We bought a homestead.  *pinch*  Yep, I’m awake.  We really bought a homestead.

The  old saying goes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it really couldn’t be more true.  As we began our homestead search in earnest this last  year, we received many confused looks and well meaning questions about our plans –

Are you sure you want a house that small?  Are you sure you want a house so far away from convenience and amenities?   Are you  sure you want a fixer upper?  Are you sure you want to live in it while it is renovated?  Are you sure you want to do the work  yourself? Are you sure you don’t want to spend more   Yes.  Yes.  Yes. Yes.  Yes. Yes.

This purchase has been the result of years of working, dreaming, and sacrificing. The search was slow, because we had our heart set on an area where not a lot of properties come up for sale that also worked with our financial goals.  And then, when we had given up hope and intended to wait until spring, we found it!

A 100 year old farmhouse in need of love…

A rustic barn begging for restoration….

Land with dreamy views AND irrigation rights. To the west…

And to the east…

I realize the idea of voluntarily moving a family of 4 into an ancient, small, one bedroom house in the county is completely insane.  But I’m good with my brand of crazy (and my husband is, thankfully, good with my brand of crazy too)

I also know that most sane people would have run away from this property screaming.  The house has serious problems that are the result of years of neglect – it needs structural repairs, electrical repairs, kitchen remodeling, restored flooring, bad updates undone, and old, quality work rejuvenated.   The property was owned by a hoarder and there is going to be a lot of clean up and soil repair to make it a healthy and vibrant farm again.  And there is no working heat…  And no air conditioning…  Somebody boarded up the fireplace at some point…  And the well needs fixing…  And the barn needs to be loved…

But I see the beauty.  And potential.  I can look past the rough edges and see what has thrived there and can be made to thrive again. A forgotten plum tree hides behind the barn.

The most delicious grapes have survived and gone wild.  Wildflowers spring up in the neglected garden beds.

This will be a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that go into making this a place for our family to thrive.   While the “grown ups” have needed convincing that this is the right thing,  the kids instinctively know that this is an adventure they want to be on.

 

With the transition from our large house to our tiny country homestead,  I am saying good bye to the “Not Quite Country Home” and hello to “The Tiny Cottage.”  The Tiny Cottage will be a place to day dream.  A place to focus on what is really important.  A place to rethink the how we earn our living and challenge our notion of what things we really need.

I am so excited and nervous for the work ahead.  I hope you will share in my joys and failures that will inevitable come.  I promise to be honest when I muck things up, because I have no idea what I’m doing.  I also promise to share what I learn along the way.