Breaking ground and community gardens

On November 10, 2019, back when the world felt "normal" and relatively "safe," we put down a deposit on a lot to build a new home and planted a flag in the ground. More about that decision here.

We found a model house in a nearby community we loved. And after moving doors and walls, adding little hyggekrogs and a piano room and courtyard, and with a first-floor master and extra garage space, this home materialized on paper as the perfect spot to raise our teenagers and grow old. And on December 2, 2019, we put down a deposit and signed the contract. (Things went a bit downhill with the builder after this handshake, but let's celebrate the moment.)

It already feels so bittersweet, knowing we're moving away from neighbors we adore so much and this beautiful home that has nurtured our family for over 14 years. This home is where our kids took their first steps and learned to ride bikes and climb trees. It's where we've celebrated holidays and our quirky "Camp Connelly" traditions and played pickleball in the driveway (can you spot the pickleball?) and gathered neighbors for more firepits than I can count.

We're going to miss this home and neighborhood so much it hurts. And yet, we're also really excited to build and create a home together from the ground up, and our whole family is deeply engaged and on board for this new adventure.

I want to keep a record here on this blog to document and remember this homebuilding journey under the label "Longbottom." Why Longbottom? Because our new home is at the bottom of Long street, hence its name. :)

So if you want to peek behind the scenes at the building and design process, we hope you'll follow along.

This was a big week. Nearly five months after going to contract, and in the thick of a worldwide pandemic, we finally broke ground on April 28, 2020. We had a little ceremony with golden shovels and our new fashion statement: masks.

And quickly over the past few days (documented on Gryffin's fingers, counting up from dig day), the lot has gone from this...

 To a massive hole in the ground...

 To having footings framed...

Here's part of the front courtyard and planter looking down into the basement.

On day 4 they poured some concrete.

 A view from the side looking at the courtyard and garages.

 And much like our New Year's lot blessing ceremony with holy water and incantations, we wanted to commemorate our home's foundation with a touch of painted blessings.

 Gryffin had to add "Shrek" because he and his friends are kind of obsessed.

And we added a cross and nod to Isaiah 28:16: Look! I am placing a foundation stone... a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is a sure foundation. Whoever believes need never be shaken.

And today, we gathered (socially-distanced outdoors) with future neighbors to plant a makeshift community garden, since the official community garden full of vegetables and flowers for dinner bouquets won't be built until later this summer.

 We love our developer, Gary, whose family has owned this former farmland (Century Farms) for over a century. His passion is to bring the love of gardening to future generations, and he's designing our amenities center with that goal in mind.

 Right now our gardens take up an empty lot, but soon they'll be right across the street from our home at the amenities center, just behind the farmhouse clubhouse.

It's been an exciting week! We love this place already.