"Life Is Not Tried, It Is Merely Survived...

If You're Standing Outside the Fire!

We call them fools.

Who have to dance within the flames.

Who chance the sorrow and the shame.

That always comes with getting burned....

But, you've got to be tough when comsumed by desire,

Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire!"

Thank you, Garth Brooks, for writing my husband's theme song!

His fearlessness and tenacity...his ability to see the potential value of something and faithfully go for it, all in - I both admire and fear these qualities of his... This is how I know that we will see our little beastie race in a couple of years. 😉

 I love his amazing faith in God, which has grown from the tiny seed it was twenty years ago to the steadfast oak it is today.  Though the wind may blow hard, and troubles may chip at it's bark, his faith in his Heavenly Father stands firm, deeply rooted in God's promises.

Truly, though, I share the sentiments of Scottie in the new Star Trek:  "I like this ship!  It's exciting!"

As I predicted two blog posts ago, we have been facing some unexpected trials...and we still face some uncertainties with this big move of ours.  However, neither of us regrets the decisions that we have made, because every one has been bathed in prayer.  I'm so grateful for our prayer warriors who have come alongside us over these last five months!























To make a long story short, delays on our buyer's side have pushed our settlement back to April 27th, 28th OR May 1st or 2nd...apparently, in New York, the buyers, sellers and real estate agents have NO control over the actual date and time of settlement.  It is totally in the hands of the banks and attorneys... and they only HAVE to give us 72 hours notice!  This makes me crazy, but there's not a blessed thing we can do about it.

Meanwhile, we had some issues with our new mortgage due to some wording in our appraiser's report.  God provided a way around this through some faithful servants of His.  So, at this moment, we are on track for settling the same day on both properties.




And, we've been getting lots of pressure from the real estate agent representing the property we are buying. She wants a specific date...which we, literally, can't give her because things are done differently up here than in PA.  She has behaved rather unprofessionally a couple of times, creating much stress and tension for us...prompting us to look for "plan B", just in case...in those moments when we've experienced frustration and doubt.

However, Don has purchased the first of the two campers we will call home for the next four months or so, while we rehab the house on our new property. We'll be buying a second, smaller one for our girls, so everyone has adequate space...I would hate for us to be on the brink of killing one another by August!

I am so excited to see it all come together!  We've always wanted to build our own house, and this comes pretty close.




Despite all of that, we had a lovely Easter Weekend!  The weather was gloriously warm and sunny up here for a couple of days and we took advantage of it!

My time at the salon is finished, now, but I'm still cutting hair...for the family!

In fact, After much self-reflection and thoughtful discussion with my husband, I'm thinking I may not jump into that transfer with Regis Corporation.

Rather than being beholden to a corporate-owned salon every Thursday, Friday and Saturday...and every other Sunday...for barely over minimum wage...I'd like to spend lots of time with the people I love this summer, as well as getting to know my new community.

I will joyfully provide hair services at the requests of family and friends in PA for whatever they want to "gift" me or trade me for the next several months...then, I'll work on securing employment...maybe in a private spa, where I can become an expert in facials and skin care!   At the moment, I am still waiting on PA with my licensing.

It was so nice to have our whole family together to celebrate Christ's resurrection!

And, we packed up the first load of our belongings bound for Pennsylvania!  Mostly, Don's tools and equipment from the shop and books that we don't need right now.  It's all going into a storage unit temporarily.  I find it quite fitting that there's a viking ship on the side of this U-haul!

One way or another, we'll be heading to PA - horses, dogs, cats and all - in two weeks!  Stay tuned for another update soon!

Approaching "Crunch Time"

It's April now...

We have, roughly, 3 weeks to go before the move, assuming....



On our end, with the purchase of our new property, we are all set.  On our buyer's end...well, the bank through which they are getting their mortgage has to be slower than molasses in January.  Not exactly sure what the hold up is, but our agent says everything looks good, therefore we should have all settlement dates and times by the end of this week...Thank goodness!

