I grew up in the country. Not so far out that we couldn’t see any other houses, but close – our nearest neighbor was half a mile away. I was literally surrounded by cornfields (or soybeans, or winter wheat, depending on the year and season). My parents didn’t farm, but they owned farm land and rented it out.
Honestly, I think my mom would’ve enjoyed being a farmer. Not including the farm land, my parents own close to 100 acres. With the farm land, it’s well over 250, I’m sure. My mom isn’t one to let land sit idly, oh no. As kids, we were always shoveling, mowing, pitch-forking (is that a word?), weeding, watering, planting, pruning, and picking. To this day, my mom has a huge garden, and it’s been reduced in size by about half since when I lived at home. There’s an orchard, lots of woods, an abandoned farm place (complete with house, barns, sheds, silo, hen houses, hog pens, and an old, spooky well – think of Anne of Green Gables when she and Diana take the shortcut through the woods, okay?) My friends and I actually filmed a high school English project there about “The Fall of the House of Usher”. I still remember Ms. Nonsense playing the part of Madeline. Too funny!
There is a point to all of this reminiscing. My mom emailed me some photos the other day that she had taken around the house and yard. I thought I’d share them with you all. Enjoy!
The Front Door and Garage (my room was the top 2nd window from the left)
Side view of the house and back door (you can see the grape arbor in the back)
Penny standing in front of one of the paths leading into the woods
More woods…
Our lane (it needs a fresh layer of gravel). It’s over a quarter of a mile long. Imagine walking this every morning and afternoon for the school bus in the snow and ice!
I have some great, wonderful, very happy memories of this house – rollerskating in the basement, ice skating in the field when it poured for days and days and then suddenly froze, riding bikes in the summer, having bonfires in the back woods, playing on the 3rd floor which was entirely devoted to toys, and yes, I even enjoyed the yard work (it’s amazing how golden everything looks through the lens of the past!). I dread the day that my parents sell it – it’s been “home” to me for over 22 years, and I’m seriously considering talking Chris into buying it whenever that day comes. I still love going home – there’s so much land to just walk on and sit and be quiet in, not to mention the swimming pool, trampoline, and adult-sized swingset! My older siblings have been able to bring their kids back here to play, and all my nieces and nephews love going to “Gramma and Grampa’s” – it’s like vacation for them 🙂 I want to be able to do that with my little ones, too. Yes, moving back to Indiana, if only for a short 10 months, will be a good thing 🙂
Wow! Now I want to move to Indiana!! Your family home is beautiful!!
i just had a flashback of the Edgar Allen Poe movie we made at your house! good times…
aw! i miss seeing that house!
Just beautiful. The pictures and YOUR NEW BLOG DO!!!! Xoxo-BLC
love those woods. i could just walk in amongst those trees for hours. what a great place to grow up!!!
Oh my gosh…I am so jealous…I would seriously love property like that! 🙂
And that, my dear, is why I miss Indiana. Pictures just like that. Green grass, SPACE TO MOVE, and just a general sense of tranquility. The house is so cute. Is that a metal roof? I’ve always wanted one of those.
PS: Do you say rooooof or ruff? I get made fun of here for saying ruff, they say that’s what a dog says, not what sits on top of a house.
PPS: I seriously just reopened Anne of Green Gables to read again last night. Weird. So far, Mrs. Rachel Lynde has been surprised. 🙂
I used to love going to your house when I was little! I remember swimming in your pool (and I got a really bad sunburn), playing on the swing set, riding bikes down the lane to get your mail, and riding bikes and playing in the basement. I also remember you telling me there was a badger in the woods and I didn’t believe you. I think we must’ve been in the second grade or something. 🙂
Your parent’s house looks great by the way. It has been years since I’ve seen it and it was blue and white then. The yellow with the green roof is really pretty.
What a beautiful place with beautiful memories!
What a beautiful place to grow up. I for one am a bit envious that you can still “go home” to such a beautiful place.
Oh my goodnes… that looks like a little piece of Heaven there… all that land & trees… looks like a wonderful place to grow up!
It’s so pretty! I have fond memories of my childhood home, but growing up in the suburbs I would have killed for space to run around like that 🙂
And did you say swimming pool, trampoline, and ADULT SIZED SWING SET? Amazing.
How cute! I love it and it looks so peaceful. I can only imagine some of the great times you had (and still have) there! Have a great day!
so cozy and peaceful looking! love it!
What a cute house..I would love to have that much land…aslong as I didnt have to cut the grass! 🙂
Love it, it’s so cute!