Three months, and settling in...

We've been moved in at Shangri La for three months now, and things are finally beginning to normalize.  This past year has been like nothing we've ever experienced.  The highlights include a high school graduation, two  graduation parties, a new job, splitting the family between two houses, temporary blindness, moving son into college, gall bladder attacks, pancreatitis, selling a home, moving to Michigan, bronchitis, and celebrating a 25th wedding anniversary.  Having survived all of that, we're now beginning to settle into a routine...a routine which I hope will include far more frequent updates here.  

We have been able to get a few things accomplished...not as much as we'd like, but a few things.  One very huge thing off the to-do list is the installation of the wood fired boiler, which also includes the installation of a new hot water heater.  The boiler is now fully installed, and its care and feeding are quickly becoming a part of our daily routine.  It is proving to be every bit as effective as we had hoped, and our expectation for a 3-4 year return on our investment is looking to be very realistic.  

The barns are now fully cleared out and organized, and we've made a serious dent in clearing out the basement in preparation for finishing.  The basement project is going to be our first major renovation.

One project which will most definitely be in the works is the installation of new windows throughout the entire house.  The house itself is very well insulated, but the windows are a serious weak point.  For this winter we put plastic on all of the windows, and we hung curtains.  The two together made a HUGE difference, and the curtains certainly dressed up the place.

Aside from the above, and I'm sure that I'm forgetting some things, we've been unpacking and organizing.  Fitting everything into a home of half the size is a serious challenge.  :)

So, that's it for this update for me.  Shelly will be providing an update as well, and I'm sure she'll do a good job of filling in any blanks I've left.  I hope to be back here very soon, talking about all of the stuff we're getting done.