Fate, Serendipity, and Other Things That Rock Your World

I said something really stupid the other day.

I mean really, really, really stupid.

Here's how it went;

Me- "Yep, Grandma, we feel pretty confident we're moving in the right direction on the house. We know what we want to do."

Grandma- "We'll that's good. I'm glad things are working out."

Me- "Yep we are finally figuring everything out. We definitely know what we want to do."

God- "Oh silly little girl," as he laughs maniacally.

Yes, that is truly how I believe the conversation went.

I can't get into a lot of detail yet, but I can say the new curveball has nine foot ceilings, original beautiful wood work, two full stories and is priced to sell.

Sorry Grandma, I lied, I really have no idea what I am doing...

Hint

Enjoy your Friday!

 

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Sneak Peak... A Makeover!

These babies are getting a makeover.

I started this project over a week ago but a shortage of spray paint and time has slowed me down. I wanted to share the 'before' with all of you to get me motivated to finish!

I hope to be back within the week with before and afters!

Enjoy your Tuesday!

 

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Warm Weather Top Ten

I have spent nearly all of the last week outdoors. The long days of summer are calling and the planting season is upon us. The girls and I have been out helping the Hubs in the field, as well as getting plenty of play time outside.

Here's the top ten things I have discovered are things I only think of in the warm weather months.

1. Shorts, leggings and tutu's are not a little girls friend. Jeans are much more knee-saving-friendly, but even they are not indestructible.

2. A melon-baller produces fruit the exact size and shape that I do not want my one year old getting her hands on, ditto for cherry tomatoes.

3. Where did I put my sunscreen?

4. Don't underestimate the pain of the years first sunburn (refer to number 3).

5. Snakes are terrifying creatures.

6. The inside of my house quickly becomes neglected as the outdoors beckons, for example, laundry gets done when children need undies and not before!

7. Sleeping with the windows open is amazing.

8. Bedtime becomes a relative term.

9. Cooking on the grill makes everything taste better.

10. Campfires heal the soul.

I hope you had a beautiful Mother's Day!

Here's to warmer weather...

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A Little Bit Closer Now...

There are moments within the process of building a house that leave me excited, terrified and spinning all at once.

I bounce back and forth several times every day about whether or not we are doing the right thing.

There are so many unknowns with going forth in the building process, and at times I find myself wanting to stay and hide in the familiar.

Sometimes I panic that I will choose the wrong thing for our family and what if I stretch us too thin?

Then, ten minutes later I am yelling at the girls to stay away from the road as trucks rumble by ten feet away from our current house, and I feel like we can't get out of here soon enough.

It's a constant internal battle and it is all bubbling up as I sit here tonight soaking in all that the contractor had to say today.

We have decided to continue forward in finalizing plans for the new house. The rough estimate is still nearly $30,000 over our budget but by tightening our needs over our wants, the Hubs, the contractor and I feel like we can get much closer to our budget.

Up next we are focusing on locking down a plan that has every single penny down to the last nail budgeted in. At that point we will make the decision whether we will to go for it or walk away.

It's an odd feeling being so happy and so terrified all at once.

I need to start making those small decisions that are all part of a giant decision; white trim or wood trim, hard wood floors or laminate, interior door style, light fixtures, wood or gas fireplace...

Ok. Enough. I am spinning again.

Any tips to help me take this one step at a time? I love hearing from you!

Have a lovely day!

P.S. When I'm sitting on a screened in porch like this, sipping wine and eating cheese and crackers this will all be worth it... right?

 

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Up In the Air

I am miles above the ground right now. Somewhere between Dallas, TX and Sioux Falls, SD to be exact.

The Hubs and I went on a relaxing four day getaway to Alabama.

We are sunburned but happy.

So now I find myself up in the air, literally and figuratively.

On the first stretch of our flight home the Hubs and I drew up a map of our land and numbered the different locations where we could build the new house.

We technically have several choices, but only a few that we both agree on.

We are meeting with contractor number one tomorrow to get down and dirty with the details to try to figure out if we're going to officially sign on the dotted line.

