My fiancee Phil and I had been searching for land to buy together for 2 years. We had given up temporarily when I picked up the newspaper one Saturday and found a house with land for sale with an advertised Southern exposure. After calling the number, "Kathy" told us to go check it out. That afternoon we let ourselves in. While the 100 year old house was in extreme disrepair, it had such a wonderful and welcome feel. The work was mostly cosmetic, as the windows were all intact and the walls were constructed of durable rock and adobe (a mix of dirt and clay).

I can't believe it EVER looked like this!

How we first saw it

Definite need of new plaster and paint

Amazing wall in what is now the utility room

Seeing the house across the road

view of the "guest house/garage" and one of the hills behind the house.

     We decided to take on the challenge of fixing it up, as we are both interested in sustainability and DIYing. From late June until the end of October, we spent weekends getting it "Move in Ready". What an incredible process: exhausting, exhilarating, wonder-ful and what a meaningful labor of love that brought us closer and allowed us to see how we react to stress, what our work styles are and what our values will be as a married couple.

     We finally moved in mid-November. While I had wanted to blog, I was so exhausted and am still getting used to my hour commute to Santa Fe. I finally feel that as we are somewhat settled, it is time, before more exciting things happen and I'm even further behind. One thing is for sure, when I am at our house I feel so much at home. I am calm and appreciative. Looking up at the hills behind our house, as we did yesterday while digging a large flower bed with Phil, I am so humbled by this process and can't wait to have a little farm and learn daily about self-sustainability and small community sustainability.