If someone had told me two years ago...even just 15 months ago... that we'd be moving back to PA in the spring of 2017...that my mother-in-law would be diagnosed with Huntington's Disease (which I knew nothing about until last summer), would I STILL have made the choice to go to cosmetology school?

Would I still have had the desire to learn something new while living up here? Even begin a new career?  

Or would I have limped along until after the move?


I... don't... know.  

I've been pondering why I made the decision to do it.  Especially now that Pennsylvania is being such a pain in the bootie about granting me a license to practice there!  And, the darn fees from both states - it's totaling over $200 to transfer at this point!  

Yes, I prayed about it, as did Don. I truly wrestled with the decision, knowing it would be a significant time sacrifice for me, as well as a financial one for all of us.

Initially, I was simply thinking of our family economics. Living in New York, on one income, has been difficult at best...impossible at times.  I have worked part-time, on and off, during our time up here, and while a couple of these jobs were fairly interesting for a short time, none were going anywhere, if you know what I mean.

Don and I, however, were pretty adamant about continuing to homeschool our daughters, and we both knew our family's need for me to manage our home and our little maple syrup business... so a full-time job was completely out of the question.

Since I had always been interested in hair and skin care, hair styling, and a strong desire to converse with people and encourage people, cosmetology was the logical choice. It is a field that offers flexibility, and I could do it part-time or full-time according to my family's needs.  Back in 2015, when I began the enrollment process, it seemed like we would be staying in New York for at least 3, maybe 4, more years, during which my financial contribution would be kind of necessary to relieve some financial pressure.

Last August and right on into the fall, even before I finished my cosmetology program, everything changed.  When our extended family's needs became clear, and our desire to be actively involved was expressed in pray, God provided...in a big way.

Now, Don has new career with a solid income in a state with lower taxes, better earning potential and a slightly lower cost of living.  (Not to mention a lot more sunshine! No, really.  Look up the statistics.)  I don't really need to work outside of my home... in the traditional sense, at least.  I mean, what do we reeally "need"?

I do not regret the time, effort and money spent becoming a licensed cosmetologist. In fact, I'm really glad I went to school!

One of our family mantras is "Never Stop Learning."  It is so important to your mental, spiritual and even physical health to challenge yourself to learn new things no matter your age.  Accepting status quo...operating on auto-pilot... is the kiss of death, in my humble opinion.

Will's new home!

So, I will find new ways to bless people with my newly-mastered skills. I hope I have already blessed some folks, both my fellow stylists and my salon guests, during my 3+ months at Mastercuts!

I have no idea what my cosmetology career will look like in the years to come, but I am trusting God with it. HE never does anything halfway, so I'm sure he's not finished with this...with me...yet!

I mean, look at all He's done with my teaching skills and passion - not at all what I expected...but definitely better!


Over the weekend, Don, Grace and Rosie, along with some dear friends of ours, moved William into his cottage.

And, we brought home our sweet little Penny!

The next few weeks will likely be a bit of a whirlwind for us, as we fumble our way through this move.  Don is working on finding a storage unit for our belongings and furniture that we won't need until the house is completed, as well as finding a place to store our farm equipment.

Also, Don will be looking for a couple of camper-trailers for us to live in while we refurbish the house over the next several months.

Exciting times, indeed!  Leaving the details in God's very capable hands, as best as I can.  And, enjoying as many moments as I can along the way...

Pull Up Your Pants, And Pull Down Your Helmet...

...It's gonna be a wild ride!  (This sentiment from my precious Grace, whose timely wit and ornery sarcasm keeps me on my toes!)

That about sums up the next 5 or 6 weeks, Folks.  As of this moment, we believe our settlement date will be April 21, however, we cannot write that in ink just yet...the buyer's bank is taking its good ole' time getting things together.




Our bank's appraisal on the property we are purchasing is coming up in a few days, too.  We don't anticipate any problems, but please keep that in your prayers.




