Electrical

It seems like we are working so hard up at the Momplex, but nothing is getting done DONE. As in you walk in and say "wow, alot has changed!" But regardless of how things may seem - oh how I dread the mechanical stage! - I have been hearing the big D-word - drywall- and it's being paired with other D-words like delivery and date. Things are happening, they are just happening very slowly, and are very expensive, tedious, and all we will have to show for it is as minimized as possible. Ho

On this day, I was very thankful to be a mom. And an Aunty. Because on this very long day, or should I say very long several days, not so much fun work happened at the Momplex. And someone had to stay home and take care of the little girls. Be comforted, honey. Most times, I'd rather be working up on the Momplex than taking on the endless cycle of dishes, dinner, loosing the desert battle, and then dishes all over again. Yes, in my house, dishes seem to come before and after cook

When you were growing up, did your parents every talk about someday ... maybe someday, like: "Someday, we'll add on and you won't have to share a room ..." "Someday, we are going to put a pool in the back yard ..." "Someday, we are going to gut and refinish this kitchen ..." And someday just never happened? By the time you moved out, there just wasn't time or budget or motivation to make it happen? Well, here is the big "someday" that never happened when I was growing up. "S

Man is our list ever getting short! We've just got a few things left to do before winter hits hard in Alaska. When we went on book tour, it really put a huge amount of stress on us to get as much done as possible while we can work and still feel our fingers at the same time. Numb fingers are no fun. Working at 50 degrees is a totally different story than working at -50 degrees. There was a lot of this going on as we worked late - even on school nights - trying to get as much done

When we decided to build with ICF blocks, the first question we had - and many of you had - was how the heck to do run electrical in the walls?  

For those of you new to the Momplex blog, the Momplex is actually built out of foam blocks.  We used ARXX blocks, and the technical term is ICF short for Insulating Concrete Forms.

Was she really that little then?

The blocks are lightweight and hollow in the center.

You simply stack the blocks just lik

Today is that day we answer the biggest question of building with ARXX ICF blocks. From the moment we started thinking of building the Momplex with Insulated Concrete Forms, the first question was, what about electrical in the ICF walls? For those of you new to the Momplex, we are building our mothers DIY style a duplex up here in Alaska. We've been at it for about a year and a half, doing it all ourselves, one step at a time. We choose to build with ARXX ICF blocks because the Momplex

We are wired. And you know I'm not talking about too many cups of coffee for me, or too much sugar for Grace. I'm talking about the Momplex of course!

You know how when you buy a new phone or a new tv, or any electronic for the matter, you have this nagging feeling that whatever it is, it's already outdated and there's something new coming along that's faster, easier, cheaper, better? After we finished up the water supply lines, there's just a few things left before we can start putting drywall up. We've got to get the small electrical stuff run in the walls, things like thermostats and phone lines and networking cables and tv jacks.

Well, we got the memo.

Mother Nature has made it pretty clear - winter is coming.  

And soon.

The leaves have changed to brilliant reds and yellows, and what's left of our wild Alaska blueberries are barely hanging on.

The mountains are not just snow capped any longer.  They are snow covered.

Winter is on it's way, and it will be here until May.  

And of course w