Wow! That year went fast. So let me refresh your memory. We closed on September 14, 2020, and this land officially became ours. We were all here until about October something and Chris returned to Washington to continue work. The boys and I stayed here and we had lots of visitors and achieved more than we imagined. The day after Thanksgiving we all returned to Washington. In April we returned to HKA and after a week of achieving even more, the boys and I returned to WA while Chris stayed here and began his internship with Vulcraft. Finally, on June 18th, we left Washington and returned to Haulin Kuester Acres for good.
A visual recount of all our accomplishments
Here’s a little reminder of all the changes we have made in the first year. Man, no wonder I’m tired.
You can see some of my previous posts about what it looked like in the beginning and projects we have taken on in the past year.
Enjoy this gallery of pictures. As we say, It’s better than it was Yesterday.
Lamp post before
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This lamp was not connected to electricity and there was a solar light stuck in the top of it.
Thank you!
A big thank you to all our family and friends for the labor you have provided, your ideas, your visits, your laughter, and your joy. Thank you for those who have prayed us through this process and will continue to encourage us. We’re excited to see what’s next…
What is next?
We have met with a draftsman for a house plan
Plans for a new garage
Refurbishing the front gates so they can be used
Finish the pump house and add a water filtration system
We have a saying here at Haulin Kuester Acres; It’s better than it was yesterday. With every change, even the smallest changes we feel like we are heading in the right direction. The father of soil conservation and a renowned soil scientist, Hugh Hammond Bennett is credited with saying, “Take care of the land and the land will take care of you.” We believe this place landed in our laps because it needed us to rescue it. It was neglected, abused, and harmed. We are just trying to make our corner of the world a little better and hopefully, that means this land will in a way take care of us. The Bible tells us that everything belongs to the Lord, even the land. We approach this place as a gift from God and the best way to honor what he has given us is to rehabilitate this place.
The cat shed
A couple of weeks ago, we started the process of tearing down what we have labeled the cat shed. We’ve dissected it to try and determine how, when, and why it was built. The back of the structure had small rooms with cages. The previous owner told us that the owner before her rescued wayward cats and housed them in the building. At one time, she claims there were up to 50 cats in the shed. The main part of the building is solid. The rafters are what look like logs. There is only a gravel floor. In some parts of the building, the floor is elevated with wood pallets. It’s an unsightly mess. See my previous blog post about the wacky outbuildings https://missykuester.com/renovation-update-outbuildings/. It will take a couple more weekends and another dumpster to completely dismantle it. So check back!
A marathon, not a sprint renovation
As I walk around I walk with my head down, looking for bits of junk. I kid you not, you can come across tools that somehow work their way out of the soil. And just to annoy me, are the bits of crunched-up plastic in the driveway and yard. I have no idea what it is or where it comes from but it irritates me. The previous owners shared how they loved living here. Some days it’s hard to see where the love was.
I will admit I watch videos and read blogs about people who have done similar clean-ups. This renovation is one of the worst but it inspires me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Q5nCK3kZk
We will never run out of projects. But I keep reminding myself, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Watch any home show on HGTV and you will see decorators using today’s hottest trends to remodel, update or create new homes. The only problem is that there isn’t one on the quirkiness of a home and how to embrace it or turn it into the hottest new trend. Where is that show? What Joanna Gaines did for shiplap, I could do for quirkiness. That’s the show I need. I may just have to embrace the quirkiness of our old house. Truthfully, we may have to gut the entire thing and start over. What quirks, you ask? Let’s look at some of the quirkiness things we discovered. But promise me you’ll abide by our farm rule. You are not allowed to ask why things are the way they are. We just don’t have the answers.
Quirkiness or Character
Oxford Languages defines quirk as “characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits.” That would definitely describe our house. However, Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines quirky as “unusual in especially an interesting or appealing way.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quirky Our house is interesting but not necessarily appealing.
Stairs to Quirkiness
Let’s start at the stairs because it’s fascinating to me. At some point, the owner diverted the stairs. According to the last owner, the house was two living units at one time with the stairs running up along the exterior wall of the house. Later, they turned the stairs to come out to its existing spot but left the old stairs. It is currently a closet in what used to be a foyer but then became a bedroom and is now a room in question. Are you following? This spring we are going to open the wall up and see if we like the original route of the stairs.
