Finishing the house

Well that was a busy eight months of house building and managing the dealership. I should have posted sometime toward the end of last year, but there was just too much going on.

I was around and involved in every stage of the house construction, answering questions on what we wanted as needed. I didn't do any of the heavier duty construction. That's what we had professional contractors for, and we were glad to have them. I was gone too much during that time anyway.

I put up more hay doing demos and setting up new machines for customers than for the ranch. I was gone six or seven days a week from late June through early September. It was a much busier year for the dealership in both sales and service. Dad did field a few service calls, but I handled the majority of them. I also managed the paperwork end of things amidst all the field work. It was challenging, to put it concisely. Everything settled down and became more manageable once hay season ended, but it still finished off as the biggest year the dealership has ever had.

Sarah's job has gone well, and she is more comfortable with pediatrics all the time. Balancing house decisions, helping with finish work, and the daily grind is also a challenge. She and I are both looking forward to having the time and space to get back into hobbies we've had to forego since we left Iowa.

I was much more involved with the finish end of the house, from October into January when we moved in. Jim Robison-Cox and I put in the batting insulation. Jim, Sarah, and I put in the vinyl plank flooring. I also clear-coated some of the reclaimed wood used throughout the house. Jim had his reclaimed wood features well underway at this point. The fireplace was my big undertaking though. The contractors were not familiar with any masons in the area, so I decided to try it myself. Youtube makes rock work look too easy, and that was one pitfall, but after much trial-and-error, I got rocks to stick. Masonry is the world's most difficult puzzle, and it also happens to be a very muddy, dirty job. I got it all to work in the end, though, and am happy to have the fireplace and its coziness, the heritage of the rocks from my grandparents' fireplace, and the point of pride that I built it.

The move went smoothly. Since I was making daily trips to the house, I took truckloads of boxes to the house most days for a couple weeks before the big move. Despite it being late January, the weather and roads were good; no one got hurt, and no furniture or belongings were damaged. Some carpet and tile on the main floor weren't done until right after we moved in, so we lived upstairs for the first week. Unpacking is never-ending, but we get more done all the time.

I owe many thanks to many people:

• Brad and Kevan Dana for their patience, flexibility, professionalism, and knowledge
• My parents and Sarah's parents for their support and patience with two young adults trying to figure things out
• Chris and Jim Robison-Cox for their many hours building a beam light, window sills, closet doors, and helping with ceiling beams, stairs, flooring, and much else.
• Court, Aaron, and especially Elayna Kellum for their advice and for their moving help

It's likely that 2018 will be a quieter year than 2017, and I'm OK with that. I am happy to live in this house after we've put so much into it. We're looking forward to hosting any visiting friends and family in the future! We have room!