Category: Farmhouse - FARMHOUSE 654

farm days.

2/7/2019

Some farm days are wonderful.

When the cows are calving in the spring, riding around on the Ranger with Mr. Farmhouse is one of our favorite things to do.

It's warm, sometimes muddy, and everything is greening up.

We bounce through the fields and try to spot new babies or check on mamas getting ready to have new babies.

In the summer, being able to get up early enough to do my Bible Study on the back porch and watch the ducks and chickens mosey around the yard is a great part of farm life.

Working in the garden in the evening with Mr. Farmhouse & the girls is a great way to be productive and spend time together.

In the fall, we love seeing tractors in the fields as we drive by and the girls enjoy spending time in the combine with Daddy, Gramps, and Uncle G.

Farm life is amazing.

It's fulfilling and purposeful and hard work.

Especially in the winter.

And this winter has been a rough one.

From sub-zero temperatures to snow & ice, keeping animals fed and alive has NOT been easy.

To be honest, we have lost a few calves this winter...

We have spent money trying to keep other calves alive...

We even had our bottle calf "Patty" spend four days and three nights in the farmhouse basement (with the two older girls).

Today, the trees are covered in ice.

It's not even going to get up to 20º today.

School has already been cancelled for tomorrow.
Businesses have shut down.
People have chosen to call in to work.

In fact, after I've showered the last few days, I've just put on clean pajamas instead of regular clothes.

And yet...all over the Midwest, farmers have been out in this junk all day.

Mr. Farmhouse will work until 4:30 and then get in the truck and go feed cows and make sure they're all safe and sound before coming home at dark.

Ice will be need to be chopped.
Hay bales will need to be unwound.
New babies might need to be taken inside and warmed up.

Some farm days are enjoyable.
Some farm days are miserable.
All farm days are hard work.

Saying a prayer from the farmhouse for those out working in this weather and thinking about our farmers,
Hannah

❤️🏡❤️

a farmhouse christmas.

12/23/2018

I've been working hard to downsize since we moved into the farmhouse over a year ago.

I knew that since we were purchasing a larger house, it would be tempting to fill it up.

And I will admit...we have filled it up.

However, I do feel like we have (mostly) filled it up with things that we love...things that spark joy for us.

Last Christmas, I went through and tried to really purge our Christmas decorations.

Even as I put them away over Christmas break, I was making decisions about what to keep and what to pass on.

Because of this, when it was time to decorate this year, the process went very smoothly.

Mr. Farmhouse was able to head straight to the basement and grab the storage containers we needed.

We put up the tree, hung up some other decorative items, and smiled at school projects from the past years.

We made hot chocolate and listened to Christmas music and emptied every tub.

I'm not sure we've ever enjoyed the decorating process as much as we did this year.

What a welcome change to be able to relax and enjoy the tree-decorating experience with the girls this year because we have taken the last year to simplify.

We are still using our pencil tree that I grabbed on Amazon last year and I could not love it more!

It is narrow enough to fit back in the corner, but tall enough to fill the whole space.

The girls decorated it almost completely on their own this year and have put some family gifts under there already.

We have another tree in the gathering room that's filled with only family ornaments.

I try to leave it up even into January and February!

The family tree is filled with one photo ornament from each of our fourteen married years.

There are initial ornaments we have gotten from friends, ornaments we got as wedding gifts, and the girls' individualized birth ornaments with their hospital caps and bracelets in them.

The rest of the house is filled with small reminders of the season.

Precious reminders.

Reminders of family memories,

of dear friendships,

of life's blessings,

and most importantly, reminders of the birth of Jesus.

Christmas at the farmhouse is my favorite time of year.

❤️?❤️

one year.

7/4/2018

It’s been a year since we left our home of eleven years and moved to the farmhouse.

What seemed like such a long and stressful process to get the old house sold and the new house purchased is just a distant memory now.

We have done a lot to the farmhouse over the last year, including our biggest project of adding a second bathroom upstairs and our most recent addition...the screen door I’ve been dreaming about my whole life.

In some ways, we miss the house on the hill...living on blacktop, having a shop, and having the fence complete so we can have our cows on the property with us.

However, our new shop plans for the farmhouse property are in the works and the fencing supplies have been purchased, so the cows will be back home sooner than later.

I suppose the gravel road is just a trade-off for the four bedrooms and basement we acquired when we purchased the farmhouse.

We have been blessed beyond measure over this last year and look forward to many more years making memories with our girls at the farmhouse.

Just last weekend, we celebrated our first small town Independence Day with family friends at our home.

We grilled out, the kids did the slip & slide, and we watched our town’s fireworks from the farmhouse backyard.

We’re so thankful for the men and women who have sacrificed for us to have freedom in this country.

We’re so thankful to see God’s hand working in all and through all and for the freedom found through Jesus.

Happy 4th of July from the Farmhouse, friends.

❤️🇺🇸🏡🇺🇸❤️

amazon finds for the farmhouse.

2/16/2018

I really love Amazon.

We have had a Prime account for several years and use it for everything from coffee to toilet paper, books to home decor, music to movies.

Some day, I will talk to you about the joys of Amazon's "Subscribe & Save" program and my new-found love for Audible.

