A Country Dream Come True!

{This post may get a little long! Consider yourself warned!}

Since forever and a day, I have always wanted to live in the country. I grew up on about 15 acres of land and loved to wander the bush in search of wildflowers, wild life and anything else wild. The untouched country always left me feeling so happy and content, like everything was as it should be. I spent hours outside, in sunshine and rain, cold and warmth. I was MEANT to be a country girl (well, except for the poison ivy, which I got EVERY year. With intense reaction. I loved Prednisone. I eventually had a doctor tell me that I was meant to live on CONCRETE! Who, me? No, thank you!) So, this whole living in town thing has been a little bit hard for me. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the convenience of everything being so close by - the grocery store, the post office, the hardware store, MCC - all the good stuff. And I really REALLY love my neighbours. They are wonderful people. But a lot sized 70x130 is just not quite big enough for this country girl. Even if we can see horses and sheep from my bedroom window.

Back track a few years. A man who was Jay's neighbour while he was growing up approached Jay about 3, maybe 4, years ago to see if we were interested in buying his property when he retired and moved away. His 5 acre property. With trees. Lots of them. We said absolutely were we interested. So, time went on and about 1 1/2 years ago he approaches Jay again and says he is ready to sell. He told us the price and we couldn't refuse. So, we went to our lawyer together to start this whole process. Turns out the man is separated from his wife, has no idea where she lives or who her lawyer is. We attempted to find her but couldn't. Eventually he found out that she had another lawyer. In his mind, another lawyer meant she wanted a divorce and he wasn't about to give one. End of process. Man, were we disappointed. That location would have been so perfect. 1/4 mile away from Jay's parents. 1 mile as the crow flies from Jay's work. 5 acres with lots of trees. And the best part? A house trailer! Yup, this lot has a house trailer so we can move it off or burn it up or tear it down or whatever and BUILD A HOUSE!!!! Can you get any better than that? But it was not to be. At least not then. Over and over Jay kept saying how great that property would be. Over and over I kept telling him to just let it go. It wasn't for us. We should pursue other land options, plant trees, start from scratch. I was wrong. There, you have it in writing, dear - I was wrong!! This past summer the man reapproaches Jay and says he is ready to sell. Again. This time he knows where his now ex-wife is, who her lawyer is, where she lives, all that good stuff. Kind of important things to know when the property is in joint ownership. Since then we have been back and forth in this whole property purchase thing. It gets a little . . . drawn out when the sellers are divorced and have no money. This is their opportunity to get money out of each other. Or booster cables. Or pruning shears. So, the process took a lot longer than we hoped but finally - fiiiiiiiiiiiiinnallyyyyyyyyyyy we have possession of the property as of today!! What a great day it has turned out to be. So, of course, with my curious nature, a field trip was necessary as I had never stepped foot on this property. Jay had been there a number of times but not me. And the curiosity was getting the better of me! So, off we went to my new country home!

The agreement was that whatever was left on the property on possession day was ours. He could take or leave whatever he wanted seeing as we really only wanted the land. So, the question was: What was in the trailer? What was in the sheds? Exploring we went!

Driving on the driveway for the first time! The excitement is mounting!

The front part of the lot. Aren't those tall pines just beautiful?

The back half of the lot. I feel like I am standing in a meadow with all that tall grass. I may just have to go back and get some pictures of the kids in it!

The neighbour's kitty that Ali found - she was in love, squealing with delight! It felt SO right. (The kids have been praying for the dogs and the cats we will have when we are in the country and for the dog food and cat food we can buy when we are in the country!)


2 of the 3 sheds. The first one in the trees is full of garbage and is in really bad shape. The one closer to the front of the picture holds tool-y stuff and is in fair shape.

The last shed closest to the trailer. It holds - get this - about 200 canning jars! Isn't that hilarious? And, I just may keep them. Or, at least some of them!

The house trailer still has the fridge, stove, washer, dryer - that sort of thing. Also, an old dresser that I am certainly keeping and will try to redo and beautify. It just may come in handy somewhere.

I am sure the big question you are asking is when are we moving. Well, unfortunately, not this year. Not even next year. Maybe 2 years? 3? Certainly not 4! However, I would be willing to wait 4 if it meant being able to afford the house we really want - our dream house - as opposed to building something sooner that is not quite what we want. For now, I am content to know the property is ours, the first step has been accomplished. I feel so blessed to know that sometime soon (because we all know time flies!) this country land will not just hold our dreams but that those dreams will come true! Thank you, Lord!!