Reed All About It

Progress: Guts

Monday, December 24, 2018

It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update. A lot has changed at our home. We now have stairs!

Water hook ups are ready!

This hardworking man did all the soffit, fascia windows and gutters.

He started the brick, only 19,000 to go...

AND he became a roofer. He’s my Superman.

HVAC, plumbing and electrical are hard at work. Seeing the lighting ready to go was pretty exciting.

Gas for the stove is ready.

This little corner is ready to become the coffee corner.

Image credit: Hobby Lobby Pinterest

This is my inspiration for this space. There will be shiplap but it will be a smaller version of something like this.

I got to see my bathtub today (Christmas Eve). I am already dreaming of my first bath in it!

This is the tub. It’s from Costco!

Merry Christmas to one and all. I’m looking forward to sharing the completion phase of our home with you in 2019!

Last fall we purchased the last little lot in the Fireman's Bluff subdivision. Since then we have been working toward our dream of building our own home. Three months ago, on June 14, we broke ground and started the construction process. Tim has been working extremely hard and already has hundreds of hours into our house.

For almost a year this has been the day I've been waiting for, framing day! A day that brought the hours of work, the computer images, the blue prints and all of the conversations to life. We would like to extend a big thank you to Carochi Construction for their hard work and expertise in framing our home.

I was able to run up to see the gentlemen get started this morning.

The back wall.

After Tim got home from work we grabbed some dinner and made our way up to see our house for the first time. We sat in the middle of the living room and ate in wonder and awe of our framed home. Once I did a complete walkthrough upstairs I made my way down around the side for the first time since it had been framed last week.

Upon taking in this view of the home I started to cry. I was completely overwhelmed with emotion. This is our house. This is why we left Denver. This is why we are here. My husband had the dream to build a house and his dream, our dream, is now a reality.

Words will never be enough to express how proud I am of him. But believe me when I say this, there is nothing, nothing this man can't do.

The view from my kitchen island.

The unfinished basement. I foresee lots of play hours in this wide open space.

Our sweet bug is so good at seeing what needs to be done and jumping right in to help.

The soon to be front door (it will be red).

The neighborhood bear wants to be sure that we know he is still around!

Today was a good day in the life of being the Builder's Wife. None of this would be possible without our Lord and Savior. Glory be to God.

To Teach is to Learn Twice Over

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

In one calendar year we ...

Sold our home,

Said goodbye to the big city,

Tim resigned from his position at Coors,

We re-image our company and Tim returned to being self employed,

Started building our home,

and most recently I started my career.

In the 2018 - 2019 school year I will be Mrs. Reed, English Language Arts teacher at

Canon City High School.

I'm not entirely sure where to start with all of the excitement I have surrounding this change for myself and our family. So I'll begin with the questions I've been asked most frequently.

What will you be teaching? I'll be teaching Honors English 9, Video Production, Speech and English 9.

Have you always wanted to be a teacher? I think that it's always been on my path, I just didn't take the straightest route to get here. My senior year I completed the Future Teachers of America Program. However, when I got to college I fell in love with Mass Communications. After Tim and I were married I was searching for a more family friendly career. I was accepted into the Masters of Arts in Education at Colorado College. We found out we were moving to Denver shortly after my acceptance. I made the decision to withdraw from the program. Then we had the girls...

How can you be a teacher with a degree in Mass Communications? This summer I obtained my alternative license from the Colorado Department of Education. This included paper work, taking and passing the Praxis exam, and being accepted to a licensure program. This year I am simultaneously taking classes online through University of Colorado's, Aspire to Teach program.

What will you do with the girls? Thankfully Karoline is in first grade and will have a schedule that very closely resembles mine. Alexandra LOVED school last year and will attend school five days a week and will spend her afternoons with her Papa Joe.

How are you doing? In large part I believe that ignorance is bliss. I don't know what lies ahead of me, I have never student taught. Some may view this as a negative. I however view it as an amazing opportunity to be molded into whatever the high school needs from me. I am willing and able to do what is asked without any preconcieved notions.

This opportunity could not have happened without AMAZING support from Tim, my family, friends (huge thank you to the entire VanIwarden family), CCHS administration and staff and members of our community.

Firm Foundation

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Today I got to exercise my role as The Builder's Wife and help (read: tear tape and hold plastic) finish our ICF block foundation. If you stick with me to the end of this post I will reveal our upstairs floor plan, so bare with me. But, if you're not into floor plans (and you're dead inside) you will want the shortened version at Reed Construction's website.

If you know anything about my husband, you know that he only works with quality material. He doesn't want to have to buy something twice. He selects and uses products that will last. When deciding how to build our foundation it was a no brainer for him. He decided on ICF blocks. A product that he could do with help and guidance from a few men (thank you, John). Our company mission statement includes that we are committed to value-added services and quality products that stand the test of time. Fox Blocks has the same vision for their product with an R38 insulation value. A worthy to mention note: they are moving forward with the Build Green movement!

It's a goal of ours to use as many local and made in the USA companies as possible for the build of our home. Fox Blocks is a division of Airlite Plastics Company, based in Omaha, Nebraska.

Pouring the footer on June 14, 2018. This was an EXCITING day for us all!

The first layer of Fox Blocks

That's my gym window! Tim surprised me with this. I thought this entire side of the basement was his shop.

Final step: Plastic Sheeting - This is where my *help* came in. ;)

Now I get to share with you our floor plan. I've been so excited for this reveal!

Our basement will be unfinished at the time we obtain our certificate of occupancy.

Both the upstairs and downstairs are roughly 2100 square feet.

I have to brag on Tim for a minute. A year ago we were starting this process. To have our plans drawn would have cost more than purchasing an iMac and HomeDesign software. In true Tim Reed fashion he bought the computer, the software and spent weeks learning how to draw our home.

He has since used the program to bid additions for clients. It also aids with measuring exterior construction work. I'm more than proud of him. If you are in the market for blue prints or a cost analysis for an addition or new build, I know a guy.

Without further ado ... Our Home.

Up next: Pinterest and 3D photo version of our home!

Tea for two, two for tea!

Sunday, June 17, 2018

I always wanted to have cute newborn photo's, picture perfect yearly birthday photos and well, life happened.

For months I have been dreaming about a photoshoot with our girls. One that was whimsical, child like and captured them perfectly. One that they probably wouldn't be willing to do in just a few years time...

A tea party!

I was originally bummed to not have the golden evening light that was in my vision. But the colors and composition that were captured on this cloudy morning were perfect. Thank you Cassie Fortman of Yellow Bird Photography for giving me such beautiful memories!