Some day, I will talk to you about how amazing the Amazon app is and the fact that I have a dream to sell a children's book I wrote on Amazon someday.

But not today.

Today I'd like to share some of my favorite completely reasonably-priced "farmhouse finds" that I have purchased or are planning to purchase from Amazon...all under $20!

Some of my favorite items that I've purchased for the farmhouse have been simple signs, rustic baskets, or metal accents.

Amazon has a host of items that fit my taste...and my budget.

As you've probably seen in some of my other posts, I love signs and wall-hangings to fill the walls of the farmhouse.

Amazon has a nice selection of high-quality signs.

I love this cutesy little "Home Rules" chalkboard to lean up somewhere on a counter or hang in a little open place beside the bathroom mirror.

It's a great reminder of some of our "family rules" we talk about daily!

It starts with "Always be honest" and ends with "Love one another".

Yes, yes, yes!

This $10.95 Amazing Grace sign is perfectly rustic-y and primitive.

It's hard to tell in the picture, but you can barely see an outline of the sheet music behind the main text.

At 5" x 10", it's the perfect size to round out a farmhouse wall gallery.

What a great reminder of His amazing grace.

I just think this vintage Soap & Water sign is adorable.

In fact, I just bought one for the girls' new bathroom wall.

I also picked up this deer antler jewelry-holder for the girls' new bathroom, too.

I can't believe they are old enough to need a jewelry-holder!

I have tried to be very intentional with the items I bring into the farmhouse, since we moved in last July.

One of the things I try to think about when I purchase items is the functional purpose that they could serve in our home.

These containers are perfect for organizing AND looking adorable.

A nice warm throw is always a good item to have lying over a chair, reading available for snuggling up with a good book. I also love the natural pop of color that this wreath brings.

There are hundreds of thousands of items to choose from and purchase on Amazon.

These are just a few of my favorites.

I would encourage you to think about the purpose of the items you bring into your home before you purchase.

Seek out items that bring joy to your heart and make your home feel peace and calming to you.

Be responsible in your spending and intentional in what you allow into your home.

And enjoy the process!

Happy Friday from the Farmhouse, friends!

❤️?❤️

a farmhouse story.

2/4/2018

When we first announced to the world (okay, our little world) that we were buying the farmhouse, I posted a picture and a friend of ours tagged Stephanie in it.

She said, "This house looks just like the house I grew up in!"

And at that moment...the story began unfolding.

Stephanie and I began messaging back and forth about the history of the house and her memories of growing up there.

Her dad, mom, and brother moved into the farmhouse in March of 1971, shortly before she was born.

It was the house she spent her childhood and high school years in.

She and I have been corresponding since we made contact that day about everything from the wells on the property to the way you have to put your hip into the interior doors to get them to close just right.

It has been a joy to have conversation with Stephanie about the home we have come to love and call our own and to get to know her sweet mama through our talks!

We have been saying for the last several months that the next time she was in Adrian, she would have to come visit and this weekend we were able to make that happen!

Stephanie, her brother Keith, and Keith's wife Tracy came out to see the farmhouse this afternoon.

They brought the aerial image you see above of the farm in the 1970's.

They also brought the image to the left you can see here from somewhere in the 1940s.

Currently, only four of the structures seen in these photos are standing...one being the house.

What a gift to have these photos, as a connection to the past and an inspiration for where we would like to take the property in the future.

Our girls have been looking forward to meeting Stephanie ever since I told them about her several months ago.

Today, it happened.

She and Keith walked them through the house and gave them a tour, sharing details of what the house was like in year's past.

Mattie showed them her bedroom and closet (and offered to show them again at least four or five times). The wallpaper that Stephanie picked out as a young girl is still in the closet!

Claire shared the transformation to her girly bedroom from the one that was Keith's bedroom in high school.

Harlee's bedroom wasn't even a room back then...but instead a loft area that overlooked the stairwell. She enjoyed showing off her basketball room and reminding Mr. Farmhouse once again that he still hasn't built her a wall.

What a beautiful snowy day to introduce the girls to the adults who grew up here.

Thanks for coming out, Highley family.

❤️🏡❤️

six months.

1/22/2018

January 9th marked our six-month anniversary of our "first night sleeping at the farmhouse".

Six months.

In some ways, it feels like that was ages ago...and in some ways, it feels like yesterday.

Over the snow days (and ice day and really cold wind-chill day) that we had off of school last week, I really reminisced about our time here at the farmhouse so far.

I started looking through some of my old blog posts and Instagram photos.

One of my most favorite memories for the rest of my life will be from 9:00 at night on the first Saturday night that we slept here.

Our minister and his wife came out and prayed over the farmhouse. You can read about it in my blog post from that day...Bless this Mess.

Since that warm July night,
we have enjoyed family movie nights cuddled in the living room,
mornings on the front porch reading our books,
pick-up games of basketball out to the north of the house,
friends over to BBQ,
softball practice out in the yard,
and for Thanksgiving we hosted our first TWO family dinners out here.

We experienced our first farmhouse Christmas with the girls.

