~Changes In The Wind~

We all have dreams, big and small, that we label as "needing to win the lottery" in order to come true, don't we?  Most of our married life, Mr. Bill and I have shared such a dream but, since we don't play the lottery, we knew that it would take divine intervention in order for it to come to fruition.  Our dream was to have a big place out in the country to enjoy the solitude and beauty (and burdens) of country living, fulfilling my desire to have a custom-built home and where Mr. Bill could raise the cattle that he wanted to enjoy in his retirement.  It came quite by accident really.  A friend of ours, who lived in another state, was interested in investing in country real estate in our area and so I started doing his homework for him.  Lo and behold, only ten miles north of the little town we called home, there was a parcel of 160 acres up for sale!  The asking price was too good to pass up but our friend's wife put her foot down on his idea and so we jumped at the possibility.

It was, indeed, Divine Intervention that allowed us to purchase this beautiful parcel of property.  All the financial pieces fell into place and the home we were living in sold in only two weeks!!

This is the house on the property.  It was rather run down and the floor's foundation was termite ridden.  Since we were planning to build a new home, we knew we could live in it temporarily.  That "temporary" turned into 18 months!!  LOL

 A few months later, we were able to get financing to start Mr. Bill's cattle herd.  These mamas were the start of our growing operation, which was to raise mama/calf pairs.  Meaning....keep the mamas for breeding and sell the calves after they had been weaned.

 

There's just something so peaceful about watching cattle grazing and resting on the hillsides but seeing the baby calves romping and playing was always a joy.  By the way, the red arrow in the upper photo shows the NW corner of our property, which is 1/4 mile from our driveway.  Our 160 acres covers one-half mile north to south and one-half mile east to west...just to help you get your bearings ;)


We have four ponds but this one is closest to our house, probably 50 to 60 yards away, and gives us a beautiful picture come sunshine or even the occasional ground fog.

Our new home was built about 30 yards south of our temporary home that I showed you earlier.  It's in a spot that used to be a cattle pen.  We witness the most beautiful skies from our front porch!

 



This is our "hay" barn but we don't keep hay in it.  This is where we stall and feed our horses, as well as storing the tractor and some equipment.

 Our hay meadow provides much needed hay for the cattle until the grass starts growing again.  That's our house and outbuildings you see in the distance.

 Even during a rare heavy snow, the scenery is beautiful.  Luckily, Mr. Bill has a cab tractor to keep him out of the harsh elements when putting out hay for the animals.  I especially enjoy it when I don't have to get out in it.  LOL

The view from the other side of the pond, which is a favorite spot for some fishing or stone throwing with the grandkids.

 

 This is my most favorite view of the beautiful home that God has allowed us to build.  Now you're probably wondering...what does this have to do with changes in the wind??  Well, when we bought this place, our motto was that "God willing, this is where we would live for the rest of our lives".  That was 9 years ago.  I have shared with you some quick glimpses of what it has been like living the dreams that God has so abundantly blessed us with over those years.

But little did we know that health issues would develop that became a problem for both of us, which made living our dream more of an uphill battle.  Our joy was waning but it wasn't until a happenstance conversation that we realized that we were both feeling the same thing.  After much prayer and many conversations, last fall we made the decision to downsize.  Sell the property, cattle and equipment and to make our lives and lifestyle somewhat less of a burden.  Was it an easy decision?  No.  It was heartbreaking.  Was it the right decision?  Yes.  Coming to the realization that this is not where God intended us to live for the rest of our lives but rather a place where we could look back and be thankful for God giving us the opportunity, albeit shorter than what we had anticipated.

Over the last 6 to 8 months, we've been slowly sorting, purging and packing our belongings.   That's why you haven't seen me around since the first of the year!!  We have our property up for sale and, several weeks ago, we had a big auction.  I'll share those details with you next time.  If you've never participated in an auction, just think garage sale.....1,000 times over!! ;)

Now that the worst of it is over, I have time to breathe and slow down a bit.  Best of all, I'm able to start blogging and participating again! ;)

We are in the beginning stages of a new chapter in our lives and I look forward to sharing those with you.  In fact, we've already made the decision about what to do from here...but more about that later.

Until next time~

~I Will Remember~

Veteran's Day has come and gone and I am ashamed to admit that I did not say thank you or even remember to acknowledge this day set aside to honor our soldiers.  But today I came across a beautiful post from Cindy at Oakview Cottage who got the post from Gracie at Gracie Jewellry.  It reminded me that we should honor and remember our soldiers each and every day not just one particular day a year.    This is quite humbling and gives us so many reasons to be thankful.  Thank you, ladies, for sharing.

WHEN A SOLDIER COMES HOME

When a soldier comes home, he finds it hard....

...to listen to his son whine about being bored.

....to keep a straight face when people complain about potholes.

...to be tolerant of people who complain about the hassle of getting ready for work.

...to be understanding when a co-worker complains about a bad night's sleep.

...to be silent when people pray to God for a new car.

...to control his panic when his wife tells him he needs to drive slower.

...to be compassionate when a businessman expresses a fear of flying.

....to keep from laughing when anxious parents say they're afraid to send their kids off to summer camp.

....to keep from ridiculing someone who complains about hot weather.

....to control his frustration when a colleague gripes about his coffee being cold.

...to remain calm when his daughter complains about having to walk the dog.

....to be civil to people who complain about their jobs.

....to just walk away when someone says they only get two weeks of vacation a year.

....to be forgiving when someone says how hard it is to have a new baby in the house.

The only thing harder than being a Soldier...

Is loving one.

Lord, I pray that you protect and bless those who have chosen to serve our country near and far.  Also for those who serve in other countries.  I pray that you protect and bless their loved ones while they are carrying out their military duties.  Thank you, soldiers, whatever branch you may represent, for serving near and far, for the sacrifices that you make.  God bless you!

Have a blessed day ~