The Price Tag

"We get what we want, but there's always a price."

Our move to the wide-open spaces of Montana, from the populous (and expensive) confines of Southern California has been one of the best life-decisions my dear wife and I have made (by God's grace) in our 21 years of marriage.  (I feel fairly confident to speak on her behalf in this matter :-)  Here are some of the other choices that have benefited us greatly, or allowed us to simplify our lifestyle in an effort to pursue contentment with godliness (1 Timothy 6:6-11):

• Owning one car, and using public transportation when necessary.
• Becoming a one-income-earner family, allowing us to consistently supervise our children's growth and development in accordance with our faith, without relying on (i.e. paying) someone else to do so.
• Home-educating our children, using readily available and straightforward materials, drawing out our children's God-given aptitudes and interests, in accordance with the Scriptures.
• Avoiding involvement in "organized team sports", in order to minimize unnecessary drains on our family's time, attention and finances.
• Preparing most of our food at home, in order to facilitate nightly dinners together, be more healthy and save a lot of money.

Like Abraham in the Scriptures, we left all that was familiar to us and, by faith, moved to a land that was "foreign" to us.  Now, we live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and while our means are still humble, God has blessed us with so many incredible relationships and opportunities, including the ongoing effort to purchase and build a house on our own acre-and-a-half of fertile, wooded land.  We are so very grateful to Him for His provision.

Still, this undertaking has come with a price or two.  We are now much further (2-days' drive) from some dear family members, whom we miss very much.  I had to leave the comfortable and familiar venue of "full-time paid church staff work" (notice how I avoided the term "ministry" -- that's a blog post for another day).  Instead, I had to practically change careers, spending at least 2 years before I began to feel confident and adept at this new line of work (2-way radio and internet installation, and radio tower groundwork).  And ultimately, having my earnings reduced by at least 50%.

All that notwithstanding, I wouldn't change a thing.  And now, we have a beautiful new "Made in Montana" addition to our family, firmly "anchoring" us to our residence here, as it were:

Meet "Elliana Mercy Calvi"

So, for those of you contemplating leaving the bustling metropolises of SoCal (or any other densely populated area) for the rural life in wide-open spaces, I would first caution you to be aware that there is a price to pay.  You'll have to trade one lifestyle for another.  It may cost you your "nest egg".  (As the joke goes, "How do you make a million dollars in Montana?  Bring 2 million." :-)  You may have to leave the comfort of your extended family... but who knows?  Some of them may follow you there.  In any case, any major life choice is inevitably followed by a lengthy period of adjustment, as you know.  But for those of us who live by faith in our Creator and Redeemer - King Jesus - our hope and trust in Him is never misplaced.  He provides everything we need!

"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."

1 Timothy 6:17-19

So go ahead and grab hold of the rural dream.  With Christ, all things are possible.  Desire Him above all else, and He will work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28).

As always, I welcome your comments.  Have a fruitful day.

--Ric

We Did It.

Well, we did it.

One of the things we came to Montana to do, is done.

We have officially purchased our first piece of land -- "1.456 acres more or less" -- just outside of Whitefish.  Not only is this the first plot of land we've bought, it will contain (Lord willing) the first house we will have ever built...  which will also be the first home we will have ever bought.  Yes, this piece of wooded bliss will come to represent the end of 20+ years of paying rent.

Hallelujah.

Here's a picture, courtesy of Gogle Maps (boundaries are approximate):

"The Calvi Homestead"

As of today, our names are on the title.  Now it's our turn to "fill the Earth and subdue it."  :-)

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
    but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."
-- Proverbs 19:21 (ESV) 

Gardening, part 2

 
When last we left our intrepid gardeners, they were doing all the manual-labor/prep-type stuff.  You know — pulling up weeds and grass, building raised beds, shoveling manure. 

The sweaty stuff.

