As you may have noticed, I've taken a bit of a break from posting here. For the past 2 1/2 weeks we've been gypsies and life has been stressful, to say the least. But thanks to good friends and excellent parents/grandparents, we're making it through. I have found an apartment we can rent week to week for the next 2-3 weeks so that we can be living as a family again. (And possibly be able to post pictures - if we can get a wireless connection on our laptop.)
On the construction front, things are improving. All the drywall is painted, the kitchen cabinets are installed, we've assembled and installed our "custom closet" from ikea, the master shower is prepped for tile, doors are being stained and hung, window trim is stained and being installed, the interior stonework will be done today, custom cabinetry in the living room is being fabricated, and most of the lighting has been installed. Our hardwood flooring has been installed in the upstairs hallway and the stair landing...but still needs to be finished.
It's a busy place, but a lot still needs to happen. The counters in the kitchen and master bath were measured yesterday...and will take 1-2 weeks to complete. (They're just formica with wood trim) All of our exterior siding, roofing, and trim has arrived, but we need to wait for temperatures to rise above 0 degrees...maybe tomorrow...for that to get going. Our appliances are all here, but won't be installed until everything else is complete, and we're also waiting on the plumber to get the toilets and sinks hooked up. (He needs the countertops installed first, though.) The tile needs to be laid in the boys' bath, our master shower, and the kitchen backsplash, the stair treads haven't yet arrived (but the railing has and looks great!), and the carpet in the upstairs bedrooms will be the last thing to go in.
Phew - I'm exhausted just thinking about it all. Having a place to stay for the next few weeks does make it all seem much more tolerable, though... and, I just have to add a political note here - the results of WI elections yesterday gives me great hope - GO OBAMA!
Dining room from kitchen
Kitchen from entrance
Living room from steps
Master bath
From the landing, looking up to the second floor
Looking down the stairwell from upstairs hallway
Boys' bathroom
Boys' bedrooms....sliding door to be done at a later date!
Our friend, Vic, in San Antonio just sent this photo of the front door. It's upside down here, but we think it looks great. They plan to ship it this week, and we're anxious to see the hardware on it.
This is the start of the custom cabinetry in the living room. This view is from the stairs looking toward the front door. A long bench made out of douglas fir will span the entire length.
This is the kitchen cabinetry last week. The island is now installed as well. Next week we hope for countertops and appliances. We also need to install the hardware....an ikea purchase.
The stonework has been completed inside and out. It looks wonderful! The fireplace surround will be metal plating (designed by my architect) and should be installed next week.
The window trim is looking good. This is the living room - East side wall.
The final trim on an upstairs bedroom window. Very clean and simple.
A tile-prepping master has been hard at work in our master shower all week. He's created an unbelievable space that was totally unexpected to us. We're anxious to see the tile start going in next week.
The cabinetry/lighting in our master bath. Again, the countertop should be placed next week, so that the sinks can be installed. The plumber arrives Tuesday to start hooking up appliances and fixtures. 
A little difficult to see - these are the floors following the staining process, but not yet sealed. The seal coat should bring out a bit more contrast...we actually like all the variation. These photos are in our master bedroom. Not at all what we planned on, but we think it's going to be good.
