Does anyone know how good it feels to have paid all the necessary bills (meaning: rent, utilities, credit card payments, students loans...but not including extra bills like random medical bills etc.) and STILL have money left over? We've been a one income family for soooo long - raising five children with one or both of us going to school to finish our degrees. For the past 14 years money has been a constant struggling point for us. Always. But, with this paycheck we are...ahead! I hate to even say something because I know that the money Gods are listening to me and are now going to through a wrench into any plans that I have, perhaps a car will break down or something but I just have to say that I feel an incredible amount of relief right now. We've paid all of our bills and have enough to go grocery shopping, get gas, and will still have enough money to buy some clothes (which I need desperately) and maybe even buy a few fun items (cross off some wish list things). Oh! Did I mention that we also paid off what we owed to my mother, Mark's grandmother and our oldest daughter AND we were able to give Tiff a couple hundred extra to fix her car (What!? We were able to help someone else for once!).
I just got back from a work trip LATE on Tuesday night. I still can't seem to catch up on sleep. I am exhausted. But I think it is awesome to be able to help other programs get up and running. This weekend is going to be a crazy busy hectic - HOME SHOW filled weekend. Lots of talking to people - lots of light bulb pushing! I'm excited and yet - I know I will be even more exhausted by the time the weekend is over.
So Tuesday was Marky's birthday...he's 46. I think he feels a little funny about that number. But I think he is amazingly handsome and sexy...I'm lucky that he chose me...I love him forever...I couldn't imagine sharing this life with anyone else. He is my very best friend.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Where will fate take us?
It's 145 days until Mark graduates...145 days! If you only knew how long of a process this has been. I mean, Mark has only been going 6 years (not bad if you think that most people do it in 5 years and we've moved to Florida and back, had babies etc.) but school has just been such a big deciding factor in our lives...I am incredibly proud of Mark for sticking with school and not giving up. He's an amazing father and I cannot wait to see him teach his very own classroom full of children. He's trying to figure out ways to integrate "green" lessons with science and math - imagine children cooking their afternoon snack in solar ovens that they made by hand! ...and I am so excited to be even the slightest part of all this.
We've been thinking about the garden a lot lately...my girl in Portland has hers already planned out...but (as usual) life has been crazy busy and I haven't had the chance to complete my excel sheet (maybe today?) - that's right people, I use an excel spreadsheet to layout my garden. Mark refers to me as "planner girl" - I HAVE to have a plan. I want the garden to be both pretty and functional and couldn't stand to look at it if my tomato plants were planted all haphazard throughout the garden...Last year, we built the trellis for the beans and cucumbers out of gathered sticks - this year I think we will do more of the same...but want to make sure that they are done earlier in the season. We'll share spreadsheets and pictures when we have them ready. Right now, our garden is sleeping soundly with a layer of leaves on top. Our potted plants are looking pretty sad - but I'm hoping that they will spring back to life come late March, early April...I've never done the container garden and am hoping that these wintry, cold, snowy days haven't affected my blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. I'm thinking of getting a couple of small fruit trees to start in pots and then by the time we have our home - we can plant them in the ground and enjoy the fruit. Fresh apple pie anyone?
So here's a question - if you could live any where you REALLY wanted to...where would it be. Think of it though - think of all the things that you need to consider...could you find work, is a local university important to you (to further your degree or just take some classes), what is the climate that you prefer, could you AFFORD the housing there? That is where we are at right now. The program where I work will not be around forever...perhaps it will last until the end of this year - or maybe squeeze another year out of it and then...who knows? So what does that mean for my career? I absolutely love what I do - I love the interaction with people, I love the flexibility, I have a great boss - I'd want to stay with the company as long as they have a position available...but where IS that position? Could there be another move in our future? We talked with the family last night and all came to the conclusion that Ohio really isn't what we thought it would be. I guess we had a case of the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. We felt drawn to Florida originally because we are all water people - we love to dig our toes in the sand. However, when we came home for a visit - we felt drawn back to Ohio to be near family and have the four seasons. We know that fate brought us to Florida and back to Ohio - we are here for a reason. Soon we will have the opportunity to move on (if we choose) and frankly being here in Ohio (to reference Big Fish) we are all "drying out". Everyone is open to moving - we never know how the kids will react to something like this - but they all seem up for the adventure. So where will fate bring us next? Still in Ohio - just outside of where we are now? We know that this city doesn't have the land we would need to do what we want...We'd have to be pretty far north or east of where we are. North Carolina? South Carolina? Georgia coast? Florida panhandle? Oregon? (ok...Oregon might be a little far...but if that is where fate is telling us - then we will follow) - We do feel that the next move will be the last. We see us buying the home/barn of our dreams, filling our pantry with foods from our land, building/rehabbing to fit our needs/wants, having amazing indoor and outdoor spaces for us to enjoy.
I feel like we talk about fate a lot. For us...that IS our religion. We don't believe in the Bible or the typical "Christian God" - but we do believe that there is a plan out there. We are supposed to be in certain places at certain times and cross paths with certain people - every moment is one to learn from, to grow from. I have a tattoo on my arm - it is Sanskrit for "Everything Happens For a Reason" - we very much believe this. I have the tattoo - because when times are tough, it's not always easy to remember that - that moment is happening FOR A REASON. Looking at my wrist has gotten me through some really tough times in the past.
....hmmm so where WILL fate take us?
