You Asked it... Farm edition

So..... I know I'm not done with many of your questions from the last ask it series. BUT I think you will all be okay with waiting a little longer to hear those answers. Especially since I am answering your farm questions instead! {grin}

The BIG one....

Did we move?

Well... temporarily we did. At least I think it's temporary... for a while.

Does that help you understand at all? {grin}

I guess there is a lot that goes into why we are here. If you've read my blog for a while you might have picked up on the fact that this has been a hard year+ for our family...

bedrest with the twins
the loss of a well paying job
the car accident
and TONS of little things in between

God has been working on us... molding us, shaping up, holding us, showing us, leading us and changing our hearts. We have had to let go of our own lives even more than we thought we could. Throw it all up to God and cling to his Grace.

This adventure has been the biggest hardship AND blessing we have ever gone through. There is too much to get into here and now but one of the things that God kept laying on our heart was that we needed to be HERE.... on the farm.

Was it for us? Was it for our Grandparents? Was it for our children? Was it for all of us?

We don't know the why but we do know we are where God wants us to be right now, with no firm plans as to what we are doing next. There are many things that could have gotten in the way of us coming here but the path was wide open, it practically had neon signs flashing along the way. You could say I might be a hard learner. {grin}

So here we are, on the farm, hoping to put a firm foundation back under our family again. God has always been there and that foundation has not cracked but our family floor has -- so to speak. This past year so much has been thrown at us it has felt like all we were doing was slipping and falling. However tough it was, it has still been a blessing to be falling with God holding our hands and our family by our side.

NOW that you might have a better understanding of what in the world we are doing, here are a few of the nitty gritty details you have all be wondering.

Q: Did you sell your house?
A: Nope, it is still thankfully ours with no immediate plans to sell.

Q: Where are you?
A: We are in North Dakota on the family farm.

Q: How can your husband take that much time off of work.
A: One of the big changes that we have made in the last year is employment. Paul will not be looking for a full time job. He continues to do contract, consulting & at home work in his field. Both at home and here on the farm. He is also helping to work the farm although that is a gift and not employment.

Q: When are you coming home?
A: The tentative plan is to stay through harvest {September-October} and then come home.

Q: What are you farming?
A: Wheat and Soybeans... although I do believe the wheat land is being rented out currently.

Q: Are you staying with family?
A: There are 2 homes here and we are in one and Paul's grandparents are in the other.

Q: Did you bring the dog?
A: Yes all EIGHT of us PLUS the dog were packed like sardines to get here. {grin}

That's all the questions I can remember right now --- if you have more questions post them here and I will add them to THIS post as the come in.

So check back for your answer!

And YES I know I need to announce the winner{s} to the FIND IT contest. I promise it's coming soon there were a LOT {250} guesses to go through.

21 comments:

  1. I want to see more Farm pics! :)
    It is my dream to have a farm.. now my husband.. he thinks I'm crazy.

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  2. Hope you are having a beautiful day in ND.
    xoxo

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  3. I live in a multi-generational setting and LOVE it. We've been here five years. My in-laws gifted us with a piece of property & we set up a mobile home with plans to build "someday." We live right next to my in-laws & my hubby's grandfather. It's fantastic & even MORE fantastic for my boys. Have fun!

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  4. What a from-the-heart post... I pray that your hearts are lead down God's path while spending your time at the farm.

    As far as being there with you, you wouldn't have to twist my or my husband's arm! That's our roots... :)

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  5. ohh! do i win a prize for guessing you were in nodak? We lived in oakes for two years. great place- fabulous people - cool new pool!

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  6. Sounds like a wonderful family adventure. What a great experience for your children, too.

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  7. You are living my hubby's dream. He grew up on his grandparents farm and has always wanted to live on a farm or a farmlike setting.

    You have had an extremely tough year. I think you really are doing what God wants you to do. Living on a farm allows you to focus on the here and now and what is important. What a blessing. Though I know it certainly comes with many challenges as well.

    Prayers for you all!

