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For the past few months, we’ve been moving full steam ahead as we worked on the cabin and prepared for the upcoming move. Then the packers arrived to box up our household goods and move them into storage at our new location. Munchkin and I cleaned the house in preparation for the final move-out inspection.
Munchkin attended her final TaeKwonDo classes and wrapped it all up with Ninja Night where she said a goodbye to her instructors and friends. She received some cards and nun-chucks as a farewell gift. It was a sad moment to be sure.
On Monday morning, after clearing housing, Munchkin and I hit the road with the dogs and guinea pigs and a trailer in tow. D remained behind as he still has some things to get done at work before heading to the new duty station. The 5th wheel would be his home for the upcoming days. Upon arrival at the cabin, Munchkin and I unpacked the trailer and truck and settled in for the night.
While we still had things to get done, the change of pace that we experienced upon arrival here was quite noticeable. Oh, I still had a to do list, but the sense of urgency just didn’t seem to be there. I admit to feeling a bit bad for D as he was/is still in the thick of things at work, but I’m grateful that things are less hectic.
All too soon, we’ll be back to the craziness of house hunting, moving into the new place, and unpacking. For now, I’ll enjoy the slower pace and enjoy the simpler life. Ironically, that slower, simpler life also includes a lack on internet except on my phone unless we make a trip to the library. That takes some getting used to, and it also explains my lack of presence on my blog as of late. 
Today, our pack-out begins. The packers are here busily packing up our things. While I would love to say that I got everything done that I wanted before they arrived, I can’t say that. We did get through a lot of our stuff, but there was still a lot more that we wanted to purge before we moved. Going back and forth between here and fixing up the cabin kind of kept us from accomplishing all that we had set out to do. Going through the house and preparing for the movers has also made me realize how much housekeeping has suffered due to being divided between the two places. Lots of dust and dust bunnies. Yikes! There are, after all, only so many hours in the day and days in the week.
It’s hard to believe that 4 years have already passed since we moved here. We’ve seen many people come and go in our neighborhood. We’ve met some really great individuals and families during our stay here. Munchkin has grown to really love her TaeKwonDo class, and it will be extremely hard to say goodbye to her classmates and instructors. In fact, that’s the one area of the move where she’s really struggling. As a mom, it’s hard to see her so frustrated by this aspect of the military lifestyle.
The next few days will most likely be a bit trying as we try to balance family, moving, D’s work schedule, and Munchkin’s TaeKwonDo. Are we homeschooling this week? No, we’ve actually taken the last couple of weeks off as we prepared for the move and got some work done on the cabin.
One thing we didn’t count on experiencing while we were at the cabin was a power outage and a packrat problem.
Normally, packrats come into the house during the winter, so that’s when you experience issues. Well, in our case, I think everything was so torn up during the winter that they just came and went as they pleased and we never saw them. Now that the house is buttoned up tight, we, unfortunately, got to know these critters. For the first few days, we were catching 1-2 a night. By the time we left, we were no longer catching any in the house. We do have a beast of a packrat in the garage that we’re still trying to capture. He/she keeps stealing things from around the garage. We set traps, but caught nothing. I think we may have to set live capture traps or something to get this HUGE packrat. Ugh!
On Saturday, we experienced a power outage from roughly noon to midnight because someone ran into a power pole. We ended up taking the day off from work (for the most part). Munchkin and Daddy had fun playing board games in the afternoon. As the night began to fall and the power was still off, we decided to try out the old lamp that was left behind by the previous owners. Munchkin had never been around an oil lamp, so it was a fun experience that lead to a nice discussion about what it would have been like prior to having electricity.
We ended up making out way outside as the sun was setting to enjoy the beautiful evening. Munchkin thought it would be fun to get some archery practice in before it got too dark as the wind had finally died down. We were thankful for the really nice weather at the cabin as not having power didn’t cause issues when it came to our comfort – not too hot or too cold. In fact, we enjoyed having the cabin windows open the entire time we were up there. The cooler evenings made for perfect sleeping weather.
We had a productive and relaxing time at the cabin this past week. It feels good to be coming to the end of fixing things up. Yes, there will be some other changes implemented in time, but the things we had to get done due to the burst pipe are nearly complete.
While we were up there, we picked up some cabinets off craigslist for $10. They were solid, but in rough condition, so Munchkin and I refinished 2 of them for the dining room where we are creating a modified pantry area. They still need a top, but because of the way they were built, they do have a solid surface on top which works for now. We pulled the small “bookcase” off the center island in the kitchen and placed it at the end of the cabinets for a more finished look. We still need to refinish it to match the “new” cabinets.
The green and white striped wallpaper in the kitchen is now gone. **big grin** I got the backsplash area painted. We may add tile at some point, but for now, the paint works. We still have a small section of drywall that needs to be put up above the cabinets over the stove. Once that is done, I’ll finish painting above the cabinets. We were able to get the new stove and microwave installed as well which was nice since the other ones were on their last legs.
Eventually, we will be replacing the countertops. We were originally thinking of going with a solid surface countertop, but we may try to reuse some of the materials that we have on hand to create a butcherblock type look. We’ll be testing out the technique on the cabinets in the dining room and make a decision after that. Once we decide what to do, we’ll be installing the new sink and faucet.
The bathroom now has a new tile floor. That was an adventure that we don’t care to repeat. lol! Next up on the list is completing the tile shower. The area is all prepped with waterproof membrane, so we just need to install the tile. We are still looking for the right vanity to put in there. Now that we have a floor, I’m looking more seriously at our options. We like the idea of using an antique piece of furniture since we will be using a glass bowl sink on top of it. As you can tell, we’re really into reusing and repurposing as much as possible with this cabin.
The new rustic hickory door is now installed. We’re thrilled to finally have it as the search for the right door was not easy. We still need to put the casing around it, but I have it all sealed on the outside. (I’ll be putting on the sealant on the inside the next time we are up there.) While we were up there, we picked up the new windows, but there wasn’t enough time to get them installed. That will be a project for a later date, but we have them in the garage ready when we are. As you can see, we are getting closer to having it completed. Doing all the work ourselves while not being there full time has been a chore (one that we didn’t think we’d be taking on when this all began), but in the end, I think it will be worth it as it will truly be our place.
 No power meant spending time out on the porch enjoying the cooler evening and beautiful sunset.  Munchkin decided to get in a little bow practice before it got too dark.  Daddy was checking his email and relaxing while watching Munchkin practice her bow.  Another beautiful evening at the cabin.
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