About a week ago, Chad let us know that our earthen floor was officially dry and complete. Without wasting a single moment after the all-clear, Tyler and I collected our disparate belongings from the camper, workshop, car, truck, and neighbors' houses, and moved right back in. Almost immediately upon settling, the angsty, volatile energy we harbored during our self-imposed exile dissipated like smoke. What an utter relief it was to be home once more.

I wasn't prepared for how finished our cottage would feel after the earthen floor installation (after all, we just replaced one mottled surface—concrete—with another), but the difference was remarkable. The transformation was so massive, in fact, that I decided we'd turned a corner in our homesteading project. "The early years" (as our woodsman friend, Jonathan, describes the hardscrabble times at the beginning of this adventure) were over.

This new, dawning era we've entered shall not be one of end-of-our-ropes levels of ovewhelm. Instead, I have a feeling it will be one of satisfaction, capability, and completion. Since moving back into our beautiful cottage, we've been finishing so many niggling projects and to-do list items!

We purchased a rug to go in front of the door...

...and I cleaned plaster off of our cistern shed trim and repainted it.

We installed a hanging flower bracket on the front of our house so we could delight in the sight of blooms every time we go in and out. For now, we have glorious pink begonias. When fall comes, I may replace them with mums.

I built a box to cover our ugly coil of plaster-splattered projector cord...

...and installed a shelf so we have a place to put our wallets, keys, and mail upon entering the house.

We also bought an outdoor bench that doubles as storage. This allows us to keep unsightly necessities like muddy boots and chainsaws out of the house, while also providing a nice place to sit down and enjoy being outside. Finally, we purchased a chest for our sleeping loft that stores our suitcases and extra bedding so we don't have to stare at them all the time.

And with that, almost everything in this cottage (including ourselves) has a home. It's good to be back.