It's time to resurrect this blog. Time for a new look. Time for a new title. Time for a new life in every way. Somehow, I will find a way to write about what is current while backtracking and filling in so very many holes.
We are currently living on the farm next to my in-laws' farm. How we got here is another story, another post. But today was an important day for us, one we at one time hoped didn't matter, but it ended up mattering a lot. And it hasn't exactly given us what we had hoped for, but it was a step in the process. So let's back up a bit.
We have been living on this farm since November 1, 2015, after spending the month of October working like crazy to get it ready. Again, that's another story, another post. Our family has not actually purchased this farm due to legal shenanigans that have come up, not with the current owners, but the previous owner. We thought we were moving in, renting for a short time (we thought a couple of months), and then purchasing the property and going through a complete gut on the main farmhouse. Well, due to aforementioned legal stuff, those "couple" months have moved past the 6-month mark. And NOTHING has happened. Details coming later on all the nothing.
But today. Today, May 3rd, 2016 was court day. The current owners -- longtime neighbors, farmers, family friends were forced to take the previous owner to court. There is a well on "our" property. Not a well meant for our house, but a well that was dug to provide water to the townhouse community this developer had planned on building. The backstory is that this family sold "our" farm to a developer, he didn't make his payments, they sued him, and he was forced to return the land to the original owners, who are presently our landlords. Now, I don't understand all the legal stuff, and by the time I hear the story, it's been passed through a few people to get to me. The owner tells my father-in-law who tells my husband who tells me what is going on. Anyway, somehow, for some reason, the developer sold the rights to the water from aforementioned well to himself under another name, another company he owned. So when the land was returned to the current owners, that little detail was missed. And when the owners wanted to sell the property, selling the well to the town of Bally, and dividing the rest of the property between our family and the farmer behind us, they couldn't, all because it was discovered they didn't own the rights to the water. UGH!
We all hoped that when the papers were filed against the previous owner with the court, he would just make things right. How foolish of us! No such luck! So we waited. And waited. And today finally arrived. From what I understand, the judge was definitely in our favor, definitely wants the water rights returned where they belong. But he didn't actually make a ruling. And he didn't give a date to reconvene. I'm so confused. And the other guy didn't even bother to show up, just sent his lawyer.
So, when we moved here six months ago, and I started posting some pictures as we tore out nasty carpeting and replaced flooring in the summer kitchen, and redid a bathroom, people told me to document everything, to post "before" and "after" pics, to blog. So part of my reason for reviving this blog is to document our house, our home, or at least that which will one day be ours. And the other part is because I have so much to say about how we got here, about the journey God is leading us on, about the faithfulness of God to give grace upon grace, about the mercies which are new every morning when I choose to open my eyes to them.
So if you've lost track along the way, we now have four children -- two girls and then two boys. It's been eight years since I left full-time teaching, but most of the time it feels so much longer ago, like another lifetime, maybe a dream. I'm friends with so many former students on Facebook, and I've watched them go off to college, graduate, get married, have babies... it's crazy! They make me feel old and make me feel like I must have left teaching way longer ago than I did. This is a huge part of my story, that I will also have to revisit later.
Mostly, I've been home with the kids since 2008. We have experimented with various levels of my involvement in our hydroponic produce business, Butter Valley Harvest. It has been a challenge, to our daily schedule and to our marriage, to find the balance, and I'm sure we haven't yet achieved it. A year ago, I started a business as an independent consultant with Jamberry, which surprised me at least as much as it might surprise you, if you've known me for any amount of time. Definitely a God story. I've also been working part-time at a local YMCA, which has been mostly rewarding for not only the teaching time it gives me with young children, the adult contact with the parents, but the opportunity to connect with our oldest daughter through exercise as we started running 5Ks together. In addition, I picked up a part-time job subbing in the school cafeterias in our local district. That was never part of the plan, but all this stuff sorta' fell in my lap and we just went with it. Now I'm thinking about priorities as I feel God defining the call He has for my life.
So what will you find here? A little Jamberry. A few parenting stories. Remodeling adventures when I have the energy left. And abundant grace all over the place. Hang with me and let's see where this goes.
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