Let Summer Begin!

I cannot hardly imagine that four months have flown by already and we are ready to embrace the "Dog Day's" of summer.
So much has happened here on Freedom Farm that I can barely wrap my mind around it all.

The farm has become my place of refuge and restoration. I still love it here. Just yesterday, as I was walking baby lumberjack I came across a field of wildflowers. I still don't know why anyone would want to move from here.

We have had quite a few changes here both inside and out.

Please accept my apologies for not keeping up to date! Enjoy the upcoming posts!

A month to get settled

When we first moved to the farm I thought that I would easily be able to have the time that I had previously to blog, sew and craft. How very wrong I was. This last month has been an absolute whirlwind of activity and work.

Let me start by just pointing out that we ADORE living here at the farm. I cannot imagine why the previous owners ever wanted to move from here. Granted, there is always some kind of work to be done and it always takes much longer that you think. The drive to town takes absolutely forever and when doing it several times a day, becomes a real pain. Planning for what you need ahead of time can certainly be a challenge as well. Besides these things, I just cannot figure out why anyone would want to leave this beautiful place. Even the mailman thinks this place is a gem and tells me every time he drops off a package.

This little farm of ours has become a place of refuge and joy. There is such freedom here that I never knew I was missing. I have been overtaken by so much peace, such a calmness in my soul, I seldom want to leave. Off the top of his head, the lumberjack dubbed it "Freedom Farm" in which has totally and completely stuck. So, the farm has a name now and I believe that it fits perfectly.

And it goes perfectly with my front porch.

I have made a few additions to the front porch since these pictures were taken. I will have to get some pictures of those up soon. We did make a major change to the front steps, we ended up adding a six foot safety gate so the baby lumberjack would be safe.

Happy Birthday Beautiful One

This child of mine, I've seen grow into such a beautiful young lady. My words cannot express how proud I am of her and how there will be a huge hole in this mama's heart the day she packs up her car and moves on to pursue life on her own. She is my treasure. I've poured all of my mothering into this one so my reward with her has been great.

This little love of mine is not only beautiful on the outside but as gloriously splendid on the inside.

She indeed is my treasure.

She is full of compassion and grace. She holds her tongue when she should and speaks her mind when it's time. She cares when others are hurting and always goes the extra mile, even when no one expects it. She is a natural born leader and she does that with love and grace that few have mastered at her age.

I love that she reaches out to those younger than her, mentoring with an understanding heart and sharing the love of Jesus.

She does love deeply. She speaks softly. She is fair and forgiving.

And she gets all her good looks from her mama. It's so lovely to look at her and see myself. I thank God for a little mini me.

Happy 18th Birthday Princess!

Little by little

P

Our first week here has been pretty busy and slightly crazy. Let me explain. 

We literally had company all weekend long. One of my "sons", Bubba & the mama to be brought out their baby princess to play with the little lumberjack on Friday night. As they were leaving, my right hand girl, Lady Wonder came bearing bags of groceries through the back door. I'm ever so thankful to her for that. She ended up staying the night. Meanwhile, the youngest princess had two friends over for the new farm experience. On Saturday, our old next door neighbor came out with her dogs. Our lab and Newfoundland had a great time running and chasing each other in the fields. We also got a visit from a new friend, a horse lady, who walked our stables and hayfields and helped us tremendously with information. 

On Sunday, the princesses friends went home and it was pretty quiet. 

I am thankful for visitors. We were able to get some target shooting in, our first home cooked meal and each night we've all fallen into bed several hours earlier than when we lived in the city. 

Each day, we've caught a glorious sunset along with debris blowing around the farm from the two day windstorm. 

We have literally been working from sun up till sun down every day trying to find a home for everything. Our office has been the biggest challenge so far. We've gone from four times the space as before, to a shared space with too much stuff. That process is still underway, with more purging on the horizon. 

My new horse friend brought this lovely picture. As soon as I put it up on the porch the windstorm started. I'm excited about decorating around it. I think it's absolutely perfect!

We are in!

It's been a long hard couple of days. We finally made it though. 

After closing on the old house Wednesday, we finally were able to close on the farm, Thursday. It took a few hours before we were given the go- ahead to actually move our stuff, even though we were legal owners. We will just leave the fact that the selling realtor was more than a real peach to work with. I'm thinking she needs a huge dose of Jesus. 

Anyway, we brought several loads down to the farm on Thursday night. Everyone pitched in cleaning. It ended up taking over eight hours to shampoo the carpets. Guess what? They left us fleas! I'm so freaking mad tonight. One jumped on baby lumberjack and hubs thankfully saw it. I've been vacuuming like crazy, and I pray this is just a small infestation. All in all, it's now in pretty good shape. 

We were blessed by the amount of help we got moving. Many hands made light work. The movers only had one fatality and that was a lamp globe. They were in and out quickly. I'd highly recommend them. 

Everyone is settling in here nicely. Just in time for a major two day windstorm. 

