Simplify

We have been realizing that we have heard that word over and over and over again at the assemblies, conventions, meetings, and have decided we are going to put it into practice. We really realized over the past six months that the more material possessions we accumulated the more time we were spending away from the meetings, personal study, bible reading, family worship night, and just plain family time.

So, in our endeavor to do this we sold our Lincoln Navigator and bought a Toyota Rav4. We loved our car, it had all the bells and whistles, but was really more than we needed at this point in our life, even with just one child and another on the way.

Back in January we bought 5.61 acres (where we are currently residing) and in March we sold our four bedroom, two bathroom, large kitchen and living room, cookie cutter home in a subdivision, where Joshua couldn't play outside because of the traffic coming down the neighborhood street. We have just purchased a single wide manufactured home that is absolutely beautiful inside. Sure it doesn't have tile and hardwood flooring, but those aren't necessities. We aren't in a competition with anyone on who has the nicest house or the best car or the most material possessions. We just want a home that we can raise our two sons in comfort.

So, the house will be ready in a couple of weeks. We will move in and get our furniture the second week of October, while Joshua is in California with Nana and Papa after our trip to Oregon. He will be coming home to his room and toys all ready for him. Real home cooked meals and space to run around inside on those days that it is raining outside.

The floorplan of the home:

Over the next year you will see many different changes to what we are doing. Once we get through the winter we will be starting on our garden, which will contain nearly every vegetable, melon, and spice we use on a regular basis for foods in an endeavor to become pretty much self sufficient here. We will only need to go to the store to buy breads (which I'm tempted to really learn how to make in a bread pan rather than the bread machine), milk, butter, cheese, and diapers. Can you imagine going to the grocery store and spending maybe $30 tops? I can and have been dreaming about it since we bought the land. We have some animals, which are not pets, and will eventually end up in the deep freezer to supply us with the meat we will need to cook meals.

Once we are all set up in the home we will have a get together with the friends so they can see how everything has turned out here.