When you want a job done right....

Consider doing it yourself!  No, we're not digging the pool ourselves, but we did find our own pool builder and that has turned out to be one of the best decisions we made.  After months of dithering around with poor designs we took matters into our own hands and got some other companies to bid on the project.  And now it is full speed ahead on the pool!  I can almost feel myself floating on a pool float with the sun shining down on me...

Here's the progression over the last week:

Last Monday they marked the location... unfortunately they were off 
by several feet but it wasn't an issue.

This was the scene Friday morning.  

I happened to be on-site when the first shovel-ful was dug!

By the end of the day Friday this is how it looked.

And at then end of Saturday it was completely dug.  The layers in the earth are fascinating.  It feels like an archaeological dig or something.  Smells like it, too.

Here is the view from up above on the balcony

Here's looking from the back of the pool looking toward the house (in case you couldn't tell.)

This one was taken by Jim during lunch on Monday--rebar in and plumbing almost done.

Even though work is being done on the front and inside of the house it just seems to be creeping along...  I think the more we see getting done the more anxious we are to just be finished.  Here's the progress on the inside:

Versaille pattern, travertine, located in mudroom, pool bath and laundry room.

Pool bath shower

Tile detail in master bedroom/bathroom

I'm pretty happy with how this turned out!  At first I thought it might be too bold but I really like it.

We used the same tile in all three upstairs bathrooms.  I love the tile, but now that I see it I might have chosen to do something different in the bunk room bathroom.  Jim said, "it doesn't really work for a girl..."  

Here's a close up.  I think if I needed to I could make it work for a girl...  Maybe not a super girly-girl. 

Guest room bathroom

All good progress from last week.  The wood floors were on hold while the tile was being installed.  

We also took the barn-building into our own hands and signed with a builder for that project last week.  They are now looking into the engineering and getting the building permit and will hopefully be getting started within a month.  That is a whole 'nother set of issues... Fortunately not as many selections to be made and I already pretty much know what I would like to do since working in other people's barns for the last 9 years:

European low-front stalls with rail top dividers.

Other happenings:

This has been done for awhile, but I don't know if I got a picture.  

documenting the water damage in Robert's room after the recent rains.  Our project manager has been on vacation so this still has to be dealt with.

A few areas on the outside are not engineered to hold the weight of brick and so they will have stucco applied soon.

Today was the first day of high school for Robert.  He looks so excited, don't you think?   He actually asked me what I was doing when I pulled the camera out this morning.  You would think after all these years he would know the routine!

Joe was a little better sport.  He's wearing his favorite shirt of the summer.  Happy SENIOR YEAR, Joe!

I'm not really ready for school to be starting... it seems like the summer flew by.  My baby is in high school and we have another senior.  I was informed when he got home today that "homecoming is coming up..." and I was reminded that there is really only one thing that I hate about living in Texas and that is homecoming mums.  That is a post for a whole entire different day.  I'm not going to think about it now... I'm going to go back to floating in the pool....