One year anniversary of Kleinshire!

One year ago we pulled up to a cute little green house with a front porch that runs the length of it. We unloaded a loaded borrowed truck of necessary things for us to be able to sleep in the new house.

Kleinshire!

It was a long hope for an anticipated move. Since our marriage of May 17th, 2008, we knew it would be awhile before we could buy a house of our own. Right at the beginning of our start together, we lived in a cute two bedroom farm house in the country. It was conveniently located five or so minute from my work and 15 minutes from my family's farm. Franz had to drive a half hour for work, but it was a pretty and usually easy drive. (Except for the time he drove my station wagon to work and the tire flew off flying through several yards. We did not get the tire back till two days later when it was discovered a block over. Flying tires can really travel!)

The night Father Francis blessed our first home together in Wisconsin.

The sunset from our two bedroom farm house we rented in Wisconsin.

Loaded and ready to head to Texas

The fall of 2009 saw us loaded into our taurus, (who was affectionately named Tony later on by Cyprian), pulling a borrowed trailer from my brother. We were headed to Texas for Franz to start his doctorate program in Literature at the University of Dallas. There was barely room for me to slip into the back seat next to Cyprian's carseat. We also had our kitten Augustine stuffed in a carrier.

We had a special blessing for us to safely make it to Texas.

Our apartment complex in Texas.

Our one bedroom apartment at the Colony.

First place we stayed was a one bedroom apartment in the Colony. It was nice as it has a community of University of Dallas students within its complex. That first year we were okay with the small space. But soon my country girl heart yearned for more space, especially outside. We were in the apartment one year when Franz noticed an advertisement on a bulletin board at school for a cute two bedroom cottage on 2.2 acres in the city. Yes, that is right 2.2 acres in the city limits. The house and grounds were beautiful! Best of all it was completely enclosed with fencing and a big barn gate that closed over the driveway entrance.

Dr. Woods house.

We spent almost three crazy great years in Doctor Woods house. I have so many memories. Cletus was born in that house. If we had stayed in Texas we talked about how we would like to have offered to buy the house from Dr. Wood. But God had other plans for us.

So pretty!

Our NEIGHbors on one side:')

We even had a theater where we had dramatic readings

The back yard. We hosted some awesome Ultimate Frisbee games among many other activities.

I love having cloths lines!

So, once Franz was finishing up the course work he looked for a job as a teacher. He interviewed for one in San Antonio, but it was in North Carolina that he felt called to answer. Saint Thomas More Academy was to be where Franz would teach. I headed to Wisconsin two weeks before our move to North Carolina. I drove our van with the three boys and my sister and her daughter who had flown in to visit us from Wisconsin. The boys and I stayed in Wisconsin while Franz finished packing our stuff and loaded it into a rented penski truck.

Franz all by himself drove cross country to North Carolina to a house right in Wake Forest that we were to rent. He quickly unloaded with the help of future coworkers and students. Then he flew to the boys and me in Wisconsin where after spending a few days with family, we headed to North Carolina altogether.

Our rented home in Wake Forest.

The house was a big three bedroom two storied house. The neighborhood is an association so there are rules as we quickly discovered. Like you can not have cloths lines even if they are in the back yard. I also got cited for having kid toys in the front yard. Needless to say I was chomping at the bit to find a house of our own. Especially as Franz teaching at STMA felt more and more confident he is where he should be.

I started looking online at properties. I was a bit obsessive constantly checking different sites and places. In the beginning of 2014 we started after mass on Sunday, picking a property to go drive by. We did this for three weekends before we drove by the Cheves property. It was the first place upon seeing it that we both exclaimed, "this looks nice!" The previous places we had looked at were run down and in not so nice of an area. We decided to apply for a loan. Once we were accepted we contacted a realtor. We really wanted to look inside the Cheves property. We had already explored the outside of the property as the house was not lived in.

It only took us going through the house once for us to make our decision. We made an offer and it was accepted. We had hiccups in the process, but thankfully it worked out in the end. I had purchased four goats a week before our closing date. Dear friends let us keep the goats at their place. It was quite the experience as I had to drive out twice a day to milk the two goats that were in milk.

