{It's The Little Things}

I did not grow up in town.  My dad grew up on a farm.  My mom grew up in the big city.  OK, the small city, but a city nonetheless.  I had the best of both worlds when it comes to knowledge of both ways of life.  I always loved going to my Grandma's and Uncle Ted's.  I love horses and being outdoors and growing gardens.  I also liked the convenience of living around the corner from TJ Maxx.  Growing up, I took for granted the ability to run to the grocery store on a whim or go get ice cream at 9 pm.
When I met Brandon, I was not at all deterred by the fact that he lived in the middle of nowhere.  I was smitten, yes, but I also loved coming out to his house and hanging out.  It brought out my inner country girl.  There was, afterall, that stint in college when I wore nothing but Wranglers and boots and frequented line dancing establishments.  So living the country life was always appealing and when Brandon and I began to discuss marriage, it was a given that I would move to the country and get a cow of my own.
And now, having lived this way of life for nearly 7 years, there are days that I am just completely OVER country life.  And really, it's not even country life as much as living in the middle of nowhere.  Yesterday was one of those days when me and country life got in a big fight and I kind of wanted to break up.
Ellie has dance on Saturdays at 11:00 am.  It takes us 40 minutes to get to dance class.  On a good day, I get  up and out of bed and going and run any errands that I have before dance class.  In reality, I usually get one errand done before class and then do any others with a cranky 4 year old in tow. Then drive 40 minutes home and the afternoon is a BUST.
On the way home yesterday afternoon I was just done.  We'd had a not so great morning, my plans to get things done before dance had gone awry and the afternoon was not looking promising.  I dreamed of moving to the town where Brandon works and getting a house in a neighborhood.  Having chatty neighbors who I play bunko with and sit in the cul de sac while the kids ride bikes.  We'd chat up the afternoon and then run to the Mexican restaurant for margartitas and burritos.  And still be home in time for baths and normal bedtimes.  I had a similar daydream in the shower this morning only this one may have involved shoe shopping at 8:30 pm after I got the kids all settled.
Honestly ya'll I was totally ready to break up with country life.  Who needs mud and coyotes and cows and horsedrawn buggies slowing me down and never being able to run through fast food for dinner because it will be cold when we get home and all the other major inconveniences of country life?  WHO NEEDS THIS???
Then Brandon brought this in:

Are you swooning?  I did.  He said he should have saved it for our anniversary.

The vase is something his mom had and gave me a few years back.A matched set!

We had a pipe break in the Little House and while crawling under the house to fix the pipe this morning, Brandon found the little pot.  The bottom says "Oven Fire King".  I looked it up and it isn't super valuable, but it is to me.  It is just my style.  I have a major thing for hobnail milkglass.  

I figure if I lived in that neighborhood, I would not own a hundred year old house on a farm and I would never have found something so cool.  So living in the country is great again.