Howell Family Farm House: July 2009

This story begins back in Augusts of '07 (well, I'm sure before then) but that's where I'll begin. This is Paul and Levi with the dumpster used to dispose of the old farm house. I was sad to see the old house go, but it was dangerous. Once it was down, the out house was completed in the background. The next year, they were breaking ground for their new home.

These are the pictures, up to date. It is a beautiful home.
Now, please scroll down to the end, which is really the beginning.

JUNE 2009

Lee, checking out the critter droppings on the side deck. Ah, life on the farm.

The back deck, it looks very inviting!

No house on the farm would be complete with out the dinner bell. I expect to hear that a lot when I'm visiting. I'm kidding, I'm kidding!!!

It has the same beautiful floor as the rest of the house with the dark wood door.

Lee inspecting the little space beside the front door. The verdict is still out for what it will be used for. My kids want to use it as a personal hide away. I'm not sure they are going to go for that...

Their magnificent kitchen! The refrigerator is missing in the spot to the right and the stove goes to the left. After not having a dishwasher for as long as I have known them, I guess Lee wanted to make sure she got one now. Why else would it be the only appliance in the kitchen??? I'm kidding!

Lee explaining where the game table is going. Joe, taking a break from all his work inspecting
to see if the fireplace will hold his weight. It passed.

One of the other bed rooms.

Joe, checking out their closet. Yep, it works too!

The shower doors made to make their lives easier. I like the finish that they chose, it is a nice complement to the dark wood cabinets.

Lee showing off the built in cabinet.

Looking around.

Their bath room.

Joe in his parent's bed room. Shiny, shiny floors!

This is the end of the hall. The doors are a work of art themselves!

Joe, going for the super inspection. Looking up to see how well the finished product has turned out.

Lee showing of the custom double closet doors.

One of the rooms. I love the big windows! The floors are more sanded in the bedrooms than the rest of the house. Details, details.

Looking down the hall. I love the angles and the way the wood grain really shows up!

The mud room with washer and dryer, and big beautiful cabinets on both sides. Oh man, a dream come true.

A shot into the kitchen. Custom Cherry cabinets were a must. And I must say, they are outstanding! Particular attention was paid to the drawer pulls and door handles.

I'm standing in the bathroom doorway looking out into the great room. Look at the shine on that floor!

The other half of the upstairs bath. A mirror is needed and the handle for the toilet is all that is missing. As of this writing, the handle is on but the mirror is not. I can't wait to see what they pick to complete the look!

The upstairs bath. It's come a long way since the picture of Joe standing beside the tub.

BIG cabinets for the mud room. They look like they will hold all their stuff and more! Bets on how long it will take to fill them up???

The mud room, standing in the doorway of the bath. Love the cabinets in here too! They are made from the same Pin Oak tree as the basement cabinets. The dark stain is a nice contrast to lighter color wood.

I'm standing in the kitchen, looking out the front door and windows. Joe is heading toward the hall.

Lee explaining where her kitchen table is going to be placed.

Yep, the door works! I love the floors in their house. They did a light sanding and minimal stain. It really brings out the natural colors of the wood.

Joe, getting ready to look in the mud room. I'm toward the front of the house.

The steps, almost complete. It looks like they need a handrail and that's it.

Fans and lights attached throughout.

The closet with an amazing door!

Joe inspecting the beautiful Hickory floors in the room.

More shelves all around! I guess they put in so many "just in case" I need to leave anything there. I'm kidding! I can hear Lee now......

Love the shelves all around the basement. Smart, so smart!

More custom cabnets in the bath. I like the way they used the different types of wood and different types of stain.

The basement bath, waiting on that shower door....

Lee explaining why there is only one shower door. More custom cabnets, they get a beauTful too!

BeauTful!!!

Joe, checking out the basement bathroom.

Joe, admiring the custom doors made of Hickory that are throughout the house.

The beautiful custom Pin Oak cabnets that Lee and Paul had made from a tree home grown in their back yard.

Coming in through the garage, you can stay a while in the cool. It's amazing how nice and cool the basement is being underground. Still a little work to do.

One of the ways to get upstairs.

Lee, checking out the progress.

The house is really in the final homestretch now. The electric is in, the garage door is up, the mess outside is almost nonexsistent. It feels like home!

MAY 2009

Elijah helping Paul put on new floor in the trailor. Naomi is only there for fun and Joe is there for the inspection. My job of course, is the unofficial photographer. Levi is off with allergy issues to the eyes (poor baby, one of the hazards of being on the farm in springtime).

