new house

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Dear Jack: Our Driveway And Surprise Back Porch

4 years.

Dear Jack: Our Driveway And Surprise Back Porch

Dear Jack,

We had not seen the progress on our new home since your 4th birthday two weeks ago. So it was really exciting to see our driveway has now been poured, along with the sidewalk in front of our house; as well as leading up to the front door.

Dear Jack: Our Driveway And Surprise Back Porch

But the bigger surprise was seeing that a back porch has been added on to our house!

Built into the price we are paying was supposed to be a 5×5 foot concrete slab to put patio furniture on.

Instead, they built us a 12×12 back porch.

Dear Jack: Our Driveway And Surprise Back Porch

I suppose it had something to do with the land not being level enough for the originally intended patio. Granted, we’d rather have a back porch anyway.

The way I see it, it’s technically like having a 5th bedroom, or a 2nd bonus room!

Dear Jack: Our Driveway And Surprise Back Porch

Mommy and I are planning on buying a fire pit for the backyard. We truly want to have bonfires on a regular basis, especially in the summer and fall.

Now, we will have a back porch to add to the fun!

Dear Jack: Our Driveway And Surprise Back Porch

Our marble countertops for our bathrooms are now in, which I am proud to see are made in America.

While I carried you around the house, Mommy measured for the Roman Shades we are considering putting up in the windows.

Dear Jack: Our Driveway And Surprise Back Porch

Other points of progress we noticed include the trim being painted and the automatic garage door opener being installed.

In the meantime, our family has officially been moved out of our townhome for a week now, as we’ve begun living with some friends for the next couple of months until our new house is finished.

And I plan to have more exciting news about all this within the week, but we’ll have to see how things go…

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our Driveway And Surprise Back Porch

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Dear Jack: Our Blue House Is Being Painted/Our Last Week In Our Townhome

4 years.

Dear Jack: Our Blue House Is Being Painted/Our Last Week In Our Townhome

Dear Jack,

This past weekend, immediately following your 4th birthday party on Saturday, we led my side of the family in a caravan (your Nonna and Papa, along with Aunt Dana, Uncle Andrew, and cousin Calla) to see the progress on our new house we’re building.

As we drove near our cul-de-sac, Mommy yelled with excitement, “It’s blue!”

We had learned last week that the siding is actually made out of wood, and that it would be painted eventually. Well, the painting has definitely began.

2014 Scion FR-S back seat

Mommy was also very happy to see that our marble countertops are in; as well as the kitchen’s bar.

I was particularly happy to see that our garage doors are now in, along with automatic garage door openers; considering as long as Mommy and I have been married and lived in our townhome (over 6 years), we’ve never had a garage for our cars.

Dear Jack: Our Blue House Is Being Painted/Our Last Week In Our Townhome

Each time we visit our new house, I become even more satisfied with our decision to buy it, and therefore, to move out of our townhome.

Which, speaking of…

2014 Scion FR-S back seat

This apparently is our last week to live in our townhome! Mommy and I bought it brand-new in 2008, when we got married, but now it’s time to move out and move on.

Last night as I was saying goodnight to you, at your sleeping bag on top of a foam mat, I explained to you, “Jack, this is our last week to sleep and live in this house, because we’re going to be moving into the new one in January, in a couple months.”

2014 Scion FR-S back seat

At this point, other than mats to sleep on, in addition to enough food and clothing to by this week, our house is empty.

Papa helped Mommy and I move the rest of it to the storage facility over the weekend. Mommy had to secretly pack up two of your favorite stuffed animals in a box: Puppa the puppy and Cheaty the cheetah.

I had the opportunity to see if I could fit in the backseat of the 2014 Scion FR-S that I was reviewing for your birthday week. (I could.)

2014 Scion FR-S back seat

This coming weekend we’ll move our few remaining items in our personal vehicles to our friends’ house where we will be staying until January when our new house is ready.

Exciting times…

Love,

Daddy

2014 Scion FR-S back seat

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Dear Jack: The Cabinets Are Now Installed In Our House

3 years, 11 months.

Dear Jack: The Cabinets Are Now Installed In Our House

Dear Jack,

This weekend was very special. Your Nonna and Papa (my parents) drove up to see our new house we are building in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

On the way to the site, you made sure you had some Annie’s snacks, as well as GoGo Squeez, both of which are contributing to your “No Artificial Anything” 4th birthday party this weekend. (Mommy and I let you sample some from the stashes that were mailed to us.)

Dear Jack: The Cabinets Are Now Installed In Our House

We also were moving most of our stuff into storage this weekend as well, but more on that in the next letter…

As for the new surprises in our house this week, we saw that our cabinets have been installed; both in the kitchen and bathrooms. It’s a pretty big deal to see them. Mommy and I are very pleased with our choice; black with these cool “scoopy” handles.

Dear Jack: The Cabinets Are Now Installed In Our House

It was a decision we made very quickly, along with the carpet, outside color of our house, which type of hardwood floor, etc. So it’s good to know we made a good rash decision a couple months ago.

I stood in front of where the sink and dishwasher will go to get a feel for what it will be like to do the dishes in our new kitchen.

