It is funny what you decide to move into a new residence first. For me, the school room/playroom begged to be rescued in our current house. We have been schooling at the kitchen table for months, which has worked wonderfully as we've moved beyond Montessori into Ambleside curriculum. We will be using the second kitchen, cabinets and the adjoining sunroom as both our morning and lunch eatery and our schooling area. Last night, I moved a little kid table and a patio bistro set into the sunroom and it worked perfectly for our first day of school today in the new house. All of us found that, at least for the first day, having giant windows begging us to come out and play rather than school were a distraction, but we worked through it.
The property is greening up and the pastures catch you longing to get lost in their tiny purple and white violets. In the afternoon, the children headed out to explore the back 10 acres with Dad who had stopped by to check in. Our newest member of the family, Domino the barn cat, decided to accompany the troop on their journey...
After watching from a far as they walked out there together, I could take the suspense no longer. Until today, I had yet had the opportunity to go out and visit the back 10 acres. All I knew, is what Ken had taken in pictures. And that was when it was freezing and brown out. When the family returned, I asked for a crack at exploring the property myself. The children headed out with me, eager to show me around, and Hatch, the happiest dog you've ever seen in the last two days, was just as game for a leash free jaunt.
The scene was breath taking. The closer to the creek we got, the greener and more lush the invitation. This is the tree line along the creek...
On an 80 plus degree day, the sound of rushing water made it feel like I was walking into an oasis. Hatch had similar thoughts, and couldn't resist jumping in for a cool swim. The trees were amazing. Those fascinating kinds of trees that have been around for many years and show their age in their odd shaped branches that invite a climb or a sit.
Happy wet dog looking back over the last five acres and an old grove of six barely there trees that surely have stories of their own to tell...
The horses perfect the tranquil setting on the property. Their large glistening bodies are like moving canvases on the property. Always rearranging themselves, adding definition to the land. Making us laugh at times, or stand in awe. Ken and I are agonizing over the horses. If we allow the horses to continue to be boarded, we sacrifice a privacy that we longed for on this type of property. Almost always there is a boarder or two or a trainer and trainee on the property with cars driving in and out. Saturdays and Sundays too. Many of them have been very kind. If we nix the boarders, the horses obviously go too, at least for a couple of years. Not to mention the issue of insurance and liability. It is a hard decision, but luckily not one we have to make right away. So for now, I drink it in...
The children have tickled me with their enthusiasm and gradual realization of what moving really means. Jack is still trying to figure things out. Today he asked, "How many houses do we have to live in before we get to heaven?" Not sure where I went wrong there, but he's clearly mulling over things in his mind. Grace, on the other hand, is in nature walk heaven, bringing in toads, kitty tales, and minute by minute exclamations of how she loves this paint color choice or how great the knobs from our old house look on the new house cabinets. Faith is having a blast running from room to empty room as her little padding feet echo throughout the house. We all turn into little kids when we explore empty houses, don't we?
1 comment:
You are doing EXACTLY what we are trying to do. WEEE! I can feel your excitement b/c it brims deep in my own soul!
I'll be checking in ... the land is beautiful! Thanks for the pics!
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