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  8. wow...thanks for sharing! your courage is evident in your transparency here...so encouraging....and exciting all at the same time. i stumbled onto your blog a few days ago, and just love it! although only a mama of 2 (so far!), i share many of your loves....the Lord Jesus, family, helathy foods and beautiful pictures. may your days at the farm be a blessing to all...drawing you closer to the Lord. yet another opportunity to trust in Him!

    blessings!
    Amanda

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  9. God is SO good.....and it's obvious that He has greatly blessed you! I'm sure all of your sweet kiddos are enjoying the open air and new adventures!

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  10. your amazing! I am soooo happy that I found your blog. Also how fun to homeschool on the farm your kids will learn so much. God's ways are not always ours (but better) I'm learning too..I am a hard learner as well:)

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  11. God has an amazing way of showing HIS plan sometimes. Praying for you guys as you venture through this journey!
    ~Elyse

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  12. one quick question, do you find it ironic that you are farming soybeans but are so anti soy? no judging here, just wondering. ps I am doing this annon only because I don't blog or have any of these other identities, not because I am chicken lol. Deanna

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  13. Ok, I have this funny feeling that you may be related to a friend of mine. Would you mind emailing me back and telling me where you are staying? Or, I can email you when you respond and tell you who my friend is first....:) Then you can see if you know her. Anyway, we are in ND too, and it would be fun to meet up with you sometime if possible. Would your family like to visit the world's largest buffalo?

    tweten@csicable.net

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  14. I love to read your blog... thanks for being such an example of being upbeat and trusting God in the midst of hardship! I am 29 and just starting out with my 1st child (Madeleine, 6 months), so I love reading about your tips and wisdom with 6! Because of you and a couple other mom bloggers, I've gotten some slings and carriers to wear my baby :-)

    Here are my questions:
    -are you able to keep up with your usual diet for the family at the farm? do you have your usual grocery and health-food access?
    -what are your kiddos enjoying about farm life?
    -are you near any town, city, or are you truly in the middle of nowhere? :-) where do you get internet access?
    -do you have a mortgage situation to deal with? (I don't mean to be nosy... it's just a concern that's on my mind, b/c I would love to stay home with my kids at some point, but mortgage is a big obstacle to that... we're both teachers, so income isn't huge!)
    -can you tell if your girls might be mirror-image twins or not?

    Thanks for indulging my curiosity! :-)

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  15. what a blessing to be in God's will for your life. i love that being in His will doesn't mean that we know all the answers, just that we trust knowing that every situation is for His glory.

    if i ever lose sight of that, i always remember that God cares more about refining my heart than rearranging my circumstance.

    some people have NO idea why in the world we would want to bring 2 orphans from africa into our already "big", young family. i don't mind answering that question, but in the end it is as simple as the desire to be in God's will for our lives. the desire to bring home our babies that He pre-destined long ago. He pre-destined your time on the farm, too. enjoy.

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  16. Thanks for answering some of the questions in people's minds. I had gotten the impression that your move was more than a short vacation, but I just wasn't sure. When I was pregnant with my twins a few years ago, we stayed with my IL's for a few months. Their generosity was so helpful during a time when I was really sick and completely exhausted all the time. After I wound up on bedrest at 20 weeks due to some serious complications with the pregnancy, God led us to a home where we were able to housesit for 7 months. This home was very close to our church, the hospital where I planned to deliver, my doctor, and the hospital where I ended up delivering, as well as the hospital where one of the twins spent the first 6 months of her life. Later, He led us to the home we now live in. God is pretty amazing, isn't He?! :-)

    BTW, my family lives in ND. If you are anywhere nearby, I'd love a chance to meet you when we are in the area next month.

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  17. God Bless you!

    I need to learn to listen to Gods plan for me and my family...I tend to NOT want to hear it and make all the wrong choices.

    More farm pictures please.....I love your pictures so much!

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  18. I emailed you awhile ago saying I'd seen you at CHEO. (but never said hi. :() Did you live in OH? I'm SO curious to know! I love reading your posts. You and your family are so beautiful!

    -Rachel

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  19. Wow how fun! I bet the kids enjoy being there with great grandparents and spending time on a farm!

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  20. I just got back to GA from a visit to North Dakota.....my first time up there. I completely fell in love. It's everything different from the city life I live here.....but it was probably one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been to in my life. Praying for your family as you grow & learn from the Lord. = )

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  21. It is amazing how HE provides for us, all in His time! Hope you are having a great time on the farm!

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Thank you for blessing me with your words!

Brittany