The First Year
Well, it's been a year at our new house and I'm foreseeing many more happy ones to come for our fam here in our little rural part of town. The fresh country air is unbelievable! I love all the O2 we're breathing in, being surrounded by trees. The sunsets are to die for and to say I needed this serenity in my life is an understatement! I never thought I could enjoy such a quiet pace but here I am, in all of my glory and misfortunes, basking in a simpler way of life. I can honestly say it's not for everyone, but those with a bit more chaos inside their home (like me), find it necessary to have a less hectic atmosphere outside of the house.
The people in this small town have been so nice and welcoming, it is definitely starting to feel like home. And our neighbours are always there to help if we're stuck in a jam. There are many fantastic lakes and rivers in the area to fish at, the boys are in heaven. My daughter and I enjoy the outing and the yummy picnic we pack a lot more than the actual fishing itself. It's also great seeing wild animals in our yard; we once even encountered a flock of swans in our stream. We haven't seen any deer yet but I think it's obvious why... ours dogs won't let anyone trespass on our property lol. We discovered that there's a terrific forest in our backyard that has many clearings among the trees for an easy family hike in the 'wilderness' . We'll have to wait until next winter to do it again however, as the only way to get there is through our marsh. I find it great that there's something to look forward to with every season (so we've recently discovered).
The well water is amazing! It passed a few different tests with flying colours and my hair has never looked better since switching from hard to soft water. Now though, it feels like soap will never wash off my face and hands lol. But there are many benefits, such as making your skin softer, needing less detergent to wash clothes or less soap/shampoo when showering and making clothes softer, more durable & whites whiter. Soft water will also make your silverware/glassware cleaner and shinier. Things are definitely starting to look up! One summer when we lived in the city we were surprised with a $500 water bill for filling our pool. Not having to pay for water usage is fantastique!
Everything we need (including extracurricular activities) is within a 10 min. drive except for our daughter's gymnastics, which is 30 min. away. But even in the city it would take almost that long in rush hour to get somewhere that is only a 10 min. drive away. At night getting home on the side dirt roads can make you feel a little uneasy as it's hard to see because there are no street lights. But we put on our high beams and all is good. We also keep our speed down a bit to avoid hitting any animals but we don't often encounter them on our street. We will soon be adding more fur babies to our family and if all goes well start an animal sanctuary one day. For now, we're thinking of building a coop in the coming months and getting a few chickens & bunnies.
One of the best parts about living here, is all different places you can go to buy farm-fresh food. Can't wait for summer fruits and veggies to be in season again! We've also discovered a few great towns/conservation parks/picnic areas/hiking trails not far from us, that we consider little hidden gems. The other best part is that our children love their new school and couldn't be happier to be living in the country! Because our fist year was more about getting settled in than tackling DIY projects, we're going to start doing a lot more this summer and share our stories with you. I already have a list of about 6 different fun projects I plan to do and am anxious to get started. We planted sunflower seeds indoors and they're doing really well. Our veggie garden will of course be in full swing and a new yoga/zen garden is in the talks. Fingers crossed most of these projects get done. But if not, we know that we're here to stay and will grow together as a family in this wonderful place we now call home.
