Weekly Update: 1.27.24
This week was the most normal seven days we have had since autumn. Of course, the Ozarks did their part to keep things interesting. The arctic temperatures over the weekend gave way to a thaw and days of rain. The mud was unlike anything we have experienced out here so far. Still, we carried on -- and it felt so good to be making progress again.
The warmer, wet weather did make things difficult. Levi almost couldn't make it to work one day due to the mud -- our dad had to pull him to the driveway with his 4-wheel drive. Up until now, we have had no issues with access. After this week, we feel like making a proper driveway more of a priority. Once out of our gate, the thick fog made traveling rather treacherous, causing our dad to spend one night in town so he didn't have to drive home in it. Still, we couldn't have enjoyed the warmer weather more. We had running water and showers almost every day. It's amazing how going without something ordinary transforms it into something extraordinary. It felt luxurious washing dishes in our little outdoor sink. And next week, the weather looks warmer and dryer -- so much so, we plan to do some extra laundry. We haven't washed all of our linens in awhile, and our insulated bibs could definitely use some love. Warm weeks feel like gifts to tackle these tasks, and we couldn't be more thankful.
We started seriously planning for the next stages of our project, watching plumbing videos and doing research on fixtures. Thankfully, Levi plumbed his last house himself, and his experience has already been invaluable. After some discussion, we decided on a commercial three-compartment sink for our kitchen. It will make dishwashing more pleasant, since we won't have a dishwasher. Down the road, we hope to have the bunkhouse kitchen certified, so this is a step in that direction. Since we ordered the sink from Home Depot, we decided to take advantage of a sale and get a bathtub shipped at the same time. Both items are arriving next week. My mom also did the family a favor by researching toilet options.
We got back to work in the bunkhouse on Tuesday. Due to the holidays, sickness, and bad weather, we realized it had been nearly two months since we last worked in there. We ladies spent the first couple days just cleaning and organizing. Boxes were piled everywhere -- some empty and forgotten since Christmas gifts had arrived in them. Totes of Christmas decor waiting to go back to storage were scattered around. Other boxes were full of tools and supplies that we had yet to open. People had worked on a couple minor projects during the last few weeks, and there were tools and mess left out. Building material and scraps had also been displaced. When we were done, the bunkhouse was back to it's tidy self. We all felt invigorated and excited to get back to work.
Once the jobsite was organized, Grace and I started on the rake walls again. It was as slow going as ever, but we enjoyed the time, belting out '90s country while custom cutting each stud.
We also prepped for the next time we work on the roof, moving all of our insulation and one-by-fours inside so we can work on them in the coming rain.
While we ladies have been busy in the bunkhouse, our menfolk have been keeping us in firewood. Erin and Bonnie-Jean have helped now and then, but the guys have done the bulk of the work -- selecting dead trees, cutting, hauling, splitting, and stacking the wood.
We took some time for fun this week as well. The long winter evenings have offered us opportunity for indoor pursuits. We have all enjoyed doing more reading, as well as listening to audiobooks. Grace has several crochet projects in the works. I ordered supplies for some crochet and beadwork. On Sunday, our mom whipped up a batch of scones, which we used to sell in the bakeries we had when we sisters were growing up. We experimented with baking them in the air fryer and the slow cooker. Both worked remarkably well -- we almost wish we didn't know how accessible scones are, even while camping! One evening, we watched "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" while sampling some Turkish Delight. Our mom had ordered the candy for the holidays, but it got lost. It finally arrived last week, and we thought it deserved a Narnia night.
There was nothing exciting about this week. We didn't accomplish anything grand. But after many difficult weeks, we all feel so thankful for normal. Our old routine felt like a succession of simple pleasures -- devotions, cooking and cleaning, working on the project, eating together, rest and recreation. Everyone is healthy enough to do his or her part, so our well-oiled machine has slowly come back to life. Personally, I am feeling downright encouraged, and I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us in the coming weeks.
