Cotton Candy Sky

Have you ever, and I mean ever, seen anything more beautiful than a cotton candy sky? And you know which ones I’m talking about!

We get the most breathtaking sunsets out here at the farm, with blues and pinks and oranges and purples illuminating the entire sky, making it feel like you’re in some kind of intergalactic dome on some other planet. The sunsets somehow both shrink the distance from the ground to the sky (where you feel like you can touch the clouds by stretching your hand in the air) and also amplify it (so that it feels like you’re a million miles away).

It sort of looks fake in these pictures doesn’t it? I remember thinking, as I was taking them, that the sunset looked fake in real life, too. But I believe something this magnificent has to be captured so you can relive its beauty over and over again. I have about a thousand sunset picture on my phone, and I know I’ll never get tired of looking at a sky like this, so I hope you don’t ever get tired of me posting about them!

We've Spent a Month Straight at Holiday House

The question that’s been on my mind lately: are we ever going home?

To be clear, we’ve been to our house in town many times over the last 30 days, but we’ve not actually spent the night there in more than a month. How wild is that? I can honestly say I never pictured that I would enjoy living in a half-torn apart trailer in the country more than living in our fully-renovated house in the middle of the city. Isn’t it funny how life changes your priorities so quickly? Isn’t it funny how having kids changes your priorities so quickly?

We know how important the farm is for the kiddos during this time in their lives, which is a huge reason we’re spending more time out here lately. They have the space and freedom to run around and climb trees and get dirty and play with animals and explore. It’s perfect for them. And guess what? It’s perfect for us, too.

PJ has been getting a new animal every week (like he did when he was little growing up on his family’s farm 😂), so with that comes many firsts for the kids, and, to be honest, for me too. I didn’t grow up on a farm or around sheep and geese and cows like PJ did, so it’s been just as exciting for me to see how cute and fun they can be. Spoiler alert: pretty darn cute and fun.

Life is different here, in a good way. Every day is something new and there’s always work to be done. I am hoping I feel as enthusiastic about spending time on the farm this summer as I do now, because while the weather has been somewhat mild lately (making it easy to be outside for long periods of time), this week it’s supposed to be in the 80’s a lot, which will lead into a mostly in-the-90’s-every-day kind of summer here in Tennessee. It can be unbearable, truly, to be outside unless you’re in shade or around some type of water to cool you off. We’re working on the water situation as we speak. Will we have something by summer? TBD.

So, are we ever going home? Yes, of course. But I don’t think any of us would mind if it wasn’t for a little while longer.

Our First Farm Animals!!!

Y’all!

We can officially call our land a “farm”. After years of talking and dreaming and planning, we finally did something a few weeks back that feels like the first step (of many) towards the future of our land.

Oops, of our farm.

Over on Instagram last month, we talked about getting chickens, and PJ even took the kids to the store to look at them (they were obsessed). After talking about it more, we decided to hold off on getting them for the time being, as we didn’t have anywhere to put them right then (and chickens didn’t really fit in line with our 2021 word of the year “simplify”). Also, at the time, we weren’t really spending as much time out at Holiday House as we are now. We’ve been spending almost every night out here for the last few weeks and our mindset has started to shift a little. Okay, a lot.

Things that seemed like they would be impossible before, suddenly seem doable. And honestly nothing has really changed but our desire to start living a little differently. Holiday House, and now the farm, now seem like a realistic endeavor for many reasons, some of which we’ll share at a later time, but for now, adding sheep and even chickens doesn’t seem as impossible as it did before, and I think it’s because we finally just committed to spending more time out here than we used to.

Because our house in town is pretty far from the farm, the idea of staying at our townhouse 24/7 and then driving out to the farm to take care of animals every day didn’t make sense logistically. The animals wouldn’t get the care they needed to thrive and the eventual farm would suffer because of it. There would be no realistic way to do this thing the right way unless we were 100% committed to the land, to the animals, and to the new lifestyle we’re slowly inching towards. SO, we decided to make small changes to make spending the night out at Holiday House more enjoyable (more on that in future posts).

