Finally got to see some wood go up. Once they got the concrete poured, they started the framework. We had to have special “earth-contact” lumber, since the roof is barely above the earth, and actually touches in some places. I was amazed at how fast things went once they got the frame up. It seemed like one day there were a few boards, and a couple days later, there was a roof.
Probably not really that fast, but after all the digging that had to be done, it was such a joy to see the roof start to take shape.
The final step was the shingles. We chose shingles because part of the house is two-stories and metal roofs can be slick.
And here is the finished job—looks like a normal house, but with all the added advantage of the earth-sheltered house. We could still walk up on the roof from the back, if we wanted. It won’t be like before, when we could spread lawn chairs on the roof and watch the meteor showers, but it looks beautiful, and I am so thrilled. We have the best of both worlds, an attractive roof that will be easy to repair in the future, and the insulation of the earth covering. 
And once grass grows behind the house, we still have a great view of the stars.
We have a lot of serious damage to the outside of the house and to some interior walls from the major leaks we had. We literally had water streaming down one wall in the living room and coming out through an electrical outlet. You can see some of the exterior damage here–the rough white patches where mold has grown through the stucco.
