Monday, June 8, 2015

Today Marks TEN Years on the Farm! (Yes, There Are Photos.)

I had never heard such silence.

I had never been in so much darkness.

The only light came from the sliver of moon and the millions of stars I could see above me.

Once I managed to unlock the front door, I stepped inside.

It was even darker inside.

I was never a big fan of the dark, but that night, in that dark, I was scared. Heart-racing, palm-sweaty, scalp-tingling kind of scared.

I groped around for a light switch. All I could find were windows and empty space. A space that had looked so pretty in the daytime was now frightening. In my haste, I swumg my arms about. I couldn't even find a wall, let alone a switch on it.

After what seemed like 20 minutes, I tripped on a step and found a wall. My fingers found the light switch and I threw it on.

Better. But it's still mighty creepy.

I unloaded the van and got out of there as quickly as I could. Back to my husband and sleeping children for our last night in our home.

The next morning, we were starting a new adventure. One that completely changed our lives.

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Ten years ago today, we moved our young family to the farm.

We did not set out to be farmers. We just liked the house. It has been an adventure we never would have dreamed we'd be taking when we exchanged wedding vows.

TEN YEARS! It just blows my mind. It is officially the longest I have ever lived in a house, including the years I was a kid living with my parents.

Exactly one week after we moved in, we did this:


Star turned four years old.

That child will be starting high school in the fall!

We have seen and done so many things in these 10 years.

For a couple who actually discussed which of them was going to be allergic to animals in order to get out of having a pet, we've come across a whole lot of animals!

Both the expected...

Buttercup with one of the cats that came with the house. This was taken the second week in the house.

Our first pigs, with Buttercup and Giant.

Star and Giant holding the kittens that came with the house.
and the unexpected

One year we were in the migration path of the butterflies. Hundreds of them descended on our property and stayed for a few hours.

Nine puppies from the dog we thought was fixed.
Woodpeckers abound at our house!

We were shocked to find a bald eagle in the field across the street from our house.

The chores my kids have are vastly different than the chores their friends have.

Giant helping Bryan fix the barn roof that blew off in a storm.
Turken putting the eggs away.

Giant collecting grass clippings for the garden. (I have no idea why he is doing this chore with his church clothes on.)

Cuckoo helping Bryan plant the garden.
Yes, there have been some struggles.

OK, lots of struggles.

The pigs alone gave us more struggles than we ever envisioned.

It's also taken lots of money we didn't expect to keep this old house not only comfortable, but inhabitable.

New septic system. We had to start from scratch, since the old one was just a pipe leading out to the field.
I sometimes wonder what life would have been like if, 10 years ago, we would have stayed in a "normal" neighborhood in a "normal" house. But despite the problems and headaches and driving that living here has caused, it has been a marvelous adventure.

Our kids have grown up in fresh air.

Phoenix and Buttercup

They've gotten filthy dirty while having good, country fun.

Star on our (broken) rope swing.
We've made memories they will hold onto their entire lives.

(No, not just memories of dead animals!)


with our best friends. These kids spent 7 years of their lives growing up almost as one family.
The big kids were so young when we moved here. Giant only remembers our old house because close friends still live next door to it.


Giant playing on a tree that fell across the driveway
Our family has grown, mentally, physically and in number.

Turken and Cuckoo playing in the rain in their pajamas. Both born after we moved to the farm.

10 years 6 months ago we couldn't have predicted the direction our lives would take.

I'm not even going to try to predict where we'll be in another 10 years.

But I do hope dead pigs, wolf spiders, and bats will not be involved.

I'm linking this up with Jessica and Katie at Sweet Little Ones. I just learned about their Tuesday Talk link up and thought I'd give it a try. Feel free to join in!

Have a lovely day!

32 comments:

  1. What a great post. What a walk down memory lane. I smiled all the way through. Well, not the dead pigs part because I remember some of those.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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    1. Thanks! I had fun going through the old photo albums to find the pictures to use. Love those chubby cheeked little kids they used to be.

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  2. Love love love this! For so many reasons...but mostly the pictures of your adorable children! Thank you so much for sharing! (In unrelated news: Aren't you impressed that I actually read a post?!? It was the cute picture on FB that caught my attention...)

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  3. What an adventure for you and your children! One of them will write a book ya'know. And we will all read it and laugh and laugh. Many wishes for at least 10 more happy years on the farm!