One thing I want to share real quick. Sunsets! Oh my goodness, they have been so glorious the past four nights. It's more like an event that you stop for. It only lasts a few minutes but it's so glorious to behold. I hope I never get so busy that I don't stop for the sunset. 

Finally time to move

Can you believe it? The time is finally here for us to go sign papers on the farm and empty out this house. A few weeks ago, I wasn't sure if it was going to happen. A week ago, I got cold feet and wished it wasn't happening. Nearly twenty years we have dreamed of this moment. It's surreal. I thought I would be more excited, anticipating this more. It's more being in autopilot. 

We met the family that is buying this home yesterday. Their realtor did a walk through to check all of the items we agreed to replace or repair. It was strange not being able to speak to the wife, having to use a translator. Ultimately, I think she is really going to love living here. We have two other Hispanic families that live on our block. Hopefully they can each help one another acclimate to their new lives. 

I saw this picture today and it's a great reminder about this situation. Maybe someday I'll be willing to share how we hit wall after wall because people have very little integrity. As a business owner, I've learned another great lesson. I'm not going to speak poorly of anyone, I don't have to. God is my champion and I've seen his faithfulness to us all of these years. 

This little house is about to be turned upside down. I'm off to get the youngest to co-op for the day, grab the sitter, and start a new chapter in life. 

If it's not packed, it's going to the trash. 

Freaking out- just slightly

I'm roughly 45 minutes away from selling my little home. My stomach is turning and I feel like I'm going to be sick. Maybe it's the coffee? The lumberjack on the other hand just asked me if I wanted an egg sandwich. Obviously, he's not experiencing this case of nerves. 

For about 24 hours, I will not own a house. 

If you see a Honda pulled over on the side of the interstate, don't worry. That's just me emptying the contents of my stomach. 

Home is...

Tomorrow is the first of two big days. We head to the title company tomorrow afternoon. This is where we sign the papers that relinquish the ownership of our little home. This is more than my home, it's been the place in which I burnt meal after meal as a young bride, chased toddlers through the halls, bribed young sons to come down out of the tree tops, hosted an abundance of birthday parties, Christmaa Eve open houses, graduation parties. I have spent all of my adult life here in this little house, rocking babies and learning to love the lumberjack. One of the hardest things I think I will have done to date is say goodbye to the home that has been my refuge for so many years, through so many storms. If these walls could talk...

Two grown sons, two teen daughters and a plethora of adopted sons and daughters have called this place "Home". It's been their home base, the place that never changes, their sanctuary. As a mom I wonder how they are going to adapt to this change. 

I anticipate some very real emotions over the next days. Saying good-bye to the older lady behind us, who's always been "Grandma Dee" from the day we moved in. Saying so long to our friendly biology teacher, who in his spare time, helped my own kids learn amazing things. I'm even going to be a little wet eyed over saying goodbye to the young military couple that lives next door. In some ways, I worry about how each of them will get along with the new owners. Will they all still look out for one another?

I'm going to miss this place. Miss my gardens, my flowers, my kitchen cupboards, and the boards that sqeak in the hallway. I'm going to miss the reminders of moments that have passed. Miss having friends drop in unannounced. 

Today, I'm sad for all that I'm leaving behind, but ready for all that lies ahead. 

Home is where mama is, and love grows, and children laugh. Home is where children smile and friends feel safe. 

Home is blooming where you're planted. 

Planning a play space

I'm sure I've mentioned that I love the idea behind Montessori play. I love the independence and the simplicity. I also love how it helps over stimulated children find a plumb line of peace. 

A huge aspect is wood toys, wood puzzles- no flashy lights, sirens & sounds.  I've done a great job of collecting way too many toys for the little lumberjack to grow into. Part of this method is to keep the amount of toys available pared down to a very minimal number. These items are rotated out on a regular basis, some sooner than others. 

So, imagine my joy when my daughter sent me a link to our church swap site for a Melissa & Doug wooden tool bench! I showed the lumberjack the picture and he offered to go get it. It was a major score. $20 cash and it retails for almost $100. I hate spending retail on anything! So Papa brought it home and I swear it has magnetic abilities. It drew baby lumberjack to it and he was stuck there, playing with the hammer, saw, screwdriver & wrench for a couple hours. Baby lumberjack has never done that before. 

Above are the images that the seller put on the swap. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere how to remove ink from anything, probably on Pinterest. So, I wasn't bothered by the ink scribbles. However, after realizing that there isn't a stain or varnish, I've decided to lightly sand it. 

I think that this might find itself living in the barn quarters. A special little something to play with when everyone else is using big tools. 

I've been thinking a great deal about Montessori shelves in the livingroom. I think I might use them as a room divider of sorts. Perhaps around the back & sides of the couch. I also plan to have some set up where he has a few toys to play with on the covered porch. The majority though will be stored on shelves in the basement to be rotated in and out. 

Just a few more days to go! 

Still packing, purging & cleaning. 

