week 38: two years of little dreams
this week on the little dream farm
If it feels like just the other day we shared the news we found our (little) dream farm in Upstate New York and we’d be moving from Philadelphia to the country to try our hand at country/farm living, well we’re right there with you!
Truly, it feels like it wasn’t all that long ago we were in Philly sitting on the couch having coffee and cruising around on Zillow one Sunday morning in July (this was 2021) when in the viewfinder appeared this aerial image of a little house, a couple of red barns, and rolling hills dotted with round bales of hay set in the most idyllic little slice of heaven!
It was love at first sight even if the process of actually going to visit the farm, make the decision to buy the farm, and then move to the farm was filled with all kinds of doubt and uncertainty and fear and heaps of excitement!
And so on September 21, 2021, Chris and I both left for Philadelphia, me in the Corolla and Chris in a rental car, to purchase the house, sign all the documents, and get the keys to our brand new (old) farm!
Do you want to know something totally crazy?
Chris saw the farm in person for the very first time AFTER we’d completed the purchase.
Isn’t that wild?
In July I’d driven up by myself when I had a day off from work for the July 4th holiday but Chris was already back to work. The next time we saw the farm in person was the day we purchased it, and it wasn’t until after we’d signed all the paperwork with David and the lawyers that we headed up to the house and I got to show Chris the farm we’d just bought.
He said to me later that day something like, “I hope you see that as just how much I trust you that I one hundred percent trusted your judgement on something like us buying this farm without me even having seen it.”
It was such an endearing thing to hear, and thankfully he actually loved it as much as I did when he finally did get to go inside the house, walk the land, and take it all in.
Chris headed back to Philly in the rental car that afternoon (he rented a car because we’d already sold his old beat up Taurus thinking we’d need a more reliable second vehicle, and more likely a truck, living out in the country). I stayed behind for a few days in New York as David had asked me to plan to stick around after closing so he could show me around the area, introduce me to all the neighbors, and take me to all the places he went to to get things like chicken feed, firewood, and stuff needed for the farm.
That time I spent with David was wonderful and really made me appreciate him as a person and a new friend and also appreciate this new life we were walking into—it was such sweet assurance that’d we’d have so many people to rely on if we ever needed anything and that everyone genuinely wanted to help make us feel welcome.
Chris and I went out to dinner earlier this week to sit across from one another over an incredible meal and recount all the memories of that time. It was wonderful to make the time to sit and reflect back on how much we’ve both grown and learned and overcome, both individually and as a couple.
We woke up to a pretty significant water leak behind the walls Wednesday morning and thankfully were able to get our plumber over pretty quickly to assess the issue and get it resolved. We had another general contractor come by to begin the process of removing insulation, drying the spaces out, and then replacing the insulation. Thankfully nothing was too badly damaged and the damage to our wallets isn’t so bad, either. But it certainly brought to the front of our minds the number of things we’ve had to solve and figure out on the farm—from helping Molly-Max be able to walk again and get healthy to having the powder post beetles in the barn treated, too. The lessons just keep coming and so long as we can keep a good head about it there will always be plenty of opportunities to learn and grow on the farm!
So this week we paused to take in all the memories of the past two wonderful years on the farm and also tackled another minor challenge, too. Thankfully during closing two years ago David left us this two page document called “Things to Know/Who to Call” and we keep it clipped to the fridge and have used it religiously since we’ve lived here and whenever we’ve needed any help, like we did this week.
I wanted to take a moment to thank you, too. I thought it’d be fun for me to begin a new Instagram page when we found the farm so that we could share the move, our new life in the country on a farm, and all the things we learn along the way. I never imagined it’d turn into my favorite place to spend time online, a creative outlet for me to write and share my heart or what’s on our minds, and the place where I’d get to meet and interact regularly with each of you. Thank you for tuning in, for sticking around, and for all your love and support and encouragement along the way. It has been such a joy for me and for us to be able to share these moments and memories with you—all the highs and lows and ups and downs—and we appreciate you so much more than you know.
I’m looking forward to all the exciting things to come as we step into our THIRD YEAR on the Little Dream Farm. Here’s to living, loving, growing, and making memories chasing all our big and little dreams!
Congratulations! I love following you guys!
Happy anniversary! Thanks for sharing it with us. You provide enjoyment, peace and wisdom - I am grateful!