WE ARE IN!!! It's a project!!.

We have the keys!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a dodgy start to the morning where the other sides solicitors delayed things for a couple of hours, through their complete incompetence and annoyance, we finally picked up the keys.  We had organised for the chimney sweeper to arrive but had to cancel because of the delay, this means the our hope to start drying out the house as soon as possible, so we can move in,  has been scuppered.  

Anyway......it's ours it's ours it's our...oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck....IT'S OURS!!!! Well it's the mortgage companies but hey who cares!!!!!

Technically we have only seen inside the place once (there was a breakin a few weeks ago and  managed to sneak a peak then too!) and that was about 6 months ago, so today was like seeing it for the first time again.....I was caught between amazement and fear at what we had just done!!!

Last year in September, I decided to follow a wee road to see where it went and ended up at the back of the windfarm at an abandoned house on the edge of a forest in the middle of nowhere.  As a family, we love exploring abandoned houses so I took everyone there at the weekend.  Over the next few weeks, we went there quite a lot and talked about how we would love to live there and we tentatively tried to find out about it.  It was during one of those visits that I noticed another house that I thought looked abandoned but might not be.  We peeked in the kitchen window and there were things lying about, so we weren't sure.

Then, in October we found out we needed to be out of Hemphill sharpish and the first house fell through, so I decided to contact the owner of this maybe abandoned farm and so began the 7 month long trip that brought us to Tayburn's door.

I followed my dream and made things happen. I am in awe that it worked!!!!

I've uploaded some pictures in an album HERE which I will be adding to as we go on.

Here is a video of the inside...they had emptied pretty much everything out which was a bonus we hadn't expected.  I hope to do a video diary of our adventures........

Losing The Plot - at around 12.30pm today when I was told the keys were delayed

Meltdown - massive one from Maia, who saw the inside for the first time today and had big feelings

Breastfeeding - distracted quite a lot today from it, even at Tayburn where she kept saying ' want to go' repeatedly

The REAL deal....

As of this week, 8months after we finally made the move and left the city for a new life in the country, 6months after we were told to leave our 'supposed' dream home in the country and 7months after we laid eyes on our REAL new dream home in the country, we are in the last stages and waiting for the papers and missives to be sorted. 

We are still tentative because we know how slow to respond and difficult it has been and they may come up with some new fresh hell before signing some of the property over to us.....BUT thanks to our loving family (who don't want to see us homeless!) and (un)fortunate inheritance, it would seem likely that we may be buying a farm!!!! Squeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to live in the country.  I grew up half in the city and mostly up north in the wilds of Scotland on a caravan site.  I created a childhood full of nature and excitement.  Wide open spaces. Fresh air. Mud. Sea. Solitude. Self sufficiency. Confidence, uniqueness and adventure. Its a way of life that always appealed to me way more than the 'little boxes on the hillside'!

It took me a long time to persuade my hubby that this is where we should be, that  this is where our kids should be growing up. Somewhere with space to explore, play and to find their own adventures. Our eldest is now 8 and I've been trying for 7yrs to get him to leave the comfort of his suburban zone! He now says he can't ever imagine moving back to closely spaced identikit houses 'made of ticky tacky'. 

The new place is definitely what an estate agent would call 'great potential'. We will have our work cut out for us but it will be all worth it in the end!  Well it better bloody be because we've encountered some crazy obstacles to get this far! 

We've managed to stay in this house well past our welcome. It has been an experience and has ultimately led us to this point. The loony landlord unwittingly did us a massive favour whilst he will be the one who will remain stuck and grumparsey in his miserable existence trying to make everyone else around him miserable. Someone should have told him you can't keep a good Berlow-Jackson down! 

We hope to move in April and once again start our new life in the country!!!

I can't wait! I've waited long ebloodynough!!

Meltdowns - daily. The stress is getting to us 

Losing the plot - daily. The stress is getting to us 

Breastfeeding - almost night weaned. Almost!!!