Little House, Big Dreams

So, this is where it all happens!  The heart of our own "domestic reformation"...

For some reason I've been totally putting off writing this post.  It just always seems like too much to tackle.  I mean, this is where I anticipate a good portion of the rest of my life happening.  That's a lot to take on!  A little history for those who don't know me personally: my husband and I (and growing family!) lived in a VERY rural area in southern Michigan for the last 8 1/2 years before moving back to our hometown in Michigan's "thumb" area last September.  Our first son was only 6 weeks old when we moved to our previous location.  Dan (my husband!) served as a youth pastor in a small church there for about 7 years, then decided (for many reasons) to return to his engineering background.  At about the same time, we decided we really wanted to move back closer to our families--they all live in the same county except for us and we are blessed to have a family that actually wants to live close to one another!  So we listed our house, and waited.  And dropped the price.  And waited, dropped the price, etc., etc.  Finally after about a year on the market, we decided to just move anyways.  Dan's parents graciously let us live with them, even though we had no idea how soon we could actually start looking for our own house since we hadn't sold our last one yet.  Amazingly, right after we decided to move, an offer came in.  It was lower than what we had hoped, but good enough.  So with our house finally sold, we began looking for our own place.  We knew we wanted some land.  We would have settled for 3 acres if that was all we could afford, really hoped for at least 5 acres, and dreamed about having 10.  I don't know...I guess we just like to stretch out:)  We looked at lots of places, but nothing seemed right, and almost every one we looked at would have to be a cash buy because of its condition or other factors.  Oh, and did I mention we were looking for something under $60,000?  Yeah, we knew we were dreaming.  To make a long story short, after much prayer and searching, the Lord pretty much dropped our home in our laps.  This adorable home came on the market midwinter, listed at an unbelievable price, and it was on 20 acres!  Again, it was a cash deal, and right at the same time God worked everything out that we could make that happen.  Sure, the place needs work, but I don't think we would have it any other way...we can't seem to help ourselves!  (If you could see pics of the last house we reno'd, this place looks like a palace!)

The way the Lord has orchestrated SO many things for us in the last couple years is absolutely remarkable.  We never dreamed we would have property like this!  And it's been so fun watching everything turn green there and imagine what it could look like in a few years...and dream about our boys growing up there too.  We love the idea of self-sufficiency, producing most of our own food and teaching our kids to be entrepreneurs with whatever resources they have available.  There are so many opportunities for me to express my talents and interests there...the house is pretty much a blank slate for me to put my own special "touch" on.  I can already hear the music being played and made, the veggies from the garden in the freezer, the school lessons on the chalkboard...I really don't know where this desire for self-sufficiency comes from, but I do know that the most satisfying moments in my life have been at home, tending the garden while the kids play or marching around the kitchen to Bruckner while supper cooks.  Sure, some of our attempts at "do-it-yourselfing" have been total failures, but I know this is where I belong, changing the world through one family.  Our own little Domestic Reformation.

Master Bedroom

40 x 40 pole barn!

awesome stone barn...someday it'll have a roof:-)

The "Piano Room"

Living and Dining

Adorable stone shed (it has morning glories starting to climb the trellis now!)

View of property from near the house...