Since we’ve moved back to Western New York it’s largely been Alix’s voice sharing our stories. You’ve learned about her love of goats, thoughts about the farm, and difficulties with moving home. Now, it’s my turn.

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Let’s not beat around the bush, there have been some rumors that I don’t like the goats. Many of you know, this is Alix’s childhood home and property. I didn’t grow up with horses, goats, animals (besides a dog), or anything else you’d find on a farm. So, the truth is that I don’t hate the goats. I wouldn’t rank them up in my favorite things, but I haven’t called other people yet asking if they are looking for goat meat. What people might not know is that goats get out of everything! During hunting season, I’ve had to pull George out of the woods. Yes, he looks like a deer. I’ve also had to go pull Lenny out of the road, after a car stopped and claimed our “sheep” were playing outside of the fence. The goats are growing on me, just not as much as the horses…

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The country life was one I approached with optimism. I was excited to get back to the small town living, and have never found an area more relaxing than our future house. That being said, it hasn’t all been rainbows and butterflies.

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I originally thought our move home would involve relaxing evenings, a plethora of free time, and a much needed slowdown. Well it didn’t, and it hasn’t. We originally had some issues adjusting. We were sure a move to a smaller community would add some boredom, so we packed our schedule. We made dinner reservations, camping plans, and other trips before even getting home. Oh, how wrong we were!

Besides just moving to a new area, we moved in with family. Don’t get me wrong, I love Alix’s siblings and my future mother-in-law, but being under the same roof can have its moments. As you know, we resided on the living room floor for the first month -so stressful. Looking at the bright side, we only had one night where a bat woke us up. Then you have the unintended consequences of moving home, and realizing as much as you try you’ll never quite know if you’re dividing your time correctly. Are we spending enough time with each family? How have we still not seen some friends? Why have we not visited Canada yet? Why have the Buffalo Bills not picked up Tyrod Taylor’s option yet? When will 810 Meadworks begin delivering to our house? The questions go on and on. At the end of the day, I think we’re doing our best to adjust. If nothing else, it’s given the two of us new issues to tackle and made us realize communication is more important now than ever before.

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With all that said, I wouldn’t have this move any other way. Though I often talk about staying positive and appreciating the small things, I never truly did until now. Seeing Ivan roll around in the yard, watching Alix with the horses (and goats), and just getting a chance to see so many familiar faces has been amazing. The property that we know as Fox Cross Farm is full of opportunities. We’re going to clean up the horse’s pasture, level out the side yard (football games), and get to work on some ideas we have for the land. The best part, that’s only the outside.

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II think there is little doubt that I adjusted to Western New York life faster than Alix did. I miss our friends and so many things about Washington, DC, but I was ready to come back. One of the first weekends, we were walking along Main Street, and we heard Bryan (Owner of 810 Meadworks) yell “Welcome home!” from his truck. It’s little moments like that when I realized this was the right decision.

untitled-4There’s no more justifying why the move was the right one. It was – and it’s only just the beginning.

-Scott