2020 ReCap

I have been going through pictures the past couple of days trying to organize them all and it blows my mind how far we have come in 2020.

2019 was a really stretching year for Cam and I. Taking on the BNB renovation and then in the fall selling our home of seven years and renovating the barn house and moving.

I began 2020 with a goal to be home again. To be with my family and work on getting our new house finished and making it our home. When the world flipped on it’s head in March it didn’t change much for our family as far as being home. We were already making home our goal for that year so everything shutting down seemed to go right along with what we were already doing.

January

The big thing in January was moving in. I never dreamed when we moved into our BNB in town in October how much the kids would miss the country. It was hard on everyone and even though our house was far from being finished we were just happy to be back out in our little piece of paradise. Snow started falling as the guys carried the last load in and I was so happy.

February.

Still Lots of work to be done on the house (we hadn’t even started the exterior) and thankfully our contractor, Mr. Phil was still coming regularly because we ended up needing his help in another area on the coldest day of the year. On my home from dropping the kids at school one morning I looked over and saw one of our first time heifers showing signs of calving. I watched her for awhile and realized she may need help. Cameron was out of town for work so I messaged Phil about possibly bringing chains. An hour later he was at our house ready to role. We finally got her in the barn and Phil said she needed the vet. I called our vet and he came our way quickly. He had to pull the calf because it was so big. Our biggest calf of the year. I missed the kid’s Valentine Parties and when they got home they got to meet the new baby and understood why momma didn’t make it.

March

Spring started popping up everywhere and we were able to begin some outside work including the new roof and framing the porch. Looking back through pictures it’s amazing once we moved in how quickly everything started coming into place. The boys loved watching and helping the guys anytime they could. Thankfully they were all patient and let them help alot.

Mid March that news of Covid rose and the kids were let out of school. Thankfully, it was spring and we were outside the whole time. Once we got tired of reading books, doing puzzles and schoolwork we cleaned out the workshop and made a corner of it our potting shed. From then on we were in the workshop everyday building, planting and spending anytime we could outside.

April

In April the dirt pile came and saved us all I think 🙂

The kids played on it everyday and it was fun to hear everyone honking at them as they drove by. It was about this time that we got closer to our neighbors. One neighbor got too much bread on their grocery pick up and gave us five loaves in exchange for a bag of flour. We traded things and offered to pick things up for each other each time we did a grocery pick up. We celebrated Easter at home just the five of us and it was different, but we were so thankful to be together and to be healthy. That evening another sweet neighbor and friend dropped of a homemade lasagna.

May

In May we started our garden and planted grass in the front yard (good-bye dirt pile). In so many ways I think the garden saved me this year. It is where I did my best thinking. When things would get heavy I would head to the garden and work and then suddenly everything was much clearer. The dates for our spring market came and went. We went fishing at the farm and spent a lot of evenings checking cows and looking for new baby calves.

June

By June we had siding and they had finished the porch. Our house was looking finished and we were settled in just fine. The month of June reminds me of trips to the creek and kayaking adventures.

Mornings and evenings were spent in the garden anticipating each and every sign of growth. By June I was going back and forth about hosting a fall market. One night it was particularly heavy on my heart and when I looked up from working in the garden there was a rainbow over the barn. It was also that night that I think God gave us the most beautiful sunset of the year.

June is also marked with memories of the hayfield. We buy our hay from my dad and one evening the kids and I went out to visit my parents and the kids played in the field and my dad told me the story of how they bought their farm. My parents have an amazing story, one day I will share it.

The end of June we added two Kitties to the mix. They were supposed to be barn cats, but became deck cats after the kids held them so much!

July

In July our dear friends from Texas came to see us. We put up a temporary pool and a flag on the barn and celebrated the 4th with them in our back yard.

The house was pretty much finished by July with the exception of outside lights. Shortly after the fourth of July our electrician came and hung them and for the first time we felt the joy of a completed house.

I started the flower cart in July. Each Friday I would fill a wooden cart with vegetables and bouquets and put it by the road. After a few weeks it really caught on and people began leaving me notes about how much they loved it.

August

Cam and I went on our first date night of the year early August! I remember when we left for dinner I stopped by the flower cart and it was completely empty. In just a few hours it was wiped out, I was so excited.

We began our homeschooling journey at the start of the school year and were in full swing prep mode for our fall market!

September

I turned 34 that beginning of September. Woke up to homemade cards and gifts from the kiddos.

Cam and I celebrated our Anniversary, cleaned out the barn and got ready to host our one and only market at the end of the month!

We hosted our Fall Barn Sale the last weekend in September. It was my favorite market to date, such a special and fun time with so many wonderful people!

October

After receiving several messages from y’all we decided to launch a barn box after our fall market. It was a lot of work, but thankfully this year I had the best help around! I was amazed at how much the kids helped this time around. When I started they still took naps and now they are all grown up and can work as well as anyone!

We celebrated Halloween at home. It was the first year we didn’t go trick or treating! We did got down the road the weekend before to a Halloween party at the stables where Ally Rides. The kids dressed up their horses and rode in a parade. She was Annie Oakley.

November

Each year during dear season mom and I head to Big Cedar Lodge while the boys hunt. This year my sister in law and her girls came too. We didn’t get out and about as much as we normally do, but we still had a great time!

We hosted Thanksgiving for the first time. It was much smaller than normal, but we still had a great time. We ate outside and it was the most beautiful day!

December

It felt so so good to have a home this Christmas Season. We decked the halls and bought a new Christmas tree that reached the top of the ceiling in our new home.

And here we are, ready to welcome 2021 in just a few hours! I have hopes it is going to be a great year! We announce our market dates tomorrow and we can’t wait to share our places with y’all again next year!