Overwhelmed? Nope.

It's time to post an update to our renovations. I was hoping to have some more pictures to share, however I haven't been out to the house in a couple of weeks. I do have some pictures to share of the digging! The builder and his crew started digging for the addition on November 9th.

Since then, the foundation has been poured, and the block has been put in place for the new crawl space. This week the framing will go up. Our builder has also told us to start picking out bathroom fixtures, vanities, and sinks. Did I mention that we are going to get a farm sink with an apron front? Oh yes. Oh yes we are. There are so many options out there, and I'm not particularly good at picking what goes with what. If you show me a picture of something already put together, I can say, "Oh, that vanity, with that vanity top and that sink, and faucet. Yep. That's what I want!" Having to pick out individual pieces is something I have never done before, and I'm trying to enjoy the excitement of it rather than get crazy about it. Because I do that sometimes, you know. I get crazy. My therapist says that I need to give my "crazy" a name. You know, like an alter ego. I've decided to name her Nina. So, when I start to get a little overwhelmed or agitated or...crazy...I can just say, "Nina. Settle down girl. I've got this." Even my therapist has an alter ego named Edna. Seems to work for her.

We met with our realtor yesterday. We are blessed because we have worked with her twice before. She gave us some projects to do to get our home, "show ready". We were ready for that. I think that it really stinks that we have put things off. You know...like updating the kitchen. Why the heck didn't we do that a year ago, when we could have a little time to enjoy it? Oh yeah....we had other things going on. That's how life is, isn't it? Things happen, you get sidetracked and/or priorities get shifted, and then those that are way down on the list suddenly become immensely important and you suddenly "find" the money to get them done, basically because you have to. I want to say that I'm not complaining, but....I kinda am. We have to get our home "show ready". Oh, and we have to get our new home ready to move in to. And then we have holidays, and family visiting. Gotta squeeze in the homeschooling too. As Shaggy once said to Scooby..."ZOINKS!!!" But...I'm not overwhelmed. Simmer down, Nina. Simmer down.

Permits Part 2

Good news! The county issued our permits! We got news from our builder that we have them. Our builder hopes to begin digging at the end of next week. We're excited, but I think that the real excitement will come when we see that backhoe start movin' some dirt! Chad's dad owns a backhoe. Cool huh?

Our fall has been busy, with Chad working at the farm and me just trying to keep up with the kiddos. But, we have taken some time to do some of our usual fall activities, like heading to Russell Farms Pumpkin Patch.

Trick-O-Treating was fun with our Ghost, Transformer, and Dragon!

Being that this blog is entitled, "Farmtastic" I find it necessary to include pictures of our recent adventure at the farm. During our visit, Chad and the farm crew were harvesting corn. The boys love the combine. Our Little Man would not ride in it because he said it was "scary" but he will get plenty of opportunity to take a ride next year!

Finally, a family picture from our trick-o-treating evening!

Hang On...