We've been thinking about the garden a lot lately...my girl in Portland has hers already planned out...but (as usual) life has been crazy busy and I haven't had the chance to complete my excel sheet (maybe today?) - that's right people, I use an excel spreadsheet to layout my garden. Mark refers to me as "planner girl" - I HAVE to have a plan. I want the garden to be both pretty and functional and couldn't stand to look at it if my tomato plants were planted all haphazard throughout the garden...Last year, we built the trellis for the beans and cucumbers out of gathered sticks - this year I think we will do more of the same...but want to make sure that they are done earlier in the season. We'll share spreadsheets and pictures when we have them ready. Right now, our garden is sleeping soundly with a layer of leaves on top. Our potted plants are looking pretty sad - but I'm hoping that they will spring back to life come late March, early April...I've never done the container garden and am hoping that these wintry, cold, snowy days haven't affected my blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. I'm thinking of getting a couple of small fruit trees to start in pots and then by the time we have our home - we can plant them in the ground and enjoy the fruit. Fresh apple pie anyone?
So here's a question - if you could live any where you REALLY wanted to...where would it be. Think of it though - think of all the things that you need to consider...could you find work, is a local university important to you (to further your degree or just take some classes), what is the climate that you prefer, could you AFFORD the housing there? That is where we are at right now. The program where I work will not be around forever...perhaps it will last until the end of this year - or maybe squeeze another year out of it and then...who knows? So what does that mean for my career? I absolutely love what I do - I love the interaction with people, I love the flexibility, I have a great boss - I'd want to stay with the company as long as they have a position available...but where IS that position? Could there be another move in our future? We talked with the family last night and all came to the conclusion that Ohio really isn't what we thought it would be. I guess we had a case of the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. We felt drawn to Florida originally because we are all water people - we love to dig our toes in the sand. However, when we came home for a visit - we felt drawn back to Ohio to be near family and have the four seasons. We know that fate brought us to Florida and back to Ohio - we are here for a reason. Soon we will have the opportunity to move on (if we choose) and frankly being here in Ohio (to reference Big Fish) we are all "drying out". Everyone is open to moving - we never know how the kids will react to something like this - but they all seem up for the adventure. So where will fate bring us next? Still in Ohio - just outside of where we are now? We know that this city doesn't have the land we would need to do what we want...We'd have to be pretty far north or east of where we are. North Carolina? South Carolina? Georgia coast? Florida panhandle? Oregon? (ok...Oregon might be a little far...but if that is where fate is telling us - then we will follow) - We do feel that the next move will be the last. We see us buying the home/barn of our dreams, filling our pantry with foods from our land, building/rehabbing to fit our needs/wants, having amazing indoor and outdoor spaces for us to enjoy.
I feel like we talk about fate a lot. For us...that IS our religion. We don't believe in the Bible or the typical "Christian God" - but we do believe that there is a plan out there. We are supposed to be in certain places at certain times and cross paths with certain people - every moment is one to learn from, to grow from. I have a tattoo on my arm - it is Sanskrit for "Everything Happens For a Reason" - we very much believe this. I have the tattoo - because when times are tough, it's not always easy to remember that - that moment is happening FOR A REASON. Looking at my wrist has gotten me through some really tough times in the past.
....hmmm so where WILL fate take us?
Sunday, December 27, 2009
It starts...
Ok, so I don't know why, but I've been avoiding the blog thing for a while. I think it is a good idea - I think it is important for us to document our transition from suburban, apartment life to farm living...but I haven't really been in a writing mood...but here it goes.
We are Mark and Shelby - we've been married for 13 years and we have five children. Four kids live with us (Gage, Drake, Kait and Cora) and our oldest daughter, Tiff, lives on her own. I work for a company that develops energy efficiency programs for utility companies and Mark is going to school to finish his degree in education. In June of 2010 Mark will be graduating and we can FINALLY truly start life. I know many of you are thinking 13 years of marraige and 5 kids and life hasn't started yet?? Our life has been dictated by school - my degree and now Mark's. It will be nice to have two incomes (something we had only for a brief moment in our relationship), a regular work schedule and an idea of where we want to live the rest of our lives. The idea of a farm excites us. With everything going on with the economy...it scares us to think that something could happen to our food supply. It scares us to think about what is being put into our food, how foods are processed, how animals are cared for - what is really going on with our food before it goes onto our plates and how does that affect our health and the health of our children? The thought of being able to raise our own chickens for eggs and bees for honey and goats for milk excites us. Knowing that we can feed our family from the foods that we grow with our own hands excites us. Taking all that we learn and "paying it forward" to others - so they can learn new skills excites us...This is a great time in our lives and we're glad you are along for the ride.
We are Mark and Shelby - we've been married for 13 years and we have five children. Four kids live with us (Gage, Drake, Kait and Cora) and our oldest daughter, Tiff, lives on her own. I work for a company that develops energy efficiency programs for utility companies and Mark is going to school to finish his degree in education. In June of 2010 Mark will be graduating and we can FINALLY truly start life. I know many of you are thinking 13 years of marraige and 5 kids and life hasn't started yet?? Our life has been dictated by school - my degree and now Mark's. It will be nice to have two incomes (something we had only for a brief moment in our relationship), a regular work schedule and an idea of where we want to live the rest of our lives. The idea of a farm excites us. With everything going on with the economy...it scares us to think that something could happen to our food supply. It scares us to think about what is being put into our food, how foods are processed, how animals are cared for - what is really going on with our food before it goes onto our plates and how does that affect our health and the health of our children? The thought of being able to raise our own chickens for eggs and bees for honey and goats for milk excites us. Knowing that we can feed our family from the foods that we grow with our own hands excites us. Taking all that we learn and "paying it forward" to others - so they can learn new skills excites us...This is a great time in our lives and we're glad you are along for the ride.
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