The Start of Something

So much has changed over the past couple months. Brian left his job. We visited family in Seattle. We moved. Little Owl turned one yesterday (!).... so many things. 

I love our new life. 

To give you an idea of context... Brian's and my long term hope and dream for our family is to own a small self-sufficient permaculture-oriented farm somewhere in the Willamette Valley. About a month ago we took our first step in our journey towards this goal. 

We moved onto a farm. 

Not our own farm, but an organic farm nonetheless. While Brian works on the farm, Athena and I... hang out. Our living situation is akin to "glorified camping". We sleep in a small shack (where I check our beds every night for spiders... I haven't found any yet... at least not under our sheets...) and have to walk a short distance to get to the kitchen... and a further distance to get to a bathroom... and a further distance to get clean, running water. It's an adventure, for sure. 

My "open-air" Kitchen

I keep reminding Brian that he's very lucky he married me. (And he, being the good man he is, reminds me that he loves me and that I am a "strong woman"... he knows how to win brownie points for sure....)

But, truly, this is fun. It's not the must fun when it's rainy out and Athena  and I have a cold and we have to huddle inside by an electric heater... but we are eating like kings off the fresh produce from the farm and I can walk a short distance to pick as many strawberies as I want... so there are perks. Plus, Brian is doing something he loves, learning skills with our long term goals in mind, and I get to hang out withe the coolest kid in the world all day and hear her say "dahdahdahdahdoo" all day (no, that doesn't mean "dad"... she's saying "dog" over and over because she is obsessed with the farm dogs who live on the property...)

To say Little Owl loves it here is an understatement...

On warm days, I couldn't ask for a more perfect place to live. It's absolutely gorgeous out in "God's country". Athena can eat as much dirt as she wants without me having to worry about her getting pesticide poisoning... really a kid couldn't ask for a better life. She loves it out here. More open space to explore then she could possibly know what to do with at this age. 

Exploring her front yard

It has definitely been an adjustment for me. Living in the country is very different from the city. I come into town once or twice a week. I have learned to keep very detailed notes about what to get at the grocery store because I can't just run back if I have forgotten something. I have learned to plan ahead all our meals for the week. I have been experimenting more in the kitchen then I have in ages because I have time. Just last week I made fermented ketchup, mustard, and mayo. I am reading again (stay tuned... book reviews and giveaways coming soon!) I will have lots to blog about.... oh, I just don't have internet... or phone service. Like I said, it's been an adjustment from my smartphone addicted life... to no internet whatsoever. 

I am loving it. Life is good. I am beyond grateful. For the opportunity, for my awesome little family, for my brave husband for suggesting this crazy experience... And for the lessons I am learning... both the big and the small.