Dear Jack: The Cabinets Are Now Installed In Our House

Mommy and I were also pleasantly surprised with the banister on our staircase. I feel that it is more elaborate than the one featured in the model home.

Another cool surprise was the storage space in the attic. I actually forgot about that!

Dear Jack: The Cabinets Are Now Installed In Our House

We finally figured out what crop is being grown behind our house: soy beans.

Should I thank Monsanto for that? Oh well, it’s a pretty view at least.

Dear Jack: The Cabinets Are Now Installed In Our House

Obviously, the construction is really coming along; we’re actually ahead of schedule. Our closing date is January 29th. However, our agent explained that typically the house is typically move-in ready 45 days after the dry wall is installed.

If that’s the case, in theory our house should definitely be finished before January 29th, since the dry wall was already in a week ago.

Of course, I am keeping my expectations low- to be a realistic optimist. We’ll see what happens on that…

Dear Jack: The Cabinets Are Now Installed In Our House

We finished the morning with lunch at Whole Foods, where you were able to (very easily) talk Nonna and Papa into buying you a new stuffed animal; a penguin who you instantly named “Pingy.”

Dear Jack: The Cabinets Are Now Installed In Our House

To be continued…

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Dear Jack: Writing Bible Verses On Our Unfinished House

3 years, 11 months.

Dear Jack: Writing Bible Verses On Our Unfinished House

Dear Jack,

Today as we drove out to see the progress on our new house we’re having built, we had a very special plan: we brought a permanent marker with us.

Dear Jack: Writing Bible Verses On Our Unfinished House

No, it wasn’t for you to draw pictures in the back set. Mommy and I decided we wanted to both contribute a Bible verse on the soon to be covered up walls of our home.

As we walked in today, workers were starting some of the base coat painting; now that the dry wall is up. The brick is up, too; along with the siding, which will be painted later on.

Some of the only unpainted surface inside was the door frames. So in the door frame of your bedroom closet, I wrote “Jeremiah 29:11”; a verse Mommy is actually more familiar with that I am:

‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.’

I thought that was very thoughtful of Mommy. Obviously, she and I have plans to give you a hopeful future as well; and it’s so cool to think that God does too.

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

As for my Bible verse, I chose Joshua 24:15:

“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

I see this house as a blessing, yet one we’ve also worked very hard for. It’s important to me that we honor God as we grow in this new house together as a family.

So today, in our own quirky way, we dedicated our home to the Lord. It’s His anyway.

Granted, you were more fascinated by the painter who was using stilts to paint the walls around the stairway. It was pretty awesome to see.

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

But even if you don’t remember today, let this letter serve as a reminder that whatever crazy things may go on outside this house, God has wonderful plans for you.

And I believe, part of that is because our family is letting it be known, we serve the Lord; not any other power in the world, and definitely not ourselves.

Those are all just words, though. How we love each other and serve each other in the years to come is the true testament of our actions today.

Please know that every day I pray for wisdom, humility, faith, grace, patience, and creativity. Those are all things I focus on, and all things that will make me the father you need me to be.

I’m far from perfect, but despite my many faults you’ll see during your lifetime, I want you to know me personally as a man who loves the Lord with all my heart; as well as you and Mommy.

Love,

Daddy

 

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Dear Jack: Our New Home Is Now Being Bricked And Insulated

3 years, 11 months.

Our New Home Is Now Being Bricked And Insulated

Dear Jack,

This past weekend our family checked in on the progress of our new house being built in a ‘bedroom community” outside of Nashville.

As you can see from these pictures, the bricks are being put into place on the front. We had no idea which color the bricks would be, but I’m happy with the selection, which is obviously matched to the bluish-gray siding we also chose.

Our New Home Is Now Being Bricked And Insulated

Our new home is also being insulated right now as well.

Our New Home Is Now Being Bricked And Insulated

And as for the piles of dirt you see in our front yard, the pipes are being installed for the sewage drain.

Something that I was particularly happy about was to see how the sidewalk is being set for the wooded area around the neighborhood.

Our New Home Is Now Being Bricked And Insulated

Just the thought of that makes me feel like I’m truly going to be a real American dad. I know that probably sounds weird, but seeing our new house built really makes me happy, as your Daddy.

I already envision that sidewalk is where I’ll be teaching you how to ride a bike.

It was also exciting to see you meet one of our future neighbors, a fellow 3 year-old boy, named Aiden.

Our New Home Is Now Being Bricked And Insulated

You guys obviously got along just great, running around the lawn of the model home and sort of sword-fighting with balloons.

While we were there, Mommy and I also signed more paperwork with our real estate agent David Stanley, as we are currently in the process of selling our current home, a townhouse in Nashville.

Our New Home Is Now Being Bricked And Insulated

As I should be, I’m not getting my hopes up too high that everything will go effortlessly and as scheduled: I’m keeping my expectations low where they should be, particularly in regards to the move out of our townhouse.

But so far, this has been a very enjoyable process.

Our New Home Is Now Being Bricked And Insulated

I can only imagine what must be going through your mind right now. It’s pretty exciting times for our family right now, but I bet that’s especially the case for a nearly 4 year-old boy!

Love,

Daddy