The Great Clean Up

*Edited to add: I was in the middle of writing this post when we moved so I am leaving it the way it was written.



PATIENCE - the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. (Google definitions)

Now that the siding is mostly done (we will leave the porch sides until we have more time as it can be done in any weather), we are turning our attention back to the myriad of other details that still need to be looked after. I cannot even begin to tell you how many there are. I'm sure some won't even get done until we move in and notice they still aren't done. In the meantime, we tackle them slowly, and methodically, and in order of importance. Sometimes, our priorities differ. When that happens, we always make sure to put one another's preferences ahead of our own. I'm KIDDING!! Well, maybe that is what we should do but usually,  we (I) can get quite frustrated. I am one of those people who likes to do ALL the things, RIGHT NOW. I already have trouble prioritizing (I want them ALL done!) and then I have to combine my list with Phil's, which can be considerably different than mine (how can hanging curtain rods NOT be a priority?) and well, you can see where there might be a problem. If it is something that I can do, then I just do it. If it is something I need help with, then I have to wait. Enter the frustration. If there is one thing that I have learned through this project though, it is that sitting in the corner and crying doesn't actually accomplish anything (although it doesn't necessarily hurt anything either so I'm not saying I do it and I'm not saying I don't. From time to time, of course.). It's more practical though to sharpen my pencil, re-evaluate and revise my list. And be patient. The rest of the house took us 2 years to build, why do I want to finish it all in a week now? Well, I'll just let you figure that out by yourself! Haha

The weather is gorgeous! We know it can't last forever but we are most definitely enjoying it for now.

Ben continues to work on the soffit.

We have to carry water up from the trailer for cleaning until the water is hooked up which should be soon. Phil is waiting until just before the gas fitter comes to turn the appliances on (ie the hot water tank) before he turns the water on. Hopefully all of the faucets are on by then.

Speaking of water, here is some of the water treatment system waiting to be installed.

Phil added this little cover to the pumphouse to cover the well.

Bathrooms are cleaned. No mirrors yet. Priorities, right? (ETA- our first Sunday living here with no mirrors was very interesting. There may have been one or two of us with our phones out on selfie mode checking on the state of things! I never thought I would ever be thankful for selfie mode!)

All of the tub trim kits are installed. 

Having fun with the kids getting their bathroom ready for them. 

All ready for lots of boots and jackets!!

The first set of curtains, still wrinkly from the package.

One of the last big indoor projects is the guard rail. It has to be built and then disassembled right away to sand and stain it.

Hannah is pitching in. Have to make sure those balusters are even.

Near the end of a project, you try to save money wherever you can and we did that here by Phil building the guard rail himself, mostly out of leftover materials. I was a little worried that it might not look as nice as a store bought one but silly me, it turned out beautiful and now it's one of my favourite things! Sorry Phil for doubting!

Time to clean the floors which are all covered in a fine layer of dust. Oh my, it is ever hard to get out. We had covered them the best we could to prevent this but in the end, we just had to wash them multiple times to get it out. And still I can find traces of it....

It's getting there! If you are wondering why all the stickers are back on the windows, they have to be there for the inspection.

This is what an active construction site looks like. It's MESSY! Nothing can raise my anxiety level as much as seeing an enormous mess that I want to clean and not be able to clean it. (This differs, of course, from me seeing an enormous mess that I don't want to clean. That, I seem to be able to ignore just fine. Weird, isn't it?) They don't want anyone in there fussing about while they are working, not to mention it's dangerous!! So I just have to leave it... for now.

This mess was making me nervous though because we know the snow is coming so as soon as we could, we got out there and cleaned it all up. Those piles are the rest of the siding and trim material there so they have to stay there. I couldn't move them if I tried anyway.

The same for the porch. Ugh! It's nice to have somewhere dry to work but really?

Well that's much better!!

Every time we leave the house, the weather taunts me. The snow is coming. I think just being surprised and waking up to it one day would be better than watching it creep steadily down the mountain, everyday, closer and closer like an unwanted intruder. Can you tell snow is not my favourite?

House work aside, look who's skating by herself this year?

Joey is getting the hang of it too!

Let's be honest, this is the real reason we homeschool!

The ice to ourselves and it's free to skate too. What's not to like about that?

The clean up itself went remarkably well. Other than the fact, I am pretty sure I could have slept for a week afterward. I can't remember the last time I have felt so tired. It's been a while since I've had a newborn! *smile*  We had one minor catastrophe (or major, depending on your level of involvement) that I feel terrible about. Joey had been stock piling bedding for his new room. He saved his money, used his birthday money and also got some for his birthday. Sheets, blankets, comforters, all covered in his favourite, dinosaurs. He had been saving them since his birthday in August for his new room, and quite unfortunately in a garbage bag. You can see where this is going. When it came time to put his bed together, he ran to get his bag and it was nowhere to be found. Ugh. As a parent, it is very difficult to see your child disappointed about something especially since it was me that caused his disappointment. I mistook his bag of bedding for garbage and sent it with many other garbage bags to the dump that afternoon. I'm not going to lie, I considered another trip to the dump that evening, even though it had long since closed (surely the fence couldn't be that hard to climb?). Instead, what I had to do was say "I'm sorry". Something I have been getting a lot of practice doing lately. He knows it was an accident and we all know that these are just "things" but it is still not very fun to go through. We are thankful though, for the opportunities to teach our children these valuable lessons when they are young and to make sure they know that people and relationships matter more than material things. But that restitution is important too and as I can, I will help replace them, bit by bit if I have to. Not because a bag of bedding is that important in the overall scale of this project, but because they were his and they mattered to him. And he matters to me. And it's the right thing to do.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:19-21