The Homestead

So the title of this entry just makes me smile from ear to ear.  Ever since reading Little House on the Prairie as a girl, I have always secretly dreamed of living in the country, working the land, having animals, making everything from scratch, living a simple life...ok, maybe not all that but the open land and animals part was always really cool to me.  Never in a million years did this city girl from one of the largest cities in the US think that she would be living in middle American on a small family farm.  But it happened and boy are we embracing it.  Now, I know that we aren't farming full time anymore but we are so lucky to be living out with our family and experiencing life in the country.  We had always hoped and prayed that we would be lead back to Knox County to be with family and experience a softer, slower and more simple life.  When we finally made the decision to make the BIG move, we knew that we wanted to build our own home on the Hinkle homestead and in early November, we broke ground.

The plan is simple, a square box, on top of a square box on top of square box.  Translation, the more simple the design, the cheaper to build.  Every bump out, corner, and extension costs money, lots of money.  So we had a grand idea for what we were going to build and then realized how much that grand idea would cost and took it back to the basics.  Walkout basement, first floor and a second floor built into the roof (bonus square footage).  The cost to build is crazy these days. They say to estimate about $120 a square foot and that is for a pretty basic house.  YIKES!  Well, we were hoping for a 2,000 square foot house so you do the math.  Thankfully, our contractor is AMAZING and is also family so we are able to work with him on getting the exact right house for our budget.  Not to mention that he is allowing us to help him build it.  Thanks Andy!

So here is the breakdown on what we are building:
*Walkout basement that will be unfinished for now but will have the possibility of another bedroom, family room and full bath.  It is all open now and I see lots of bike riding, running and craziness happening down there during the winter months and on days where the weather isn't so great.
*First floor - family room, 1/2 bath, kitchen and dining room, mud/laundry room and master bedroom with a full bath
*Second floor - two bedrooms, loft and full bath.

Oh and did I mention an awesome porch on the front.  Have to have some place to rock and relax on warm summer nights.  We had hoped for a full wrap around porch but that is an "on hold" project just like a garage for future funds. So instead of describing how the process has gone, I hope you enjoy just a few snapshots of the Hinkle Homestead.  We are projected to be finished by end of April and I can't wait for it to be here. With the exterior almost complete, it is time now to focus on the inside and all the fun details for each room. Stay tuned for more updates and pictures.

Driving in a nail.  We have all left our mark on the house.

Everyone has to do their part

Equipment and the larger-than-life dirt pile have been the highlights for these little boys.

What happened to the country girl?

So summer ended, school started, harvest came to a close, fall is about done and Christmas is just around the corner.  So much time has passed and I haven't blogged at all.  To my loyal followers, I am so sorry!  I have no excuse except that time got the best of me and so did my life.  I have been spending the last 4 months trying to figure things out.  What things you ask?  Well I really don't know...but there is that unsettled feeling still in the pit of my stomach that just won't go away.  As many of you recall, those feelings brought me and my family to Vincennes.  We gave up the city life to be with family and to work the family farm.  We had no idea what we were really getting ourselves into.  We just packed up, prayed and moved.

A year and a half has past and so much has changed, yet so much is still the same.  Tony just finished his second season farming with his family.  The harvest was good, but not good enough.  With the prices of grain going down, making a good solid living on farming alone is very difficult, especially if you have to divide the profits three ways (between Tony and his brothers).  Taking that into account, plus the cost of renting the land and expenses, we realized that we were actually losing money farming.  You can't support a family of 5 on negative income so we have been spending the last month or so trying to figure out what to do.  Do I go back to work full time, does Tony look for an IT job, do we move back to Indy?  While all of this was going on, we broke ground on house.

Talk about timing, but we knew that we would be ok.  We just needed a new plan and direction. Thankfully, God already had a plan for us (he always does, doesn't he?  We just needed to listen.) Tony is beginning a new job with Springleaf Financial Services in Evansville in a few weeks.  He is really looking forward to getting back into the IT world.  He is so, so good at what he does and I am so grateful that this company recognized his talents and gifts.  This is one proud country wife. A huge weight has been lifted for us but it is still hard for me to believe that we aren't farming full time anymore.  Tony will still help out when needed but he will be busy commuting to the "big city" south of us and doing whatever techi people do.