(Showing the kids and our cousin’s daughters the sheep)

We plan to have a few fences built on the farm so we can keep most of the animals together while they add nourishment to the land. The guy PJ hired to build the fence for us called PJ yesterday and said we are on the schedule for this Monday (!) which is about a week sooner than he originally said, so we’re now even more excited about the whole thing. We both know contractors sometimes fail to meet their deadlines because, well, life happens, but we’re hoping everything goes smoothly with the fence building so we can hurry up and move these babies into a bigger pasture.

Look how cute they are!! Don’t they look a little like baby deer? The brown ones are a mix breed of Katahdin and Mouflon, and the all-white one (with a brown eye patch) is full Mouflon. The Katahdin (named after Mount Katahdin in Maine) are apparently some the easiest sheep to take care of- they require no sheering and very little maintenance and are super adaptable. PJ loves the brown coloring and how “wild” they feel, whereas the white one is a little more tame.

For now, before the bigger fence is built, we’re all enjoying coming up to the little fence every day as PJ feeds them, and trying to pet them (key word: trying, as they run away from us every time we get even a little close to them. Hoping they warm up to us all soon!). It’s funny how having a few “farm animals” out here changes the feel of this place for me. Before, when we first bought it, it was just a bunch of overgrown grass with a ton of possibility. Now, after PJ has been creating roads (yes, he is digging out roads himself with the tractor!), bush hogging and mowing, clearing a few trees to make way for more trees, building a small pond, and fixing up Holiday House, our farm is starting to actually feel like…well, a farm.

And it feels great, friends. And we love it out here so, so, so much.

PS: We need names! We think we have one nailed down for the white sheep, but we really want to let the kids name them. The only problem with that is, every time we ask them what we should call them, they just keep saying their names should all be “Sheep”. TBD on if that name actually sticks.

Hello Again, Summer

I know the calendar still says spring, but I swear that yesterday summer officially began in Tennessee, so we did what anyone would do when it’s 80 degrees outside: we went swimming in the small pond that PJ built for us, of course.

Tennessee has, for reasons unknown to me, a tendency to shorten seasons, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we went from winter to a little bit of spring for a week and then straight into full-on summer. It’s still kind of chilly in the mornings, but it’s calling for hot weather the rest of the week, so I think it’s safe to say we’re done with spring (though my allergies would disagree).

The water was still a little too cold for me to want to get in (I hate cold water so, so much!) but the kids couldn’t stay out of it. I always tell PJ, to everyone else this probably looks like just a big, muddy pile of dirt, rocks, and water, but to us it’s paradise. It still has such a long way to go, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of what it’s going to eventually look like, but the biggest and most important thing is that we have water on the farm (for now at least) to keep us cool this summer.

Last summer was so miserable (for many different reasons) because we didn’t have anywhere to cool off in the 100 degree temps. That’s why this little pond is paradise for us right now: it’s a step in the right direction to get us to where we want to one day be out here. We can see the vision of what this farm could be for us, and maybe even for others, and that “someday maybe” is giving us the fuel we need to keep working.

Here’s to short seasons and many more hot days in the coming months!

Good Morning

I coudln’t help but taking a quick picture when I walked outside this morning to let the dogs out. The sunrise never disappoints here at Holiday House and I don’t think I’ll ever stop taking photos (and posting them) of it.

Good morning dear reader! xx

Here Comes the Sun

And after all the hard and heavy wind and rain that seemed to last forever (when in reality it lasted a little over 24 hours), the sun came out in full force on this beautiful Friday morning to bring us into the weekend. Unfortunately, it’s supposed to rain for the next few days, so the sunny weather won’t last long, but wow what a beautiful day it’s going to be. And we’re going to make the most of it!

PJ has been looking at something very exciting (to our family) online that we may go look at today. It will be a first step for an overall vision we have for Holiday House and our land, and even though it will be a lot more work (whatever happened to our word of the year “simplify?”), it will be something we can all love and enjoy. We’ll see how today goes!!

