I have been away from the magazine for a few weeks since my family’s move to a new home. We moved from the urban sprawl to a rural neighborhood. The nearest Walmart and Meijers are quite a drive away and, sadly, there are no Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts in the area.
Although the lack of a coffee shop saves us beaucoup bucks, it just shows how deep into the boonies we’ve actually moved.
Over the past five years, we’ve moved a lot. Hopefully this is the last time. Thankfully, our move was quick and painless this time. We had some help from friends and family (who also voiced their hope that it’s the last time), and we were able to load up the Uhaul and unload it in one afternoon, even with two small children.
All of our utilities were turned on within the first few days of our move to ease the transition, and we’ve already made our first month’s payment on the mortgage. We're settling in.
Plus, we haven't needed to outlay a bunch of money on repairs. The home has been standing for over 100 years, and it's in good shape. To be honest, I'd estimate that we will only need to remodel or upgrade a few rooms in the home over the next several years or so, and that’s only because our taste dictates it. The only item we were lacking, but wanted constructed right away, was a fence around the property. That additional expense was taken out of our savings, but we are so happy to have the fence up because the kids love being outside.
Honestly, our move has been easy. We haven’t had too many “unexpecteds” happen. You know, those "Oh my gosh" issues that crop up and threaten to suck up your savings account without notice. The only crux we’ve encountered since our move-in was when the handle on the toilet in the downstairs main bathroom quit working on Mother's Day, and we had to spring for a new one. Other than that odd repair, we’ve been lucky so far, considering the age of the home.
So, you're wondering, are there any drawbacks to the move? Well, sure. But it's small potatoes compared to how many drawbacks we had at our old home. For instance: A few weeks back, I woke up to the worst odor. And, no, it wasn't a fart. No, that would have wafted away quicker. This smell hovered and hung in the air for almost three days. It was the smell of cow poo and it assaulted my nostrils like nothing I've ever smelled before. It was horribly offensive. I even called the city to ask about the stench. I guess the farmers who tend their fields around here use the cow dung to fertilize the land. Believe me, I was so thankful when the first rain came after the smell and washed it away.
All in all, however, I’d say, we’re glad we moved from our old home to this one. We not only get to experience the open fields and cow poo stench of country living, but we have a few Amish families that live in the area. This is a great teaching experience for our kids, and we watch the horse-drawn carriages as they clop-clop-clop past the house in the mornings and evenings. And, one of these days I hope to get a good picture of them as they ride by to share with all my Hot Mama readers but, so far, no such luck. Stay tuned.