New stairs going up
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Can you find the water heater?
With everything, I am sure that at the time it was the best option. Now, it just perplexes me. Somehow I didn’t get a great picture of our living room. Our hot-water heater sits in a closet in our living room. Everyone notices it because it’s that quirky. The goal is to relocate it because we want to tear down the adjacent wall. But in order to move the heater, we have to move it to the other side of the wall in what will be the laundry room. To do step C, we have to do steps A and B.
It won’t always be like this, right?
This entire room is full of quirkiness. We will remove the carpet to see what is underneath. The whole back wall needs to be redone. The “bay” window is three different size windows. Behind the curtain is the world’s ugliest sliding glass door. As we understand it, the original kitchen was here which would explain some things.
You can see the edge of the hot water heater closet to the left of the couch
While we are in this room, look up. Let’s see if we can get one light for this small room instead of four. It will require moving the fake beams and the ceiling that seems to be lower than the rest of the room. Quirky!
These beams are probably decorative. But what is more troublesome is the many light fixtures. This will be rectified once we figure this room out.
Goodbye awkward Sauna
While a sauna sounds like a good idea, we found the one attached to the back of our house to be dangerous. It was close to setting the whole place on fire. The wiring was questionable. And as you can see the only creatures using it were the birds. It was ugly as well and was not appeasing. It had to go.
Goodbye awkward, quirky sauna! It looks so much better.
sauna1
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A better solution for storage in eaves
I appreciate that someone removed the knee walls of the attic to make the bedrooms larger. My quandary is what to do with that space. Thank God for Pinterest and all the amazing ideas I have pinned. https://www.pinterest.com/
Here is our current situation upstairs in two of the bedrooms. I have included ideas of what to do with the space. Also, can you spot the hidden hatch in the floor? That secret storage may very well be the reason the ceiling is so low downstairs. We shall see!
Upstairs bedroom eaves. There is a secret hatch under the rug. The linoleum area of the floor is where the attic used to be.
We obviously need to rethink this situation. Here is a fine collection of our closets:
upstairs closet. The second smaller door is what was the original attic access
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Windows
We need all new windows but that will be one of the last projects along with exterior work. But this one window is always the subject of dinner conversations. It’s two storm windows used to make one window. You promised not to ask why!
There is a long list of things that aren’t quite right but this blog only has so much room. I will include and explain the wall we took down in another post.
This can all be fixed. When we change things it gives us a sense of accomplishment. One day this blog will show us how far we’ve come. Thanks for following along and not asking why.
Happy New Year! We are excited about 2021. I wanted to update all of you on our farm. Ideally, I consider it a hobby farm as we don’t plan on using it for large farming or animals. As a family, we decided to name it Haulin Kuester Acres. It was the name all 5 of us could agree on. You offered many amazing suggestions. We felt this best reflected our homestead and would maybe help people remember the correct pronunciation of our last name. Thank you for sharing in our enthusiasm and watching along. Due to weather and other commitments we are not currently undertaking any projects until the weather improves. Also, we currently maintain two households so fiscally we are trying to be responsible.
Additionally, my talented sister, Larissa designed our logo. We wanted a logo that could stand on its own but also be identifiable and unique. She accomplished that. Next up will be to get some swag with our new logo.
Recently, I went to my Facebook audience to crowdsource names for our new farm in Utah. I was blown away by the suggestions. Quite frankly, you are all very creative. I wanted to document the name decision so here is the process, chronicled for years to come. It’s not easy to pick the perfect farm name.
