We have beds! A double bed for us and a bunk bed for the girls. Still working on what type of bed to have for the little man. A trundle under the bunks would work well, rolling it out across the bus into the vacant spot or a sofa lounge where the back falls down but that would be permanently set up in the space provided and i'm thinking during the day the kids can have that floor area to play on or something. It's a matter of thinking how we can utilize the space as best as can be :)

Our bed folds up against the back window (window will be blocked out anyway) and becomes the back rest for the seat along the back (the original back seat). We wanted to have a pull out sofa bed that could be tucked away when not in use but we can't cut into the back shelf thingy as the motor is under it so we've had to utilize that area as best we can too. When the bed is down the lounges become it's support legs (might change our mind on those particular lounges, they stick out a bit too much for our liking)

When we settle on the lounges we will be re-upholstering them, upholstering our bed and the cushions for the back seat so it looks like a living area during the day and also around the girls bunks, more for padding so you don't knock yourself against it when walking past but also for looks lol.

The cupboard across the bus from the stove/sink cupboard is a little lower and shorter. It's more for a serving bench.

And then there is the little cupboard above the fridge. Nothing was small enough to sit on the fridge so we thought a medicine/bathroom cupboard would be ideal. Keeps little hands out :)

Apart from that, hubby has been fiddling with the electricals. Moving things and lengthening the wires to stretch to where he's moved the radio and whatnot too.

Everything that has been done this month has been made from 2nd hand recycled materials. The lounges are from the local salvage yard (if we do change our mind about them they'll be used in the church). The bunk beds and the timber for the cupboards are also from the salvage yard. Even the fridge is 2nd hand, it came out of the church! It's becoming a cheap reno but there will be a few brand new things in there ;)

Until next time
~x~

So, we have the bus we are converting and now we have a renovators delight we will call home in a few months.
We've been keeping this one quiet for a little while. I didn't want to put it out there too much because I wasn't confident it was what we should be doing at this stage of our life. After multiple discussions with DH and the children, writing pros and cons lists and reassuring and being reassured it's a good thing, we are going ahead with it :)

As you can see from the photos below it's a dissused church. Not as fancy as some but for a rural community it served it's purpose. I don't have a lot of information on it's history as yet, but i will endeavour to find out all i can.
It resides in a very small, rural town in Victoria. By small i mean tiny! The is a pub and a public phone box and a handful of homes. There is a school building and a brilliant tennis court but the school closed down a couple of years ago. The nearest town is half an hour away so it's not much different from living out on the farm. The children will travel by bus to school as they already do.
Our home is on Church street with other dissused churches around us, all occupied and of different denominations :)

The building is structually sound but small. It's one big room with a seperate bathroom. We intend to build another couple of rooms off the side and maybe a mezzanine but will be leaving the open plan living as is. We will also try our best to keep it looking like a church on the outside.
Renovations won't be starting anytime soon. Our priorities are a huge shed and vegetable garden lol. Hopefully this time next year we will have made a start on the new rooms.

I'm looking forward to showing you the progress of our home :)

~x~

The 2011 school year has begun! Well, we are into the 2nd week and it's all going smoothly so far.

Master 5 is now a big school boy and has taken to it rather well. He's been utterly exhausted each night and dragging him out of bed in the mornings is a challenge but once he's awake he's roaring to go!
Both Miss 10 and Miss 9 are extremely happy to be back in the classroom learning.

Here's hoping the remainder of the term sees them staying happy!

~x~

A quick bus update.

Hubby has been spending every spare minute he has working on the bus, and lately that hasn't been much but i give him credit, bus renovations are on the top of his list, my threat still stands lol. I wish he would stop changing his mind about things though, he's worse then a woman lol

The cupboard is the start of the kitchen area. There will be a sink and a cooktop on this bench. We've decided not to have an under bench stove. It wouldn't get a lot of use to be honest and having a door that opens downwards isn't ideal in this small space.

It might not look too fantastic yet but it's definately taking shape, albeit slowly.

Oh, he got himself a new (recycled) drivers seat. More comfortable then the previous one (don't have a photo of the old one)

~x~

Seems asthough hubby has taken my threat of "if you don't start doing something to the bus soon, i'm selling it" seriously for once in his life lol

Yesterday saw him pulling out the seats and over head luggage racks aswell as drafting the renovations in chalk on the floor. We even went looking at appliances so we could get precise measurements so we know how much room we have to play with!

I must admit, it was fun drawing and discussing, but don't tell hubby hehe.

Wonder when the next installment of Bus Update will be ;)

~x~

Miss Mogs has a love for anything 4 legged and furry, woolly or hairy. Her most beloved creature is the horse. She did have a couple of horse friends when we lived on the farm but since living in surburbia there has been limited space for even a minature pony so she's made do with a beer keg, a saw stool and the riding equipment she wouldn't let us put in storage incase the oppertunity arose to put it to good use lol.

The following photos tell the story :)

~x~

The begining of a new calander year.

Start afresh and make those dreams come true, i know i will be.

Last year is in the past. I've no regrets, i will learn from my mistakes.

I have many things i wish to do this year but my one and only new year resolution is not to tell anyone anything until it has happened. I tend to get too excited and blab about my intentions only for them to fall flat. I do have big news but my mouth is firmly shut! Hopefully noone can read my mind lol

I've also decided a new year calls for a new blog template. Not too much different from what i previously had, by the same blog designer too. Who knows, i may change it to follow the seasons or my moods later in the year.

Blessings for a wonderful funfilled 2011.

~x~