Invasion of the farmers in Chi Town!

We will live here so we can vacation there!

Green acres under construction

Here are some recent photos of our country oasis under construction! Green acres will be the place to be fo sho! Yehaw!

creating a materpiece

I am in the process of selecting colors, cabinets and counter tops! This is fun, but I am taking the color selecting process slower this time. If you have been in my current home you know what I'm talking about! Nevertheless, if you have been in my current home you have a foreshadowing of where I'm going to go with the barn's interior design. Think white-colors that are traditional with a twist! Yes, I've been watching Color Splash on HGTV! Taupe and I are not friends; taupe walls make me bored. This barn is going to be THE coolest barn in Walnut Grove fo sho! Stay tuned for a sneak peak of our color palette.

farmer Olivia

She is ready for the farm!

Where are we going? Crazy, wanna come with!

That is right, it is crazy time! The house goes on the market in one week and we have a list of chores as long as Long Dr. that need to be completed before that takes place! There is poison ivy in our flower beds as well as Molly's preferred dog bed that removed, the hole in the wall where the treadmill fell, the sweet little finger prints on every window and door and touch up painting just to name a few tasks. Nothing major that a weekend of work can't accomplish. Drywall is up and it won't be long now!

P.S.

I forgot to mention in my previous blog from today that we will be using a wood burner for heat. This is all thanks to a grant Justin was awarded by the Department of Conservation (???)....there were only so many awarded and he received one of them! We will now be nearly self sufficient out there now according to farmer Justin! We will be on a well, a wood burner (electric furnace for back up in the event of power outages and lazy spells and/or wood shortage), our own meat source (sweet number 16! see previous blog post for this to make sense!), a garden and more deer than you could say grace over! Turkey too...forgot about them and the fish in the ponds. All of that to pat Justin on the back for a job well done; we are really becoming savvy here!

Dry wall: I know you can't really tell what is what, but it is coming together! The girls are so excited and have declared the storage closet under the stairwell "the clubhouse!"

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Ok, so the dry wall is up now and it is starting to become real. At first it was just an idea and now it is going to actually happen and really soon. As if there have not been enough transitions in our lives in the past 4 years (3 babies and 3 moves if you include this one) we are adding to it. We are getting good at adding to the mix just when you think it can't get any more hectic!! Anywho, the farm is suppost to be place to live a more simple life. So, here is hoping it will be a nice place to land for awhile because I am so not looking forward to packing up and moving. How on earth am I going to pack up and move when I have three kids to take care of? Lipstick on and chin up as I always say to myself...here are the pics of the progress. I am really excited about the kitchen despite my gloomy attitude!

Snake boots

I bought my first pair of farm boots today. They are snake proof and really cool! I also bought a cowgirl hat yesterday! I will be in style now when roaming the range! Now I need to get snake boots for the kids and life vests and sunblock and ivy-block and bug spray...maybe I'll just get three bubbles and put them each inside one so the elements will never get to them! Makes one a little nervous to think of the reasoning behind the need to make boots snake proof and the fact that I will need a pair to walk around where I'm going to be living and my three babies! Geeeze!

We're really doing it Harry!

Justin just informed me that in order to work out at the farm he will need to wear Wrangler Jeans instead of his Big Star Jeans or Armani Jeans...gasp, we're really doing it Harry! This signifies the final step into farmerhood. Justin is officially "one of them" aka "a farmer." So, when people ask me what my husband does I suppose I'll have to mention that right after I say that he sells heavy equipment. However, I will not be farming, only gardening. I will tag along to take care of cattle and whathaveyou strickly for fun on random special occasions! Here are some pictures of the cows whiles we're on the topic...cow #16 is special as she can spin in circles and recognize the truck when Justin and Kris drive up with grain! She will also eat out of their hands and acts as if she wants to rub noses with Justin! I have also included a picture of the female cow Olivia named Roger and her mom.

farmer family photos

Farmer Sydney in her overalls giving the cows an "I'm not so sure about you" glare! She is our master pouter these days! Farmer Justin and Olivia are knee deep in all things farming and as you can see love the farm! Here is a picture of my pregnant belly at about 35 or 36 weeks (I forget) for those who haven't seen the Brody belly lately!

She's a beaut Clark!

We farmers are quick and efficient! Here are the pictres of our shome!

chickens and cows

So, you want to know the recipe for becoming a farmer? Well, you're in the right blog spot because I've got it! Take one man, one sale barn and 5 cows and viola! You've got yourself an instant farmer! Justin followed the recipe and found great success with it not to mention is loving his new role as a farmer! He (but he'll say WE) is the proud owner of 12 cows and a baby calf, Roger (who is really a girl, but this detail doesn't matter to Olivia!). Thats right, 12 cows! He loved the first five cows so much that he went and bought 7 more! They are all really big, slimy and have bald spots...not what I was expecting, but they are blending into the scenery there at the farm quiet nicely! WE are really excited about the other 4 baby calves that should be on their way anytime and the prospect of eating farm fresh beef! WE are so excited in fact that the idea has now branched out to include farm chickens! In an attempt to take things slowly with the transition from common folk to farm folk, I have requested that we press pause on the chicken thought. They should have a house first and someone to take care of them, collect eggs and give them proper names (which will be farmer Olivia). So, for now WE are farmers living in the city while our shome (shop/home) is being framed. Check back in the next couple of days and take a gander at the progress being made! It should be a pretty neat little shouse (shop/house)!

Howdy!

Yes that's right, I said Howdy! I am moving to the country so I better start talking like a country girl I suppose! Announcement: We are moving to our farm in Walnut Grove, MO! 180 acres of nothing but beautiful country, creeks, a big lake, a small lake, a pond, several deer stands and a cuter on the outside than on the inside stone house from the 1900's. This is all apart of a recently lifestyle change decision we made in an effort to downsize/simplify our lives. Therefore, we have begun construction on our new house in the boonies! I'll post pictures soon...just to help you construct the picture in your head while you wait, think barn! Yehaw!