Round One
This is the initial list we got from Facebook:
Kuester Acres
haulinkuester Acres
The Best is Yet to Come
Next Chapter Farm
Prayer Walk/ Road
Stars and Stripes
Rocking M Farm
Condiment Farm
M and M Farm
New Journey
Kamp Kuester
Kuester Corral
A Wing and a Prayer
Kozy Kuester Kabin
Princess Missy Farm
M Squared Ranch
Scrabble Ranch
Muddy Paws Ranch
Kuester Kingdom
After AF Farm
Kuester Retreat
Beautiful Acres
Chez nous
Greener Pastures
Places des Grand Hommes
Magnum Way
Black Dog Fields
Magnum Acres
Where the Pavement Ends Farm
Where the Road Ends Farm
The Haven
Kuester Krossing
Wabatucky West
Mis Mag + 3 Farm
The Destination
Kind Kuester Korner
Omega Alpha Acres
Kilo 5 Ranch
Wallis-Frome-Kuester Farm
End of the Line Farm
The Open Commissary
Hallelujah Hollow
Delilah Downs
Magnum Manor
Missy’s Family Farm
New Beginnings
Kuester Homestead
Haulin Farms
End of the Road Farm
Delilah’s Boys’ Farm
Delilah’s Farm
Road’s End Farm
Flying K
Lazy K
Crazy K
Magnum Farm
Answered Prayers
Rest Your Kuester Farm
Where my Kuester Farm
Wonderland
Topshelf Farm
Kuester Downs
Kuester Hole
Green Acres
Pretty Acres
Peaceful Valley
My 3 Sons
Joyful Acres
Kickin’ Kuester Farm
Hidden Treasures
Kick in the Kuester
Kuester Ranch
Fly Over Farm
Golden Acres Retirement Home
M+M Family Farm
Permission to Land Farm
The Forever Homestead
The Sanctuary
New Chievres
It Ain’t Wabash
Delilah’s Playground
Delilah’s Ranch
Red Devil Pastures
Destination Acres
Wild Blue Yonder
Final Flight Plan
Flight Plan
Kuester Korner
Mountain Ridge
Done haulin Farm
Kuester Lane
New Life Farms
Circle K Farms
Aim High Farm
Nua Farms
That Last Stop Farm
Sit on your Kuester Farm
ChrisMis Farm
Lazy M Ranch
Kuester Horizon Estate
DD-214 Acres
Retired Homestead
Rustic Kuester Ranch
Missy’s Meadows
Place for Kuesters
Delilah’s Family Farm
The Lord’s Bounty Farm
Test and Peaceful Farm
Thanksgiving Farm
The Forever Home and Farm
Kuester’s Resting
Dirty Kuester Ranch
Heaven Homestead
Water Well Acres
Lost in time Farm
Three Magnums Farm
Hoosierville
Almost Wabash
Kuester Kurve Farm
Secondhand Farm
LaVraie Montagne
The World’s End
Where the Pavement Ends Farm
Red Devil Acres
Round Two:
This is what is left after the first cut of names:
Kuester Acres
Wild Blue Yonder
haulinkuester Acres
haulin farm
End of the Road Farm
New Beginnings Farm
Kuester Homestead
Next Chapter Farm
Circle K Farm
Aim High Farm
The Last Stop Farm
Where the Road Ends Farm
Where the Pavement Ends Farm
Kuester Korner
Round Three:
We lost some good ones…
Kamp Kuester
Kuester Corral
Flying K
ChrisMis Farm
Kuester Ranch
Fly Over Farm
Permission to Land Farm (bar name)
M squared Ranch (Math!)
Muddy Paws Ranch
Greener Pastures
Kuester Retreat
Kuester Krossing
Omega Alpha Acres
Done haulin Acres
Wild Blue Yonder Acres
haulin Farm
End of the Road Farm
Circle K Farm
Aim High Farm
Where the Road Ends Farm
Final Approach Farm
haulinkuester Acres
Flying K Farm
ChrisMis Farm
Fly Over Farm
Permission to Land Farm (Bar name?)
Final Flight Plan Farm
Stay tuned as we dwindle down more names on our way to finding the perfect name for our farm. And thank you for helping!
We still haven’t named our farm/ranch so for now it’s just Our Place. What is the difference between a farm and ranch? https://www.land.com/buying/difference-between-farm-and-ranch/ According to this article our 7.5 acres with no current animals or crops is a farm. Don’t tell Delilah, the dog as she considers herself a ranch dog. So, we’ll keep stewing on that name for our farm.
Our house was originally built in 1908 in Logan, Utah but at some point, it was moved to its current location. If I had to guess, it is a kit home. http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/1908-1914.htm
So here is our first Renovation Update: From the Inside.
Don’t judge a house by its crappy vinyl siding
In the Cache Valley, it’s hard to find a house with land. This was a unique piece of property but it ain’t pretty. We have grand plans down the road. When we move in permanently in July 2021, we will hire an architect or engineer to tell us if the house is worth remodeling or if we should start over. For now it’s liveable.
