Thankful

We are going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year....

We Sold part of the land on our ranch!!!

I know that sounds funny to be thankful for, but it means we can stay here for many, many more years.  We also get to keep the house & headquarters, so that is a big blessing.  Try moving a HUGE shop.... yeah right. 

For those of your who don't know, we bought this ranch 7 years ago.  Buying it was a feat of God in itself.  The couple who owned it were older- in their 80's.  He was getting alzheimers and wasn't doing well, and she broke her hip.  They needed off the ranch and near their son.  Yes, a beautiful ranch that the sons and daughter didn't want.  (the siblings had their own places which I understand, but I don't think I could have done it)  

When you are selling a ranch you don't have many serious lookers, so they knew we were serious and kept coming back to us.  Dad was so smart and wrote up this beautiful letter letting the couple know that we were a family operation that would just love the blessing of buying this ranch.

We got it.

We think it was the letter.

We were able to buy it only because my dad had another good job as a mortgage lender.  (he says he works to pay for his hobby- ranching. :D)   Well, 7 years ago mortgage was booming. 

And as we all know, it crashed after that.  Although we really worked hard, and Dad did all he could, we just couldn't keep up with the mortgage on the ranch. (the only way to get a ranch is if you are a millionaire or inherit it)

The ranch had plenty to keep us and more, so after much prayer we decided to try and sell a part of it.

After 2 and a 1/2 years of different parts, to different parts or the whole ranch we have sold 2/3 of just raw land.  Believe me, we had any and all options up for sale at the end.  Whichever God sold we were going to take it. 

And God worked out the perfect one.

And it is SUCH a blessing. 

And it is all God.

And I still can't believe it.

And I am going to miss the pastures we are selling.

And we are going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

And only God could have kept us here for many more years than we should have been.

And even though we aren't out of the red zone, we are close enough to (with God's help!) handle it.

And we have had lots of rain to keep us through the winter.

And we have a bunch of heifers (female cows that haven't had a baby yet) to stock up with.

And we have plenty of room to expand our herd, even though we sold land.

And only God could have kept us here so long.

And I am so happy and sad at the same time.

And I am so excited to see this finally happen.

And I can't wait to get a dishwasher!!!  (Washing dishes by hand isn't bad, it is just SOO time consuming!)

Ahhhh, life is full again.  Our time of renewal is here.  It has been a loonnnggggg couple of years.  In all things God was good.  It was a time of growth and I am thankful for it.  I am just glad to be finished with it.  I hope.

Living in the Amazing Power of my Lord,
Rebecca