Jason and David doing the last piling. And that is how far we are until next time, when they have to set up and pour the grade-beam. Then we will be able to see more really how big the addition will be. Exciting!!
The pilings are 10 feet deep, each piling takes alot of cement. This is for frost heavel.
Helping the cement into the hole.
Tristen had to check it out too - of course, without a coat. It was actually quite fresh out and windy, of course. We have been having alot of strong winds lately. I always have lots of branches on the lawn.
This is actually the first picture - you'd think after blogging all this time, I would know, but it must be the age. Anyway, Wally and Jason arrived at 8 o"clock Saterday morning to drill the pilings - and at 11 o'clock the cement truck arrived to fill the holes with cement. David is directing the truck to where it has to go and Pap is supervising the whole episode.
Morgan and Niomi took my camera and took all kinds of pictures. Even of the beautiful huge sunflowers at Aunt Karens. The heads are massive!! Such beautiful creation!
Niomi with her Auntie Betty!
Betty's huge smile!!
Jayda all stary eyed because it is Dad's birthday - she loves her dad so!
Hope and Janelle are going to try the stairs, not a very good idea kiddies, you won't make it around the corner!
The kiddies patiently waiting for their supper.
Still patiently waiting - sorry, didn't realize this was the second time.
Richard looking all serious with little Janelly!!
Morgan put an icecream bucket on Hope's head and she thought it was so coooool!
Isn't she a beauty - she was here on Sunday for lunch and wanted to check out the tickle trunk and lo and behold, she found a beautiful white dress with a headpiece! It was priceless!!! Niomi came along too and dressed up as well, but that picture didn't turn out, soooo tooo bad, she looked so cute too. That tickle trunk has been so wonderful for the kids!
She is so picturesque, don't you agree?
I know you don't want to see all the houses that pap did, but I am so stinkn' proud of his work that I want to show it off. This took them a long time to do, the customer was happy and so were we!!!
Opa and Oma up on the scaffold and Opa doing all the work!
The firebox!
The BOSS!
The SUPERVISOR!
Pap and Gerry putting the rock over the brick that they had laid the week before.
Ah-ha, Karen is there too helping. Yes we went to St. Paul with the four of us to do this fireplace in this log home - it is a hunting resort for a gentleman in Germany.
Pap placing the stones!!
Pap and I stayed to finish the job and the supervisor took a picture of the two old biddies.
This is the side we are adding the addtion - I am so happy that this side is disappearing: the little piece that sticks out with the large window is going to be the entrance to the new addtion. I am so glad that we are getting rid of that window, because it is so fogged up in between, we can hardly see thru it. But it definately served its' purpose for 30 years. We are planning to open up the top too, so that from the old part of the house upstairs, you can look over the living room, so when the grandchildren play up there, they can still see the adults. 
Pap all busy walking back and forth - of course he is the foreman. Just wanted to show you all that he is once again growing his beard - he says that it is getting cold in the mornings now (which is true, but not that cold) Oh well, he goes out early in the morning, I don't anymore, so he might as well be warm when he can. 
Kindof hard to tell, but that is how big it is going to be - 21' x 20' with a 10' x 3' bay (facing the trees, we will have to take a few of the trees out, or we won't have a view, but we will only take out what we really have to, b/c it took long for these trees to get this tall)
Takes alot of people to dig a hole (for pilings) - y'a think? They dug two pilings to see how far the sand went down - well, there is sand 8 feet down, but at about 7-1/2 feet, there is water in the sand. So, since the cement plant doesn't operate on Saturdays unless they know ahead of time, they decided not to dig the rest of the piles, b/c they should be poured right away as well. So it was delayed till next week Saturday. Oh well, it certainly is not going to be a hurry, hurry project anyway because we are doing most of it ourselves - not the framing, but then what do I know. I am just very excited to have a room where we can all (when all the kids and grandkids come over) sit in the winter when it is minus 40 degrees outside 
Digging the dirt away from the house.
The first shovel-full!! What an exciting feeling. I know that it doesn't sound like much - but for us it is quite a huge undertaking. We are very thankful to our Heavenly Father, who has made all of this possible. It is none of our own doing. 
I actually went along one day when Laurie could not come to help - I didn't really count on going on a shaky scaffold, but that is what happened - Pap was busy at the front entrance and did the arch underside - well that was quite a job b/c he had to do everything upside - all I did was clean out the grout afterwards. I am not that great on heights, but by the end of the day - I sure was braver. 
Pap did the chimney on top in a real cool way, don't you think? 
This is also the back from the side view. The job took them 16 days to do this job, I was so proud of them. I will post pictures of the front of the house soon!! They are finished, but of course didn't have the camera along. 