So yesterday was the first official day of autumn. It typically still feels like summer here- can you say hello high of 90 degrees F today? However, fall is gearing up. We can feel it in crisp fall air in the morning breeze. Or see the changes in leaves in a few of the trees. Perhaps, we have heard the crunch of the first fallen leaves beneath our feet. The sun’s rays have changed and seem slightly less bright. We look to the west in the evening and the sun sets earlier now. For our family, it’s a time of celebration as we have multiple birthdays, fall festivals and holidays. Do you have any favorite fall traditions? I have always loved cozying up in a blanket or a oversized shirt/hoodie and sitting next to a fire.
Pausing from our walk, the eldest does a sketch of the nature she has observed that day while two others practice balancing.
Thanks to the toad, one day we discussed camouflage and it’s usefulness.
R (the 4 yr old) wanted to keep the grasshopper she affectionately named “Sheila”. haha. Sheila was able to spend the evening with us (outside) before she was released back into the wild.
Yesterday wasn't just the first day of fall, it also marked a year of the kids and I being out on the property. Most people don’t know that the kids and I moved out here about 6 weeks before Dan was able to join us full time. He completed the renovations on our “big house” (how the kids describe it) while the kids + I were out here in the mobile home and enjoying the property. He would be with us for 1-2 nights/week average but otherwise would be at work or working on the other house. It had its challenges but once he got the other house ready to list he then joined us and we basically used the other house as a vacation home until it went under contract and sold (sold in March). Once it sold, it was a huge burden lifted from our shoulders and we were excited to begin on our new adventure here on the farm! That adventure kept getting delayed however as we began our discussion with a local bank and ran into a few issues with trying to get a traditional mortgage- in August we went a different route and were able to get financing. FINALLY the farm was ours! We already owned the mobile home but now we also own the 50 acre tract and the 1922 farmhouse. August and September have seemed busy with trying to do some demo and meet with subcontractors for upcoming projects. Of course a year in, I expected us to have a few of the major projects done already. I could let this get me down but I know I can rest in God’s perfect plan. That He has us right where He wants us. That each day here is a blessing- whether working on the farmhouse and moving one step closer to getting that project truly started (and eventually finished), the kids taking turns riding the tractor with their Daddy, observing/discovering nature, or just snuggling and watching tv- that God is good and we are richly blessed.
17 Sept 2019, Sunrise at the farm
So have there been times in your life that you made a major change that looking back may have not gone how you hoped but you have found His blessings in it? I’d love to hear about it!