I am still a country girl and feel more country now than ever.  We are really focusing on our beef business and adding to our herd of Murray Gray cows.  We have been overwhelmed by the support of our friends and family and love that we are providing premium, healthy beef to so many.  I am spending my time focusing on expansion and excited to launch our website in the new year to not only provide more people the opportunity to purchase our beef but also to educate the public on the important health benefits of grassfed vs. commercial beef.

What I continue to be reminded while being down here is that you are only given today.  Tomorrow is no guarantee so you better live your best life now with those who matter most.  I have struggled to find my place in Vincennes and to share who I truly am, to share the gifts that God has given to me and only me. What I realized is that I somehow lost myself along the way and that it isn't about fitting in but being you, simply you. I love life, love people and believe that we are all fighting our own battles so you can't give enough hugs and high fives.

I believe that exercising daily and eating well keeps me sane and has renewed a passion inside of me that I thought was gone forever (becoming a BeachBody coach.  More on that later).  I believe that living a simple life in a small town is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children and your family.  I believe that being kind, smiling and respectful is simply that and that we should all remember that as we go out into the world.  I believe that my family is right where it is suppose to be, living the life that we are suppose to live.  Does that change the unsettled feeling in my belly? Nope, but it does remind me just how important it is to give all that you got to the man upstairs.  His plan is greater than any plan that I have.  I can't wait to continue to share more of my country girl adventures with all of you.  This country girl's life is a journey...not a destination.

Back to My School

Never Say Never!  I am learning to keep that phrase close and it seems as I get older, I am holding it closer and closer to my heart.  Life isn't so black and white and God's path for us sometimes takes an unexpected and often unplanned path.  I mean, that is how I became a country girl.  I have learned, especially over the last year, to try and roll with things.  Embrace the change, try not to have life figured and planned out, but deal with the now and hope for a less than crazy future.

I say all this because we have made yet another really big change in our lives.  Last weekend, I was at Walmart buying school supplies for Emily.  This is the time of year when they are the cheapest, so I have been trained to shop and stock up.  What makes this year so different is that I didn't have a class list of items to get.  I had no guide or direction, nothing telling me how many boxes of Kleenex, what brand and number of pencils to buy and how many folders to get.  You see, this year, I am the teacher and our school is home. Emily will be starting 2nd grade on August 18th at the Hinkle House and her mom, Leigh Hinkle, will be her teacher.

So I started this blog by saying, "never say never." I did that because I never would have imagined that I would be homeschooling my child.  I grew up in public school, loved it and the education was good enough for me and my husband.  Emily has had a good experience in the two different public schools that she has attended. But, what we are learning, is the schools of our day are very different than the schools of today. These are not OUR public schools.  I have spent hours in the classroom with my daughter and her peers so I felt fairly knowledgeable when making the decision of where she should be educated.  The school days are long and filled with tests after test.  Recess is no more than 15 or 20 minutes, lunch is 15 minutes and the rest of the day is filled with work.  Some schools are lucky that they have Specials (art and music).  But those are going by the wayside.  Everyone is taught the same way and if you are a high or low performer, there are very few resources to assist in your education.

Emily is very bright and I could tell that she was being held back.  Her teacher was amazing at trying to provide additional opportunities for her but with 26 students, the resources just aren't there.  I tried to be fine with that but my heart and gut told me that we could do so much more for her.  I prayed about it, I prayed so hard, and God answered.  Has been for over a year.  All he simply said, "was bring her home."  I ignored him.  That wasn't the answer I wanted.  I remember thinking and am still battling with this, "I can't home school her.  I am not smart enough.  I don't have the resources.  Home school people are weird.  My kid will be weird.  What about her friends?  Will she ever make friends?  What will I do with the two boys?  What about my own personal time?"  So many, many, many questions, and very few answers to them.

That has been hard for me and for the people around me.  I get the above questions all the time and my answer to most of them is simply, "I DON'T KNOW."  Not an acceptable answer in today's world, but I truly don't know what will happen.  What I do know is that I am willing to try.  I am brave enough to take the plunge and be solely responsible for my child's education and to make sure she is staying on track.  There is a chance I could fail, but what if...what if we succeed.  What if I can inspire and open her eyes to a new world around her.  What if I can focus on her gifts, talents and interests and fuel a passion for learning and exploring.

