Our big adventure in 2014. We co-bought a 20 acre farm about 25 minutes north of Durham. Yes we co-bought. You read that correctly, which means we are going to be co-living. It is called multi-generational living. We will have three generations living together. My parents, Gabe and Me and then our two children. You might think we have all lost our minds, but the dream of this farm, before it was a reality, has gone through so many shifts and changes before becoming what it is today – and in order to understand what it is today, you kind of need to understand how we got where we got.
I have wanted a farm since I was a little kid. We used to visit this farm called “Learning Tree” and actually volunteered and worked there during my brother and my home-school days (yes I was homeschooled for a few years in middle school) My family fell in love with the farm and the idea of working for what you have and being a part of nature. This dream probably started back then, but we just didn’t know it yet.
When Gabe and I married and moved to Morganton, NC we looked at several larger properties where we could have animals before settling on a house in the small city. Although we weren’t ready yet, that deep desire to have more space to move was still in me.
During the past year as we have evaluated, prayed endlessly and tried to find the direction we were going to be heading come the end of October when the lease was up, I just kept feeling the push to once again look outside the suburbs and find that peace of our heaven here on earth. When we shared our vision with my parents they too had been feeling a call in their retirement to try being a bit more self-sustaining and have more land. They were on a life changing journey with Whole 30 *an amazing food program* and being more careful in general with this world God gave us to look after.
We started talking about how if we pulled our money together to look for “our farm” we would both get some big benefits. First, we could get a bigger piece of property. For Gabe and I we were looking at lots with around 5 acres alone, I had not even dreamed we could own 20 acres! For my parents, they still want to go on vacations and not have to worry about who will look out for their gardens and animals while they are away. (Yes they will be cruising in just a few weeks!) I get the added help of more adults to watch my kiddos, although I try not to abuse it… it is so amazing to be able to leave Isaac with Mimi while I run to pick up Grace from preschool. And then of course I mean my parents get to spend more time with their amazing grandkids. Lucky them :)
Originally we thought we would be living in two houses on one property, but as we began to look at what was at there, the more we were convicted that co-living was the way to go. The house we found is amazing. It meets all of our needs. It has an upstairs that belongs to the Mac family. Grace and Isaac have their own rooms and share a bathroom. Gabe and I have a huge master suite with the biggest bathroom we have EVER had. At the bottom of the stairs is the kids playroom/living room. We share the kitchen and dining room with the grandparents and then they have a master bedroom/bathroom downstairs as well as a huge addition off the back of the house for their study/living/private area that we “*try* to stay out of. :) The basement has a two car garage and space off both garages for storage, and even a possibly teaching room someday.
Outside we have two barns. One that is our absolute favorite. We call it “old mac barn” It will be home to our 22 chickens coming Oct. 20th. There are also 5 other large animal areas in there that we will fill slowly but surely. We also have a huge fabric barn (all white) in the front. We have no idea what that will be used for. There are also several other buildings on the property. A garden shed, a studio which someday will be finished to either be a guest house or something. There is a house out by the pond which Taylor wants to transform into a writing space and a place he can crash when he is out working. (yes he actually owns a piece of the farm too, but he just doesn’t live there full time) and various other buildings. We have begun the renovation process inside the house. It is going to be beautiful. There has been a lot of sweat and hours that have already gone into the house but at the end, oh my goodness it is going to look brand new. Here is Grace’s room before and after. First picture notice the wallpaper… which literally took 10+ hours to remove. I will take some more pictures once all her furniture and toys are added.
Now that I have explained the why, we can just enjoy the now. WE OWN A FARM! It is truly amazing. Tabitha and Rebekah were our first step to being actual farm owners. They are such sweet girls. They now run to us when we go out to give them treats.
We have to spray them each morning with a mixture of dawn soap, apple cider vinegar, citronella oil and water. The flies hate it and leave the girls alone for a full 24 hours. Flies are pesky little things. We go out each night and make sure they are still doing ok and of course various trips between just for fun. We moved them to a new pasture this past weekend and it was so fun to see them when we looked out our front window. (the first pasture they were in could not be seen from the front porch) They will be all over the different pastures helping us keep the grass down and giving the girls new things to explore. They are really more like big dogs then I would have expected. They adore Grace. She goes in saying “Hey girls, come here girls, oh I know, I know sweet girls” They let us all pet them and rub their backs.
Other life happenings on the Farm. Grace started preschool. She goes three days a week to a church preschool from 8:00-11:30. She absolutely loves going to school and her teacher Ms. Kate. It will be a great year of learning and growing for our little Miss Grace. We could not be more proud. <3
Isaac turned 5 months. I can’t believe he is almost half a year old! Oh I wish I could just bottle up his smell and his baby soft skin and his squishy little arms and legs. There is just something about this boy that melts my heart over and over!
I can’t wait for more adventure and to add more animals to the “Learning Oak Farm” We have been so blessed. God continues to show how he can take something ugly and make it unbelievable beautiful. <3 For more pictures of the day to day adventures on the farm you can follow us on instagram @learningoakfarm2420
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