Pre-Closing Walk Through

I am so very excited! Today we were FINALLY able to get back out to the farm and do a walk through with our realtor. The house has remained empty this last month. There was no real big surprises, other than the carpet that had "some pet stains" was actually much more stained than we thought. The ceiling fans are caked with dirt & grime, the blinds all really, really dirty. The windows need washed, floors scrubbed and cupboards and drawers wiped out. Overall, the house has a little bit of maintenance that needs done as we have time. I think we are in a good place, as the basics that need details will only take a few hours, with the exception of the carpet.

This is the first time that we have actually seen the house "Naked". What a huge difference it makes. I ended up having to switch to my small lens, then the Rebel began acting all crazy. I did get some pictures, so lets have a look!


This is what my view will be as I am washing dishes...

 I can easily see the livingroom and diningroom. I love the big open space.

 This is what you would see sitting at the diningroom table.

 And what you would see sitting in the livingroom

From the livingroom

From one end of the house looking down to the other end

Kitchen Island

After having painted cabinets for the last 20 years, I am over it. I can't wait to enjoy these oak cabinets.

Princess 1 room

Laundry/mud room

Main Bathroom that the girls will share

Baby lumberjacks lair

Master

Master looking towards master bath. There are 2 walk in closets. One on each side of the hallway.

Remind me to leave toilet paper for the people buying my house.

From the master looking towards the Livingroom. Keep in mind, I wanted a bedroom as far from the kitchen as possible and I will FINALLY have that!

Princess #2 room

Nice big closets even in the bedrooms

Very steep stairs to the unfinished basement

A completely empty basement. THIS will be storage space for all the stuff I have no desire to drag upstairs!

I am just going on record here. There is NO electrical outlets in the basement at all. We are going to need some outlets!

A two car garage that I more than likely will never be able to park in.

And that wraps up this grand adventure! I'd write a little bit more but baby lumberjack is ready to sleep and I need to see to his needs.

We close on Thursday, God willing.

Retail Therapy

Some women like to shop. In general, I do not. I don't mind looking through pinterest for hours on end until I narrow down what I really and truly like, but please don't ask me to go to the mall. My answer will be no.

I'm a thrift store, consignment shop, antique shop, online garage sale kinda girl. I love upcycling, crafting, painting... There are some things that I prefer to buy brand new. When I am buying new, I am always looking for the best quality product for my dollar.

So having retail therapy is an odd occurrence. I'm guessing it's because I haven't been to retail America much since Black Friday. Sometimes, I just need to FEEL things. Having a new house, and not buying anything for it what so ever was a killjoy. The princess and I hopped in my car and headed to Hobby Lobby. Now, if you must know, I adore Hobby Lobby. I could decorate my entire house AND buy beautiful fabrics all at once. I love Hobby Lobby so much that I have the App on my phone.

We spent a couple hours looking at all the new pretties that they have on display. We found a couple themes that we both liked and since our main focus was on the bathrooms, we narrowed the selection down. Both of us found these "Brave" line that we thought was darling. Everything we wanted was 50% off... So we managed to get these three pictures for the Main bathroom. We are looking for an arrow that has hardware to hold towels. I think we will add a gray shower curtain and perhaps something with a little splash of yellow and blue for the rug. It's very playful and light hearted. We actually found them in the nursery section.

Two grown ladies picked out these little braves for the bathroom. They are just so cute and whimsical. We also added a light blue mason jar soap dispenser and tooth brush holder.
I'm still debating but I really liked this glass box for holding things like cotton balls, make up pad removers, Q-tips or even rolled up washrags and hand made soaps.

I pretty much decided that I wanted to do a dock/fishing theme in the master bathroom. While the lumberjack has a boat and enjoys spending a day on the lake fishing, this woman would fish several times a week if I could. I love to trout fish especially. Anyways, I am leaning more towards water/ dock/ lake/ pond look than the whole over done fishing theme. This is where my problem lies. I also love the French Country look...

It complicates the challenge of actually decorating. I did buy a little minnow bucket along with a couple of "Hot Bath" cast iron wall hangers. Granted, anything I don't find fits in my space, I still have the barn bathroom to move it to.

We also found a few items that we liked. This is a pretty rare list as we don't normally find a thing we like when we are out.

 The Princess really liked this desk and stool.

 I really likes this side table buffet and the 3-tier basked holder next to it.

 Princess is thinking that she likes the style of this little organizer, just not so much the colors

 And this thing... Really could have come home with me to live forever. Only problem is I have absolutely no idea where I would put it or what I would use it for.

 I took this picture because I really like the simplicity of this 2x4 bed frame. There are a couple of 2x8's included. I could totally make this.

This little secretary desk folds completely flat like a drafting table. I liked how compact it is and also how rough and earthy it appears.

This is how I spent my day. Mostly window shopping because NO ONE wants to move more things! The few items we did pick up can all be packed into a little trunk that needs contents.

Still no closing date. We have one set of Realtors tentatively saying Feb 4th at noon. We will see.
Till then~