Let’s go back to 2020…

…said no one ever.

Unless, you’re going back there to reminisce about one of the best and most beautiful things to come out of that year, which was the fact that we bought a farm.

A Farm.

US.

BUT WITH A FARM.

Today, I’m sharing our story about how this dream we didn’t even know we had is coming true, how we saw God’s hand working through the process, and what we envision for the future of our new home and land.

Maybe you’ve been dreaming up something similar, my friend. I’d like to encourage you as we navigate this next phase of our lives, and of course, take you along for the ride that is proving to be a wild one already.

HOW IT STARTED

Our previous house was the first house we had ever owned.

We loved it. It was a beautiful and unique starter home at 3,000 square feet and only 3 years old. We were drawn to its warm and modern vibes, with deep, dark wooden floors, modern cabinetry, and splashes of industrial elements. We especially appreciated the low-maintenance “yard,” which contained absolutely no grass. Tim kept the turf he installed clean with a leaf-blower (his favorite job to decompress at the time). The lot was 4,000 square feet, and the house boundaries were nearly as close as they could be to the property line (7 feet).

Our plan was to enjoy this first home for 5-7 years based on how we structured our mortgage.

But a short 4 years later, well, 2020 happened and rudely destroyed all “plans” and normalcy…

you remember…you were there, too…

…and without a true yard, we were feeling more and more claustrophobic with each passing day. And honestly, Tim was also *finally* out of medical training and working his first “real” job and receiving the income that came with that.

In one day, our course changed.

It happened in a turn of events that felt entirely orchestrated by God. But I woke up one day, and I had had enough. I was at home, dripping with 3 kids 5 and under and trying to entertain them during THE LONGEST DAYS EVER, all without access to a single playground or even hiking trails (?!). I called Tim at work that morning and announced that I felt like it was time to start looking for something else, where we could safely be outside with the children.

That very day, I kid you not, was the day we ended up having dinner at the very home we ended up purchasing, which was owned by our close friends’ parents. These incredible humans, our friends’ parents, were planning to move in the upcoming months, and as it would turn out, they decided not to put the house on the market and instead, to sell it to us directly. It was a nearly flawless process, for which we were and continue to be tremendously grateful.

Our big dream was just to have privacy and space. We had no minimum size requirement or expectation, but trusted we would know when it was right. And this, indeed, was right.

More than right.

Practically Perfect.

We believe it was God who directed us to this home and through this process. In our gratitude, we aim to be good and generous stewards of the land for which we have been entrusted.

So, let’s talk about it, shall we?

THE LAND

The total size of the property is just shy of 20 acres, with less than 5 acres cleared. The rest contains a gorgeous forest, flowing generously with ferns, cedar and alder trees, salmonberry and blackberry, among billions of other species. The previous owners had horses which frequently cruised the property. Their trails have become our hiking trails. There is a natural meadow, a ravine, and other beautiful clearings and unique features like the “lightning” tree in the forest: a burnt, extremely large decaying tree, which we enjoy guessing about what occurred the day the damage that was done to it.

The land is home to many animals including a LOT of deer and elk. We’ve also spotted coyotes, bobcats, and the occasional, (*gulp*) bear. Our daily animal sightings are some of our favorite moments. (Unless it’s deer and they are eating something we planted, in which case they will be immediately chased wildly by a very scary version of me).

THE STRUCTURES

The highest point of the property contains our home, completed in 2018. It’s a modern farmhouse-style, two-story beauty that is well-lit and inviting, with a glorious kitchen that I promise never, EVER to change.

A short trip down the pasture will lead you to a 2,000 square foot unheated big red barn, with concrete flooring and a large awning. The interior of the barn turns out to be both an excellent place to workout as well as to teach children how to play tennis and roller skate, I’ve gotta say.

In the vicinity of the barn, you’ll find a tractor shed, a wood shed, and a wellhouse. All containing what their names suggest.

THE farm ANIMALS

As for our animals, we currently have 14 chickens. 2 are Golden Sexlinks and they were included in the home purchase. They’re little grandmas now, but are beloved by all, though their egg-laying days are behind them.

The other 12 are white, fluffy Bantam Silkies that we purchased online and who arrived in the mail. Like literally picked them up at the post office peeping loudly all in the most adorable yellow fluff-bunch. It was exciting to raise those babies from day-old chicks. Being chicken parents has brought us so much joy. Chickens, however, have proven to be very difficult for us to keep safe, but we’ve learned a lot and made significant changes to our setup (and haven’t lost a chicken to a predator since).

