I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to write an update. I'm battling too many things to do with kids/jobs, etc., and also frustration at the slowness of the process. Everyone asks: "So, are you enjoying your yurt?" OR "How's the yurt life?" or some variation on those themes. Well, the unfortunate truth is that the yurt is still not up yet. Why, you ask?

1. Money is tight and we can't afford to hire professionals to build the platform.

2. Though we have studied deck-building books for hours, we just don't feel qualified to do it by ourselves. Our house will be sitting on this deck, and it's gotta be done right.

3. My brilliant cousin, Mike, who had a home renovation business, recently got a full-time job in another field AND he just bought a house that they have been spending the summer renovating. So, he hasn't been available as early as we had hoped--but we're so excited about his wonderful life changes! He's going to give us some expertise and guidance as soon as he's more available.

4. It's been 150 million degrees in Arkansas, and we can't ask our volunteers to work in these conditions.

So, we're waiting until the weather cools at least a bit and when we've saved a bit more and Mike can give us some guidance. I'm guessing September through early October will be our work time. All along, we've had a goal to be in the yurt with all "systems" operational by 11/11/11, so we're still on target.

The summer hasn't been easy, I'm not gonna lie. The air conditioner in the camper went out, and even though the window unit in the storage "cabin" is working well, it still gets really hot during the day. It doesn't have insulation, so these 110 degree days are too much. Here's a pic of the interior of the cabin:




We've got two beds, a couch, a chest of drawers, a desk, and a refrigerator in the cabin, and there's still room to move around! It's quite comfy at night. We've got our TV and a DVD player on top of the dresser, so we snuggle in and watch movies together. The girls have occasional nights away at sleepovers or Grandma's house, so the hubby and I are managing to keep the "romance" alive through this period.

Meanwhile, we're planning things like decoration in the yurt, interior wall placement, window orientation, etc. I can't wait to have it up and make it beautiful! I'm thinking tapestries, splashes of bright color on the interior walls, funky but very natural-looking furniture, and plenty of twinkle lights! Upscale Zen Hippy, I think I'll call it!

Though this year has been sometimes difficult, I think we'll always look back on it with great fondness. We are, if possible, closer than we were before. Our girls have learned adaptability, and we have gained numerous skills. There have also been many fun moments. Here are a few random pics from the year, including one that is the view from the window of our yurt in Indiana before we took it down and moved it here.