Finally, I am to the point of this post. We have had one heck of a year here on Kleinshire. I am so happy and grateful for our Kleinshire. Within our first year we have created so many memorable memories. From the menagerie of animals, giving birth to Chrysogonus and starting a garden making and entertaining friends, etc. We are home where we feel God has called us to be.

Happy one year at Kleinshire!

Home sweet home!

Barn and pasture.

From the corner of Kleinshire.

 Now I should have probably posted a picture from today. But we were to busy doing all kinds of stuff to bother with the camera. This post is already too long so I will not bore anyone with the awesome day we had. It was a beautiful day! Goodnight now y'all!

He is risen, alleluia!

We have lots of exciting farm-related things going on at the moment (garden planting, new goat, etc.), but for now, since it's been more than two weeks since the last post, I thought a general post on our Kleinshire Easter would be in order.

Rosemary's older sister Renee flew from Wisconsin to visit for Easter this year, together with her daughter Alynnsia. Another of Rosemary's sisters, Janet, also flew in from Chicago just for the weekend. So, it was a full house for awhile.

We managed to participate in all the Triduum liturgies as a family this year--the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday, the Good Friday service, and, finally, the Easter Vigil. Even with St. Catherine's being packed, we managed to sit near the front for all the liturgies. I think it's important for the boys to see as much as they can, and it bolsters my own faith to answer their innocent questions. I have some work to do with Cletus, however. When I brought him forward on Good Friday for the veneration, I asked him if he would like to kiss the cross. He shook his head and said emphatically (and loudly), "No!"

There were no major meltdowns, though a few children did drift off to sleep by the end of the Vigil Mass. Christ may have risen, but as for the children? Not so much. Though they did rise early enough for their Easter candy the next morning!

Cyprian is technically awake at this point, as is Cletus, whom I am holding. Clement and Alynnsia? Not so much!

Holy Saturday, of course, was a day of preparation, involving egg coloring:

Egg coloring.

Quality time for Chrysogonus and Aunt Janet.

Rosemary got to make a lamb cake after a friend generously purchased a mold for us.

Easter Sunday marked our very first Kleinshire Easter Party. We used to host a big Easter party for friends every year in Dallas, and we've been looking forward to doing the same here in North Carolina. After a great deal of house and yard cleaning, we were finally ready for the forty-plus guests. There were a few mishaps--principally a crock pot lid shattering and ruining the pork roast--but I think a great time was had by all. Thankfully one friend came bearing an Easter ham!

The good food, beer, and conversation may have been the highlights for the adults, but for the kids it was the Easter egg hunt:

Though my egg hiding places were creative, the retrieval methods were even more so.

Rosemary gives an assist, not that the kids really need it.

Yep, this characterizes Cletus's approach to candy. He was pretty irrational by the end of the day.

Ever the contemplative (aka, the airhead), Cyprian here cries out at the injustice of it all as, with a nearly empty bag in hand, he surveys an egg-less back yard.

After Easter Sunday, Rosemary and Renee left for the beach together with the children, leaving me to read and to take care of the animals. Renee had found a beach house deal in the Outer Banks, so Alynnsia got to see the ocean for the very first time. On Tuesday I milked the goats very, very early--4 a.m.!--and made the three-hour drive to join everybody else at the beach for the day.

We visited the Wright Brothers' National Memorial--the site of the very first powered flight--and spent some time at the beach.

The Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

Cousins!

A beautiful mother with her baby.

Checking out one of the Wright brothers. Orville, I believe?

Renee and Alynnsia

A model of the Wright brothers' plane.

I'm pretty sure this one is Wilbur.

Triple the trouble, and, from Clement's backward glance, I'm pretty sure he knows it.

At the beach in the Outer Banks, N.C.

Yesterday morning, I woke up early and drove Renee and Alynnsia to the airport. Snowy is now puppy-less, as they brought with them the very last of the puppies, the little Snowy look-alike, whom they've named Daisy. I think a good time was had by all.

A blessed Easter to everybody. He has risen, indeed!