It's Been Awhile

Hello, friends! It's been awhile! 

This picture just about sums up our feelings on winter. We're pretty tired of it. We've been fairly busy here at the farm.. winterizing the farmhouse, trimming lots of trees and plants and spending as much time outside as possible. Although it's been tough considering how cold it's been and how unpredictable Alabama weather can be. We decided to haul in a load of gravel for the path that leads out to the barn and the back of the property. After a few days of heavy rain we were left with a mud-pit-of-a-yard and Brett's truck nearly slid down an embankment and into a fence. We actually need a little bit more, but what we were able to put down has helped tremendously!

Nap time for this farmhand. (Baker 18 mo.)

Gravel to the rescue!

Before the weather turned too frigid, we did get in several beautiful days to explore in the woods and fish to our hearts content! As I've mentioned before, our property is home to the oldest man made lake in Shelby County, Alabama. It has a drainage system and the spillway empties on the backside of the lake's dam. The cascade of the overflow is beautiful to watch after a long rain. So peaceful.. This is definitely our happy place!

It's seems like we're always chopping/cutting/sawing/picking/building with wood in some way around here. We found this old nail right in the middle of a huge log while chopping wood for the fire pit and stove. The tree was from our property. It must have been nailed to the tree when it was young and then the tree grew around it. We're nerds, but we think it's cool!

The barrel stove has been rocking' and rollin' with all this cold weather. Brett built it to keep the barn toasty and warm while we work in the shop this winter!

Shop projects.. Antique bread boards weren't in the budget, so Brett made me some!

Brett spent two weeks in Colorado for work, but before he left our best buddies came to spend some time at the farm with us! Braxton, Cole and Caleb are the sweet boys I nanny for and Baker LOVES having playmates to get in trouble hang out with around here. :) We went fishing, rode Mr. Brett's tractor, went on a nature walk, drove the ATV, and Braxton even got to build a birdhouse in Mr. Brett's workshop. My sweet nanny family just welcomed baby number four - another precious boy! We absolutely cannot wait to watch Baby Banks as he grows and I'm sure these guys will show him the ropes in no time!

Four little monkeys playing on the farm!

To say we were glad Brett was home after his time away traveling would be a HUGE understatement. Between things around the house breaking, stomach bugs, bad weather and a surprise birth, we COULD NOT WAIT to see his face and hug his neck! They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and that rang true for us this month. Not only is he our handy man and provider, but he is the heart of our home and we missed him more than words can say.

Thank you so much for stopping by to catch up. We just finished up a pretty big overhaul on one of our spare bedrooms and we're almost done with Baker's room. I know I keep saying that, but really. It's almost ready for reveal! :)

God Bless and come visit! 

 -Lauren

We Bought a Farm

Today is the day, folks. Moving day! It's exciting and exhausting and terrifying, but it's all we've ever dreamed of.

In January of 2011 we purchased what we thought would be our forever home in historic downtown Cullman, AL. It was old and charming and full of history and we adored it. But when the April tornado outbreak swept across the southeast just three months after we closed on our home, we had no choice but to turn a new leaf and try to navigate the new path God was directing us down. We lived in three different hotels over the 7 months following the storm and in November of 2011 we finally closed on our new build.

We've spent nearly three years in our charming neighborhood which boasts a "Front Porch Living" lifestyle and we've really enjoyed getting to know our incredible neighbors. But, it's time for a change. We knew when we closed on the new build that it probably wouldn't be permanent. And that was ok with us. The months that we were displaced were overwhelming, to say the least.  There were lessons learned and much insight & perspective gained through our experiences. We decided to take it slow and try to find a property that was just right for our family. Somewhere we could really put down some roots.

Those who know us well know that we've literally been browsing properties since the week after the tornado outbreak. Brett and I love to take weekend drives and scout out listings and explore different areas around the state. Things moved fast once we found "the farm". Located in the charming city of Columbiana, AL, this beautiful farmhouse dates back to 1905. It sits on 12 acres and is surrounded by even more serene land. There's a stocked 3 acre lake that's also the oldest man made lake in Shelby County (how cool is that?!), two old barns to rehab and wide open spaces for the boys to play. Heaven. We prayed for guidance, peace and grace in making the decision to take this leap of faith. We put an offer on the farm, listed our home & had a contract on our house in two weeks. Today we get the keys. Today we become one of those crazy families you watch living through a renovation on HGTV.  Today we bought a farm! It's going to be a long and slow process, but this is what we love! This is our soul food! And - God willing, we'd like to stay awhile..

Now, THIS is what you call "Front Porch Living"

We'd love for our family and friends to witness the transformation of this little piece of Heaven and I can't wait to watch my family grow and prosper here. I'll do my best to document our projects and share the property history as we discover it ourselves. We can't wait to explore! Welcome to the farm!

Heaven on Earth