Undoubtedly, there will be situations and such that we did not anticipate over the course of the next month, but I do have a sense of peace knowing that God is with us....and, in fact, has gone before us to prepare the way.




That said, I am sure it will be an emotional month for this woman.  Many changes to come.




People and places to which I will say good-bye...the happy reunion with dear friends and family whom I've missed terribly on many occasions these last four and half years.


Leaving one son behind in New York to start his new career and a life apart from his parents and siblings (I'm relieved that we've connected with a great church family for him!) ....reuniting with the other son, who moved back to south-eastern PA on his own nearly 2 years ago...

...And, now there is a sweet young woman in his life whom I am very excited to get to know. Since Don has been living with Nate these last 4 months, he has gotten to reconnect with him AND spend some time with her, and I am a bit envious!

At any rate, I'm so very proud of the good-hearted, hard-working, honest men they have become!



I am really going to miss several families and young couples whom we've gotten to know up here. And,  Rosie's English tutor, who has become invaluable to us for her knowledge, her conversation, and her friendship, will be greatly missed by both Rosie and me, however, we are working on a way for her to tutor Rosie via Skype or something for the rest of this school year.

Which reminds me...I need to re-acquaint myself with home school law in PA, because it is quite different from NY! We'll take off  from school for about a week during the move, but the beauty of homeschooling is that we will barely miss a beat...so long as we don't misplace our materials in the shuffle!

Only 2 more weeks of working at the salon in Ithaca.  On the one hand, I am thrilled about this because I have begun to loath the 27-mile drive I have to make to and from the salon, four or five days per week.  On the other hand, I've grown fond of the young ladies with whom I work, and I will miss seeing them.  Regis Corp. owns a few salons near our new home, so we're working on a transfer.  The salon at which I will most likely work is only 7.5 miles from our new home...and, they are fine with me only working 3 days per week - Yay!  Now, we're just waiting on PA's board of cosmetology to approve my license application.

He's 10 months old this weekend!

As we enter the month of April later this week, the snow is finally disappearing, and clearer skies are just around the corner.

This weekend, William is moving into his new home, a little cottage near Skaneateles, just a few miles from his workplace.  But, I'm counting on him joining us for dinner several days a week until we move.


I'm relieved to report that a few days ago, he purchased a newer, much more reliable car that will allow him to make the three and half hour journey to see us regularly.

 I'm quite sure we'll come up here to see him several times this summer and fall as well!

And, we bring home our new pup, Penny, this Sunday!  A very welcome distraction from our moving preparations.  I'll share many pictures in my post next week, for sure!

If you are curious about what we're up to, check for blog posts more regularly this month.  I will try to update you more often as this "wild ride" unfolds!  
(And, now, back to packing...I think I'm gonna need more boxes...)

Tig turns 3 years old this Friday!

As moving day approaches...

We still don't have a definitive moving date other than "mid- to late-April"...

..This is a little detail that unnerves me.


Still, we are not 100% sure where or how the move will happen, either.

Not even 90% sure...









When I become anxious about this, however, I've learned to catch myself, and hand the details over to God...

Alright!...Usually after I've grilled Don with about a million and one questions that even he can't answer.

I'm working on it, Folks!  I'm just a "work in progress", like the rest of you!



This weekend, however, we had the blessed opportunity to attend our dear friends' daughter's wedding in my favorite place...Lancaster County, PA!




It was absolutely lovely!




Krystal is such a special young friend, with whom I've enjoyed many conversations over the last 7 or 8 years.

It has been such a pleasure watching her grow up, and David, her new husband, is a wonderful young man.  I'm looking forward to living closer and staying in touch as they become a little family of their own.

We also took a look at another property...it wasn't "the one".  I've always had this very strong intuitive sense about things like this.  And, although we call Don "the visionary", I'm the one who has to be able to "envision" our family living in a particular...space...place.


When Don showed me this property for the first time, it just....felt like home.  I know.  It sounds vague and cliche, but its true.  The same thing has happened with a couple of other homes in our past, and those are the places in my fondest memories now.





