We Bought a Farm: (Not) Being Lonely

Our dear friend Anni with our daughters and her little
foster daughter. (Laws don't allow me to show a
picture of her but trust me, she's a CUTIE PIE!)

The thing about this life here that is constantly amazing to me is this one fact: 

My biggest fear in agreeing to move out to "the middle of nowhere" was being lonely. And lonely is the LAST thing I could call myself now.

When John (aka "JB") and I began discussing homesteading and purchasing land, I was not on board. In fact, my husband will tell you that he played mental chess with me for nearly two decades in order to bring me over to the non-suburban-housewife side that I really thought I wanted to be on.

If you asked me where I pictured my life when I was a little girl, I would have told you, "as a stay-at-home mom in the suburbs." I pictured a mini-van and taking my kids to the local Christian school for their education. 

If you asked me when I was thirty-years-old where I saw myself when we got out of the military, I would have told you the same thing. In a neighborhood. With other people. (So I wouldn't be lonely of course.)

But JB had other ideas. He wanted to homestead. He wanted to live rural. And slowly but surely, he brought me over to the same side.

When we started looking for a farm, we thought something in the 8-10 acre range about 15 minutes from a town would be ideal. I specifically asked if we could be within 30 minutes of a town that had a Target.

But then, we saw this farm. And the price and the whole package was exactly what we wanted ... despite the fact that it was closer to an hour from a Target town. It was closer to the town of Greeneville and not Johnson City. I wanted Johnson City! But God had other plans -- oh and what beautiful plans they are.

Today, Anni and her beautiful little foster daughter joined us for our normal Sunday time together. Anni is now a member of our church here in Greeneville, and she is even signing for second service some weeks. Check it out!



Anni's parents were in town today. I didn't get a picture with them, but I do think it's FANTASTIC that Anni's parents names are GEORGE and DIANE. (Those are my parents' names too!) They are really cool folks, folks. Anni's Mom helped Abigail learn a new trick. You can see it in the video below. (You'll hear Jacob encouraging her and me talking with Anni's moms about one of my favorite topics: BOOKS!)



I am so blessed by all the people that find our home a place they like to be. Friends and family that stop through or get eggs or meat from us or volunteer or hang out with us. We have our wwoofers here and so many amazingly wonderful people that spend time with us. 

Today we actually had sixteen people here at one time. Our family. the grandparents, Anni and her parents and "daughter", our two wwoofers, and two local gals helping cut trees to raise money for a mission trip. 

I am not lonely.

Not even close.

(Sometimes I actually wish for a moment I was!)