Permits. Permits. Permits. Pieces of paper that read, "Yes, it's ok for this property to be changed." When we first started this journey with the home renovation, we had high hopes that work could begin mid-October. Here we are, October 28th, and...nadda. Why? Well....it's not time yet. I mean, if it were all up to me I would have just signed the papers and said, "Yes! Proceed!" But....it's not in MY time. It's in God's time. So God has said, "Hang on here. It's not time yet. Patience, Grasshopper." (Well, He may not have said that last part, but you get the idea.) What's the hold up? The Septic. It's old and needs to be up to code before the county will give us permits. Well, that's not entirely true. There needs to be a PLAN to update the septic submitted to the county and then permits will be given. And even then we have to wait 7-10 days in case anyone wants to formally submit an objection of some kind to the county. And then...then we can begin digging. Who is going to do the septic work? Well, my husband of course? Didn't know he was a plumber did you? Well, I didn't either. He will be getting help from his dad and a neighbor who is a "septic guy" so it seems he will be fine with that "little" project. We have some friends here in Fishers who I'm sure would like to submit an objection to the county just to delay our move-in date further. Thanks for that, friends. We are flattered. In the meantime, we are great. Yes, we really are. It's tough though. Chad working 6-7 days a week, 12 hours/day, sometimes more. It's hard on both of us. The boys miss him. Chad has made it a point to get to Mass with us every Sunday, and we are finding that all three of the boys want to sit with me during Mass. Teddy hangs on my left, Christian on my right, and Charlie in my lap resting his head on my shoulder. His favorite phrase is "Mommy, carry you," ("you" meaning "me".) So, I haven't heard the Homilies for the last 5-6 weeks. But, you know what? It's ok. I get frustrated because I just want to listen to what Father is saying. But then, I tell myself, "God doesn't need you to hear this message today. It's ok. Be as present as possible, but take care of your children." And so I do. Sometimes begrudgingly, but I do. I'm finding other ways to take care of "me". I do an Insanity class at the Y at 5:15am every Monday. The time of the class and the actual class are both insane! But, dang it makes me feel good. Wednesdays are PiYo, again at 5:15am, and I try to to a strength class either Tuesday or Thursday. I've just started trying to get in a weekend workout as well. So, that part is good, however, it's 7:45pm on Monday night, my muscles sore from Insanity, and I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open to type this post. And as I sit here and type, Charlie comes by with his trick-o-treat jack-o-lantern, holds it up to me and says, "How about cheeseburger?" Yes, my Little Man. I could go for a cheeseburger.

Holy Crap it's Happening!

Chad is at the end of his second week as a full-time farmer. I'm not sure where the time has gone. Our time together lately is so limited, and I'm not complaining, just stating a fact. This new way of life is taking some getting used to, and I know that there will be further adjustment once we get moved. Baby steps, I guess. I'm thankful that it's not happening all at once- the move and change in careers. I know that people go through that all of the time, and I'm so glad that there is time between the two transitions. Our conversations are very different now. ME: "How were things today?" HIM: "Good. Got the auger fixed." ME: "That's good!" (Me: thinking to myself, "What the heck is an auger?") I know. I live in Indiana. I should know what an auger is. I don't. Well, NOW I do. Last night, around 9:30, he and I were chatting about my therapy session (yes, I go to therapy), and in mid sentence, I look over, and my man's eyes are closed. He is still nodding his head in agreement with me, but his eyes are closed. Man, he was tired. This farming stuff is exhausting. But, again, not complaining. Knowing that he has given his day to completely glorify the Lord- he should be exhausted. Tuesday of this week we had an inspection on the home we are renovating. This was something we didn't have to do, but decided to do because of peace of mind. I am happy to report that there were no major problems (mold, termites, etc.) There are many little things that need to be fixed, but it's all stuff we can handle. So, we are happy with the report. Today, Chad met with our builder. We have to choose between two floor plans for the addition. After that decision is made, our builder will seek approval from the county, and things will get rolling. Our builder will be done 2.5 months after ground is broken. 2.5 months and his part will be done. In the mean time, we will also be doing some work on the house. Chad is going to do the demo of the kitchen. We will also be doing all of the interior painting and all of the hard flooring ourselves. We will hire someone to install carpet. Even after move-in, the projects will continue. Did I mention that the big parts of the renovation will be done 2.5 months after county approval? 2.5 months. HOLY CRAP IT'S HAPPENING!!! Oh, and we have repairs to make in our current home before putting it on the market. And there's the matter of packing. And Thanksgiving is coming up. Then Christmas. HOLY CRAP IT'S HAPPENING! We have had some people offer to help out with painting and other tasks and we are so appreciative of that! If you would like to help with anything- childcare, packing, help with the remodel...ANYTHING, please email or call me. I'm going to create a "helper" list. This is an easier way to keep track of those offers instead of me saying to Chad later on, "Who was it that offered to help paint again?" I'll bet most who are reading this did not know that Chad and I lived together in our "new" home once before. I moved to Indiana December of 2002. I had just graduated college in Michigan, and I had my teaching license- in Michigan. I did not have a job down here, and my heart (Chad) brought me to Indiana. Chad was living in his grandfather's house at the time, and so I stayed there with him for 4 months, until I had some money saved up. It was very important to us that we had our own places. I moved to Carmel, as I was teaching preschool in Zionsville. And, Chad lived in his grandfather's house until we got married 9/18/04. When I moved out of that house- I NEVER imagined that I would be going back. That WE would be going back. Me in the country? Say Whaaaaaatttt??? Here we are, nearly 11 years later, making plans to move back. God is kinda funny that way.

