The Journey Begins, Part 1

When we first began seriously looking for a farm, we had decided on exactly what we wanted.  We made a list, prayed about it, and asked for wisdom and discernment.  And because we are such a large family, our realtor was trying to help us find land with a large home, but for all of us, it was more about the space outside than inside.

We prayed for land that was healthy, that would house a variety of livestock, plenty of room for planting fruit trees, a garden, and grazing space.  Most importantly, a water source.  Well, the Lord gave us more than we asked for......we have four water sources.  There is a nice creek with a spring head on the land, which we weren't even aware of until after we bought the place!  Truly a blessing.

We also knew we wouldn't be able to move there permanently for some time.  So what to do with all of the pasture land and hay field?  A few weeks after we purchased, a neighbor contacted us to see if he could lease our property to graze his cattle and cut hay.  Ummmmm.....yes!  So the worry of maintenance while we weren't residents was taken care of!  Plus the neighbors were there throughout the week checking on the cows, which generated some action and made it appear our land was occupied.  Again, another blessing!

The home itself was in good shape, as far as structurally, but it did need some updating and repair.  The previous owners were smokers, which was an issue with me as I have a high sensitivity to cigarette smoke.  Plus, as a non-smoker, I didn't really want my house to smell like I was one!  We spent several days at the farm house pulling up carpet.  It's bare concrete now, which we plan to stain and seal.  A home in the country with several children, animals, and lots of dirt doesn't seem to pair well with carpet!  Also, we painted kilz in every. single. room.  Ceiling, walls, everything that could be painted, was painted.  This kilz is supposed to seal out odors.  But we had apply the kilz and wait three weeks before painting a regular coat of paint.

So back to Houston we went and then again to the farm three weeks later to paint every ceiling and wall in the house.

I'm sick of painting.

We still had a bit of a smokey smell at times, but I finally realized it was in the wood.  Murphy's Oil Soap did the trick.  It's natural, non-toxic, and smells like oranges.  Nice and clean.  I cleaned all of the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms.  It made a huge difference.  And I think the last very small hint of smoke we smell is in the concrete, which sealing the floor should help!

Probably the most difficult repair we encountered was the discovery of a pipe that had burst thanks to the previous owner not turning the water off even though we were assured the water was indeed off by three different individuals.  Sigh.  Thankfully, it was in the mud room and ran through the garage to the outside.  We do have to replace some of the sheet rock.  And when my husband repaired the pipe, he put in an additional valve so we can add a deep utility sink later.  Gotta make lemonade out of lemons......right?

Part 2 coming soon...