This is it! Our last week before we move into the new house. I wasn’t sure a week ago if things would be ready but now it’s looking very close indeed. It’s amazing how much can happen in a short time. As of Friday night I started a much needed vacation — originally I booked this time off expecting to move this first week of December but alas, they needed more time, so instead I’m taking it easy and I’ll use the time to get my Christmas shopping done and to just generally unwind.

Our hosts, who have so generously put up with us and our creatures for the last 5 months, are gearing up to do some renovations of their own, so we are heading to the farm for the coming week, after Chris finishes at the office tomorrow. We’re spending our last weekend at their house getting our meagre belongings moved into the garage of the new place, and sorting out what needs to come with us to the farm. We shipped the pets off to the farm last weekend to simplify the move-out from here.

I have the month of December away from the office — some vacation plus some working from home time — and after Christmas we have a ski trip planned to Vermont, so in addition to all the work of moving in, there’ll be plenty of time for rejuvenation over the coming weeks.

So, we’re in the homestretch of what has been an incredibly long journey. There are still some pieces of the puzzle that are going to take a long time yet to sort out — the front porch and the back deck permit is still under review with the City and we’re now looking at these not being installed until spring. I’ll have to put up with temporary front steps until then. We have a lot of landscaping to do next year. And a few jobs inside the house will be ongoing after we move in, like the installation of our backsplash in the kitchen.

Because of this I’m trying to decide if it makes more sense to leave at least the cat, Smokey, at the farm for the duration, until we’re back from Vermont. He’s had a bit of a rough fall health-wise so I don’t want to stress him out unnecessarily. But I have to talk to my mama about that because it means her continuing to give him his medication 2x a day. Luna is a bit easier because she’s been to the house many times and it’s not a strange place for her, although it could be easier to just leave her at the farm too. She likes to be underfoot and she could be a further annoyance for contractors coming and going, not to mention for unpacking and general messiness. We’ll figure this all out as we go.

All in all we’re very excited, although still both operating under some pretty high stress, as we sort out the final bits of financing and logistics. Chris doesn’t have next week off work unfortunately — he’s going into the office Monday and then has to work from home for the remainder of the week (from the farm). And then he really just has that one week off to move. I plan to treat myself with a visit to the spa tomorrow; a little gift to myself after a long, long year, and an especially intense autumn at work. Here’s to new beginnings!