Last Day as an Engineer and New "Insurance"

My husband's last day as an engineer is today. As of tomorrow, he will be a farmer. Farmer Chad. That's him. As this day has been approaching, I have had time to reflect on what this means. I wonder what he is thinking, since he is not only changing jobs, he is changing careers, and choosing a path that is less traveled. So far, this experience, from my perspective, has been very freeing. We have felt the ups and downs, over the past 11.5 years, of a changing economy, and how it effects the automotive industry. When the tsunami hit Japan in 2011, we felt that too. Of course, as farmers, the economy and the weather will have an effect on us too, but in a different way. I find myself in a place where I am more prayerful and more grateful. I haven't prayed much about Chad's job, except when things have been tough. Now, I'm finding myself in prayer, each day, expressing my gratitude for beautiful weather, gratitude for rain, and hope for a bountiful harvest. I know that many people don't believe that God has anything to do with the weather. I'm not really sure that I believe that either. However, prayer couldn't hurt, right? Anything that puts more prayer into our lives is ultimately strengthening our relationship with God, and pulling us away from things that may distract us from keeping that focus. Matthew 26:41 "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!" Finally, I wish to share about our new "insurance". So many have asked what we are going to do about insurance now that Chad is considered self-employed. We were blessed to find out about a ministry from Farmer Tom, the farmer we buy our meat through in Greencastle. We have not signed up for new insurance. In fact, technically we have no insurance. We have recently become members of Samaritan Ministries. To find out more about this unique ministry click here. This is not insurance, but a ministry. When we have a need over $300, other members of the ministry pay our bills. We do the same for the other members, and we don't pay more than $370/month. When we have a need, our names are posted in the monthly newsletter for all of the members. Our fellow members will then pray for us, and pay for our need. This is very untraditional, but I'm finding it to be freeing. Eliminating the insurance companies all together is a relief. Money goes directly to the members who have a need. In case you were wondering, this ministry, and those similar to it, meet the requirements for the new "Obamacare" laws. If you want to know more about it, visit the website, and ask me about it. Even if you have insurance, you might consider Samaritan. Peace and love everyone. Cheers to new adventures!

Borscht

I have some awesome girlfriends. For real. For this, I am deeply blessed. On Friday evening, I got together with a few of them to make this delicious dish- Borscht. I'm not a huge fan of beets, but I'm all about getting together with my girls, drinking some wine, and slicing and dicing some veg to put into a healthy dish. So, we did just that. This recipe is courtesy of my sister-from-another-mother, Kim. Ann, shredding beets

This attachment for the KitchenAid Mixer is extremely helpful for this recipe.

Look at all that veg! And, this soup is so pretty. The picture doesn't do it justice!

