We're in!

Sorry for the slight break in transmission.  I have been awash in a sea of boxes, trying to keep on top of two children who are tired and excited and nervous and uncertain and need a lot of attention and cuddles, trying to earn a little bit of cash through freelance writing (more in a future post) and all the other paraphernalia that comes with moving.  Hubby is still in Scotland for another couple of weeks until he's worked his notice, but we are here and ready to roll with our first day of school tomorrow.

So... we're in.  And it's beginning to look a little more like a home.  Here's for the big reveal.  Sorry not to have included a picture of the outside of the house.  I forgot that bit!  Basically it's a wooden clad barn conversion, on the end of a terrace of four.  At the front is a lawn with a fence around it, and to the rear is a gravelled yard with a fence around it.  The garden is pretty dull and desperately needs some work.  I'd like to make it a more pleasant place to be, a place for the children to play creatively, and a space where I can grow things.  All without making any permanent changes, because we might only be here for six months and it needs to be returned to its current state when we move out.

Here's the sitting room.  It's looking quite cosy but I still haven't found half the cushions, we haven't hung any pictures yet (not sure if we're allowed), and there are still a couple of boxes lurking at the back.  Also we don't appear to have an aerial, so may need to get a free-sat box or something like that so that we can watch some TV.

The hallway fills me with dread.  There are still a lot of boxes here. 

oops, blurry shot.  Here's one end of the dining room (still plenty of boxes in evidence).

and here's the other end of the dining room - it's a study!  Hubby and I are going to share a desk and computer... eek, I'll have to start tidying up after myself!

The kitchen actually looks like a kitchen.  We just have one more box and a bit of sorting out to do.

without this room, the rest of the house would be a lot messier - its the shoes-and-coats-and-laundry-and-dog-and-downstairs-loo-room.  A couple of boxes left in here, but they are mostly bike stuff for when we get a shed (the bikes are currently under a tarp outside).

Bug's bedroom is about four times the size of her last one.  She's all unpacked, and already making a mess.

the other half of Bug's bedroom. 

C had priorities when we moved in.  Grandma, who was trying to put the bed together, kept being asked to shift the mattress, or whatever else was in his way, so that he could set up his "cafe".  He's now all set up and loving his new bedroom. 

The bathroom is enormous.  A small family could move in here and we'd barely notice.

The master bedroom is now all unpacked, though it's pretty cluttered.  I used to have a large built in wardrobe and a spare room for storing all my craft paraphernalia, clothes for the children to grow into, bedding, spare towels, and other assorted bits... there's no storage here, so I have them stashed all over the bedroom!

Now I just need to get the children settled into their new school and pre-school, get a routine established, get my husband settled in, start earning a bit more cash for my work and sell the house in Scotland.  Then we'll be all ready to make the most of our new life here.  There's plenty of countryside.  Today we came home laden with blackberries, elderberries and apples from our walk... yum!