Between Christmas and New Years Day, we found a piece of land for sale - 15 acres of woodland with a stream running through it. (You can see the property outlined in teal on the map.) But the best part is the asking price; it is only $14,900!
January 6th: we got a call from the bank to let us know we are pre-approved for that amount. Now we can move forward and make an offer.
So What are we going to do with all those trees you ask?
We will take out the smaller ones (roots and all) once the ground thaws. Once we have a good amount of smaller trees out we will gradually focus on larger trees, taking them out with their roots when possible, and chopping them down when we can't get out the roots. We burn wood to heat our house, so we will have free firewood for a few years (minus the cost to saw up the wood).
This year's goals: We want to clear approximately 1 acre the first year so we can plant a cash crop next year.
Our long-term goals: Eventually we will dig a well, build a house and outbuildings, plant a bit of an orchard, fence off some land for a pasture, and have animals on our little farm.
Things will fall into place as we go along. During our last summer vacation we had a serious family discussion where we decided what we wanted as a family and just how hard we wanted to work at achieving those goals. Then we decided to trust God to bring our dreams to reality. Without Him, we would still be stuck in a rut without much to look forward to.
The kids keep their dreams/visions alive with drawings of farm life which are stuck to the fridge, while Hubby and I keep our vision bright as we discuss various farming plans. But intertwined through all of this is the knowledge and faith that God will not go back on His promise to bless us.