On capote!!

Yes, the best expression that I have found to express how I am felling right now is the quebecois expression: "on capote!" Basically, it can be translated as "I am so excited that I am freaking out!"

The reason for this Quebecois state of being is the installation of our new kitchen cabinets and bathroom linen closet and  vanity. For starters, it looks magnificent. It is even more beautiful than in my dreams. It also marks a key turning point in the whole construction.

Bathroom linen closet

Bathroom vanity, tub and linen closet

laundry hamper integrated in the linen closet

 Now, down to the kitchen. I promised Gilles, I would supply him all the Maple syrup he would ever want. So far it has fueled the construction of our dream home and there is no need for that to stop now. We have begun to have cold nights and warm days which means that the maple sap is flowing. At work today, a client said "ça coule" which literally means, "it flows". So, to celebrate, I bought Gilles some of the best and freshest maple syrup to help us achieve the finishing touches. Below is just a sample of some  of the special treat.....

Enjoy the pictures below to get a full sense of the kitchen. Tomorrow, they will come measure for the quartz countertops. Next week, the electrician will come and finalize his stuff. Then, the plumber will do the same. Before you know, we will be moving in. So much excitement, it is hard to contain ourselves....

Maple syrup cans

Kitchen view

View from the kitchen to the living room

View of all the drawers in the kitchen

View of the island and the kitchen

2 fools admiring the view after a hard day's work

More on  the maple syrup

View of the pantry

Living and dining room

Trash and recycling fully integrated

Girly Girl Stuff

Yesterday, we had a bout of some real nasty weather. So, I took advantage of some indoor time to have a sewing extravaganza. I finished a dress that I had worked on recently and I whipped up a couple of skirts since Sofia laments her lack of twirly skirts that were left behind in Egypt.

I hope they all fit. Sofia seems to be growing as fast as weeds. Now, off to finish some cool corduroys for Lucas.

Sutton Lovebirds Dress

Sutton Lovebirds Dress - derrière

Twirly Sassy skirt - Time to go Dancing

An artist's skirt to suit Sofia's artistic talents

Flying High as a Kite

Yesterday, the weather was miserable. We had a mix of snow, freezing rain, slush and lots of wind. I had a few errands to run, but quickly realized it was not worth the risk of driving in such conditions. I spent lots of productive time sewing for Lucas and Sofia ( I will post pics later).

Anyways, I woke up today to a brilliant sunshine! I was so excited and energized. I went to run some errands in Cowansville and then got even more excited when I bought a waffle maker. It may sound silly, but I have always wanted one. Now with a big kitchen, I thought I could splurge and get one. So, I carried on with my errands, picked up lunch and went off to the construction site.

Once I arrived, my excitement only grew as I arrived. Gilles has progressed quite nicely on the basement.  Below, you can see the closet doors that we have put along the South wall. We will have lots of storage and it will look pretty as well

Basement closet doors

Appliance Delivery: If I wasn't already excited enough, the appliances got delivered minus the microwave which will come at a later date. We were a bit concerned that the delivery truck would not be able to make it up the hill, but with a little help from Gilles, the delivery guy, and ice pick and a shovel, all was well.

The appliances are more beautiful than I remember them. I can't wait to start using them. My cooking experience is about to soar to great new heights. Now, all I need are the kitchen cabinets (March 15) and the kitchen counters.

Gilles and 1 of the delivery guys had to break up the ice and snow with a pick and shovel

Finally the big truck made it up the driveway

The only way to get the fridge in was to unpack it outside

No using a dolly for these strong men

Can't wait to use this cool oven

Can't wait to use this dishwasher. No more hand washing for me

 Chulita updates:

Chulita has recently realized she can walk on snow since it is packed down quite a bit. She thinks she is the bees' knees. She supervised the delivery high on her snowbank. She is now busy exploring the land high above and loving every minute

One step closer to the promised land...

A lot has been going on in our lives since my last post. My sister and her family made it safely to DC where they will be living until mid April when they go to their next post in Brussels. February birthdays have been celebrated with much ado. Happy belated birthday to Mami, Cindy, Ghislaine and what the heck, me too. So much has changed in the last year and we have so much to be thankful. I look forward to many more in our new home.

