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.