After a devastating prized-chicken loss, we decided to add some bunnies to the mix to cheer our little people up a bit. Poppy and Rosie are twin sisters and are the sweetest little bunnies. They put up with plenty of shenanigans and have even learned to tolerate hopping around on a bunny leash. They are Holland Lops and are so delightful.

YOUR FARM-HANDS

You’re probably familiar with us allll by now. But if not, let’s do some quick introductions. First, there’s Tim. He’s an Orthopedic Surgeon and has a schedule as busy as one might assume. He does hip and knee replacements, as well as trauma (think falls and car accidents). As it turns out…he was made for life in the operating room AND on the farm. He has fully embraced every farm project and is always up for whatever crazy idea I dream up next, even with his limited time.

Then there’s me, Ann Marie. I was a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, and have now embraced life as a stay at home mom with a few side gigs, like working in research coordination with Tim, holding things down in the household, and blogging right here.

As a former “indoors-y girl,” I still get messages from friends who are surprised by our decision to move to a farm, knowing me well. It has truly changed me, and I’d certainly like to think its been for the better.

We have three little gals, ages 5, 7, & 8, who are such a tremendous source of joy for us. The idea of them growing up here with space to safely roam, and knowledge about gardens and animals, has been a powerful motivator for us.

THE LEARNING CURVE

We showed up here with almost no experience with animals, maintaining land, or growing flower or vegetable gardens.

We’ve made so. many. mistakes already. I did the garden all wrong initially.

We lost 12 chickens to predators.

We may or may not have a rodent infestation in our garage.

Our baby fruit trees and grapes had their leaves eaten 3(!!!) times in their first year by deer.

We are definitely not going to do things perfectly the first, or maybe even second or third times, but we’re learning, growing, and changing the things around us and ourselves for the better each time we try; even if we try and fail.

We’ve never maintained anything like this, but immediately realized we’d need more tools than our leaf-blower and screwdriver set.

We bought all of the equipment we need for most projects from the previous owners of the farm. Now it’s just a matter of figuring out how to use those things properly to tackle the projects we have in mind.

THE ADVENTURE TO COME

We really are true beginners, and we thought that as we get things set up here, that it might be helpful to share our story as it unfolds and to encourage any of you thinking about pursuing a farm or garden, or animal raising life in the future.

What I didn’t know when we bought the farm is how passionate we would quickly become for the farm lifestyle and for growing our own food. At the very beginning, I actually was planning to take the entire vegetable garden out, actually. Up until that point, every plant I touched would meet an immediate death, and I had absolutely no confidence in myself as a gardener. But we decided to throw some starts in the ground and see what would happen. And through that process of watching those things grow, I have learned so much and really developed a passion for researching and understanding the process of growing vegetables. So much so that last year, I built my dream garden, complete with a greenhouse and trellises and I watched the garden come to life.

Last year, we built a home orchard, complete with over 20 fruit trees and a massive berry patch. We added a wood chip pathway to get around, and a grape arbor as a hangout. To keep the deer out, we eventually fenced it in and added the trellises for a wow factor and place to grow vining flowers. We are expecting some first fruits of that planting this year, and couldn’t be more thrilled.

We may be light on experience, but we’re having a darn good time figuring out how to put one foot in front of the other as we build the farm of our dreams.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

My greatest passion is to encourage others, and I hope that sharing parts of our life on the farm can help you dream big and better yet, to move on those dreams.

So I’m inviting you to grab a seat at our table and have some fun learning alongside us as we navigate through each surprising victory and the inevitable setbacks of our farm-life ride. I’ll be sharing what I learn in the garden, orchard, with the animals, and more.

If farm life isn’t your thing, then I hope you’ll stick around for inspiration in motherhood, travel (we’re working on visiting all of the National Parks in the US!), faith, or home decor and renovation – we have a massive project going on right now, and I’ll be sharing the details for all of you!

Let me know what you’re most excited about!

And in case I haven’t said it to you lately, I am so, so glad you’re here.

Biggest Hugs + Greatest Blessings,

Ann Marie 🖤

special thanks to the talented Katie Kolbrick who took the professional photos on today’s post!