We bought a house!

Our Future Slate Gray Estate

Here is a picture of the house we are in the process of buying and putting on the Ranch. Tera called the owner yesterday and verbally committed to buying it. The house is small, but nice--high ceilings, open floor plan, and an actual master bedroom & bath! The current owners have used it as a vacation home for the past five years. The guy said he and his wife have spent a total of a few months in the house since they bought it. I am hoping to build a deck off this side; on the opposite side, I want to pour a patio/sport court/landing area for groceries. It's exciting to imagine having a place of our own. As I write this, Tera and my father-in-law, Alan, are meeting with John Stotts (in the fresh snow) to get a bid on putting in a septic tank in the spring.


This is a sketch of where the house will most likely set at the Ranch. The proposed site is the larger rectangle in the middle. Granted, it's hard to see, but if you're familiar with the Ranch you can probably figure it out. Maybe you can click on it and see the sketch up close. Otherwise, I guess you'll just have to come visit us next summer. The house will be installed where my Great Grandma Lena's house sat up until it fell into disrepair and was torn down. My Aunt Maureen's place is off the page, to the right. There is a lot of family history on this particular piece of ground, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of the Nichols family legacy here.


This is a picture of my father-in-law, Alan (at Robin's wedding this past August). He has been incredibly supportive as we've considered making this plunge. We have relied on his sound insights, his careful attention to detail and his genuine concern for our little family's future. It is thrilling for me to know that he sees this move to the Ranch as a good idea. We owe him a ton of thanks for all his help.