This afternoon as I sit here and look out my window, we are getting snow again.  This is actually only the third snowfall of any consequence this year.  As a child growing up in New England,  I remember building huge snowforts and having SO MUCH SNOW, my friends and I could dig tunnels through the snow.  Those are such wonderful memories.  I loved growing up in this area.  I only wish my girls could experience the same thing.  The most snow my 3 year olds have seen is maybe 6-8 inches on the ground.  Pumpkin has seen I think a little over a foot.  She's never really been an outside sort of girls though so doesn't care as much about it. 

It's one of those days where I wish I could curl up in my big green recliner with a mug of hot chocolate, a good book, a lap robe and the sounds and warmth from a woodstove/ fire place (take your pick; I'd be happy with either.  I have the recliner, book, chocolate and blanket, but the fire place/woodstove remains a beautiful dream. 

When my husband and I bought our property from his parents, it came fully equipped with a dirty run down trailer.  Not the best of living situations to be sure, but it was ours and we made due.  We took some money and fixed up the place.  We planned to live it it two to three years tops before having enough of a down payment to either build or start the groundwork for a modular home.  We were very excited. 

Changes occurred when surprise!  Pregnancy!!!!  Okay...as most young mothers and fathers starting out, we had NO IDEA what we were getting ourselves into when the Stork dropped in on us.  But we made a few adjustments to our plan and recovered nicely.  So we spend a few more years here.... big deal.  You know, life is never perfect so even more adjustments had to be made, but we did okay. 

We got to the point where we knew we had to make a decision.  We were thinking of either building a house or possibly adopting a child.  Adopting meant staying here a little longer, building meant that there was a good possibility that we would not have any more children.  As it turns out, fate stepped in and made the decision for us.  Even before we could accept that I was pregant again (stupid yucky condoms...), we discovered I was pregnant.....with TWINS!!!!!  Oh my heavens.  And life has not been the same since.  Although that was three years ago, we have not recovered from it yet......!!!!!! 

Pumpkin was the easiest child compared to her sisters which we sometimes refer to as our little Monkey and Parrot (appropriately named, believe me.....).  I had to stop work in about my 6th month and have never been able to go back full time.  We always said if we were going to have children, we wanted to raise them ourselves not have someone else do it for us. 

Then Honey who had started his own business, wasn't able to keep it going when his main client moved out of the area.  He went back to school for awhile to become an electrician.  He graduated the very top of his class, but in order to become fully licensed, he had to start at the bottom and work his way to the top.  There was not much calling for bottom level electrician's at that time in this rural area.  After working odd jobs for other electrician's, our finances were so bad, we knew something had to be done.  So, he gave up that idea for awhile and took a job at a human resource agency in their housing department.  He and two others made up a small carpenter team and worked mainly in home energy (insulation, windows, doors, etc).  He's still working there now, but is managing another area of carpentry in the agency. 

I said that to say all this:  We are just now starting to unbury ourselves from our finances.  We've still got quite a way to go, but owning a house is a huge dream of ours.  We are torn between building or a modular. Each has it's plusses.  Some day, SOME DAY I will be sitting next to my fire, watching the snow fall and will recall all the hardships and blessings we have had along our way to finding just the right place in the world for us!!!!!