We are in a whirl wind of planning at the Dietrich home.
The sale of our home is currently set to close May 31.
We have purchased a lot on which to build, and we are working hard at finalizing the details of our new house plan. Chad normally builds commercial properties, however he will act as the general contractor for our home. So we are submitting the plan to all the subcontractors we hope to use to try and put together a budget. Chad will do all the site work (any dirt work necessary to prepare the lot for a house) and septic system work himself. We will subcontract the majority of the concrete. We will also subcontract the plumbing, heating, framing, sheetrock, taping and texturing, electrical, roofing, carpet laying and siding. Chad and the kids and I will do the insulating, the concrete driveway, all the staining and lacquering, all the painting, all the trim work, tiling, stone work, and all of the hard flooring. It will be a busy summer filled with a lot of labor and even more learning! I am excited for the kids to learn more about construction - which is the industry that feeds them! I am also thankful for all of Chad's knowledge as it will save us much money!
So... the first thing we need to do is come up with what we want/need/can afford.
Then the plan gets submitted to the covenant committee for their acceptance of our plan.
Then we get a building permit.
Then we can start working on the house.
(Sometime during that process we also need to get our taxes completed and financing figured out.)
We are really hoping to have all the above items done by the time the ground is thawed and ready for construction. Which is usually about April 15, but might be earlier this year with our mild winter.
Once the build is started, I need to pack up our current home. We plan to move all of our belongings into a portable storage unit of one sort or another. That way we only have to load and unload our stuff once.
We will move our family into 2 campers for the summer. If everything goes perfectly perfect, we could be in the new home before school starts. (That would be so miraculously dreamy!) Most likely we will be in campers from June 1 until Sept 1 - 15 though.
We have one camper currently. It sleeps 8, but it would be totally miserable to have 8 people in that small of a space for 3 - 4 months. There is not the possibility of renting short term in Bismarck right now. So, we will buy a second camper to use for the summer. We will sell it this fall or next spring.
The good news is we will live expense free for the summer! The bad news is obvious - 7 people and one dog sharing very little space and a tiny hot water heater!
We will keep Brenna and Joshua in our camper. Krissy, Jamison, and Sierra will live in the second camper which will be parked right next door.
I am starting to think through the kids' summer activities. I will be able to work a bit more from "home," but I will continue to have all the responsibilities I currently have at both of my jobs. I have a few thoughts about how to keep the kids safe, active, and out of trouble through it all, but it is a very incomplete plan at this date.
What do the kids think of all this? About the same as their momma. . . it will be a big adventurous stretch, but it is really the only option, so we will do our best to have good attitudes! It is going to be interesting! NO ONE will forget the summer of 2012, that is for sure!
Luckily, we do not have to move out of our house until the week after school is out. I am very thankful for the timing!
Needless to say, my brain is going in a million different directions. (I am not even sure the above summary made sense!) I have to really choose to focus on the decisions that must be made this week and let go of the rest!
So this week, we need to make some 20 year budget decisions. (No stress there, right?!?)
Deciding what we want/need/can afford will be the task of the week. It is not an easy task. I do not want to choose shoddy materials to save a buck today and spend two bucks in a couple years. I also do not want to overspend to "keep up with the neighbors."
I do not want a big, fancy house. I do want a home with enough space for our current family plus whoever and whatever God has in store for our future. I want a home that will be cozy and comfortable for teens, yet safe for toddlers. I want to be able to fill it with people and not be worried about spills and stains. I want it to be a place you can sink into, grab your own cup of coffee, and stay a long while.
Chad says we will retire in this house, so I want to build it to last. I want to love my cabinets, fireplace, and layout for the next 50 years.
I also do not want to increase our mortgage.
Yeah! I do not ask for much do I?!?
It is such a unique thing for me to plan a home at this moment in my life. Stuff has lost a lot of its appeal. Yet, I recognize that we must build in a way that bows to culture enough that it will be resellable so as not to squander the finances with which we have be entrusted. It is a complicated puzzle that we are trying to piece together quickly.
I would be so grateful if you would pray for us during this process. Please pray that we would be wise and unified in our choices. Pray that we would plan this home in a way that would honor God and the plan and purpose He has for it. Pray that we would be attracted to what He has for us and repulsed by what the world tells us we deserve or must have. Lastly, pray for energy and JOY in the moment! Building is FUN and exciting! I do not want the pressure to get it started to steal the joy of the moment.
Thanks, my friends!
Anything I could pray about for you?
