Let's start here...
I didn't plan on falling in love with a farmer...
It is just that true.
I never in my life...ever... thought it was a possibility to become the wife of a farmer (or a farm hand as he refers to himself, but I disagree being he makes choices, sticks his arm in places most don't, feeds mouths more than his families, and shows up everyday snow or shine).
I've said it a thousand times, he showed up in my apartment wearing cowboy boots and I knew it wasn't going to go much further than just being friends. Clearly, it wasn't love at first site. We both had just ended a relationship; mine a pretty drawn out, ugly, and emotionally straining 'thing'? So the last thing we really needed was rushing into something. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Texting, Skyping, long distances, late nights of studio, harvest dinners in the tractor...
What.the.heck?! I know! How did this happen?!
A lot of people knew that I came from the armpit of the Black Hills, 'Where You & the West Are One.', where the best Midwest 4th of July celebration is, and where cowboy hats and Dodge trucks fill every street. I was far from wanting to see this everyday. I was a girl going to school for Interior Design, interned at an amazing architecture firm, had big city dreams. Life would have only worked out that way, right?
Nope.
December 31, 2012 - - Paul came to visit me at my parents after Christmas. I had a doctors appointment that morning he took me to and he went to meet my friends at The Green Bean coffee shop. I knew something was up, I even told my doctor that I think my boyfriend was up to something today. We did look at rings months prior and I knew it was getting made. He then picked me up and wanted to drive into the Hills because 'he hadn't seen them in the winter snow,' I also noticed he gelled his hair, what farm boy does that? We got to Spearfish Canyon Falls where we walked down the trail and I was greeted by my two friends running across the woods with cameras and rose petals...hmmm. After that it was all not even a question. We didn't even discuss what would happen after college, I knew what was next and suddenly it wasn't a weird 'issue.'
There came a point I knew something was more important than another.
Fast forward to May 31, 2014
It was a beautiful morning with a chance of rain. Well, the chance of rain turned into a wind storm with rain and dust. We were taking our wedding pictures and we watched this wall come straight at us. It blew over 10 minutes after the wedding was scheduled. It cleared, the sun came through and the music started.
Happy tears filled my eyes and ran down my face the second I started out that door, arms locked with my just as teary eyed dad, and my big white dress swishing in the grass. I saw my farmer, my soon to be husband, smiling, crying and waiting for me to meet him at the end. I heard 'A Thousand Years' by Piano Guys surrounding me but you really do get tunnel vision; all I saw was him. At this time you get that feeling like 'this really is the beginning of the best adventure of my life and I am taking this head on with this handsome man in front of me.' We'd come so far. For some reason, God's plan was to take all doubt and show me that I was going to marry a hog farmer.
(Photo Credit for Wedding Photos: The Photography Shoppe)
If you were wondering...it rained some more :)
Now here we are 5 years later, 5 seasons of planting and harvesting, a new (to me) town, a new 102 year old home, a new business, a puppy, the death our first fur baby (bless his little soul), Disney World Honeymoon, and a thousand I love you's later.
Being okay (now way more than that) with becoming the wife of someone who hangs out with hogs all day everyday is not that different than any other life I would have imagined. I never want to forget that it was scary at first, there were lots of questions, lots of research, and lots of first with it for me. I will never forget the day I first saw worms in poop, cleaned troths, pigs being born or brought back to life, driving a tractor, and a big ole pig running down the shoot at me and the look on my husbands face. I still have so much to learn and so much to overcome but I love it all and I cannot wait for the new firsts.
I'm so glad that Paul has stuck with me, with my potty mouth, my crazy ideas, my dreams, my out of control, close knit family, and my love for dogs.
This is how it comes full circle. There were nights I was sick or behind on a project Paul was always there lending a hand. I'll never forget the night I was laying on his futon in his dorm on the verge of what felt like death and he was up all night building the details on a reception desk (sorry Angie ;)) for a project so that I could hand it in the next day. This is how I knew he was in it for the long run. I think both of our college majors rubbed off on each other. He loves the details and the 'blue prints' of everything to do with projects. I love being an AGvocate. He loves my new business adventure as much as I do and wants nothing more than it to succeed. How lucky am I? You have no idea on the assembly line in sewing pillows we have, he is way better at the machine than I am. I am so unbelievably thankful that the farm allows him and me to spend time in the shop building things and using scrap. One day, I suppose, I will have to learn how to weld or use the plasma cutter. But without this farm life this could, probably would, be just a twinkle in my eye.
As Valentine's Day comes upon us this weekend I am grateful for the love I get to experience with my knight in shit covered pants that get drug across my floor. I am grateful for the love of my business from him and the experiences we get to have on and off the farm because of it. This is absolutely not what I had planned for love and life but it has become better than what I could have imagined. It's real and it's ridiculously fun. Through all the busy nights of planting and harvest, the old house fixes, the puppy stages, the 3 jobs I hold...it makes us better. Our differences always make us come closer and life more real.
It is crazy to know that in the end God has always known exactly what we needed and when we needed it the most.
And there you have it. Love for design and love for farming came to mesh together as one, funny how it happens and how passionate you become of something you just immerse yourself into something.
Happy Valentine's Day (week). Next up will be the announcement for the next sale! We sent off the application/registration today! So stay tuned!
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