Welcome to Donkey Hill

There have been many nights that Tom and I would lay in bed and talk about our "somedays". One dream that we both shared was to have some acreage to build a home on. We dreamt of raising chickens, having some horses, and definitely a donkey. It would be a place where our pups could run free and our cats could roam and keep the mice away. Alpacas weren't even out of the question. We eventually wanted an in-ground pool.

In February of 2012, we started looking at property and found a beautiful lot...secluded...wooded...and a few acres. We contacted the agent and found out there were covenants in the subdivision and we would only be allowed to have 2 dogs, 1 cat, and absolutely no chickens would be allowed. They would also dictate how many square feet our home would be and the plans would have to be reviewed by "the board". No thanks.

I was so upset. I went straight to the computer and did a search for local acreage...NOT in a neighborhood.

I found a listing for 10 acres with a pool. No house. Odd.

We called the agent and found out that there had been a fire that destroyed the existing home. It had been cleared away, but there was an in-ground pool that went completely undamaged.

She told me the property was completely fenced for horses...there was a pole barn...and a chicken coop. 

My heart was pounding. I was beyond excited. I told Tom we had to see it right away. When we drove into the property, down the long drive, it was like the heavens opened and the angels were singing. It was like we were looking our "someday" we had always dreamt of. Even with everything dead from the winter, it was beautiful to us.

The property is located on top on a hill that is partially wooded. The view is beautiful..and unlikely to change due to the fact that it's a flood zone down in the valley and would not be "buildable". Yay for that!

We placed an offer the very next day and they accepted.

Since the first week of March, it has been a whole new world for us.

The kids loved exploring their little "kingdom"...especially when they 

would encounter animal poop. 

They would stop and examine it - while giving their best guess as to which animal it was.  

This time...it was deer poop. There is no shortage of deer.

The driveway is ideal for races.

There are also hills to run/roll down. 

We have our fingers crossed for some good sledding this Winter.

The kids were thrilled there was a tree house.

The pole barn looked so empty and sad...so we filled it with our two, sweet boys. Specks and Cajun. 

 We had to buy a tractor and quickly discovered it's much easier to let animals mow for you.

Not only are they cute, but they are excellent lawn mowers.

"Cajun"

"Specks"

The kids argument is that tractors don't leave poop behind.

We have met with a couple of builders, trying to get an idea of 

our options for home building. 

We have looked at thousands of plans and spent hours talking about the possibilities.

At this point, I would be content living in a TENT on Donkey Hill. 

We want to live there....yesterday...but we're learning that we need to be patient and trust Heavenly Father's timing and trust that 

we will know when it's time to sell our home. (ugly cry)

Trying to have patience and faith stinks, sometimes.

This builder looks like he could be Tom's big brother. 

The horse's last "mama", helped give the kids a riding lesson over the Summer.

We love Amanda.

This chicken house wasn't what we had in mind - 

so we traded it for a month of pool service from the pool guy. 

The thing we anticipated the most was taking the pool cover off 

and finding what lurked below.

It was pretty gross from sitting for a year...

but it was sparkling in no time!

Our best Summer memories have been here. With it being the hottest Summer ever...it was blessing to have a place to cool off and spend so much time together.

We got a trampoline for Donkey Hill, the day we closed on the property. 

The kids sure made good use of it...until it became 200 degrees outside and they risked third degree burns if they jumped on it.

We are so excited for our first Fall and Winter on Donkey Hill. 

Yesterday, I took some pics of the driveway because I was so excited to see leaves on the ground and the colors starting to change. It's my favorite time of year.

I still get butterflies when I come in the drive. I thank Heavenly Father that he led us here. It has been the best thing for our family...spending so much time here...teaching the kids the value of good, hard, make-ya-stinky work...and countless hours of family togetherness. 

We are thankful for God's blessings...and for his perfect timing in our lives. 

Join us on our journey at Donkey Hill...as we fill it with animals...a garden...

and eventually becomes our new home.

It's sure to be a wild ride!