People asked for pictures of the inside. Here are some. Excuse my photo gallery, it’s not perfect either.
I’m a praying woman. But I haven’t always prayed expecting my prayers to be answered. I know that makes me an imperfect Christian but it makes me human. Several months ago when Magnum and I started talking about our plan when he retires from the Air Force in July 2021 I began to pray. I began to pray to settle on a certain town, area, or state. Then, I prayed for opportunities and doors to be opened. In addition, I prayed for jobs and housing. I prayed for God’s will but I failed to specify a time. They say timing is everything but God’s timing is not predictable. Opportunity knocks when you are doing something else. But I know this, with His timing comes his provisions. When God plans it, you can’t stop it.
If I could buy this place I would
Spring Break of 2019, Magnum was deployed. I decided to drive with Kid #2 and #3 to see Kid #1 in Logan, Utah. T is a student at Utah State. It’s our favorite place to visit and where his brothers wanted to go for the week. I rented a house, saw lots of friends in the area, got a surprise visit from one of my best friends, and cried when I had to leave to return to Washington. I felt a strong sense of home.
Fast forward, Magnum returned home in October and we decided we would go back to Utah for Thanksgiving. It’s been our tradition. Instead of staying at a hotel, it’s more economical to stay in an Air B&B. I selected a place in the country. It was advertised as a quaint farm. It would allow all of us to have a room so it was perfect and cheaper than a hotel.
While staying at the house, it snowed 8 inches overnight. We were surprised to wake up to no electricity and find out we were snowed in. But it was like being in a winter wonderland. If I didn’t need to get out to go to dinner with family, I could have stayed snuggled up in the house. I posted a picture on Facebook and jokingly said, “If I could buy this place I would.”
If God brings you to it, He’ll get you through it
Fast forward again to July 2020. We had big summer plans but then Covid-19 happened. So, we salvaged what we could and decided to go camping in Utah, the Cache Valley. On the way, we stopped at our friends, the Hughes near Council, Idaho. They have a beautiful place. Sitting on their porch watching the sunset made me ache for a place of my own.
We made our way to the Logan, Utah area and set up our camper in a campground. I then received an email from Kurt, the owner of the farm we stayed at the previous Thanksgiving. In March, I had told him that if he ever considered selling we would be interested. At the time, he had someone interested but their financing fell through. The very day we arrived, he offered it to us.
I immediately said yes and arranged to meet up with his wife. We had to pass her approval process first. In the meantime, we continued to look at other places just in case. After we met her and she approved, the process went rather quickly. We made an offer, they countered and at the end of the day, we agreed on a price.
We returned to Washington and finished the process with the assistance of our realtor, Johnnie. All along the way, things just worked out. We had some hiccups but I kept remembering the phrase, “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.”
Many people talk about the struggle to decide where they will retire after a long military career. When I prayed that prayer, I forgot how our God can respond; immeasurably more than we can imagine. I love Priscilla Shirer, author, preacher, and speaker. She talks about praying big prayers. We sell God short when we don’t pray bigger.
That’s why I am so content. I was along. For the next several months, we will divide our time between Washington and Utah. It is scary to think we will need to maintain two households. But I am certain that God will provide, He always does. 10 years previous to this, we owned a house in Delaware. Times were tough but we were certain we wanted to sell our house when we relocated to Texas. The house did not sell by the time we left and sat empty for nearly a year. All that time, we lived on less and paid a mortgage and a rental. God provided and He’ll do it again.
A change of address but an unchanged God
It is a season of big changes. We are taking them in stride. There are still a lot of unknowns but we are certain we are where we are supposed to be. We have a change of address but an unchanged God. God’s plans are unmistakable and they work out, you can’t stop them. Man, I’m so glad I rented this place for Thanksgiving. It gave us a chance to try it on for size. I’m also grateful that we live 13 hours away; we never could have done this living across the country. We have a lot of work ahead of us and big plans but God is in it. We’ll pass along our address with due time. Watch for updates on here, Facebook, and Instagram.
We are contemplating names for the ranch/farm, so stay tuned. Please leave a comment with name ideas.