We have painted and decorated,
Added an upstairs bathroom,
Tore down a barn,
Added a chicken coop,
Purged belongings,
Purchased furniture.

It has been quite the journey and I know we are nowhere near "finished".

Somedays (most days), we are a mess. But we are thankful to God that he's able to bless this mess.

Thanks for following along with us over the last six months.

I hope you'll stick around for the next six months.

❤️🏡❤️

almost a second bathroom.

1/16/2018

Mr. Farmhouse has been working tirelessly in all of his spare time to get the girls a second bathroom.

We paid a buddy of ours to do the rough-in work and plumbing (thanks, Brent!), but Mr. Farmhouse decided he could finish the rest out himself.

With lots of help from our dads, we have finished the sheetrock, cement board for the tile, and wiring.

Next up is paint,
then putting in the vanity & sink,
finishing the accent wall with barn wood & metal from the barn that is lying beside our house,
the tile work,
and installing the toilet & plumbing fixtures.

It actually seems like a really long list now that I've typed it all out.

However, when we first moved in, it felt like it would take years for that old barn to come down.

And look at it now.

Ready to be dismantled and reused to make way for the new shop.

We started with an open canvas for the upstairs bath.

With hard work (and the help of friends and family), Mr. Farmhouse is transforming it into the second bathroom we've been dreaming of since we moved into our first home almost fifteen years ago.

I'm working hard in 2018 to be intentional with my time,
to appreciate the small things,
and to show my gratitude to God daily for all He has blessed me with.

On this cold and snowy day, I am sitting here by the window feeling content.

Content with the process.

Content on this journey.

Just content.

Sending warm hugs from the Farmhouse on this beautiful day, friends.

❤️🏡❤️

off-track.

12/14/2017

November 12th.

That was the last date that I wrote a blog post.

I was going through life, keeping up with this fun Farmhouse journal and then BOOM..off-track.

Off-track.

Overwhelmed.

Treading water.

Survival-mode at home, at school, at Newkirk Photography.

I had things I wanted to share.

Inspiration I wanted to give.

Encouragement I wanted to pass along.

And instead...I just stopped.

Just stopped.

However, a lot has happened since November 12th.

Deer season (I got two!).

Our first Thanksgiving family dinners at the farmhouse (can't wait to share about that someday!).

And we've almost made it halfway through the school year...WHAT!?!

So anyway...I'm back.

I'm feeling refreshed and looking forward to sharing some Farmhouse654 updates with you sooner than later.

Happy Friday Eve, friends.

❤️🏡❤️

christmas countdown: week 2 challenge

10/29/2017

Hello there and welcome to Week 2 of the Farmhouse654 Christmas Countdown!

Last week, we focused on getting organized before we begin our journey to a peaceful holiday season with our families!

We divided our home into eight zones and worked all week through the deep-cleaning process for Zone 1.

At the farmhouse, this was my Living Room & Entryway.

I started the week by decluttering any shelves and drawers in the living room...I went through our DVDs and purged anything we don't watch, cleaned out a few drawers that had acquired some junk, and minimized a few decorations on the flat surfaces.

After a crazy week of parent-teacher conferences and the first slumber party in the farmhouse, I used my Friday off school to finish up Zone 1 by deep-cleaning from floor to ceiling...dusting, cleaning the windows, and making the floors shine.

If you didn't get to join us for the Week 1 challenge, just try to squeeze both of the first two weeks in this week!

Our week 2 challenge is to think about our giving.

You can print my Week 2 Planning Printable here.

This week, we are focusing on the friends and family members we would like to give gifts to this year.

We want to be intentional with our giving!

This year for the girls, we are going to do four main gifts...

1. Something they want,
2. Something they need,
3. Something to wear, and
4. Something to read.

We're also going to buy a few "family experiences"...zoo passes, a Royals game, and gift cards to some of our favorite restaurants.

Thanks to this list, coupled with the fact that we had a Christmas sinking fund (using CapitalOne 360 that I talked about in my blog post a few weeks ago), I am almost finished Christmas shopping.

This week, make a list of who you need to buy for, any gifts you might have already, and ideas of what you would like to purchase or make over the next several weeks.

The second part of our challenge this week is about how we can give to others during this season.

Mr. Farmhouse and I do this in a few different ways that I've outlined on the Week 2 Challenge printable.

Start thinking about how you can give back!

Finally, we are starting work in Zone 2 this week!

My Zone 2 is my Kitchen & Mud Room! These two rooms will be a bit more challenging than the Living Room was! I still haven't felt "settled" in the Mud Room since we moved into the farmhouse three months ago. I'm hoping to change that feeling over the next week by breaking the process up into manageable tasks and tackle those two rooms!

I hope and pray that you are already feeling a little more peaceful about the upcoming holiday season!

Let's not get bogged down with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season!

Let's take a moment and enjoy the process of getting us to this special time of year!

Happy New Week, friends!

Much love to you and yours from the farmhouse!

❤️🏡❤️

If you're just catching up with the Farmhouse654 Christmas Countdown, feel free to join the Facebook group HERE and print out the Planning Calendar and Week 1 Checklist HERE.

Christmas Countdown Blog Posts
Week 1