February Update

Hello from chilly Iowa.  Today the high is supposed to be 36, quite a bit higher than the last couple weeks.  It sure is nice being retired so if we do not want to go out in the cold we don't have to.  Ha!  It is great!!!  Sorry to the rest of you working folks; your time will come.

Dave is catching up on fly tying and planning some fishing trips for when the weather warms up.  We have also dug out all our maps, books, and DVDs in anticipation for our trip to Wyoming, in particular to Yellowstone.  Dave's absolute most favorite place to visit.  Today he is off to a Fly Fishing seminar in Dubuque put on by the club he belongs to, Dubuque Fly Fishers.  Last year he did zilch fishing, so this year he is already planning to do a lot!!  He still co-owns a trailer in prime fly fishing territory in NE Iowa, so is planning on heading that direction quite frequently.

I have finished the touch-up painting in the house, but still have quite a bit of trim work left to do, but am not in a rush to do it.  I just would like to have a 2nd coat on it for a bit better finish. We are loving the house!!!  Dave's design is really working for us.  Guess we are getting old since we enjoy every morning having our coffee and watching all the birds come to the five feeders we have set-up in the back yard.

 A couple days ago Dave saw 14 pheasants wandering around on the hill behind the house.  We are just on enough of hill we can look out over the back woods and farm land behind us to observe wildlife and the peaceful view. The deck should be a real treat to use this summer. Hoping we have visitors to enjoy the view with us, so if you head to central Iowa, give us a call.

Next month the goal is believe it or not, to clean out the Airstream, get it reorganized and caulk the windows and other prep for our trip south in April.  There is no way I ever want to live in it full-time again, but traveling with it is very enjoyable. I am still holding out for a fifth-wheel as we are still planning on traveling for long periods of time throughout the year. After a year in the Airstream, it is clear to us that for long periods of time, it doesn't have quite the amount of space we both would like.

We have finally decided on a church home and joined a small group. It is a very friendly church, pretty large, but it feels welcoming to us. Also very familiar to our former church home in Rock Island.

Well, that is our latest update, just emptying boxes and getting the house organized, playing with our granddaughter and enjoying living closer to both of our children, whom we see much more frequently than ever before (except when they were living with us, ha-ha).  Hoping all of you are staying warm and enjoying life.  God is good!

Hugs to all,
Candy

New Year and new adventures

Happy New Year!  2014 was a fantastic year for us and we feel very blessed and fortunate. 

2015 is starting out pretty great also though we are not in the Southwest in warm weather; we are in Iowa.  We are enjoying our new home which we moved into on the 31st of December!  It is a very enjoyable home to live in (especially once we unpack all the boxes).  I also have quite a bit of painting to do, but that should keep us busy through the cold winter months. It also keeps us in Ames and close to our new granddaughter, whom we are enjoying.  

Come April we will be spending more time again in the Airstream though not living in it fulltime.  It was a bit tight.  I am still researching Fifth wheels and hopefully we will be able to purchase one in 2016.

This spring we have a trip planned to Tennessee to attend a rally then travel further south to visit friends in Florida.  Upon our return we will have time to do some yard work, laundry and repack the Airstream for a trip out west with my brother and sister-in-law.  After a few weeks, we plan to return and spend the rest of the hot Iowa summer enjoying our house, deck and yard.  We may take a few weekend trips for fishing and canoeing or biking.  Then this fall we have a few weeks planned in the northeast traveling with a friend to Vermont.  Of course, plans can change, but this is how our year is being planned, Lord willing.  So you can see this year should be fun and exciting.  Retirement is great!!!!

Wishing each of you a great year filled with The Lord's blessings.  I will try to keep up the blog a bit more as we go about on our travels. 

The Jones' 

November update

Wishing all our friends and family a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!  We are truly blessed and have so much this year for which to give Thanks to the Lord.  He has blessed our family.  We have a healthy family, everyone has a good job, we have a healthy and beautiful granddaughter.  The move has gone well and the house is progressing nicely.  BUT, I am very ready to be in the house and out of the Airstream!  