In the spring of next year, we will be moving to the farm and an entire new world will be ours for the daily taking.  Why wouldn't I try and give my daughter the opportunity to explore and learn about the world around her?

We moved here for family and for a simpler, more focused life.  Homeschool was not suppose to be apart of that but somehow it totally makes sense.  We, Tony and I, have chosen to strip down education and build it back up based on what we see as important and necessary for our children to be happy, healthy, positive contributing members of society.  I have been nervous, scared and overwhelmed but with Emily getting ready to start just around the corner, a new feeling has come over me.  Peace and excitement!

I have no idea what will happen but I do know that it will be unpredictable and an adventure.  If it doesn't work, Emily can go back to public school.  But, what if, what if, we succeed.

Pickin' and Strippin'

I have to say that pickin' my own berries has become one of my favorite spring and summer activities.  To see where they come from and to hold those beautiful berries in your hand is pretty cool.  What I enjoy more though is watching the joy on my kiddos' faces when they pick a berry and eat it, letting the juice just run freely down their face.  Priceless!  We are so blessed to have several places where we can pick our own berries and let me tell you that the Hinkle family took FULL advantage of it.

The strawberry season was very short here because of the cold winter and wet spring.  The Hinkle house was very sad about this because we love strawberries and picked some amazing ones last year.  In true Hinkle fashion, we made do and I believe still fully enjoyed all that the red goodness had to offer...well at least Harrison did.  This was the first year that the boys really "helped" and "picked strawberries".  Mac followed me around and held the bucket.  Harrison happily ate the berries that we picked and put in the bucket.  I really should have weighed him before and then after we picked to be fair to Blann Berries.

Just when I was getting depressed about the number berries left to bake with, blueberry season started.  Boy oh boy do we have blueberries.  So, evidently blueberries and raspberries love cold and wet weather.  We so enjoyed spending time picking with Mamaw, Papaw and Aunt Tammy. The crop was great and I learned that I have a new love.  BLACK RASPBERRIES!  To say that I might be obsessed is an understatement. I ate an entire pint by myself in one sitting.  Yummy!

 

So my father-in-laws face is just priceless in this picture.  He LOVES to pick blueberries and to see the pure joy and simple, sweet happiness just makes my heart so full.

Now, I probably got your attention with the second word in the title of this blog, Strippin'.  Now that we are country, we really like to do country things.  Dirt, water and creeks are a big favorite among the Hinkle kiddos.  Jerry, my father-in-law, had parts of a field drainage ditch redug last month so we decided that we needed to explore and check out the work.  What I learned is that Mac has no interest in wet sand touching his toes.  He would have no part of it and was quite content playing in the sand with his trucks.  Emily and Harrison on the other hand loved it.  They ran, splashed and tried to catch dragonflies.  Harrison, I do believe, would have stayed in the water all day if I would have let him.  Poor boy got so dirty and wet that the only solution was to strip him down.  I tell people that that boy was born country.  Loves to be barefoot, outside in the dirt and with as little clothing on as possible. Love my little country boy!

Loves his trucks and the sand

Pretty country girl

Just a typical day in Harrison's world

Winning doesn't always mean you are a winner

You can learn a lot about a person by how they act at their children's sporting event.  I shouldn't be surprised at this point at what some parents will do to win or be the best (I mean, to ensure that their child is the best). Now we just got home from one of Em's softball games so I am writing with lots of emotion running through me which could be a good or a bad thing.

So this year, Emily decided she wanted to play softball instead of baseball (didn't like being one of only two girls on a team).  We thought what the heck.  Even though we have been in Vincennes for a year, we really are still new at making friends.  Emily didn't have a group of girls that she has played with so we went into softball knowing that we would probably be drafted to a team where she knew very few if any girls.  Oh, and yes, I said drafted.  She plays with 7 and 8 year old girls doing machine pitch.  There is a draft that occurs at the beginning of the season where each coach can choose their players.  The purpose of the draft is to make sure that the teams are as even as possible.  However, from what I have been told, if you sponsor a team, that doesn't really apply so you can just stack your team.  Seems fair right?  Makes sense...

