The first day of the rest of our life...

An Idaho Barn - gotta love the hipstamatic.

After six weeks of speculation, tomorrow we will begin living rurally.   The bank has recieved word that everything has gone through and we are a go.

This is something that seriously Mike and I have been talking about for ten years.  We'd talk to each other about it as we fell asleep at night or when I was having a bad day Mike would let me lay my head on his lap as he described our future "farm".   The kids would draw pictures of it - we'd read books about it - it was often a subject of our prayers.  I have yearned for it - ached deep down in my gut to have it.  And now we are getting it.  Isn't that strange?  I'm not sure if I really believed that would happen in this life.  I often wondered if I wouldn't get it until the next life - that my heaven would be a big beautiful farm.  I still hope it is.

And I'm embarrassed to admit that when we first started the process of buying this home that instead of being ecstatic - I was terrified.  I've never lived rurally before.  Maybe I was wrong - maybe I didn't really want this.  And my stress lasted for weeks.  I think the Lord must have been slightly bothered with me since he was giving me EXACTLY the thing I dreamed of.  Honestly, Mike and I often ask each other what our dream day would look like - not a vacation or a Saturday - a perfect day of the week.  Where do we live, what does it look like, what do we do with our time?  And I am not kidding you when I say that everything - down to what it looks like out our window is what I imagined.  Saying that makes me get teary-eyed.  I really feel like all of those years the Lord was taking notes and in his due time, delivered it.  Wow.  Keep hoping and praying for your dreams.  And trust the Lord. 

Honestly, it really wasn't until about ten days ago that I finally came out of that craziness and realized, "Are you kidding me?  We're going to be so HAPPY!"    And we are.  WE ARE GOING TO LOVE IT!  I am so so grateful.  I really am.  And the best part of it all is that I get to do it with Mike.  He is my everything.  For real.  And we are going to rock this farm life thing.

In the end, I just want to say - go for your dreams.  Really ask yourself how you want to spend this life - what do you REALLY want to do.  And then don't spend another minute on paths that won't take you there.  Pray, work, hope, and trust that you'll get what you want.  I really think the Lord gives us our desires - our personalities - to help us achieve the unique mission he has for every one of us.  So, even if everyone around you thinks you're crazy - go for it.  And don't worry about all of the finger-waggers and nay-sayers.  You don't want to be like them anyway.  Take counsel from the Lord.  Ponder, pray, and discover what you were made to be.  And then go for it.

My future house.

Ok, you've been asking, so here goes.  Our offer was countered, we countered and it was accepted.  We are excited but we also feel a little strange.  Are we really going to get what we've been dreaming of for 10 years?  Are we about to live the life that we've talked about late at night as we drift off to sleep?  Are we really doing this?   Remember this post?  It holds a special place in my heart.  And now, we are actually about to have a version of it.  I love love love that.  The Lord is good. 

Though you never know what will happen until the keys are in your hand.  Hopefully those keys are in our hands on October 22nd.   So, here are some pics.

This is the house.  It's a 60's rambler on 4.5 acres.  Across the street is 40 undeveloped acres of trees and hills and a creek that's open and free for the boys to roam.  It's all fenced pasture around the house ready for cows, pigs & chickens.  It has a year round spring in the front pasture and a well.  And it's got an amazing deck.

Here are some more views of that deck.

And here is the view FROM the deck.  This picture does not do it justice.  At all.  Right now it's all rolling hills of golden wheat and pine trees.  In the spring and early summer it's green and lush.  And hopefully in the winter it's soft hills of white. 

Here's the view from the deck looking another way.  That's ALL ours until the top of that hill.  You can see Mike and his brother in the middle of the image.

Here's the barn.  It's just the right size.  We hope that next spring we can fill it up with a milk cow, lots and lots of chickens and perhaps a couple piglets.

Here's the front room + the view looking out the window.  I love the mid-century styling of the pass-through fireplace.  I can't wait to get their stuff out, paint, and put my stuff in.  And then someday I can't wait to put some dark wood floors in to really take this place to it's best place.

Anyhow, that's all for now.  I'm sure you'll see waaay more than you'll like as I fix it up - SLOWLY fix it up since that takes lots of money, honey.  For now, all that house needs is a family of four boys and a mom and a dad.  And maybe a dog and a cat.

For just a few dollars, you too can be a farmer...

I am in serious farm dreaming mode lately.  I don't know why but every once in a while my desire for some land and some animals becomes an acute ache.  But since I am firmly embedded in suburbia for now and unable to have more the 6 hens(which I have), I go down the street to Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country and talk to the cows, ride in trailers pulled by retired farmers, and feed the ridiculously cute goats.  It helps for a while but like any unnatural stimulant, I crash after-wards and want a farm more than ever.  I listen to Dolly Parton, peruse rural real estate, and plan future orchard placement and animal housing.  Oh well, I'm addicted.  Someday I'll have the real deal.