love

I know a little boy who's in love with his new home.

change your life

and here we are

Our boy was just not himself. That infectious smile that warms our hearts each day was gone and in it's place was a fever and many, many tears. It didn't take long to realize that Zander was getting his first molar. And it was rough. For all of us.

Unfortunately, we had arranged to start moving then but with a sad, feverish, clingy toddler who we just couldn't make happy, we simply had to postpone a few days. He just needed our love and full attention. In addition, we're sure he was picking up on our moving stress and anxiety and that he was confused about all of the packing and boxes. It was hard on all of us. The good news is that we made it here and all is well. Z's working on his second and third molars now and things seem to be going much better this time.

It was both wonderful and overwhelming to be reunited with all of our belongings which have been in storage for seven months. There's nothing quite like a move to bring you right back down to reality when you think you're living simply. There's just so. much. stuff. We weren't in the best frame of mind when we were packing to leave the last place, so going through things then wasn't an option. The good news is that we're in a relaxed space now where we can go through things and weed out what we don't want or need.

That brings me to this place. Oh, this place. We don't own it, nor do we think we'll be here for any great length of time, but it's magical and it's just what the three of us need right now. It's beautiful and so, so quiet. Zander loves it here. I mean, the boy would live outside if we let him. He cries when it's time to bring him inside. As soon as we moved here, his molar finished coming through, he started dancing, talking a lot (ok, rambling) and just blossoming into this whole new kid. In fact, we all did a little bit of blossoming. I think we all needed it.

The deal here is that we help take care of the animals and in exchange, we have a cute little house and ridiculously low rent. We also have a huge garden which we've been busy preparing. We're still undecided as to what kind of farming we'll be doing here. We're taking our time considering the logistics of it all. More on that later.

For now, we're just enjoying our days.

For now, life is good.

still here...

We moved and all is well on the farm. We don't have internet yet though, so we'll continue to be out of touch for a while. It's been pretty nice being unplugged in the middle of nowhere. It's really beautiful here.

It was a crazy move. We somehow managed to time it perfectly with Zander's first molars. It was intense.

More later...

a home

It's been seven months since we left the farm. Seven long months spent searching for a new farm. In that time, I must say that sadly, we've become disheartened with Pennsylvania and what it's people are willing to do to it's land and water. Such beautiful farmland ruined, or signed away to be ruined someday soon. The Marcellus shale gas issue has hit us hard and has really begun to discourage us from this area.

For the first time since we started this farming adventure, we've found ourselves considering relocating. It's freeing to think that we can go anywhere we want and we're entertaining ideas as wild as Oregon, California or even Chile or Costa Rica. All of our family is here, though, so it's not a decision to take lightly. And while we're making such huge decisions, we've been wondering what we should do in the meantime. We thought of looking for places to rent in the city but that just didn't feel right. That's not where we belong or where we want to be. And of course, what would we do with all of our farm stuff?

And then it happened. Serendipity stepped in once again. We reconnected with an old acquaintance at just the right time and before we knew it, our problems were solved. We've found a place to live, on a farm, where we can take our time, do some farming, travel to research other areas and continue to search for the right place for us. This means that we don't have to watch a season go by without growing some food and we can immerse our son in the kind of life we want him to experience.

A home! It may be temporary, as we may decide to move somewhere else after this season, or we may love it and choose to stay. But it's our very own space to live and grow in and it's just what we need right now.

We're so grateful.

wide awake

the oven at Wide Awake Bakery

This past weekend the three of us took a road trip to New York where Nate attended a wood-fired baking course. The course was sponsored by OGRIN and took place at Wide Awake Bakery, a bakery with good people and an amazing oven. The majority of the grains used at the bakery are locally grown and milled and the course was primarily about how to bake with these local grains.  It was great to get out of town and Nate made some good contacts and learned a ton of valuable information.

There are lots of small farms in the area and there's a really nice vibe there. The kind of vibe we haven't felt in a while. I'm not saying we're destined to farm in New York, but for the first time we're beginning to wonder if we belong here.

This is quite possibly the scariest time in our lives as we consider our future. Stress and worry have been a big part of our days and nights lately and I've been thinking a lot about that. We only get one life. Just one. And that sure seems like a deary and wasteful way to spend it?

We've been given a chance to start again and I have no idea where this will take us. I'm trying to stay open. I hope it involves farming, but I know it will involve a wood-fired oven.

he walks

Right now, I am. . .

~ preparing myself to never sit down again. At least not for the next year or so.

~ so thankful that Nate and I were both here for this moment.

~ shedding a tear or two because my baby is growing so fast. We have a toddler!

~ trying to just breathe and enjoy this moment.

~ so incredibly proud of my boy!