Thankyou guys so much!!!

Nicole ... yes we do get to choose colour schemes ... yay! Because we got in early enough before the building has started.

The builder rang yesterday to say that the value has gone up on our house already (we don't have to pay anymore tho)... but if someone was to sign up today to build the same home as us it would cost them $358,000 instead of the $342,000 we pay. That's $16,000 in just one month!!!

Aparently it's going to take a little longer than expected to get things started. They scrape the section in 2wks time, 1 wk to lay the concrete slab then they let it dry for 4wks then start building (18wks) but add another 2wks onto that for Christmas/New Year ... so all up 27wks (beginning Feb)... good news really because it gives us that extra time to save. As long as we are back in Auckland for kids going back to school in the new year. Should work out perfectly!

One small hitch so far, the builders want 12.5% deposit to start building ... thats $42,750!!! We don't have that kind of money now... even after 6mths of saving we will only have 10% ($34,000). There should be a way around it tho, we have heard of others having just $10,000 deposit, so we are going to offer them $17,000 (what we have once this house has sold and paid all our small debt off) and see what they say, if that's not enough then we will offer to pay them $17,000 initially plus $2,500 per month for 6mths (total $32,000) and worse case sinario we will give them $30,000 now and spend the next 6mths paying off our small debt with the $2500 per mth we can save. I'm sure we can work something out. It's all just a matter of cashflow.

My tracking has gone out the door the last couple of days. I haven't overeaten at all but just don't know the points I have had. So I have printed out a new tracker sheet today and starting now so I don't slip out of my good habits I have learnt.

Went to the gym last night for a step class. I managed to do high impact for the whole class ... that's a first for me! If the rain stops I'll get out for a walk today.

Thankyou so much to all the people who have sent their congratulations to us!! Fantastic! You guys are pretty high on my priority list! I updated my journal here even before I rang some of our family.. lol.

Now I guess this journal might take on a different slant for the next 6 or 7 mths. My weightloss journey will always be the ultimate reason for writing but there will be a big focus on house building stuff :)

Jordan and Malachi are staying down at mum's for the holidays so the house is nice and quiet. Guess I'll appreciate the silence while it lasts lol.

Well that's about all for today.
Lyn :)