Building the Big House Part II: The Floorplan

The down side to leaving for work before the sun rises and coming home after it sets is that some days I do not get a chance to see the progress made on the house.  This morning I woke up to an exciting surprise: three of our walls are up!

Here is the basic first floor plan from our DPP approved plans to give you a better idea of the layout:

The kitchen sink window and laundry room face the mountains and the
living room and bedroom doors open towards the date palm and river.

...and here is the house:

bathroom, closet, and bedroom with doors opening to the screen porch 

bedroom doors opening towards the date palm and river

living room doors, not completely framed out yet

living room windows looking to the south

Greg brought Doeks up to have a look.

View walking out of our front door - stunning!

Missy tried to follow them up the ladder

Daddy and Doeksie standing in our new bedroom

"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

Psalm 107:8-9

Phase II: Building the Big House (Part I)

DECEMBER 2011
Marking the outline of the house

Digging the footings

Installing the septic tank (my Christmas/anniversary present - Yay!) and laying the footings

JANUARY 2012
The first beams go up!

Montucky (our project manager), a friend, and Greg working very hard 

Farmer Mike, our South African house guest

Doeks and Miss love to hang out with the boys!

"How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you."
Psalm 31:19 (NIV)

Our Farm Animals: The Sheep

Whitey and Blackey, our aptly named sheep, have lived at Wai Kaya Farm since August 2011.  They are pleasant to have around the farm and have taught us a lot about caring for animals.  Although all of our friends and neighbors refer to them as goats, we are pretty positive that they are in fact sheep.  

Free roam of Wai Kaya Farm

Whitey is such a caring and protective mother.

Last, but not least, I would like to introduce Greg.  Hehe, just kidding.  He is not technically a farm animal, but I wanted to share these darling photos:

Hard at work!

"...for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills."
Psalm 50:10 (NIV)

Our Farm Animals: Doeks & Miss

Doeks

Doeks is our Australian Cattle Dog, or Blue Heeler.  He was about four months old when Greg picked him out and brought him home in November 2010.  He has been with us every step of the way in building Wai Kaya.

Doeks' first night as a Byron.  What a cute little boy!

First trip to the Farm, very exciting!

Doeks quickly became one of Home Depot's most loyal customers.

Lounging in the shade during the landscaping phase...

Checking out the creek after the tsunami:

First day living in our new home!

King of the rocks!

Wai Kaya's security guard..intimidating..

Helping spread gravel in the driveway

Miss
Late one April night in 2011, on our way home from a movie, Greg and I spotted three tiny puppies, abandoned and literally starving to death in a parking lot.  We lured them to the back of Greg's truck with Greg's favorite salami, took them home and cleaned them, nursed them back to health, and gave them all of their vaccinations.  Needless to say, three puppies plus Doeks, who was technically still a puppy, were quite the handful!  We found great homes for two of the puppies, but could not bear to part with them all. Hence, our young family grew from 3 to 4.

Miss as a baby

It is amazing how Doeks and Miss mirror Greg's and my personalities, respectively.  It takes a very talented photographer to catch Doeks standing still long enough for the photo not to turn out blurry.  Miss, however, loves to lounge and is our spoiled little princess!  They were best buddies from the start!

Partners in crime...Every night they went to work pulling the stuffing out of Miss's bed...

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity."

Proverbs 17:17