Here's our kitchen granite, Azul Aran, a.k.a. Blue Ice.

The counter to the right of the range.

Our kitchen sink.

The sink/dishwasher/breakfast bar peninsula.

Cutting the holes for the faucets with a diamond-tipped hole saw.

Mixing coloring into epoxy for joining the slabs.

Sliding the granite into position.

Bringing in a piece of granite.

Touch-up painting is done, so the outlet and switch plates are going up!

The ceramic logset in place in the firebox.

The Jotul zero clearance fireplace getting lined with faux brick panels and cermic logs.

The Master Bedroom before and during carpet installation.

Bedroom 2 before and after carpet installation.

And our kitchen cabinets just sit idly by, waiting for the countertops to arrive!

These are our Kohler Chinese-Mexican toilets. The tanks were made in Mexico, the bowls were made in China.

This our Kohler Mexican toilet.

Oh well, so much for trying to buy something made in the ancestral homestead of Kohler, Wisconsin.

Austin working on the water shutoff valves under the kitchen sink.

Our luxurious custom deck!

No, really this is just to get us past our inspection and certificate of occupancy and get into the house; then we'll have enough time to finish the deck for real!

In-process pictures of the kitchen cabinets being installed.

No white marshmallow here!

Our new water softener, located on the garage platform (a refrigerator or freezer will sit next to it). Bought over the internet, Austin and I assembled it and plumbed it in yesterday. We don't have a single plumbing fixture that can use the water from it right now, but I think it's a very pretty addition to the garage anyway.

The first day's installation of kitchen cabinets.

Kitchen cabinets with the sink base overlooking the Family Room. The open space at the left is for the dishwasher.

The refrigerator/range side of the kitchen with wall cabinets sitting around.

The laundry room with the wall cabinets sitting around.

The safety railing around the garage stairs to thebasement.

All the cabinets for the house just arrived! Out of the semi came 85 boxes, neatly stacked in the garage.