Things are progressing a bit slower then we expected, but as I requested that Jeff and Jim build custom shelves in the closets instead of installing wire racks it has taken a bit longer.  Also, the custom wood work was more time consuming and all the painting that involved. So, hopefully this week they will be able to start laying the tile.  We will have a tile back splash in the kitchen, tile in the guest bath, mud room half bath, the mud room and the closet, the laundry room, our closet and our bathroom.  

Sunroom

Kitchen

Bench in mud room 

Storage closet in mud room

Mud room half bath

View from front door

Living room

Another view of kitchen island; you cannot tell by the picture but the island is cranberry.

Cabinets in master closet 

Bookshelves in master bedroom

Crown molding in bedroom, similar to living room and entry. 

We just know we are going to enjoy this home so very much and look forward to sharing fun times with family and friends.  

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

End of month update

First our glorious news, Miss Hailey Jane was born Oct 10 to our son and daughter-in-law.  She is beautiful!!

At her birth

At 2 weeks, she likes to sleep with her hands above her head.  

The other news is that the house is progressing nicely.  Our builder is doing a beautiful job!  I would highly recommend him.   I think we should be ready to move in, in about 3 weeks.  

Fireplace in living room

Woodwork in sunroom

Bench with storage above and below in mud room 

Master bath cabinets

Kitchen

Lots more to do, but so happy with what is done.  The builder's Father is here grading the back yard and spreading gravel for the first stage of our future patio.   The trim around the windows and doors is almost done, most lights are hung, all cabinets are hung and countertops and sinks are in except in mud room bath and guest bath.  We are still waiting on delivery for them.  Most of the doors are in, but waiting on 5 of them as they had to be reordered.  The geothermal is hooked up and ready to go. 

Here is the view from our deck 

Thanks for checking in!   

October 2014 Update

So much is happening in our lives with anticipated arrival of our first grandchild and the final stages of the house build!  We are so excited!!!

First the grandchild, she should be making her appearance very soon!!!!  Will post immediately!!!  :)

Second, the house is coming along nicely, cabinet bases have been installed in order to measure the templates for the counter tops.  Two have been delivered; one for the pantry and one for the folding counter in the laundry room (aka:  changing table for baby).  :)

Butler's pantry, I am going to love all

the extra storage in this kitchen!!!

 

 Cabinet in Laundry room,  we had a larger one in Holy Cross

and I loved the convenience.

 

Here are the kitchen cabinets

 

Yellow guest bedroom



Hallway lights from a Foundry in Vermont

Pendants over the island are also from this Foundry. 

Fireplace is installed and the stone is scheduled

for this coming Wednesday.  Also scheduled is the counter top

installation for the kitchen and master bath. 



 

The stone is going up on the front of the house.

It should be finished by next week also.  

 

The anticipation is growing!!!  I know we are going to really enjoy this home!!!  Dave, along with our builder has spent so much thought given to all the little details which will make this home truly custom to us.  He has done a remarkable design job.  The builder has been very impressed with how the house is coming together.  Not to brag but he says it is one of the nicest he has ever built!!  Wow!!  I told Dave maybe he has found his second career!!  :)

 

Thanks for checking in!  I will post as soon as that baby is born and I get some pictures!!!  

 



September 17 update

This week is super busy inside and outside.  A very helpful young neighbor and Dave went together and rented a power rack, which he used to rack our whole yard, except for the very back hill.  Today, he and Dave are racking, spreading grass seed and rolling the yard.  Needless to say, Dave bought a LOT of grass seed!

Neighbor's roller attached to Dave's tractor

 Spreading grass seed.  He has the same tractor.  

 Discussing how far down the hill to spread the seed

Some views of the side yards and the front

Jeff and Jim (builders) finished the deck except for the steps today

I love the view from our backyard.  Every neighbor that has stopped over as remarked on the great view that we will have from our living areas. 

Looking North from the deck.

 Looking Northeast; future fire pit

Looking East from the deck

The Southeast view from the deck

The drywall crew was here yesterday and applied the second coat.  Today they are spraying the walls and ceilings in the garages.  Tomorrow, they start the texture layer in the house.  

Also, Jeff and Jim are installing the first couple outside lights today.

  

A BIG barnyard light on the front and one will also go on the back of the house. 

Motion lights

It is so fun watching the house come together!!!  We have always dreamed of building a house.  The planning and preparation for this house has taken almost two years, so finally seeing our dream coming into fruition is very exciting!!