We're moving!!

Well, you never know what life is going to throw at you...and apparently deciding to move while having a newborn is not out of the realm of possibilities...because that's what we will be doing...AND soon!  We have found what is pretty much our dream home after looking for years and contemplating whether we should move or to just add on to our existing home.  The home is located in Surgoinsville, Tennessee (1 hour 45 minutes east of Knoxville) just outside of the Kingsport area and only 8.5 miles away from my in-laws.  Joe will continue with his current employment, but as a telecomuter out of Oak Ridge, Tennessee.  Since we've lived in Knoxville he's always had to travel out of state on projects so living away from the office really doesn't matter in the way of his travel.  We're really looking forward to being near family and becoming more involved in the church work there.

Our criteria for a home has been very specific making the search very limited and at times frustrating.  The  goal to be more self-sufficient including financially has been tough...as this world is set up around credit and being dependent on the system.  We're not totally there yet, but with this property we hope to be well on our way!  Joe and I love log cabins and would frequently fantasize about owning one after our trips to Gatlinburg and the weekend getaways we'd spend there.  Plus, we've always wanted alot of land.  This property has around 63 acres with half pasture and half woods.  The pasture is fenced already for our future animals and the woods have trails cleared for hunting, hiking/4 wheeling.  Literally we have our own mountain!  There is a wet weather creek that stays pretty full after rains and something we're considering digging out and making into a watering hole for animals later.  The home is also on well water which is great because we don't want the fluoride and arsenic (plus other contaminates) found in most municipal water supplies that are difficult to filter out. 

The home is located off the road quite a bit and the road itself is a dead end, so lack of privacy will not be a problem.  The horse barn is huge and the neighbors still own horses and since we won't be getting those anytime soon...if ever, we can enjoy them through others.  Lilly LOVES horses and has been asking for one for the past year...so now she can pet one through our fence until we decide we want to invest in one later.  The priority is getting our garden, wheat crop and chickens going.  Either goats or a family cow will come next year.

The home itself has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths.  The girls will still share a room but the closets are HUGE so they can grow into them.  Noah and William will share a room until Noah becomes a teenager and then he'll have the option of moving in the basement or the guest quarters.  Oh YES there is guest quarters above the four car garage!  It's literally like another home with tons of storage.  So, friends and family...you'll finally have a place to stay when you come for a visit!  Yea!  The cabin needs a little work, but nothing we can't live with for awhile.  The wood work inside is beautiful and has lots of charm.  The rustic build gives it character.  We're so looking forward to sitting on our back deck, hearing the sounds of nature and enjoying the views.  Course lots to do in the mean time as our closing date is set for May and we have to ready our existing home for sale.  We have some mixed emotions about leaving as there are many fond memories, including leaving the only home our children have known BUT..it's time for new adventures AND space.

Below are a few photos of the property.   The slides move kind of fast but they can be paused.