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The fibrous concrete panels we are using to build the house—stacked up and secured with polyurethane before being filled with concrete—were something of an aesthetic mess. Bumpy, lumpy, and uneven, the walls didn't much lend themselves to being easily stuccoed.

Eames and a helper spent three long days this week rasping the entire surface area of the home walls smoothing everything down. It was tedious work, but the job went smoothly (no pun intended), particularly after Sam suggested a larger tool to smooth the surfaces. That saved a lot of time.

It looks much better now. Because stucco adheres directly to the material, we're hoping to avoid the numerous preparatory steps to applying the stucco…and hoping to save money on the exterior.

The house still looks like a fort. Neighbors wonder and people stop by to ask what in the world we are building. When it's done, though, it should look pretty much like a normal home. In its own amazing way.

Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.