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    1. It has been an adventure all right. I'd be happy for one of them to write a book, as long as they made me look good. ;) There are plenty of stories to tell.

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  4. It is astonishing where some choices lead us. We can never know how things will turn out. Oh, how I loved seeing your big kids as little kids. I want to eat them up!

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    1. They were cute, weren't they? :)

      Living here has certainly reinforced my idea that we just have to roll with how things turn out. Things won't go as planned, but we can at least find the humor in it all.

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  5. Congratulations on such a milestone. And such awesome pictures to remember all of those good times!

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  6. Wow, what an adventure. But I have to admit, when I was airing out our neighbors' brand new house before the electricity was up, I felt so, so spooked and uncomfortable being in that house at night. And I'm usually not such a chicken :-) I can't wait to make lots of memories in our house!

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    1. Moving into a new house is so exciting. The fun you will have!

      Glad I'm not the only one who gets spooked by a dark, empty house. :)

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  7. If this comment is a duplicate, please delete it. Let me see if I can remember what I wrote. Oh yeah. I have a great big smile on my face while reading this. I love seeing pictures of the kids when they were younger. We moved into our home when my son was 4 1/2 and my daughter was turning 2. So much fun and so many wonderful memories.

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    1. No duplicate!

      I'm glad you liked the post. The photos of the kids make me smile, too. :)

      I have no doubt you and your kids sit around the table talking about all the fun things you did when they were kids.

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  8. Happy 10 years and 6 months anniversary!! Wow...what wonderful memories indeed. Love the stroll down memory lane with you. Thanks for sharing!!

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    1. I think I confused you. I didn't edit this post much. It was only 10 years. 10 years and 6 months ago we didn't even know we were going to be moving, let alone moving to a farm. :)

      Glad you liked the post. I was in quite a nostalgic mood yesterday.

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  9. Happy anniversary! Ten years! And what a lot of memories you've accumulated!

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  10. Beautiful. Happy anniversary. Happy family. Happy home. <3

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    1. Thank you! It's not always peaches and cream, but we're mostly happy. :)

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  11. Crazy, isn't it? Sometimes you sort of have an idea that you might be getting into something that is both great and overwhelming, but NO idea how hard and how awesome it will really be (I was thinking about that again today, exactly 5 years after starting at my current job). Happy 10 years in awesome country living!

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    1. Five years at the new job! Certainly calls for some thoughts and evaluations. (And congratulations!)

      We had no inkling. None. It's definitely come with overwhelming moments, but so many more awesome ones.

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  12. *glee* I love everything about this, ESPECIALLY the cute big-kids-when-little pictures. And you all, and your adventure and your FAMILYness. But you know that. HAPPY FARMAVERSARY :D

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    1. I'm glad you liked it. :) They were the cutest, weren't they?

      Thank you!

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  13. very cool (thank you for not taking pictures of the … we-will-never-speak-of-it adventure)

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  14. I love this! In our married life, 7 years is the longest we've been in one house. We're approaching 6 years in this one, and it amazes me. What wonderful memories your children will have when they look back on their time on the farm!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

      Wow, that's a lot of moving with children in tow. I really think that is why we're here this long. That move with four little kids turned me off of ever moving again. :)

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  15. Congratulations on ten years! It takes a whole lot of Idon'tknowwhat to make it look easy. You have done that with the help of your crew - well that is how I see it, living on a farm looks amazing but i I am certain with all the easy going ons that you led me to believe, it is also loaded and packed with lots of blood sweat and tears... as so many things of the heart often are.

    The pics are awesome so adorable the kids, the pets....the animals, the memories.

    Wishing you many wonderful, joyous, and blessed years....:)

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  16. A great post with some great photos and lots of treasured memories. Congratulations on the ten years, and here's to the next ten, wherever you may be :)

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  17. It sounds and looks like a great and grand adventure! Congrats on taking that leap!

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  18. I wonder why I always lose my comments... ( I copy and paste now) and your post comes to me two days later.... hmmmmm.... a sense a conspiracy! It probably has something to do with chickens and spiders... I know Clark is grateful for not taking photos of the day that shall not be named however I dont see how you could have resisted... moving walls!... Congrats on your longevity and tenacity! It aint a life for sissies thats for sure!

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  19. I was afraid you were going to post a picture of the spiders or dead pig removal, but instead I was glad to see the pictures of your cute kids! I think next year you should post before and after pictures on the 11th year in your house!

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