I’m sore. Like just-cut-it-off sore. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. I’ve been sore since the beginning of August.

The good news? The skin-melting temperatures are behind us. The bad news? Now it’s freezing. Literally. And let me tell you, these kinds of temps cause fights.

Hubs and I argue about whose turn it is to go out of the heated camper to grab missing tools.

So we’re sore and freezing but hopeful because now we’re putting things back in the trailer.

Demolition is kind of exciting. Fixing is demoralizing. Building is glorious.

Except for the occasional splinters and smashed fingers.

Youngest can usually be heard exclaiming, “Language!” when he makes rare appearances at the worksite. I swear we don’t abuse the english language that often – the kid just has amazing timing.

I know, we’re terrible parents. We’ll worry about it after the camper is done. Like every other thing that has fallen into disrepair since its arrival.

Okay, enough editorializing. Lots to update.

The bathroom wall and bedframe were built this weekend.

New bathroom wall and bed frame. You can kind of see the new chrome shower fixtures.

Hubs and Oldest gave in to my floorplan change and Hubs built a wall cabinet over the soon-to-be desk.

The ceiling is still awaiting its turn to be tacked up.

Boring stuff like the propane installation, toilet plumbing, more caulking, new shower fixtures, filling uneven walls, and lots more priming took way too much time.

We rebuilt the bathroom counter since we couldn’t reuse the one I fell through. The new counter got a laminate surface that looks like concrete. Unfortunately, we couldn’t install it after we read the contact cement instructions that clearly stated the temps had to be above 65 degrees for 72 hours. The thermometer read 23 degrees outside, so the counter is in time-out in the basement.

New bathroom counter.
The laminate sheet. It’s going to recover the kitchen counters and the kitchen table too.

Great progress, but the most exciting arrival was the newly finished rock guard. This awning-like piece locks over the front windows during travel to prevent rocks from breaking the glass. Previously, it depicted an ugly mountain scene.

Grant’s rock guard looked identical to this one. Somehow, we missed ever taking pics of it before we primed it.
The rock guard has already been primed here but you can see the ugly mountain scene. The surface has a crazy texture of hairy fiberglass.

Now?

Snoopy.

Hubs came up with the idea and his mom, Mary Anne, worked her magic on a surface no one thought could be painted. We all adore it. It’s perfect for Grant since he’s a pilot and loved snoopy as a kid.

Hubs favorite part of the weekend? Moving the camper to the barn. Now it’s closer to his tools.

The camper couldn’t be moved previously due to two windows that wouldn’t close. Thanks to blacksmith Eric who forged new hinges and mailed them from OKC, we were able to install the windows and move the trailer.

Forged by a real-life blacksmith.

We also got this package in the mail.

Did you know you can have an air compressor emergency? Me either. But that’s what the box says. Many thanks to Ingersoll Rand for fast-shipping out the part for our broken air compressor.

Because building things the old-fashioned way is overrated.