Happy Friday dear friends!! Hope you have a good one! xo

The Pond That PJ Built

Pond progress!

PJ has been working on a small pond on our property for the last few days, spending many, many hours on it and getting it just right. How cool is that? Remember how I said there’s truly nothing he can’t do when he set his mind to it? This is a prime example. He built a literal pond, y’all, using a shovel and the tractor.

We hired excavators to dig a few ponds on our land and hope to have them filled (or at least the smaller one) by summer, but the weather hasn’t been cooperating with us the last few weeks, so their timeline is a bit delayed. After it rains, and it’s rained a lot lately, they have to wait at least three days before they can start digging again. As you can imagine, it gets frustrating quick when something that should have taken a week ends up taking over a month. Such is life, though!

Not taking that for an answer, PJ has taken it upon himself to create a little water haven for us using the mountain run-off water that builds up whenever it rains a lot. Every fall and winter, a little stream is formed on our property and runs for a few months while it’s still wet outside. Come spring and summer, though, it’s all dried up. We’re hoping that, because of the system PJ created for this little pond, it’ll stay filled from now on and get bigger as it rains throughout the year. We shall see!

For now, though, it’s been perfect for the dogs to swim in and the kiddos to play in. The weather has been so nice the last few days (low 70’s and sunny!) and we’re trying to be outside and in nature as much as possible. It may not look like much from these photos, but to us, it’s paradise right now.

The pond has also created a sort of relaxing retreat for us. The sound of the water running is so dreamy and the color of the rocks under the water is beautiful. Through the draining system PJ created, the pond stays pretty clear when no one is in it stirring up the mud, so you can see right to the bottom.

The kiddos and I have been helping PJ collect and stack rocks to create something for the water to break on and they are LOVING it! We’ve found they really like helping us out there when we’re doing various projects (older brother is sometimes reluctant, but for the most part he’s game, too). They love getting their hands dirty and seeing how many rocks they can get at one time. It’s so cute. Seeing their little hands pick up these ginormous rocks is my favorite thing ever, but seeing their excitement and pride in how hard they’re working is even better.

I can’t wait to see if this little pond works!! We should know something here pretty soon!

Spending All Day Outside

Our days look so much different out here than they do in town.

Back home, our days are mostly spent inside working, cleaning, and doing school, with the occasional walk outside now that they weather is a little warmer. Here, though, we spend more time outside than in. We spent so much time outside yesterday that I actually got a little sunburnt. There’s just so much more to DO here, I’m honestly not used to it. It’s exciting and overwhelming and beautiful in the best way.

Right now the kiddos are outside playing with their monster trucks in the dirt and pretending it’s Jurassic Park with toy dinosaurs (and fighting during all of this, but that’s beside the point) and PJ is riding the tractor smoothing out all the gravel that got delivered yesterday for the new driveway (yay!). Basically, there’s just a lot more going on here than at our townhouse. Every day there’s something to be done, a project to be completed, a different path to make, and just all together so much life to be lived here.

I know it could just be that this is a (somewhat) new place and it all seems more exciting because of that, but I think the majority of it is because, truly, it’s just a better environment for our family. PJ grew up on a farm and spent more time outside than inside for most of his childhood, and he was always swimming in creeks and playing with animals and climbing trees, and it’s that kind of lifestyle we want for the kids. 

Back home, it’s sidewalks and streets and a tiny yard, which is great, it really is, and we love our home and neighborhood, but I think for this season of life we’re in right now, and because we have access to it, we want to spend as much time letting them get dirty and running around as we can.

Growing up, I never in a million years thought I would ever want to spend time on land. I grew up in the middle of town (in the house we live in now, actually!) and I loved the convenience of being close to everything, I loved seeing the people walking on the sidewalks, I loved living near parks. I loved living in town. But things are different now with the kids and the animals. Isn’t it wild how things change so drastically? Now, I find myself wanting to be at Holiday House more than at home. And we already know PJ could live out here forever and be the happiest person alive.

