drive in

 

That's me using a very heavy compactor like a boss. Yuuuuus!

That aside, I have been really struggling to keep up with posting.... So much happening at the moment and so little time to document it. I vow to try harder so that I can look back and have a step by step of this massive journey. Ok. Right, here I go again.

The shed is pretty much 100% done, I'll post a photo after this weekend when it reaches full completion (I would prefer if you read 'full completion' in a deep theatrical movie trailer voice) it is so exciting to see it completely come together and how far we have come since digging holes in the scorching heat in December. The latest big job was laying the base course for the driveway, and seriously, what a huge difference.... Just seeing the base course down even... We actually have a driveway....a real driveway! No longer are we just driving onto a paddock but we are following a gravelly path (aka a driveway) and it put a huge smile on my face and made me feel like dancing every time Dad unloaded a truckload of gravel.... So I did.

 

 

 

Once we had unloaded all of the gravel it was then time to use the grader on the back of the tractor to smooth it all out. Dad has mad skills in this department. Obviously from years of practice (see even blurrier than usual pic below of my parents on their first tractor in 1975...cute) ,although I did spend some time in the tractor with him telling him where he needed to push from, take from, even out....I'm pretty sure he loved the help. Ha.

 

 

 

Dad and Guy doing some more compacting out the front of the shed.... These two make a great team.

 

House update and tiny rant

 

In my last post I mentioned ch-ch-ch-changes with the house build... Well, they have been good ones. We have got on board with a different company to finish our drawings and get them in for consent. They're a local bunch, in fact the lovely lady doing the drawings will be living down the road from our new place. It's been great, she is so on my wavelength and I'm not afraid to ask questions or suggest changes, the communication between the two of us has been awesome. We were really nervous making the change as neither Guy or I enjoy any sort of confrontation and the possibility makes us both super uncomfortable, but I'm so glad we manned up. It's a really positive change and we are so happy! We even have a date that the house is going to be lodged for consent....and that is.....druuuuuuuumroooooollllll.... Next week! Yeeeeoo, Happy days!

We're still rolling with the plan that we won't put strict time frames and deadlines out there...all it does is stress us out, we want to enjoy this (typically stressful) experience in our lives. We just need to keep reminding ourselves how great this thing is and how lucky we are to be given the opportunity to do it. If I sat there and complained about the stresses of building our own home (something many people would love to do) well, I'd just feel like a bit of a dick...it just wouldn't be right to complain about something that is an incredibly positive thing in our lives.

I think that goes for a lot of our first world problems, wouldn't you agree? Sometimes we need a reality check. My Mum has always said to me, when I complain about my skin, weight, teeth, nose...whatever my gripe of the day might be, "I bet Aunty Linda would love to have your problems"... I absolutely adore my Aunty Linda and cerebral palsy has made her daily life a challenge... my mum is right, I'm sure a pair of pasty skinny legs wouldn't bother her in the slightest. Perspective is a fantastic ( albeit slightly unwelcome at your pity party) thing to have.

OK.... I just got way off track...ahhh, the house build....Moral of the rant, it may be a stressful experience but don't let the downsides define what is actually an incredibly awesome experience and perhaps if you have stumbled across this post then my little rant may be just the medicine that you didn't realise you were looking for until you found it.. if that makes sense. We all need reminding to appreciate what we've got sometimes... It's only human for us to get into funks and forget.

 

all over the show

 

Long time, no see! Apologies for the zero posting (usually I wouldn't say that because I don't like to assume you have missed me, but a very special reader has taken it upon herself to gently remind me when I've been absent for too long.... So this is for you) we have had something to do and somewhere to go every weekend for the last few weeks that hasn't been 'build related'... we have builders guilt... Our build conscience (yes, he is a fat hairy builder-fairy with offensively low slung shorts, sitting on our shoulders) has been grunting at us and mocking our social ways. But, builders guilt aside....we've been having a damn good time.

* a crafty day with a girlfriend and the carousel flora ladies

 

* a hens weekend in Marlborough biking to the many wineries and drinking

too

many

bottles

glasses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* an ahhhhmazing engagement party for a couple of our nearest and dearest at their wonderful farm which I have talked about before

* Lake Pukaki amazingness.... Heaven on earth.

 

 

 

 

* crafting and sending away a pretty garland for a lovely lady's wedding

 

 

 

Oh...There has been quite a shift and change with the build as well.... Which I'll get to ASAP but before I do.... I have a 7 METRE!!!!! garland to finish for a wedding this weekend. Yikes.

P.S I'm getting my hair done today..... High jump with a karate kick - pow!