Moving

Monday March 24, 2014
Last night Ricky and I made an offer on a very, very inexpensive small farm (bank owned property). A smaller home on 5 acres with a barn, totally fenced. (Oh such a nice all wooden post fence!) Downsizing house and monthly mortgage, up-size the land, live debt free much, much faster. We are excited, scared, dreamful. More goats for brush clearing, a horse for the kids, maybe a mini cow someday. The home needs some TLC, but nothing too crazy: Paint, tiny bit of carpet for two tiny bedrooms, a few windows, drywall and frames to make basement bedrooms.

We probably won't get the offer accepted because we have a feeling this property is going to go for more than asking price, but it's interesting to try. The asking price is dirt cheap and a real steal. $45,000. We offered 50. Others will probably offer 55 or 60. We would offer more if we could sell our current home before getting the loan and moving, but it's a no contingent sale. The bank that owns the home wants a clean fast sell, they don't want us to have to sell our home before we take possession. So in essence we are trying to buy a second home. I've had a splitting headache over the stress, but it has been a fun past few days. To have someone to: love, dream with, laugh with, be scared with, be joyous with, and be stressed with is the better than any home or farm or place in the world. I know we can be happy and in love anywhere as long as we are together. So we'll see if this is meant to be. Lots of prayers over this one. Please let this be right only if it's right, and please ease our doubts when they come. This may be just what we need either way. Either way this has been a big push in the right direction to change and simplify things at our current home and make plans for the future, whether we stay for a while longer or go sooner. The kids absolutely love the property despite the small home (which is still darling) and I'm really excited and proud they they see both the pros and cons of a bigger picture.   

Friday March 28, 2014

We didn't get the property. We have to believe there is better land and home out there for us. There was no pond and we really, really want one. So maybe that is why. We had already put ourselves inside that home. I imagined what winters would look like from the fireplace in the dining room. The wall size windows overlooking beautiful  huge green cedar trees heavy with snow, and tons of yard that led to nice land. An orchard we could plant. More counter space in the kitchen. A grassy yard that seemed forever long. I was going to hang tin farm signs outside the old tin barn. Instead we continue our journey fixing up our one acre backyard farm. We appreciate our current large home right now... with plenty of bedrooms, playrooms and space for everyone. Painted in my colors. Enjoying five years worth of trees and plants. Semi ignoring all the up-keep we should be doing to get ready to sell it. Our abandoned pool will be filled in soon, making a beautiful garden with a walkway around it (the pool deck). It should look lovely.  I have TONS of starter seeds that will make it into the ground now, if we had to move this spring/summer I would have given them all away. We want to add a new BBQ grill (ours is toast) and fire pit to the garden area. I have day dreams now of the little kids riding a big wheel bike on the decking around the garden as they watch their pumpkins grow, corn stalks growing a mile high, and getting to eat from our blackberry, raspberry, and strawberries for at least one more year. Another 4th of July family picture on the steps where we always take the picture.

When we move we'll have to plant ALL new things. We wanted to plant two more fruit trees here this year. I'm not sure if we will/should. We already pretty much have to put up the fencing we bought. We need it for rotating the goats and chickens onto pasture, and to send the goats into the wooded area to eat the scrub. Not sure it's worth it, but we're going to do it anyway. We love this home and feel very blessed to have such a beautiful space. Right now the yard is dreary because winter still has it's grip. There are so many times we don't want to leave this place. When the tulip tree pops with flowers this spring we will definitely wonder how we could leave this old home and it's charm. Our heart is all to often someplace miles away though....on more acreage. We just can't shake it, though we try hard.

We licked our wounds by ordering our new birds we had planned on. Seven turkey (Ricky wanted six, I told him seven was lucky though), two more geese, and 15 more chickens will arrive in May. It's gong to be a gorgeous, happy spring and summer. I know we are going to love every minute of it.