About 10 months ago, my family and I moved out of our house in the suburbs and into a farmhouse that has been a part of my husband’s family for over a century! (Yes, you read that right!) Initially, we only planned to live in the house temporarily – until the short sale we were trying to buy went through. When those plans fell apart, we started to look at other houses.
One afternoon, we went to see a home that was perfect for us. We didn’t like the lot, but loved the home. On the drive back to the farm, my husband asked if we should go for it. It was at that moment that I said something that took both of us completely by surprise. I said, “I think I’d rather buy the farm.”
I hadn’t wanted to even stay at the farm temporarily. It was NOT a part of my plan. I’d wanted a new house, with shiny appliances, new flooring, and a gorgeously landscaped yard. I wanted move-in-ready. I certainly didn’t want a fixer-upper…..and then I slowly fell in love.
Now, we are in the process of buying the farm (it’s complicated and out of our hands) – and I am loving every minute of the journey. We’re preserving a piece of family history AND getting to really invest in our property. We get to pour love into this house and see all of the potential.
I wanted to give you a glimpse of what I fell in love with and what has me convinced that this farm was part of God’s plan for us all along. Once you come out to the property, it’s easy to see why a little sweat equity is making it all worth it.
One of the biggest and BEST changes has been in our kids. Before living here, they spent a marginal amount of time outside – favoring screen time over outside time. The second morning we were here, I spotted our oldest son outside before breakfast – just watching the animals. Now, all 4 of the kids spend the majority of their time outside. They have also come to LOVE animals and have a deep appreciation of nature. It’s wonderful! This shot of my daughter wasn’t staged. This is just how she was. =)
There are currently 8 cows and 1 horse on the farm, although we are expecting 3 more calves any day now!!
Meet the newest member of the herd – Blackjack! This little guy has been a lot of fun to watch, and we can’t wait until the other calves join him!
When we moved in, we inherited a barn cat. This 15 year old cat was my husband’s grandfather’s cat. His name is Milo. While neither my husband or I are “cat people” we have come to have a special place in our heart for this guy.
We added chickens to the farm in the fall. We currently have 4 chickens, and are getting 3 more this coming weekend. We all love going to check for eggs and love the taste of our farm-fresh eggs.
The family trust owns 160 acres. While we’ll never own that much of the property, it’s wonderful to have access to it. I love that we can walk through the forest, go on mini-hikes, splash in the creek, sit in flower-filled meadows, all on “our” property. It’s incredible. This old car sits at the edge of the forest on the property, and the kids just love it. Character lurks around every corner here.
When I looked out my front window at my old house, I saw my neighbor obsessively washing his truck. Now, I see this….glorious nature. If I crack my window, I can hear the creek (situated just at the edge of that tree line.) It’s quiet. It’s calming. It’s my new favorite.
It has been really fun to see daffodils spring to life in random places around the farm. It’s a surprise – just these little bursts of unexpected beauty – sort of like the farm has been for us. You could look at a patch of dirt and think nothing of it – and over time, beauty can spring up from it. It was that way with the farm. I used to see an old house that needed a lot of work. Now, I see something so beautiful and valuable – and I hope we never have to leave.
You never know what life is going to throw at you. You never know how your mind will change or how God will slowly change it for you. Don’t count anything out and don’t set your heart in cement.
I hope to be sharing more of our farm life with you this year as we continue our remodeling process and (hopefully!!!!) purchase and then add on to the existing house this summer. It’s already been an adventure, and I can’t wait to see what comes next. Thanks for letting me share a slice of my daily life with you all today! ~Bekki
Oh that has always been a dream of mine, your farm is so beautiful! Love the windmill!!! Someday I hope to be on a rarm!
Thank you so much. We feel really blessed to be here. That windmill has been on this farm for a long time and we are happy to keep it spinning. =)
YOU ARE SO LUCKY