For some silly reason, the Hubs thinks we should decide we're going to put the house before we start building. It's really a chicken and the egg argument for me!

We hashed out details between Florida and Texas and now he is sleeping and I am pondering my options.

In the end it will all come down to practicality and expense. We will compromise, but at this point I feel pretty confident in saying that the incredible view is out of the picture, literally.

It's just too many hoops to jump through. There are less incredible places on the table, you know, just wow places, instead of wowza.

Every branch has to bend or it will break, or something wise like that.

We will learn more tomorrow, for now I will stay here with my head in the clouds and in about thirty minutes, I'll come back down to Earth...

Have a lovely day!

P.S. Warmer weather seems to finally have found South Dakota! How did you spend your weekend? Thanks for stopping by!

 

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A Better Man Than I

Whatever gene it is that makes a person get up and go out to work everyday, through the snow and the rain and the extreme heat and the ice and the wind and the sunshine, that love for the outdoors that makes one hold close to their heart and covet the sacred right to bury their hands in the dirt...

That gene.

I do not have that gene.

Thankfully the Hubs does.

I firmly believe it is only because of that gene that he has marched out to work the last two weeks. The man, whom hates the cold the way many hate spiders or snakes, that man has bravely pulled on his jeans and coveralls and sweatshirt and winter coat and gloves and balaclava (in April) and has dutifully gone out to live the life he has chosen.

And I have not heard him complain. Not once.

Not when the feed truck gets stuck in the muck and slop for the third time that day. Not when he has to scoop snow out of the feed bunks for the fifth time that week, not when he loses another calf due to the freezing temps.

Not once has he given up.

I am not that man.

Yesterday I gave up. I laid down with my three year old at nap time and I didn't wake up for two hours. I slept a heavy sleep full of dreams and unconsciousness.

The Hubs is a far better person than I am.

When I give up, he soldiers on.

I am one lucky lady.

He is not the kind of man that puts up drywall or lays wood floors.

He is the kind of man that cares for a newborn calf, knows how to vaccinate livestock, and take apart a silage cutter and put it back together.

That's my man.

I fix the home. He fixes everything else.

He is a farmer, he is a rancher.

Today is Earth Day and he loves our dirt way more than I do and for that I am grateful!

Have a lovely (Earth) day!

 

 

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Seeing Dollar Signs

The numbers match up.

That's the good and the bad news, all wrapped up in one.

Contractor number two emailed me today with the rough estimate on the two story house. By his estimate, the house would be anywhere between $280-340,000 depending on the types of finishes etc.

Did your jaw just hit the floor?

Mine didn't. Not this time anyways.

I already had a pretty good idea what his numbers were going to look like due to contractor number ones estimate.

The good news, is that both contractors numbers are pretty close. This means that they are likely giving me pretty solid, honest estimates.

The bad news, of course, is that we cannot, will not, are not, ever going to be able to afford anything that expensive.

So right now, we will continue looking for a floor plan that is much more within our reach.

I am still thinking about a one story plan with a bonus room like this.

Or.......

There's also the old farm house I mentioned briefly here.

I just always keep coming back to it. It's a two story, five bedroom, one bath house. We believe it was built around 1920.

The thing is, I have loved that house from the first day I laid eyes on it.

Everyone keeps saying it's more work than its worth, but there is no way it is over $300,000 worth of work. Renovating that house would mean, real wood floors, original doors, two stories, arched doorways and over eight foot ceilings.

All the things that are going to cost me some serious $ to build new.

The Hub's and others may see dollar signs and time consuming work where I see beauty, but I will not give up that fight until the very end.

So I guess what I am saying, is that nothing is set in stone. I am still considering every option out there. Renovating, building new, two story, one story, there are so many options to still look at.

I want a safe, warm, house for my family to call home. I will get there, it will take time, but I believe that there is a compromise that will work for us.

I may have to spend hours going over plans, and days going over pro's and con's. I may have to spend a year or two working out the details, but in the end it will be entirely worth it.

The blizzard continues here, so I guess I'll spend some more time browsing pictures here and floor plans here.

Have you ever fixed up an old house or built new? Which would you recommend?

Have a lovely day!

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