so it was unlucky afterall....

Friday 13th came and went.  And for those of you who were waiting with baited breath to hear about our move.... we didn't.  We postponed it until tomorrow.  And now have postponed that too.  Most likely until the end of January.  I don't really have the words for how disappointed I am but cést la vi.
One HUGE blessing is that we are not under pressure to get out of Heidi's house which we are currently renting, which goes to show that God does look after us, even when things don't work out the way we plan.
The house has been an absolute hive of activity since my last entry and is getting closer and closer to completion, but there is just too much still to do.  Especially internally, so we have decided to wait until it is more complete, so as to avoid having workers in our house once we are in.  Probably the biggest deal clincher was the fact that the security is not yet up and running.  There are no burglar bars, security gates, linked alarm system or garden beams. Sadly, living in SA, these things are pretty important.  And one is particularly vulnerable after having hordes of builders in and out of the house.  So, there it is.
All the other incomplete stuff (staircase, garden, finished etc,etc.) will at least now be done before we get in. Hopefully!
On a bright note, there has still been lots happening:
I am SO HAPPY with the stone work at our entrance.

 Our carpets have been laid.  The trick is now to keep them clean.  Builders are not known for their clean feet!

 Megan has been having such fun with her room.  She, Jordynne & Stephanie (first cousins) spent last weekend doing the Mural.  She had seen the design at a restaurant in Parktown North.  So we took a photo, enlarged it, transferred it onto transparency and shone it onto the wall using a good old fashioned Overhead Projector.  Worked like a bomb.  The girls copied the outline onto the wall and then painted.  So chuffed with the result.  In the foreground is Megan's chandelier, which she also hand made - painstakingly cut out and attached every one of those circles.

The levelling of the ground has been a mammoth job.  450m2 of grass arrived yesterday and that is busy being laid.  Was so grateful for a nice downpour this evening.

 

8 days and counting

The pressure is on now.  Only 8 days left until we move and still a million things to get done.  The biggest achievement of the week is that we now have POWER!!!!  We took an executive decision that to wait for City Power would be a problem (need I explain??), so our wonderful electrician did the job himself - all he had to do was take the connection from the old meter box inside the property to the new one we were told to build which is just outside the gate.  It took him all of an hour and voila!!  You will not believe how excited I was to walk down our driveway and see the lights on in the house!!  Yippee!!  This also means that other jobs can now be completed - the sewerage pumps, the solar geysers, the security etc. etc.

Anyway, here are some pics...

I bought these mirrors for the kid's bathroom.  Just have to find someone to put them up for me! 

 The front wall is finally finished, and this is the view from our bedroom.

 I found such a lovely light at Block and Chisel  for the stairwell.  Now that I see it in, it looks a bit like a science logo! 

 Please admire my tiles for my kitchen splash back.  I was SO excited to find them.  They are hand painted tiles from Mexico.  I'm so chuffed!

 I don't think I've posted a picture from this perspective - I am standing in the garage looking up the driveway.  As you can see, our paving is going in.  Once that's done, I guess I can hang up my gumboots.  We have had so much rain - the place is a mud bath (not to mention having flooded our neighbours on more than one occasion!!).

 As you can see, the garden is still a total mess.  The bottom section (beyond the pool) is going to have to wait until next year.  I'm more worried about the top section.  Beds too, will have to wait. At least it will give me something to do next year!!

Tick Tock says the clock....

It is two weeks tomorrow until we move.  We are getting along really well now, and there is a glimmer of hope that it may actually happen on the appointed day!  I will confess that in the middle of the night I am convinced it will never happen, but come the light of day, I return to my usual blind, naive optimism and keep moving forward.
The house painting, inside and out, is done.  Now they have to move onto the garden walls.

At last the garden is starting to be levelled, and is much improved on the photo in my last entry.

Finally, we have our poop-pumps installed.  The ground levelling and backfilling is nearly done and paving should start on Saturday.

The biggest hurdle left is getting City Power to come and reconnect our mains to our new electricity box.  Now THAT will take a miracle.  But, we have seen one miracle after the other happen on this project, and I am full of faith that God won't let us down now.
 'Twas Grace that brought us safe thus far, and Grace will lead us home'.
(Amazing Grace, for the uninformed!).

More small steps

With only 4 weeks to go until our move, there are still tons of things to be done.  Some small, some big.  But each day something else gets ticked off the list (and something new added onto the bottom).  Here are the latest changes:
Light fittings in the entrance hall and the dining room:

 

 I'm thrilled with the black and white tiles in my guest loo:

Um, I think we have a loooooong way to go with the garden!!!  At least the garden wall is coming along nicely, even though the garden itself is a million miles off completion!

Plumbing issues - we thought we had problems!

2013 PLUMBER OF THE YEAR AWARDS - FINALISTS

How does this even get past the planning phase?
    

&%$@#

Hmmmmm…

 

Should have measured twice!

 

Apparently, you don’t want anyone seeing your face, but everything else is okay?
 

The oak seat is a nice touch, though.

 

And the purpose for the door is?

 This stall is for people that have arms like an Orang-utan..

  This would be the “half bath” noted in the real estate listing?

 

Very Classy!  And, only three steps when you’re in a hurry! 
  
(Drum roll…)

  

AND THE PLUMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD GOES TO…

Brilliant…

 
FYI...ALL OF THESE PLUMBERS ARE THANKFULLY  NO LONGER IN THE BUSINESS.
THEY HAVE SADLY BEEN ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE AND NOW SERVE IN VARIOUS KEY POSITIONS IN THE S.A GOVERNMENT

little steps for mankind, giant leaps for man

The house continues to be abuzz with workers and progress.  Although the changes that are made now are not as impressive as in the beginning (no more walls going up - except the garden wall, that is), but are all working together to make me think that it might just happen that we will actually move on the day we have set aside.  We have had to shift the date to Friday 13th!!  Middle finger to superstition.  You'd think we should get a discount from the movers, hey?
Kitchen is done!

And the scullery.... 

The front door is also now in and has been painted.

The much coveted room above the garage (now known as the hobby room) is tiled:

 Bathrooms have tiles, taps, loo's and baths.  Can't flush yet, but at least they are in!

The fireplace in the lounge is also in.  We are putting a railway sleeper as the mantelpiece.

 Pool is full.  Of dirt.  And water.

 The cute little basin in the guest bathroom.

 Floors now also done in the games room.  That's it for the major sanding.  Still some to go, but apparently that it done by hand.

So, that's it for now!

progress....

Things continue at a pace.  Today was sheer chaos on site.  We had 2 concrete trucks come and deliver their loads of concrete for the foundations of our new wall.  Which is all fine and well, except for the fact that we have just had three beautiful days of rain.  Which, while lovely for the garden, is a disaster for our driveway.  Mud, mud, not so glorious mud! 

The flooring guys continue to sand.  And sand.  And sand.  And sand.  And the DUST!!!!  There are just no words to describe the dust!

The pool was marbelited (sp???) today, so that's nearly done now.  Just the solar heating and pump etc. left.  Then we have to fill it fairly soon to protect the marbelite from damage.  Just hope no builders fall in if they can't swim.

The granite guys also started today and have nearly finished. 

The upstairs is already on its second coat of paint and I am thrilled with the colour I have chosen.

That's all for today!  The kitchen people should be coming tomorrow to finish their installation.
Pity I still have such a very long list of things still to get finished before we move in in 7 weeks time!!!