Dream Party Barn Inspiration

It’s been quite the eventful weeks in our Schmidt household. Having all the kids home under one roof (if even for a few days) has filled this momma’s heart to the brim, but I’m dreading the back to college countdown.

I’ve been bursting in anticipation to tell you our most exciting news, so I’ll spill just a bit of the surprise, and then keep you waiting a few more days for all the details and pictures.

My favorite moment of our whole Christmas season came on the evening of December 23, when the girl we’ve been praying for ever since our eldest son was a baby boy said, “Yes” to his marriage proposal.

christmas-picture-2016

All those years, we didn’t know her name, but we knew she’d be amazing. Now that we’ve met her and the whole family has fallen in love, she’s more than we dreamed.

I can’t wait to share their sweet story. It’s pretty special (and yes, this is the “snake in the hedge fund office son” for those who have been following my blog for a few years).

Now onto my bittersweet news.

January is always a month when most love to dream big, set goals and for nearly all Americans, re-examine their finances.  As always, I am your biggest cheerleader when it comes to getting our finances in control. I talk about money choices a lot around this blog. Our kids are forced to dialogue with us and it’s been a balm to my heart to see the older ones putting into action what they’ve heard for years. Our son used budgeting worksheets like these  to save and pay cash for his diamond ring. Now, they’re using solid financial principles as they plan for their wedding and future together.

They are learning quickly that they must sacrifice in their every day money choices in order to make room for even better choices later one.

For those that haven’t followed my blog for long, two and a half years ago, I shared my BIG, audacious dream with you on this post – Dreaming Big. (This only came after years of financial challenges and then setting up a new financial future with confident choices.)

I still get so excited thinking about it and I spend enormous amounts of daydreaming energy putting that desire into action.  Yet if I was keeping on track with my goal, our big barn used for gatherings, classes, retreats and weddings would be built by now. 

Unfortunately, the best laid plans didn’t occur.

pippin-hill-farm

Pippin Farm

 I cut back on work hours and income cut drastically, but I was much more present. Our son didn’t get the scholarship we planned on, so we’re paying for private university tuition at a school we really feel he should be at right now.

The above mentioned items were manageable because we have a budgeting and emergency plan in place, but what I didn’t plan for in this dream of mine was the fact that the land owner might say “No” to our land offer.

We saved and I nearly lived like we were unemployed because we were committed to paying cash and not going into debt for the land. We finally went to the owner with a fair price to buy 20 of her 40 acres. We thought it would be a done deal. In fact, I had that land cleared and footers being poured in my plans, but after a few days, she came back to us.

She said, “No.” She decided that she wouldn’t split up the land and would only sell all 40 acres in one lump. My heart sank and my mind screamed, “I don’t want 40 acres. I don’t even want 20. I just want 5 – 10 more to protect our property from others building in our back yard.”

To say it’s a set back is an understatement. We will need to buy all the land (and land is wonderful), but once the land is purchased, there will be no cash to build anything. I would be fibbing if I didn’t share that little bits of my heart shattered with the news, but I also know it’s a wonderful, first world problem to have. I will still be inviting you all to my place, but it will be for the most beautiful camping weekend ever. Bring your own tent and pitch it by our creek because we’ll have plenty of land for you to be comfy. 🙂

I told you all I would keep you updated on my big, audacious goal and it looks a bit different right now. I still brainstorm creative ways to try and make it happen and it’s never far from my thoughts. (Anyone want to put a down payment on a wedding spot five years in advance? 😉 ) I’m forever thankful that I can even have a financial goal like that and am not giving up.

How are you doing with your financial goal setting? Any goal you’re shooting for this year? It always helps me to get it down and verbalize it so it becomes real. I’d love for you to share.

divider I wrote about Ways to pay cash for college here and the challenge of that goal.