We have also been progressing quite nicely on the house. On Thursday, we started the mudding and getting the drywall ready for painting. We engaged the services of Mr. Laflamme who has a great reputation for being meticulous and doing a great job. We saw his work at our neighbours and did not hesitate. Mudding is a tedious messy job which we were happy to contract out. He is doing a great job and works quickly.

We should be able to start painting on Wednesday. I have been recruited to help with the painting. One more thing to add to my resumé! On Tuesday the kitchen appliances will be delivered. The flooring should be delivered late next week and the kitchen cabinets come on the 15th of March. I am getting so excited. It looks like we might move in mid April. It seems so real and so close. I can't wait.

Downstairs, wood stove view

Kitchen view

Mr.Laflamme on stilts working on the ceiling

Chulita wondering what the heck is going on

Mr. Laflamme mudding and smoking his cigar: multitasking

Basement: Gilles building the closets with pretty doors

The man cave: Gilles' atelier

Gilles' workspace and utility room in the back

A Revolution, la Bête Lumineuse, some varnish and lots more drywall

Lucas and Sofia with my mom

The past few days have been a bit nerve wracking for my family. My sister lives in Cairo with her family. The protests have continued and it is unclear what will become of all the chaos. We are waiting to hear if they will be evacuated. Then, perhaps we can breathe a sigh of relief.  In the meantime, we are praying and awaiting any updates. It is frustrating that they don't have internet access. I wish I could just hear my sisters voice. Unfortunately, the government has blocked most forms of communication. Luckily, my sister can call the embassy and they can connect a call to my mother.

La Bête Lumineuse
Despite all the concerns for her and her family, the construction continues. When Gilles went out today, he noticed the call of a moose in the woods. He did not see it but just heard the low guttural sound. Steve and I went outside to see if we could witness the same, but to no avail. Gilles swore he really heard it and living in the woods I felt compelled to believe him. This reminded me of my initiation into Quebecois culture when I first started coming with Gilles. The whole family watched La Bête Lumineuse. (The Shimmering Beast in English) Basically, it is a story about men that go on a moose hunt and nothing really happens for 127 minutes just as I had no real moose sighting. Needless to say, I dare you to watch the whole thing.

Some Varnish
The varnish continues on the steps. It is a bit of a slow process especially since all of the coats have to dry for a few hours. It is back breaking work since the steps are so low to the ground, but it is exciting to be able to help.

View from my craft room and onto the bedroom

View of the bedroom

View from the bathroom

Drywall

It has been so exciting to see the drywall go up. It really changes the look and feel of the place. Steve and Gilles have been doing a fantastic job. They really work well together.  Tomorrow is Sunday, so Steve and I will take time out to go to mass at St. Benoit du Lac where there is a lovely Gregorian Mass. Then, we will probably try to enjoy a poutine somewhere before heading back to work.

Steve sporting his Vancity sweatshirt "It's right here"

Working on the living room

Living Room view

Great job around the wood stove

Enjoying the View of the finished East wall

Steve working hard

Drywall, drywall, drywall

Day 1: Just Drywall

After the obligatory site briefing, instructional video and drywall quiz, Gilles and Steve got to work on the drywall upstairs. They started out with a very tricky area: the stairwell. It looked a bit scary as they were perched on a plywood. Regardless of the risks, they got the job done and it looks great!

Stairwell ceiling - Thank goodness Steve is so tall. It really comes in handy.

Tricky drywalling

When all else fails, Chulita likes to chase her tail

In easier spots, they are able to use a tool that helps them hold up the drywall

Steve is now certified in drywalling

Day 2: Drywall with a dash of varnishing

Luckily, Gilles and Steve had lots more room to work in. Surprisingly, drywall is a lot more time consuming that it may seem. There are outlets and windows to be cut out. The seems need to be staggered and lots of other details to consider.

On a trivial note, lunch was greatly improved. I decided to put the sandwiches on a pizza pan. After a few minutes in the wood stove, the cheese was melted and we had a warm meal. Life at the construction site was never better: good food, good company and great results.

It was much easier today to work in such a large space

Having a little fun!

 It was time to get the steps varnished and ready to be installed. Today, we set up 8 of the 16 steps and I got busy varnishing them. The true colour of the maple is really coming out and it looks great!

Enjoying varnishing with all the light coming in

It was not easy being so low to the ground, but lots of fun