Tinker Bell Was Here

Have you ever felt like someone just hopped over and sprinkled your life with fairy dust? That's how we're feeling over here at the current Fox nest. Yep. Current. We're moving! During that whole rat fiasco across the way, our neighbor mentioned to us that they'd heard of a cottage for rent in one of our favorite coastal towns and to top it all off, it's on a farm! We immediately set to work. We had to get this place. We could feel it within us: this place is supposed to be our home. But how could we go about making this happen? Birch would have a longer commute to work, we didn't have any money saved up for a deposit (not that much, anyway), and our lease wasn't up for another month. After a stressful, back-and-forth week with our landlord, we gave our notice. Whirlwind of decision-making over, we had made our choice: farm, please! Thanks to the never-ending generosity of our family and friends, we made it official, drew up a new budget plan for the summer, and told those wonderful people renting out a cottage on their land that we would love to be their newest tenants. Thankfully, all was agreed upon. Our official move-in date is June 15th, but we can start moving our stuff in anytime. Have you ever heard of a landlord being so generous? My goodness. I'm going to like this place... Correction: I'm going to adore this place.

This place is incredible. Our one-bedroom cottage sits within a very large yard within a small, family-owned farm two miles from the Pacific Ocean. Right now, we will be straight-up renting the cottage, not working the farm in exchange for room and board. We would like to get involved with the farming somehow, but we'll wait until the Australian owners are more comfortable with us and get to know us better. There is a large willow tree orchard for making willow branch furniture, fences, and art installations, a stable with about fifteen boarded horses (who are usually in the surrounding pastures), a herd of sheep, two breeding sows, a jersey cow and her two calves, chickens with fresh eggs everyday, a parrot with an Australian accent, parakeets, a rabbit, a few peacocks wandering about, and several sheep dogs. It's a magical place.

I can't wait to take Keats for walks around the farm, showing him all the animals and hearing him make all the noises. I can't wait to be away from concrete sidewalks, garbage trucks, leaf blowers, and cars speeding down our street. I can't wait to hear cows mooing, tractors, horses, and the strange call of the peacocks. I can't wait to use our very own washer and dryer inside of our cottage, no quarters required. I can't wait to have birthday parties on the farm and at the beach. I can't wait to see Olive galloping about our yard, care-free and finally coming out of her nervous shell (she is not a fan of the constant suburban commotion). I can't wait to go to the beach several times a week, make sand castles, set up an umbrella, and watch Keats' amazement at all the new things to discover there. I can't wait to see Birch as he comes home refreshed from a beautiful drive through the woods after a long day at work and to see his joy at coming home to his dream: a farm! I can't wait to plant a row of fruit trees and a row of berries. I can't wait to start living more like my idol, darling Sara from Farmama. I can't wait to play in the kiddie pool and run around the yard after Keats laughing. I can't wait to have hardwood floors. I can't wait for Birch's allergies to subside with the fresh, ocean air and without the constant bombardment of leaf blowers blowing pollen and cut grass straight into our apartment. I can't wait to have a clean slate: a clean, open cottage ready to be decorated and made into a home. Our home.

I'll miss being so close to my parents and having my mother-in-law come over so often to babysit. I'll miss impromptu play dates with Leslie and Tyler who are only a few blocks away. I'll miss going out for ramen and having that occasional pizza delivered. I'll miss the ease of getting the mail.

But mostly, I just can't wait!

(Pictures next post, I promise!)