We're Still Here!

Where to begin? Oh, where to begin?

Hello sweet friends! I've missed you so much. {really} It's been an adventure. An adventure of extreme ups and extreme downs. Sigh.

In the past few months, we have packed up our home in the city, moved to the country, living out of a 300 square foot camper with no sewage, sometimes, no electricity and limited water in the beginning.

Here are a few select pictures (mind you, my camera is still not in full working mode, but I'm working on it. Need to take the lens in to be fixed) of the past few months, in random order. We still have no internet at home (with the exception of my small, limited phone) so Chick-Fil-A's WiFi will  have to do for now.
 

My washing machine in the woods beside the barn. This was part of my biggest problem, keeping clean clothing on 7 bodies during the rainy season here in Florida. But, I did it!

 

Our well, giving us refreshing spring water right from beneath our ground. Filled with minerals and freezing cold. When we first arrived at the property permanently, we were hauling water in buckets for animals and washing. Thankfully, we had a hose to hook up to our camper which gave us running water for our sinks and toilet. 

Here are the kids on our first morning without daddy. Rob commuted to work and after a pancake breakfast and chores we decided to make a play fort. One thing that I miss about living in the camper is that we used to play outside ALL DAY. It was HOT, but we were outside and the kids and I went walking and exploring all the time. We finally gave in and bought a pool to ease our heat exhaustion. Wish we would have done that sooner. I also kept the children alive via popsicles from our barn refrigerator.

Here is a mere glimpse of our wash drying on the line. It was constant. Having a dryer is such a luxury!!! A luxury I tell ya!

Our "Little House on the Prairie" fencing job. We needed a quick fence once we arrived at the property for Molly and Mabel. They hung out in the stalls we have previously built for them for the day until we got this sweet fencing up. Wish we would've put a little more time into the strength of it because Ranger was able to herd our Mabel around, causing her to jump the fence several times. Glad she was wearing a halter. The girls earned tags after that episode.

Daddy and Titus playing on the floor of the camper after dinner one night.

A rainbow over our new town. More pictures of our new area to come. Warning...serious quaintness warning!

 

Taped off hog plum trees so our land clearer didn't take them out.

Molly, waiting for her fencing.

The barn JAM PACKED with our stuff, waiting for the house to arrive so we could unload. We used the barn and a storage unit to store everything we didn't use on a daily basis. The daily things we put into the camper.

The camper after dishes one morning. One thing is for sure, we never needed more than 20 minutes to deep clean it!

Molly and Mabel in the Burger King parking lot while Rob ran in to get some "food" for lunch on our moving day. We got a few stares. {grin}

Our future home lot waiting for our house. We stared at it everyday, played dump trucks on it and waited patiently.

The barn Rob built.

Chicken coop awaiting chickens.

Ranger waiting to go.

Pulling in for the first time to permanently live there.

Pulling away from our city home. We have the BEST renter!!! A retired single guy who likes to improve houses. Score.

 

Good bye sweet city house.

Piano made it to the country too, don't worry.

We brought 4 out of our 5 babies home to this house which has been in my husband's family for a LONG time. Rob was living in this home when we went to high school homecoming. Crazy huh?

Our sweet Riley passed away the day before the move. She suffered a bacterial infection and the medication didn't work. That was one of the HARDEST things I've ever done! Our first kid, ya know. Ranger just doesn't measure up. Sorry big guy. You just don't. Maybe someday, you'll prove yourself, but Riley was the best.

The  mess after pulling in to our new home. Ug. Lots of organizing to do.

The dozer that cleared the way for the house.

The barn before we packed it with stuff and more stuff. We got rid of a lot of stuff before the move, but somehow we still filled a barn! Go figure. Spoiled Americans we are.

Sewage lines, because I KNEW you would want to see these! Hey, after having no sewage and just a simple RV toilet for a few months, you use your imagination on how happy we are to have flushing toilets again. Just keepin' it real. :)

 

The moving truck backing up to unload into the barn. It was a HOT day and we did it all by ourselves! Boo-yah!

Dad came over to help us get the old house ready for showings. Tear, we had to paint over our John 15 verse and tree. I did save the transparency for it though. He he

Our pack rat box ready to be hauled away.

 

We just want to say a HUGE thank you to all of those who helped us pack, organize, move out, move in, wrote encouraging cards, came for visits (you guys rock and made my day on those days!), watched our babies, cooked us meals and brought them to us and PRAYED for us.

 

My husband is giving me "the eye" as we're nearing the closing of this Chick-Fil-A trip. The natives are restless and apparently the Chick-Fil-A employees would like to go home. So, I bid you goodbye for now, but will be back with more photos and updates, you can be sure.

 

Blessings and love to you all!