Update

Well, we did get approved for our homeowners insurance, so.. yay!

There are lots of paint marks on the road in front of our property, and on the end of our driveway, so we're hopeful that this means our hookup to county water is imminent.

Did I tell you the dogs are officially banned from the house? After weeks of trying to get everyone to get along, Hydrant got her mouth on FireCat and two days later FireDog got his mouth on FireKitty. And this happened while we were there, so... I can't imagine what would have happened if we hadn't been there. Well, yes, I can imagine, and it ain't pretty, so... our doggies will remain outdoor doggies, and our kitties will remain indoor kitties. My dream of everyone living in harmony is crushed, but I'm much more interested in keeping all five of them alive, so...
Oh, there were no serious injuries (thank God!), although FireCat did appear to be bruised under where Hydrant's mouth made contact, and was in a state of shock for about 12-14 hours after the incident. It was really quite heartbreaking.
side note - Spots has yet to commit any serious offenses, so he will come in as the temperature drops. Chihuahua mixes don't tend to do well in cold weather.

The house is looking pretty good. Well, I think if you just walked in not knowing, you would think it was a disaster. But if you knew what we started with... it looks pretty darn good.

Last week we had our first (and 2nd, and 3rd) fire(s) in the fireplace. It wasn't terribly cold, but our furnace is not yet in working order, so a wood-burning fireplace is currently our only source of heat, and we do have a toddler in the house, so sometimes you just have to make it warmer.
I've never had a fireplace before, and am learning. It'll take some getting used to (like check your shirt for ash before you climb into bed), but so far, so good. I like it. And I love the smell!

We hit Lowe's up last night. Another four-cart shopping trip. It's amazing how many things are still left to be purchased this late in the game.

Tonight the plan is to go to Surplus Warehouse to look at and (hopefully) purchase kitchen cabinets. After much effort getting the existing cabinets to work in our bastard kitchen, we both agree we'll be much happier if we just rip them out and put in new. So that's the plan.