So, we went back to that 7.2 acre property I shared with you a few posts ago...




...And, I got that "home-y" feel.  I could envision that run-down, beat up rancher, as the cape cod-style home we plan to build.



I could picture us gathering with friends around a big ole campfire in the large open space between the house and barn.

I stood outside the barn and saw our three horses grazing peacefully in the lower pasture, and when I turned around I could see Tig and Penny romping in the hay field.


I'm pretty sure that the property pictured here is the one, but we must work through the details...like the financing...and where we will store our things ...and what we will live in while the house is being refurbished. When, how and who is going to put fencing up for our horses before we can move them to their new home...

So far, God shines His light on our path just enough for us to take the next step.  ONE STEP at a time.  So, if we can just keep trusting....just keep our gaze focused on Him....

And, finally, I got another round of puppy therapy today!


Tig got to visit his sister and mama, and my girls and I had another great visit with my friend, Brianne, whose injury is healing slowly, but steadily.

I am thrilled to share that even though we are moving, she will continue to be our equine dentist!








Much to my delight, it turns out that she visits family and friends in the Reading, PA area on a regular basis, so she'll be able to swing by our new home on occasion.

And, I have a feeling that somehow she will be further woven into the fabric of our lives through Isaac, aka. Classified Tech.  Watch my blog for more on that front come summertime.

At this point, I am packing and organizing and cleaning between homeschooling and my work hours at the salon.  I am gleefully anticipating Penny's homecoming in a few more weeks.

The move is anticipated to happen sometime between April 14th and 28th.  Watch for a blog update at the end of March!.

Thanks for all of your prayers and positive thoughts, Friends!  I pray you all stay safe and warm during this coming nor'easter.  So much for an early spring...but, no worries.  It is right around the corner!

Another Piece of My Heart, Claimed!

Hello, Friends!  How about this crazy Northeast warm-up?  It's not even March, yet!  It feels strange to me, not to be collecting sap right now.  To be preparing for the long hours of boiling in the sugar shack...

Fortunately, we have a few connections from whom we can buy syrup, because I've grown so accustomed to using it in place of sugar in so many recipes.

The property we are most likely buying in PA doesn't have maple trees, so we've been talking about the possibility of starting a little apiary...making honey, instead!




So, this was Friday morning:  

And, this was Sunday morning:

Quite a difference between 29 degrees and 48 degrees!






It's been six weeks since our loss of our labs, Ginger and Mac.  Since they loved being with us in the woods so much, we felt it only appropriate that their ashes be out there.  Truly, two pieces of my heart will be left here on this property in NY forever.





Several weeks ago, Don and I began an open-ended conversation about when we might be ready to add another canine to our family and what dog breeds we might consider.  We agreed that either a golden retriever, like our first dog, or another Aussie shepherd would be the best choices for us, but only if we could find a female... from the right breeder, of course.  

As for the timing?  We left that open, but I was thinking in the fall.

Then, one evening a couple of weeks ago, I arrive home from work, exhausted.  As I withered into a chair at the dining room table, Grace plopped a laptop in front of me opened to Facebook: "Look! Brianne must've bred Reagan and she had pups just recently!"     WHAT?!   

If you followed my previous blog, you know that Brianne is Tig's breeder...And, Reagan is Tig's litter-mate...sister!  

Excitedly, I messaged her, asking about the females...only to learn that they had been claimed already.  I was crushed.

"Well, Brianne will probably breed her again next year," I thought, hopefully. "I'll just make sure she knows I'm interested.  I can wait a year for another Aussie, if Don can..."




When I called Don to tell him, he detected the extreme disappointment in my voice....and he confessed:



HE had claimed one of the females already, seeing Brianne's Facebook post 5 hours before me!

He was going to try to keep it a secret until a week or two before she's ready to leave her mama, but my disappointment...and his excitement...got the better of him!


