To catch you up to speed…Wrex stepped out in faith and quit his job and got a new one that required a move and the search for a new home and community. That lands us outside of Holyoke, Colorado…….
As we drove into town, there was the cute little vet clinic sitting off to the south, so Wrex went in to get the needle. While he was in there, he visited with the staff and asked them about houses for sale/rent in town. The vet tech told him about a house outside of town that sat on seven acres and had a few outbuildings. Well, obviously that piqued our attention, though we weren’t sure we’d even be able to afford it (or want to), but we got the guy’s number, called him and he agreed to meet us that evening, after we met with the realtor in town to look at a few house inside the city limits.
The town of Holyoke itself had nothing we were interested in and we had mentioned that we were going to look at this place outside of town. The realtor seemed pretty skeptical of the whole situation, because she thought that something out in the country with acreage for the price he was asking would 1.) already be gone or 2.) must have some major problems.
We were kinda bummed and cautious but went to check the place out for ourselves. The minute we got there, I was already sort of in love, as was Sawyer. The gentleman selling the house was incredibly kind and Sawyer immediately wanted him to tote her around, which he willingly did.
The house was a cute, typical old farm house. It had four bedrooms and one bathroom with a lot of improvements – new stucco, windows, water well, pressure tank, septic system and furnace. There was a mudroom (a necessity for rural living), small basement (have I mentioned I hate tornadoes??), a detached garage, two barns and a chicken house (that might’ve sealed the deal). Nothing incredibly fancy but it had all of the things we were looking for:
1.) it was far from civilization. We didn’t really live IN town when we were in Brighton, but close enough for our taste. We had both grown up seeing the value of rural life and had always hoped to raise our family in that setting. Wrex and his family had lived in town for a while growing up and they all so desperately wanted to be back in the country. After six years of saving and scouting and waiting on the Lord, they finally got the opportunity to build a home outside of town. When they moved in, they heard coyotes howling in the night and he and his sister proclaimed, “We’re finally home!” (How cute is that?!)
2.) it had room to roam. We wanted a place where the kids could go out and play uninhibited; a place where they could learn about nature and crops and animals while eating dirt and not worrying about HOA’s and road traffic and high crime.
3.) it had buildings and pens for livestock. We have huge hearts for production agriculture and regardless of what the mainstream public believes, it is the backbone of this nation. There are many valuable lessons to be learned in caring for a creature and we wanted our kids to be able to experience that firsthand.
4.) it was well within our price range. We didn’t have plans to buy a house for fear of living under the slavery of debt. Maybe that’s why we hadn’t even really considered anything on an acreage, as they’re often not affordable for a one-income family. This one was.
It was everything our little hearts desired, but that we had never even asked the Lord for during this process. He just knew…and He likes to give good gifts to His kids…should we jump?! The guy had several people that had already looked and several more coming, so felt a sense of urgency (on several different levels) but we couldn’t make a decision just then.
We left the property feeling more confused than ever. We really liked the place but were so unprepared to buy anything, so we left; we just packed up and went back to Texas with our heads spinning. We spent a week in prayer and on the phone and seeking counsel and getting pre-approved for a loan. I remember sitting in bed one night just holding onto the details of this situation (have I mentioned I struggle with control and wanting solutions to problems quick-quick-quick?!) and feeling so tired and stressed and I just said, “Lord, you are gonna have to do this; it is beyond my capacity. If this is the place, you want us to live, then you’re gonna have to take care of it.”
After continuously thinking that this place just seemed to good to be true, the Lord firmly showed us that HE is good and true and that He loved us and that He chose this place for us. What else did we need?!
That sealed the deal for us. We called the home owner and asked if we could come look one last time. We drove up and looked again and we signed a contract over a home-cooked lunch with our new neighbor and his wife! They even allowed us to move in earlier than the official signing date so that we could begin painting and making improvements.
Our home is nothing fancy but we love it! It’s comfy and peaceful…
We love that we can raise our kids out in the middle of nowhere and teach them about livestock and farming and a slower pace of life.
We love that we have totally made the home ours, in every little fun, innovative and quirky way possible.
We love that we have made such good friends with the sellers. They are our most trusted friends and neighbors in the area, hands down, and our lives have interwoven in beautiful ways.
On the practical side, we love that we didn’t break the bank and could sell it today for more than we paid.
We love that we bought it on a 15 year note at 2.5% interest and we pay less for our mortgage than any rental around.
We love that for as old as it is (we’re talking almost 100 years, people!) that it’s incredibly energy efficient and comfortable.
We love that it still has lots of promise and possibilities for changes and growth…just like our family.
The Lord took our obedience to Him and just blew our lives wide open. He has answered so many of the desires of our hearts through this process. Our family needed more time together and this job has definitely given us that. Our relationships with each other and our relationships with the Lord are stronger because we have time to learn about, and be with, Him together. We have a home that we love that was gifted to us by Him, that we pray we use for His glory. Now that we are on the other side, I have a husband who can speak to the sin of workaholic-ism and to the blessing of finding the right priorities and balance between family and careers.
The night we moved in, the Lord really brought me full circle in the whole process in an incredibly sweet way. We had been in Denver getting more of our things and we pulled into our new home about 10 o’clock that night. I had gotten Sawyer out of her car seat and we were all standing on the sidewalk stretching when we heard the howl of several coyotes in the distance. Wrex and I just looked at each other and said, “We’re finally home!”
We are indeed….
