In the beginning of 2011, Darran and I sat down and took a hard look at our lives. Instead of just letting life bump us along we decided we wanted to live more deliberately. On purpose.
Darran had been working very long hours at a job that would not provide any long-term financial security for us. While he was away at said job our boys were growing up. He deeply wanted to be more present, more involved. We missed him.
What we decided was that we wanted to live our lives differently. We truly wanted our family to be the center of our priorities.
Around the same time we began devouring Joel Salatin's books. We watched Food Inc together and I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. These things called to us, brought back memories of childhood, and stirred something inside. We began having a strong urge to make different food choices. Choices so different that they would change our lifestyle, not just our grocery shopping. Since then I've scoured the library and internet for material on sustainable living, homesteading, gardening, simple living, and the like.
We both grew up in rural areas. In farming and ranching communities. Our long term plan has always been to have land and return to that lifestyle with our children. But why not start now? With what we have? Why not live our lives the way we want?
We decided to LIVE our priorities.
We made a plan to begin our adventure in March of 2012. What is the saying? How do you make God laugh....tell him your plans. In November of 2011 the situation at Darran's job changed in such a way that it became clear he could no longer work there much longer.
We changed our plan.
Darran left his job December of 2011. While I'd hoped to have 6 months expenses saved up before we began, I had roughly 3. It was a bit rough on me. I'm a huge planner. Huge. Having to adjust my plan was tough, but I quickly overcame that and became downright excited!
Financially our plan is for Darran to pick up side jobs, and that coupled with my blogging endeavors will hopefully keep the bills paid. We'll live simpler, we'll learn to live on less.
Our bigger plan is to spend more time together as a family and get back to what is really important to us. To raise chickens, goats, and cows...and whatever other critters we take the notion to raise. To garden and grow as much of our food as possible (at just above 7,000 feet in Colorado this is no easy task). To homeschool our boys and raise them to be good men. To live our priorities, our dreams, and not just talk about them.
Our goal is sustainability, although we realize it's a longer term goal.
We've taken a huge leap of faith. Believing fully that this is where we are supposed to be. Worst case scenario we fail miserably and Darran has to go get a 'real' job. Best case, we get to live life the way we want. Doing the things we think are important. Enjoying every part of it.
Sometimes you just have to jump.
I hope you'll come along on our little adventure through this blog.