We were blessed to be drafted onto a team of girls with hearts the size of Texas and coaches who put the girls and learning the fundamentals of the game ahead of winning.  God knew where we should be.  Now, if you followed my blog from the beginning, you know that Em played for the Little Red Fur Shed last year. Pettit Photography is not nearly as cool of a name but the quality of the kids, parents and coaches is equal.   Everyone on Emily's team except for her and one other girl go to the same school.  I was nervous, but the kids and parents have been so kind and inviting.  Em fits right in and is playing with such confidence.

Last year, she only got two hits off the pitching machine.  This year, she has had a hit almost every time she bats.  What a difference a year makes, not to mention a bigger ball that is bright yellow!  She was so funny when she started playing softball because she kept saying to me how much easier and better it was to hit a bigger, yellow ball.  She has some challenges with her vision so a small, white ball was very difficult for her to see and to be able to judge how to hit.

Her coaches have worked tirelessly at teaching the girls the basics of softball.  They have never stopped coaching and teaching and I love it.  I mean these girls are only 7 and 8.

Now, let me be clear, I am an extremely competitive person.   I love to win but what I have learned over the years is that it is more important to DO your best than BE the best.  You give me your best, that is all I can ask.

God love the Pettit Photography team.  If you look at our record so far, you might shake your head.  We have played all but one team and have not won a game.  Sometimes we get close and other times we are just one hot mess.  You know what though, it is ok.  I love that our coaches rotate players in the field.  I love that our kids cheer for their teammates.  I even love seeing the sweet girls playing in the dirt, singing and dancing in the field or picking flowers because they remind me that it is just a game and for right now, at this time, that is ok.

So it is hard for me to see coaches already teaching girls poor sportsmanship through actions of their own or how to bend the rules in the game.  It is not ok to make fun of other players.  It is not ok to keep your star players in the same position on the field, never rotating them, and shutting a team out 12 - 0.  I know, I know, if you can't take the heat, then get out of softball.  I get it.  It is just hard to watch such tough life lessons being taught at such a young age.  It is hard to explain to your child who is physically and emotionally upset why the other team felt the need to completely shut them out and then rub it in their face. You might argue that if Emily was on the number one team that I wouldn't feel this way.  Yes, yes, yes I would.  The lessons are there, no matter which side you are on.

Now tonight was not a shut out.  The score was 15 - 8, I believe (we were the 8).  Some would say that we lost.  I would like to argue that we didn't.  We have never scored 8 runs before.  We had several girls on our team who not only hit for the first time but got on base and scored.  The face on a child when they make it all the way around and score is just priceless.  The girls cheered and smiled and had fun and the parents loved it.

Everyone loves to be on a winning team.  We all want to feel like winners.  I am learning quickly that just because you win a game, doesn't always make you a winner.  It is truly how you play the game that America loves so much that determines whether you win or lose, not necessarily the score.

Where did May go?

May was such a busy month for us.  I had hoped to share more about our month with y'all but somehow time got away from me and June is here.  The guys began planting and things were looking really good until the spring rains hit.  We were blessed to get a few 100 acres planted but it looks like the guys will be planting and replanting most of June like they did last year.  You can't argue or fight mother nature.  You just have to embrace what is given to you and pray that your equipment is ready to go and that all the conditions will be right for a good growing season once the ground is ready.  Only time will tell but I keep praying that they won't have to go into July.  I have had my farmer home more which has been so nice but I know that means that fields aren't being tended too.  I can't believe I am praying for this but I do hope for a few weeks of early mornings and late nights soon for Tony and the other farmers.

School is done and the kids and I are enjoying the good weather and taking advantage of so many fun activities outdoors.  We are all much happier outside.  Most of our days are spent at the park, in the backyard or out at the farm.  It is amazing just how entertaining and fun gravel, trees and dirt can be.  Oh, we also love grain bins, bugs, farm and construction equipment and plain old swings.  I could go on, but I think the pictures say much more.

Homemade fudgesicles

So proud of the bluegill that she caught fishing with her dad

Throwing rocks in the creek at Oubache Trails park

Watermelon fields

Strawberry grazing.  Harrison ate more strawberries than he picked.

Daddy and Mac on top of the grain bin at Hinkle Farms

The view from on top over God's land.

Driving with Uncle Trent

Getting up and "driving" a tractor never gets old at the farm.

Dirt, who needs dirt when you can scoop up corn.