Rainy Start.

So excited to start our renovations last week but today, with all the rain, we had no choice but to cart, carry and wheelbarrow all the drywall outside to the dumpster bin. In the rain. We were soaked but we got it done! In between smashing down walls, coughing up drywall and taking apart a desk, we managed to bond with our students and celebrate our dd's birthday again with sparklers and donuts. It's been a great start to this process and I hope it continues as we all work hard to create our new family centre in our tiny hamlet, beside the Big City. Wish us luck ~ we'll need it!

~ Chy

Future Adventure.

We sometimes dream of living in the U.K.

for a couple of months after we've retired.

To experience another country but one that

has things that are familiar to us. We'd love

to find a little thatched cottage to rent. Isn't

it the sweetest? A future adventure awaits.

~ Chy

And, it's done!!

All the planning, drawing, erasing, rewriting, negotiating, dreaming, worrying and intense number crunching has ended. The house plan is complete, with no more changes anticipated. The deal has been finalized, with a successful $75,000 drop in the original price, without taking out any features. We've signed, initialed and cross-referenced. And to celebrate this major accomplishment in our long journey, our builder invited the youngest member of our house to sign off on the final drawings. 

B was happy to oblige.

And even added in a few extra "notes"!

Out came the chai tea ....

.... with homemade lemon loaf to celebrate.

Now, the fun part begins. Our building adventure is finally a reality. The next 6 to 8 months are going to be very stressful and incredibly exciting, all at the same time. But we're ready and on our way!

Six Weeks ....

.... until we pack up our suitcase and hop on the plane to a much warmer climate than we are experiencing here. We're definitely warmer than Saskatchewan and certainly do not have the snow that British Columbia is having but it's cold here and the forecast isn't changing anytime soon. At least the sun is out, making our nippy cold temps somehow not as bad as it sounds. No complaining here.

We booked our hotel a few weeks ago and are excited that we found a lovely spot. Today, we booked our airplane tickets and are grateful for the sale we found. And the lovely agent who helped us choose the best time to fly each way. So far, we're under budget for what we expected to pay. A few more things to book or arrange and then we're good to go. 

Although the picture I chose for my post tonight is whimsical, we plan to travel with just out backpacks and one carry on bag. Not checking luggage saves time and we don't ever have to worry about lost luggage. Light travelers, we are!

Are you planning a journey this year?

Where will your next adventure take you too?

Doors.

I am a very visual person. Building this new house has made me realize how important it is to me that my environment is interesting to look at. We've come to the conclusion that while building a solid, energy efficient, within our sensible budget house is the key, it also needs some details that make it appealing to view. After all, we have to live there! 

Love these doors. Yes, it's true. I'm in love with inanimate objects! Can't help myself. I'm sure these doors will be out of our budget but we took pics anyway to show our builder, who has the attitude that if there is something we'd really like, she'll make the budget work, even if it means trimming a couple of feet off the total square footage. 

I like her way of thinking! I'd rather have a smaller house with character than a big house that is boring.

Sending them off to her today to add to our list. Meeting on Wednesday to put together the preliminary drawing. Exciting yet scary all at once!!