I love these ladies! Our soup is delicious and I'm so happy that I was able to bring some home for my family to enjoy. It's in the freezer hanging out, waiting for a cool fall evening! ****************************************

Borscht Recipe 18 cups water 9 T vinegar (1/2 C) 2 T salt Ham bone or can use bacon, pork chop etc. for flavor 6 C shredded beets 4 C shredded potatoes 2 C shredded carrots 1 onion shredded 2 C (shelled) peas 2 C shredded cabbage 1 C cut beans (cut into 1 inch pieces) Prepare the above veggies and place in cold water, salt and ham bone. This is important to start all veggies together in cold water. They don't lose their color this way. In a separate pan: 1 sm onion 2 red diced tomatoes 1 t chopped dill Saute together in margarine till soft. Then add 2 cans of tomato soup to the mixture. Add tho veggie mixture Simmer for 2 hours or until the veggies are tender. If soup is too thick or too sour add 1 to 2 C water. (my family's tradition is to add 1 T of cream per serving, says Kim)

"Before" Photos of our "new" home!

Here's the house we're going to renovate. There's lots of history here, man. Chad's dad grew up in this house. His grandfather lived here until he passed away. It was built in the 1950's (you may will be able to see that when you look at the photos). Scroll down and take it all in. Lots of character and charm here. You'll see me pop up in a few of them- checkin' things out.

Indiana Home Grown

I have a new favorite book "Home Grown Indiana". The reason I like this book is because it's a great resource for anyone who is looking to learn more about food, farming, and eating local. From this book, I have learned where the term "organic" comes from. I've learned about pasteurization, raw milk, raw cheese, and raw honey. And, all of the pros and cons of all of that. I'm not going to chat about the do's and dont's of food production and consumption here. Everyone has a different opinion on that. Just wanted to throw this great reference out there in case you are interested in learning more. If you don't live in Indiana, hopefully there is something comparable available for your state. Last year we began buying our meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey) from a local farmer in Greencastle, IN. It's coming from Red Barn Farms. Check out his website to learn more. Really. Do it. You won't regret it. And if Greencastle is too much of a hike for you... you may just find another farm closer to you in the book I referenced above.

Changes

New Blog! New House! New career! New life! Wow, wow, wow! Being that this is the first post of our family's new blog, I feel inclined to explain what the heck is going on, i.e, why I have created this blog to begin with. I'm pretty sure this is my third attempt at a blog. I've found it difficult to be consistent with it because, well, honestly I don't make it a top priority. I'm hoping to do better with this one. And so, off we go! Our family is at the beginning of making some very big changes. Actually, we are making one HUGE change, and along with that, there are lots of big changes. The HUGE change is that Chad is changing careers. After nearly 13 years as an engineering coordinator in Greenfield, IN, he (we) have decided that at some point in the future, we will be taking over his family's farm. What does this mean? (here come the part about the big changes)... we are moving. We are moving to Shirley, IN. We currently live in Fishers, a northern suburb of Indianapolis. Great schools. Great neighborhoods, great neighbors, great community, and AWESOME church. We are very happy here in Fishers. In fact, we love it here. And for a very long time, I would almost never have imagined living anywhere else. However, over the past year or so, I have started to think very differently. I wouldn't say I (we) changed our minds, but rather, we had a huge change of heart. My husband is not a quitter. He is extremely loyal. And so, I believe and so does he, that there has been some serious divine intervention (more on that later) in our lives which has allowed us to open our hearts to the possibility of moving to the family farm, and, one day, taking it over completely. And so, I guess you could say that we are going to be farmers! The farm is approximately 900 acres. Chad's dad farms corn, soybeans, and some wheat. We are at the beginning stages of renovating Chad's grandfather's house, which was built in the 1950's. The work on the home will begin in October, and we will probably be moving early spring...maybe before. At this point we really don't know. We do know that things are moving forward. We are excited. We are scared. But, we have peace. We have peace that this decision is what is right for our family. And that God is leading us in this direction. I can't believe I am nearing the end of this post and this is the first time I'm mentioning God! The "Guy up there" (my oldest son refers to God this way), is leading the way. We are following. My intention for this blog is to share all things in home renovation, all things farm, all things God, all things homeschooling, all things love, all things joy, all things cooking, all things family, and all things that are frustrating about all of those things! I'll do my best to keep this up. Lord knows I am going to need some place to pour out all of the things going on in my head as we take this journey. Peace! Nicole