It was a huge relief for Brianne... ...She didn't know how she could keep it a secret from me, other than avoiding me.



But, she had major surgery a few days after the pups were born, and the girls and I were planning to go visit her during her convalescence...to entertain her and check out the pups.  Avoiding me would not work!  

Today was the day of my visit!



Major puppy therapy! 💗💗













And, my sweet new pup, Penny, claimed a piece of my heart!

She's a beautiful red merle, just like her mama!  And, already she's proving to be calm and easy-going...the perfect disposition to balance out Tig's.

And, to my husband:  You tried to play it off by saying, "I did it for selfish reasons, really.  Our home seemed so empty without the labs."  However, I know you were thinking of me and I love you for it!  Thank you so much!  She's going to be a great addition to our family.

Stay tuned, Friends:  Our new addition joins us the last week in March!  And, we are still anticipating our move to happen shortly after Easter.  More on that in a couple of weeks....

Moving Forward...

Twelve days into February,  Folks.  NY's groundhog did not see his shadow.  Spring is right around the corner!  "But, wait!" says Jack Frost. "Not so fast!" 

...We awoke this morning to...

Yup.  More snow.  In fact, more days than not in the last two weeks my teens and I have peered out the window at 7am to find a fresh 3 or 4 inches of snow blanketing our homestead!  And, today it's been snowing 
                                                                                              
                                                                                              ...All...Day...Long...

                                                             It's those giant, fluffy snowflakes, too.  So...

Since traveling anywhere in my little car seemed out of the question, I decided to make the best of it and head to the beauty and serenity of the woods with my snowshoes and my faithful canine companion.

                                                                                                                               William has done a great job keeping the main path out to the woods clear, so my real workout begins once I'm surrounded by trees...there's a hefty 10-inch snow cover out there presently.  There will be over a foot by tomorrow's hike!

Our move back to Pennsylvania became very real and imminent this week....we had an offer on this property!  We countered and tossed our remaining maple equipment into the deal...and they accepted, much to our delight!  

This young family has exactly the kind of vision for this property that Don always did, actually...to make it into a working homestead, or "micro-farm", possibly with a roadside farmstand in the near future.  

We'll definitely become loyal customers when we vacation in this area! 

Lady, our "outdoor" cat, looking quite content... on the couch!

But, this means we have less than 10 weeks now to secure a new home for our family.  YIKES! A couple of posts ago, I shared my photos of a property that Don thought to be "The One".  That property is still on the table and a very real possibility, however, it's a tad farther away from Don's work and parents than we originally wanted to be, and, logistically, it's a huge challenge.  

In order to make it happen, we'd need to put up pasture-fencing and get the barn ready before we leave this home, of course...And, we'd all have to live in a trailer on the property, with our furniture and such in storage, while the house is gutted and restored.  

The girls and I are pretty adaptable (definitely couldn't have said that 15 years ago!), so, although it could be a bumpy ride, it is do-able.

However, a couple of other possibilities have presented themselves in the last few days, so Don is looking into those this week.  We shall see...

In the meantime, Don keeps working hard at his job in PA, and I am "holding down the fort" with the help of Will, Grace and Rosie in NY.  I'm growing more comfortable in the salon with each passing week, and I really love cutting and styling hair.  I'm even getting really good at eyebrow waxing and shaping!  I certainly wouldn't have thought that 5 years ago!  

One of my friends in PA has recently opened a gift shop in Strasburg...Lancaster County.  She suggested that I might create notecards and greeting cards from some of my photos to sell in her shop.  The artist and entrepreneur in me is seriously considering this...What do you think?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Well, since it is still snowing outside, I think I'll bake something....maybe a chocolate cake?  (Which I'm sure will be devoured over the next 48 hours - Sorry, Don!  I'll bake another for you, your next weekend at home!)

Next post in about two weeks:  I'm going to tell you all about Don's amazing, sweet surprise to me...the one that he planned to keep a secret until late-March, but his excitement...and the sadness in my voice one recent morning... broke him!