What we've been UP TO for past 2 years.....

One Sunday we were taking a drive down a country road. We were looking at various areas of town to get an idea of where we may want to eventually settle. We saw a 'For Sale' sign on the back of a VERY old barn and we were hooked. Called the realtor and saw the property, with the barn, just a few days later. It was love at first sight. The land was being used as a horse farm, I instantly saw the placement of our dream home and general layouts for driveway, pond, henhouse, etc. It was literally instant for me. Shawn took a leap of faith with me and my vision and we bought the land. This picture is taken looking to the front of the property and the mountain.

This is an old silo at the front entrance to the property. Prior owners stored horse supplies/feed here. I just love its charm. In the woods to the back of the silo is several old farming implements and a beautiful wooded path to explore.

This is again looking to the front of the property, standing at the edge of what would be our circular drive to our home. Notice the BARN!! It is actually structurally sound yet looks like the next gentle breeze could send it tumbling to the ground. Around this barn is where we will eventually have a garden and I want a pumpkin and gourd patch.

And here is our home. I carried around this house plan since 1996. We had some hurdles as house codes have changed since 10 years ago, but we tackled those obstacles and it is finally done, sort of, giggle. It is in a comfortable 'holding pattern' I should more truthfully say. We love it and I have lots of 'touches' still to apply.

This is a three car garage, er, uhh, Carriage House, doesn't that sound much fancier! I had my sil's dad create this design from a photo I found of an old European barn. It is so very original and I love it. Eventually we hope to finish the upstairs into a Guest Cottage and primarily have it waiting and ready for our Utah family to come and stay in the 'Callahan Bed and Breakfast'. It is still very much in the rough stage but I can see it completed and it will be quite the gem.

So here we are... I joke that our home looks like Dorothy's home in the Wizard of Oz... picked up by a tornado and plopped in the middle of a field. It will take years to implement the landscaping dreams that are in my head but it will be a complete joy plugging away at them. Meanwhile I have decided that I want chickens... is that laughter I hear... I KNOW I have a slight fear of anything with feathers and beaks, but I want em, really I do.

So meanwhile, I hope you enjoy by many Before and After photos as I tackle this mammoth project. Projects we hope to finish in 2008: More identifiable entrance, prepare garden lot for spring of 2009, we need a front sidewalk so guests enter the front door not garage, grrr, and last but not least... when you see our house, you might THINK we have a front yard swimming pool! We are SO not that fancy... it is a badly draining circular drive island that needs serious rescuing. So there you go... now if I wasn't so very vain I would include a photo of MYSELF right now.... suffering terribly from head to toe poison ivy. Thats right, I was diligently working on the entrance area like a good little homeowner, and POW, my first attack of poison ivy ever. Its a doozy, and lets just say I didn't know ones face could get so distorted, Shawn is doing a magnificent job of loving me in my pityful state, now that is REAL love or should I say BLIND love... times like these make me thankful for any kind of loves!!!