APRIL 2009

Elijah driving Paul on the tractor, heading to the dump pile to get rid of the old wood.

Elijah and Paul cleaning up the scraps on the driveway.

Levi on the front deck collecting leftovers, our dog Flash looks on.

Grass is growing, progress has been made. The back steps are on and the outside mess is getting smaller and smaller.

The tile has been laid. This is the mud room off the kitchen.

The fireplace from the inside. Drywall is up and sanded.

Now we're getting somewhere! The sides and bottom have rock fronts to them. The chimney is intact and the mess is getting smaller (one way to look at it).

MARCH 2009

Lee and Paul after showing us around.

The view of the barn from the front deck.

Looking down their front steps.

The mess left on their soon to be beautiful great room floor.

Levi and Paul, still hard at work. This is the view of the front deck. I am standing at the corner where the drive is.

The fireplace from the other side.

The fireplace, what a mess! I would not like to get that dirty myself.

Looking out over the rail at the drive. It sure does take a lot of materials to build a house right!

Getting ready to brick the fireplace, round one.

More of the back deck. Levi looks like he's helping Paul do something, my guess is picking up nails.

Flashlights were a must, we wanted to see everything!

Lee and Levi in the basement.

Joe hanging out in the bath room off the mud room.

Joe hanging out in Lee and Paul's personal bath room.

Looking at the back door, through the walls.

His dream come true! My boy can walk through walls!!!

We were almost too late for Levi. He said he always wanted his picture taken between the walls. The insulation is in and the basement steps are formed and walled. This is in the kitchen, Levi is in the mud room.

This was taken of the front from the path that was made by the trucks. The part on the steps that still needs work is the concrete post. Notice the window by the tree and, the deck celing is in!

The front, a little closer up.

The front, taken from a ways back. The steps look like they're completed (at least the wood part is). The verdict is still out on how they are going to be completed.

FEBUARY 2009

The best picture of the front. It doesn't seem this extream in real life, but it sure looks cool here!

The view from the side of the house, looking at the front steps being built. Clear blue skies, sun shining on the entrance to their home.

A close up of the back side. I love how you can see through the windows out the other side.

A close up of the back door before steps. The kitchen is to the left and the door enters into the mud room. From the looks of it, the mud room was a good idea!

Oh man, is it looking muddy now! The yard is a wreck, but the inside is where the action is.

The view of the front of the house from the barn. The plan is not to use the path that was made by the trucks, but to use the gravel drive to the right. Just in case your wondering.

Joe, testing the strength of the rails. So far, they pass.

Lee explaining to the kids, "There will be absolutly NO mud in the house." They just laugh (or is that me?). Haha

One of the beautiful views from the drive side. This was after the ice storm so they had some broken limbs, nothing major. Even in the winter, the view is so beautiful!

Lee is looking at the mess her back yard has become. Joe is cleaning the mud out of the bottoms of Naomi's shoes.

This is the side of the house where the fireplace goes. Levi is sitting in front of the french doors that open over the driveway.

Look at the beautiful siding! It is made of Poplar wood with the board and batten style.

Naomi, testing the deck out for runability (is that even a word???). It passes until Lee puts her obstacles (swings) up!

Looking at Lee looking at us, looking at her. Aka, the view from the drive. It looks like the outside siding has been completed too!

The roofs finished! It looks like all the rails are tool.

A look at the house fron the drive.

JANUARY 2008

Naomi and Joe, testing the strength of the walls.

Paul is out on inspection, not to be out done by his young twin, Levi.

The first roughed in bathroom on the main floor.

Looking out, through the walls.

Ok, we can't stand it any longer. We have to take a look inside. It looks like Joe is standing in front of one of the bedrooms.

Just needed to get a closer view. In doing so, I notice the windows are in. Whoo hoo!

Looking good! This is the back side, with rails all around and roof half finished.

"To a place where I belonggg."

The John Dever song just came to me when I looked at this picture. "Take Me Home Country Roads".

The builders are really moving on, at this stage. The deck has rails and the roof has shape.

DECEMBER 2008

Admiring the view from the back side. They're all beautiful!

Getting a better look. They have already cut out for the fireplace.

Naomi, standing near the back door.

Looking down at the poured walls, into the garage.

As you can tell, the weather is getting cooler. Once again, this is the back side of the house, with porch started. Naomi's going for a size comparison (looks pretty big to me).