Farmhouse Restoration
The original family farm
My husband and I first met in second grade. Yes, really! He lived on a sheep farm and I on a potato farm. We managed to navigate elementary school then junior high and graduate together in the late 1980’s. After we married, to save money we built our own home. Now we are at it again with my family's farmhouse. Once you spend part of your life on a farm, its soul wraps around you and is always there as part of you.
the journey begins
The stone farmhouse was built in 1818. There is a small side section of the farmhouse built before this date. This tiny section was a sod house. The original owners built the stone house while living in the sod house.
Follow along on our new journey
The idea of a farmhouse was irresistible and we had to purchase my family farm when given the chance in 2012. We have had the Farm for several years and have been saving and planning. Finally, we have mustered the mental strength (I think) to give the restoration the green light. It will be slow as we progress at our own pace and messy because that’s how we roll! We are older now and supposedly wiser and ask you all to follow along on our journey to make over our Family Farm. Check back often for blog posts on our progress! (or better yet, subscribe!)
Fur Babies
Always
Anyone who knows us knows that we keep vizslas (always). Ryan and I had our first fur baby together before we were married. There is a bit of history with my family and this breed. My grandfather had a vizsla in the 1960s before most had even heard of the breed. The breed became a family favorite with its intelligence, personality, loyalty, and what I like to call “Joie de vivre.”
My first vizslas
A vizsla's zest for life gets them in some trouble but the scales usually tip toward laughter instead of that trouble. That's me on the left with a liter of 13 circa 1972. I could not imagine my life without my fur babies. We have always had 2 or 3 at a time because we love chaos. If you follow along on Vintage Farm Life’s Instagram, you will see that the vizsla family members feature heavily. I often like to share their antics and adventures on instagram because they bring laughter and joy to everyone and who doesn’t need more of that!
Past Build Number 1
From the Ground Up
This was a massive undertaking for 2 twenty-something newlyweds. We could not have accomplished our goal without tremendous love and support from our family and friends.
Build Number 1
In 1996, we married and began our first crazy project together. We built our own house. When I say built, I mean swinging hammers, not picking out finishes for a contractor.
learning on the job
This first adventure taught us a lot. We learned compromise and perseverance along with framing and plumbing. It was an amazing experience but we said, "never again."
It's Perfect
We lived and loved in that house for years and our 2 bedroom house was perfect...until we needed a 3 bedroom house.
Past Build Number 2
