Day 7 - Roof

By Friday the builders had the roof frames up, and left the big tarp over the top for the weekend.

This photo is taken from the backyard, near the clothesline.  We can look up and see right into the rooms!  So exciting to see it coming together.

Now (Day 9) they've progressed even further, but I haven't been able to take many photos 

... either the tarp is on, or a carpenter is in the way ...

Meanwhile, the inside continues to look mostly like this:

and this:

since we've been having rain and the occasional leak dripping suddenly from nowhere ... 

Today we heard that they aim to be at lock-up by the end of next week!

Woohoo!

Day 6 - Walls!

This morning we woke to drizzling rain, after a rainy night.

I thought perhaps the builders might not work, but they did.

And this is what I saw when I stepped out the front door!

After months of waiting,

to finally see the extension taking shape

is so exciting!

New bedrooms on this side

On this side the computer nook and stairs.

And they even started on the roof!

All happening so fast at the moment!

A Trailride for Laura

On Saturday, as part of her birthday celebration

and because of a long-ago promise ...

Laura and her friend Bronnie went for a trailride.

Laura's horse was called Boots

And Bronnie's was Lulu.

(Or perhaps it was the other way around?)

Poor Laura, she loves horses but hasn't ridden one for two years!

If only it wasn't so expensive ...

So, after that long, long wait ....

... she loved every minute.

And I enjoyed some peace and quiet in the beautiful surrounds

- an oasis after the noise of our building.

Building Progress - Day 4

As we were promised,

our extension is going up in leaps and bounds

now that it's finally begun!

With MUCH noise, most of the roof has been taken off

to make way for the new level,

and today the floor is going down.

Pretty good for just 4 days.

A few minutes ago the frames arrived, so I guess we'll be seeing

walls go up in the next few days!

So exciting.

And not too much of this.

Just a little.

And it's not too bad ...


(I tell myself) 

Here at the Circus

Nothing but a striped tarp between our 

old ceilings and the November rains!

Our builder was called out 8 times two nights ago

after the thunderstorm,

dealing with water coming in at other sites.

Which makes me a little nervous!

But oh, the sound of the angle grinder 

cutting into our roof was music to my ears 

after about 6 months of waiting for this day!

Glad that it's begun at last, 

and hoping for only light rains!

Progress at Last!

Our long-awaited building project is finally beginning!

Today the scaffolding was erected

and a portaloo delivered.

Please observe that I matched the portaloo colour 

to the house colour.

On purpose.

No, not really, it just turned out that 

the company with the cheaper loos

happened to have loos in that colour.

But it does sort of blend in.

Better than the one which was arrived this afternoon, 

despite my having cancelled that order!

One portaloo in the garden more than enough!

That one was sent back.

12 Years Old

So grown up,

and yet so young!

A busy Tuesday as usual for Laura with 

band, cheerleading and flute lesson.

Then a disappointment as Daddy was not able to get 

home in time to go out for dinner, 

due to thunderstorms.

So we'll go out tonight, instead.

Then on Saturday Laura and a friend will go on a trail ride,

something I promised last year

and we are finally doing.

Which will make in total 8 days 

from the first celebration of her birthday 

to the last.

Well and truly celebrated, 

with our love.

Sheep Birthday Cake

For Laura's 12th Birthday Party today 

I made a sheep cake!

I divided my normal butter cake recipe into two flat round tins.  

One of these became the body and then I cut a sheep face shape out of the second cake.

The body is iced in white and then covered with popcorn,

and the face iced with chocolate icing.

Eyes: white chocolate melts

end of black jelly bean

Nostrils & mouth, Grass : cut from a Sour Strap lolly

Legs: Chocolate Rollettes

When I finished the cake I realised there was no good place to fit 12 candles!

So I popped the cake on a tray and made a fence out of lamingtons 

that I had bought to serve anyway.

This was one of the easier cakes that I've made, 

I love how the popcorn looked woolly

(and also helped covered any little mistakes)

And most of all ...

Laura loved it!