This secluded bit of land spoke to me.  It whispered of our future, dared me to dream, and challenged me to keep believing.  My husband and I discussed it.  “What a perfect place for some tiny homes.  There’s so much potential here.  It’s only a mile away from our house, and we already love hosting guests via AirBnB at the renovated dairy barn on our yard. We could put down some shipping containers…”  My brain spun.  Our children were getting older, and Molly would need something to do when she graduated from school.  Maybe this could be our retirement in the distant, hazy future. 

But there were obstacles. The land belonged to someone else – to some of our dear friends.   They loved it, too, and had dreams for it of their own.  They made memories there, surrounded by trees and people they loved. They kept it mowed and trimmed, love to roast hot dogs on warm summer nights.  Someday, they were going to build a house there, settle down, and live the good life.  

However, life happened, and Terrol and Lori Koehn (our friends and fellow dreamers) found themselves living in faraway Kentucky.  What would happen to their dream now?  Would it die?  Or would it continue to live, despite the distance and other interests demanding their attention?  For several years they continued to nurture it, coming back now and then to mow and maintain these three precious acres.  Then one day, reality hit.  They weren’t going to move back to Oklahoma. They had built a life they loved in Kentucky.  Other dreams had become more important.  In March 2022, they decided to come back once more, get the land presentable, and sell it. Would they find someone to buy it who loved it as they did?

Meanwhile, one spring morning in March, I messaged my friend Lori and shared my dream about their land with her.  What a shock when she told me that they were in town planning to clean up the property and sell it! My mind whirled.  Was this meant to be? Why had I chosen today to share my dream?  I had kept quiet about it for so long.  Eagerly I told Kelsey what had happened. We had many questions.  Would other people love it too?  Would they want to stay there?  What would be the actual cost?  We knew there wasn’t much time to answer our questions, so the next day we made Terrol and Lori an offer.  They agreed to sell it to us, and my dream began to be a reality.  

We walked together over the ground, taking in the vast amount of work that needed to be done.  The weeds grew higher than our heads, dead trees littered the dry creek, and tangles of vines dropped from the branches.    Then suddenly, amid all the brambles, I saw a triangular spot surrounded by trees.  It shouted, “Look! The perfect picnic spot!”.   With tables, a fire pit, and string lights illuminating the area, it would be just the place to relax at the end of the day and enjoy the solitude of the country.  That was where I would begin.  

Follow our journey as we hang string lights, cut down dead trees, and battle poison ivy!