass produced / for sale.  Luckily, someone on Etsy could make them, so after a small fortune, here they are, my fresh beats less Twist.  H could not find a hoodie he thought would work and abandoned his mission because of his cough.

On Guitar . . . KiKi

On Drums . . . Marina

Button and her besties

my mini me twin

Here are some other cute pictures of the girls from the last TWO months - JEEZ, I really am a slacker :)

Someone forgot that we only use markers on paper

My shopping partner in crime

Berger's class pet frog Ribbit came home with us for a week

Ursula from the little mermaid

Ariel and the Nurk-Berger Crew

The house is actually looking like a house

I know, I know.  I am the WORST BLOGGER EVER!  I cannot believe I have not posted in TWO MONTHS.  Obviously, this post will be one to update you from where I have left off with the house and a future (very close future) post will be about the babes!

The last few homes we did, I could make decisons in a snap, this house has proven a little more difficult.  I know it is because I feel like there are such high expectations for this house and it has to be so different and just as great (if not better) than our last one (across the street) - I did good last house, so need to do the same here people!

Our last house was a version of my dream house - I could have stayed forever.  This house will be the same - I would be happy to stay till we are old and gray, but have a feeling we might only stay a few years and move on to the next project - it is how we roll.  I have to "design" it as my dream house, but keep it classic and neutral for the selling aspect If it were my forever house, I would splurge on a few extra items.  Everything we are putting in this house is amazing, but I am not including every little detail I dream of, or that $1000+ light fixture I really want for MY CLOSET, because I can't take it all with me :)

Picking out tile has been the WORST.  I knew what I wanted since the day we broke ground, but a few of my selections were on back order, which gave me time to think  - too much time.  Because of all this extra time, I started to doubt myself (and Hubby did not like one of my selections).  Once my master bath floor tile was delayed even longer, I started making some changes - which delayed tile install, which makes hubby not so happy.  Delayed tile, delays, cabinets, which delays counters, which delays plumbing final, and so on - OOPS!  Let's be honest - I have 4.5 bathrooms, which means a lot of tile choices for walls, floors and shower floors - in my dream house, I would do subway tile in every bath, but this might be someone else's dream house and tile is not something that can easily be changed . . . I had designers block I guess.  Anyway - all my tile is selected and install is almost complete - Pics to come SOON - I PROMISE!

Paint colors were another hard decision.  I have some go to colors, but as I tested them on the wall, NONE worked in this house - RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET - they were all wrong.  Also, the finishes in the house are a little cooler than the last, so needed to find a paint color that was warm and cool all in one.  I will "reveal" colors with pictures of the actual room as they are completed.

Now I am on to lighting - OH MAN.  Hubby and I are not agreeing on lighting, so I have ordered a few options (literally) for each room - my S&H bills back and forth are going to cost me a pretty penny, but if I did not have them physically ready when electrical final comes around, I would be sleeping in the garage :)

Here are a few pics of all the progress

The car wash - hehehe - Master Shower pre tile install

Our master - pre hardwood and trim install

Upstairs hall - pre hardwood and trim install

The ROCK PILE - which is now gone - this was the kids fav playground for a month!

STAMPED CONCRETE Porches (Screened porch, side stoop and front porch) LOVE THEM!

Screened Porch (minus the doors)

Rear view of screened porch and back patio - house color is a little more blue than it looks here