Doors and windows complete; mailbox post in; more siding and shakes

Winter is right around the corner, so Andy and I spent a morning putting up the mailbox post before the first snowstorm comes through. For the same reasons, I had Qwest out at the house to measure for trenching in the phone lines. All the windows and doors are in now, and the siding moves along slowly but surely. Insulation and drywall should start the first week of November.

More pics:

Andy tending the scrap wood burn pile by throwing sand in it:

Exterior of front door stained to match shakes:

Tongue and groove in roof of front porch...

...and on ceiling of screen porch:

Great room windows and doors completely installed:

French door hardware:

East end getting siding and shakes installed:

Andy showing off his work on the mailbox post:

Completed east side of house:

Windows in (mostly) -- plus stucco and shakes.

Almost all the windows were installed yesterday.  Here's some pics:

Front of house:

Garage with shakes:

Great room upper windows:

Master bath:

Master bedroom:

Rear view:

Screen porch with shakes!

Stucco and siding on SE corner:

Tommy's Room!

Wiring/Plumbing/HVAC nearly complete -- septic in -- siding begins

Once again I blinked and 3 weeks have passed since an update. This time was mostly spent on interior rough in stuff (electric, plumbing, ductwork, etc). The Harvey family lent multiple helping hands to clear out more trees in the backyard. Septic tank and mound has been put in, and final grading was done. Siding just started a couple days ago, but they are really waiting on the windows, which should be going in today.Started  hammering out lighting, and actually found some nice stuff on clearance at a local store for our dining/kitchen/foyer.  Selfishly leveraged a family function in Fountain MN (just a few miles short of Nebraska) in order to get paint color recommendations from of our family expert Randina (special thanks to Pat's back for loading and unloading all of our granite and tile samples twice on each end of that trip!)

I'm sure I am forgetting some things. It seems there are 2-3 questions or decisions that need attention popping up each day.

On tap is finalizing interior paint colors, pushing ahead with lighting, deciding on final fireplace finishes, picking out sinks and other remaining fixtures, and getting a mailbox installed and phone line trenched in before winter.

Oh and I forgot the most consequential news...we wont be moving in until January. Builders think late January at the very latest. We have a clause in the contract that requires payment to us starting on Dec 20, so we should get compensated one way or another. Builders have been really good and we are happy, but they are just behind schedule. I guess Seth gets 4 roommates for just a little while longer.

Pictures hopefully coming fast and furious the next week or so...siding, windows, and stone going on soon.  Drywall to begin first week in November.

Random pictures from the last few weeks:

Clearing out some extra space in the backyard (swing set probably will go here):

Seth cutting down a huge dead popple hanging over our driveway:

...and cleaning up the aftermath:

Front door installed:

Kitchen rough ins taking shape:

Morning sun pouring into the great room:

Our little lumberjack helpers:

View from trail, looking through newly cleared backyard area:

Septic mound being built:

Septic tank installation:

Final grading of backyard, including newly cleared area (view from master bedroom):

Septic mound complete:

First few rows of siding on!

Some soffit and fascia installed: