I’m looking at you ’22

A few months have past since we last met. So many missed opportunities to share with you all of our fall and early winter adventures! Between traveling to see friends and family in 5 different states, several celebrations, a pumpkin stand (created by our very own 6 year old entrepreneur), and the passing of our beloved dog, Mia, there has not been any shortage of posts! For those of you who know me well understand I am not interested in facebook, instagram, twitter, tik-tok or the like. I chose intently awhile ago to not make space for it. This blog, for now, is my way of documenting this whole housing-building, trial gardening, chicken bonanza crazy mess we are in!

If you are reading this, I am happy you are here with me and I thank you for hanging in there and being patient with me. With that, I am just going to cut to the chase…we are hijacking and claiming ’22 as ours (insert a tad of sarcasm, but overall, not kidding). I have spent a long time re-framing our life; not waiting for things to get better, but making decisions to create our own happiness. I hope our choices over the past several years have reflected our hopes and not our fears. This house building process has proven to be something incredibly difficult, but most difficult things are worth the wait. It is a beautiful mess juggling it all, but raising a kiddo and building dreams is all I know and here is where I get to share it all with you.

Now, on to the fun…let’s see what Dustin has been up to with the house!

Getting siding up before the winter was a top priority. We had a lot of help from our Dad’s to make the process go much faster. Pain, sweat, tears and blood have gone into this house…we only had three mental breakdowns and one ER visit to remove a nail from Dustin’s thigh from a nail gun. It’s been a 15 month process thus far, that’s not bad!

As the siding continued, along with gutters and the porch, it was starting to look more and more like a home. We hired a dry wall company out of Lincoln, NE and while it took them 7 weeks to finish, we had plenty of things to keep us busy in the meantime. I ordered lighting in the house, majority from https://www.barnlight.com/, an American made company which scored big points with Dustin and then I lost a few when I had to submit the receipt (it will be worth it, you will see!)

This is a picture of what the exterior paint colors will be (if I can stop changing my mind every week). We hope to paint in the summer of ’22, but very low on our priorities. MOVING IN is the goal of the year!

Below is what we/Dustin accomplished! Our cat, Spots, even approves of the wrap around porch! Since our beloved Mia has passed, we have acquired farm cats that Owen has enjoyed getting to name and love.

Please stay tuned! The fun part (designing and hoping it all comes together) has only begun for our Kaspar Homestead!