Bricks for days! That was our project all weekend.

First, we needed to find a way to get all the dismantled chimney bricks out of the Uncles’ House attic, a problem solved after Cael (12) and Aden (17) rigged a slide with attic boards and sent the bricks flying down it through the chimney hole.

Eventually, we plan to use the bricks to assemble a path.

And, because we’re gluttons for punishment, we had an additional truckload of bricks delivered from a friend’s demolition project, as well.

Fortunately, we have a bunch of little minions who made unloading bricks a quick job.

And who doesn’t want to be a grubby mess at the end of the day? None of us, anyway. None of us doesn’t want to be a grubby mess at the end of the day.

In truth, we’re quickly ramping up our activities and projects at the farm and are starting to notice an ever-increasing pace as we begin our spring push so we can have the 5-acre private park up and running by summer. We’re resurfacing our roads later this week, leveling our new parking area by the Uncles’ House — a location chosen to have the least possible impact on our neighbors and the greatest possible convenience for our guests — and pulling yards and yards of field fencing to open up our pastures for spring planting.

I also have a new, recurring appointment on my calendar to visit our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore on a weekly basis to search for items we’ll need for restroom construction and other farm work. This week, we scored with two pedestal sinks in beautiful (but dusty) condition at just $15 each, a wood chipper for $50, and three gorgeous mirrors from a local luxury hotel for $30 each.

Purchasing from the ReStore is a dream come true. We get to support an amazing local charity, buy high-quality items that keep us in budget, and be ecologically conscious by choosing to recycle rather than buy new. It’s a win/win/win as Michael from The Office would say. 😉

As the weeks move on, we’ll be on the lookout for the right type of sink and a changing table for our accessible restroom, lighting and flooring for all three restrooms, chandeliers for the barn shelter, and other odds and ends with the kind of industrial farmhouse chic look we’re hoping to achieve.

Wish us luck! More updates soon. x