And you know what? I think I could, too.

PS: come back tomorrow for an update on the pond PJ has been working on!

Building a Temporary Pond (While We Wait for the Bigger One)

Good afternoon, friends!

We’ve spent the last five days out here at Holiday House and this blog may or may not just be all about our life out here from now on. Kidding, but only sort of. Would you get tired of nothing but stories and pictures of the kids roaming the land and PJ building/working on something new? I know I wouldn’t.

We love our life out here. We love how we feel waking up here. We love what it feels like spending more time outside than inside (when weather permits). We love how much freedom our animals have. We just love being here so much. So hopefully you don’t get tired of me ranting about it!

You know how I mentioned we’re in the process of building a big pond on our property? Well PJ has been working on a temporary “pond” of his own for the kiddos to swim in now that it’s getting warmer. Last night, just before the sun went down, we walked down to where the mountain run-off creates a little stream and PJ started digging and the kiddos helped by stacking every rock we could find (sidetone: we have a ton of them near the stream and hope to use them in some way on a future house one day) to create a dam to contain the temporary pond. It only took about an hour and it was actually really fun for everyone! The kids have been getting into helping us on the land lately, which is so rewarding to see.

Hopefully they don’t grow out of that desire to help too quickly.

It’s so peaceful hearing the water fall down over the rocks and hearing the frogs croak as the sun is setting. I know it’s only temporary, and all of it will have to be dug up and replaced when we build our actual (much bigger) pond, but it’s nice to have it while we do.

PJ has these ideas of what he knows something can be and then he just does it and (at the risk of sounding cheesy and sappy) I am always left in amazement when he’s finished. I swear, y’all, there’s nothing that man can’t build/do when he puts his mind to it.

We’re off to go swim in the water for a bit while we have a few days of sunny, warm weather! Happy Monday y’all!!

A Cold and Misty Morning

We woke up at Holiday House to gray skies and light, mist-like rain the other morning and, even though the weather said it was supposed to be a beautiful sunny day, we still absolutely loved it. I’ve talked about our love for overcast weather out here before, and this was the creme de la creme of cozy sweater weather. There’s a special kind of magic to cloudy weather, isn’t there? Weather has the power to alter our moods, and while I can’t imagine liking rainy, drab weather every single day, we both enjoy it (especially at HH) from time to time.

With the pine trees and the rainy skies, we both agreed it reminded us a little of being in the PNW. We went to Seattle with my brother back in 2016 and fell in love with it. Hoping to go back one day!!

I love this time of year for so many reasons, but right now I’m loving it the most for the sense of renewal it’s bringing to our family. Being at Holiday House and roaming the land while it’s warm and sunny is a new experience for us, one that we wake up and look forward to every day.

We haven’t ran out of trees to climb or paths to wander just yet. It’s all new and exciting and hopefully just the beginning of many days spent out here.

It’s finally been sunny the last few days after almost a week-straight of rain, which, to be honest, we’ve needed. The grass is so green here and our house in town actually has a few blades of grass growing in the back yard, which is amazing because normally it’s just a big mud pit.

Speaking of mud pit, we have a GIGANTIC one on our land right now. We’re in the process of having ponds built on our property and it’s created so. much. mud. Which, of course, the kids love to play in and get dirty, and we’re doing our best to let them do that. Not every day, but on the days they do get muddy, we plan for it and bring a change of clothes and towels.

Though it’s fun to splash in the water and the mud, we both can’t wait for the day when it’s just green and lush and fresh(er) water for us all to enjoy. Hoping at least by the end of the year, if not sooner!!

We love a cold and misty morning, but right now all five of our animals are outside on the hill and the kids are running around playing and and the sun is shining and the wind is blowing and it’s 70 degrees and maybe this is what heaven looks like? Who knows? But it’s nice. And it’s good.

And it’s so, so welcome. 

Is This Where We're Headed?

Good afternoon!

I think it’s safe to say we’ve stayed at Holiday House more in the last few weeks than at our actual house in town. Is this how it’s going to be from now on? Will this house one day be a more permanent stay for us? Is this where we’re headed? I don’t think any of us would mind if it was. We all love it out there, maybe even more than we thought we would (though I would argue PJ has always known what time out here would mean for our family).

We wake up in the mornings to the sun coming over the mountain and shining through our windows. Our bedroom, the kids’ bedroom, and our living room are all east-facing rooms, so they get blinded with light in the first part of the day, which we’re taking into account as we renovate Holiday House. We love how waking up every day out there feels new, fresh, relaxing.

We spend our days exploring the land, climbing trees, playing in mud puddles, walking (and running) over the hills. PJ has been working so hard every day mowing and clearing overgrown brush, cutting dead limbs down, planting trees, and SO MUCH MORE. I can’t even begin to tell you what all he’s doing out there because it’s honestly too much for me to keep up with. That man, y’all. He’s the hardest worker I know.

Our animals love it out there, too. They have the freedom to run around and get the fresh air and space they just don’t get in town. I tell PJ all the time how much I love to watch our dogs run all over, especially our big dogs. Alyster is getting adjusted to the house as well. We don’t really let him outside there like we do at our house in town (in fear the big dogs might actually eat him), but he is settling in to the house and I think is finally starting to feel more comfortable. And I think that’s what we both want for every member of our family, both big and little: for them to feel comfortable.

Happy Tuesday, friends. xo

Good Morning from Holiday House

We packed everything up yesterday evening and drove out to Holiday House for the weekend! We woke up this morning to cold air and open skies as the sun was starting to peak out over the mountain. This is only the second time we’ve spent the night out here (to see our first weekend at HH, check out our new vlog premiering tomorrow!), but it’s the first morning we’ve woken up and actually been able to see the sun and the mountain! The last time it was too cloudy and foggy to see anything; which, I admit, has its own beauty to it. We both love an overcast, haunting atmosphere out here at the land, but there’s nothing quite like seeing the sunrise in all its glorious beauty first thing in the morning, is there?

PJ walked the property with the big dogs at his side while I stood at the top of the hill and took in this view. I was telling him, when we’re out here more permanently (whatever that may look like), I can picture doing yoga on the hill or sipping my morning coffee or whatever. It’s truly breathtaking. I hope we never get tired of or take it for granted, no matter how long we’re out here.

It’s late now and almost time for the kiddos to go to bed (this was supposed to be posted this morning!), so we’re off for the night. Here’s to many more mornings at Holiday House!!

Making the New House Feel Like Home

We’ve been spending more and more time at the Holiday House and we are officially obsessed.

Slowly but surely, we’ve been bringing furniture that we’ve purchased (mostly on FaceBook Marketplace) or that we’ve had forever, over to the new house and have been setting it up to make it feel more like home. I spent all of last week painting the living room (which you can see in our latest vlog here) and it’s made SUCH a difference! It feels like an entirely different room. We’re painting all the rooms white since we want this cottage to feel relaxing, serene, and calming. We plan to let the view and the land do the talking, so we want a neutral backdrop to let the mountains and hills shine.

We have plans to redo the flooring, the ceilings, bathrooms, the kitchen, and more, so the setup we have now will just be temporary. It’s fun, though, to bring items over and do what we can now to make it feel more comfortable for now. And to actually have a place to sit. That’s been a big plus.

PJ has been working SO hard and it’s so fun for me to see him so excited about this project. He, more than any of us, gets restored at the land. When he’s there, he says he instantly feels calmer, less stressed. I love to see him work and for the gears in his head to turn while he figures out what he wants to do next. What a treat for me that I get a front row seat to his genius.

He just got back from crawling under the Holiday House’s foundation (!) and inspecting the crawl space, so we’re going to relax and watch The Undoing on HBO (have you seen it?) and have a glass of wine and relax.

Have a good night, friends xo.