After all that, the little girls needed a "silly break":

Though we were not quite planned and ready to sow the seed and plant the "starts", we were able to get a "lovage" plant in the ground.  (Now, we have a strict "Rule #1" in our garden: everything must be edible.)  Having heard that celery (one of our favorite veggies) is a challenge to grow in the Flathead Valley, we decided to plant lovage as a celery alternative.  After it was planted, I chewed on a piece of the tube-like stalk, to see what we were in for.  It was supremely celery-y ("celery-ish"?) — so much so that I fear I'm the only one in the family with a palate for such a strong flavor.  No matter... it still complies with "Rule #1"!

We started to lay out how everything would look, taking into account that certain plants have their preferred "buddies" or companion plants that they like to grow up with.  The laying out is what took the longest, and while I was chomping at the bit to "just plant something" (!), my dear, thoughtful bride — the family "Garden Queen" — took the necessary time to make sure there was a place for everything, and everything in its place.

Then, on May 23rd, I woke up to this:

"Winter's Last Stand" (hopefully!)

Well, Winter's threat proved an empty one, and by the end of the day, it was all melted.

So, this afternoon, after a nearly perfect-weathered Sunday fellowship and potluck, we came back home to start digging and stuffing.  Here's what we have so far:

Clockwise from Left:
Nasturtium (edible) flowers, Lovage, various lettuces and (edible) flowers, Red Cabbage, Lavender, Rosemary, Garlic, Spinach, Sugar Snap Peas and Strawberries.


Still to come later: Tomatoes, Bush Beans, Cucumbers, Squash, Celery, Rhubarb, etc.

What are you planting this year?

Gardening, part 1

("Carrots" sign, by Sophia,age 6)

A couple of weekends ago, we started our first Montana gardening experience.  We marked off a 8' x 20' section of our "backyard"...

...plowed the ground and got rid of the grass and rocks...

 
...and built a couple of raised beds at one end.


Then, we went to our favorite local dairy, the Kalispell Kreamery, where we snagged a ton (literally!) of composted manure for $10.  (Most of our materials thus far had been salvaged for free, or next-to-nothin'.)  Here are a few pictures of the process:

(Of course, we had to stop and "see the girls"):

Then, we hauled the S#$% back home.  :-)

(Now, some of you may be thinking "HEY!  How come Ric's conspicuously absent from the working pix??"  Rest assured, I only stopped shoveling the stuff long enough to snap these pix, then it was "back on the chain gang".)


Finally, everything started to come together...

...and then it was time to take a cloud-watching break!

Planting will happen soon, as we have already amassed quite a set of "starts" in the house, which will be planted outside over the next few weeks.

We're learning as we go, and having a great time together.  It's no wonder so many of Jesus' parables have agrarian backdrops!

Things I'm Learning in Montana, part 1

I'm learning a lot since our move to NW Montana.  All of these things have been (or are being) learned and tested by experience, not merely read about (though I found some helpful links, should you choose to experience these things on your own).  Of course, this list is being constantly appended...

• What it means to actually experience 4 distinct seasons of the year.
• How to preserve a bear hide.
• Uses for bear fat.
• How to butcher a deer.
• How to make venison jerky (after two very inedible attempts).
• That gleaning fruit is a perfectly acceptable (and free) way to harvest hundreds of pounds of Flathead cherries and apples.
• That if you're suddenly the recipient of 200 lbs of cherries, rush out and buy a cherry pitter ASAP.
• How to install a VHF mobile radio in an ambulance, fire truck, etc.
• How to solder wire.
• How to drive a snowmobile (or "snowcat", as they're called here).
• How to get a snowmobile stuck and un-stuck.
• How to dress for cold weather.
• How to drive on ice and snow... safely.
• How to do "donuts" on icy parking lots.
• How to repair a headlight after hitting a deer.
• That deer are extraordinarily unpredictable.
• How to walk into a gun show, slap down cash, and walk out with a firearm -- the same day.
• That the U.S. Constitution isn't the bastion of virtue I originally thought it was.
• How to use a chainsaw.
• Why they call this "Big Sky Country" (no infernal skyscrapers to obstruct the view!)
• That in Montana, even though it's spelled C-R-E-E-K, it's pronounced "crick".

...And last, but certainly not least:

What an amazing family I've been blessed with, and that I get to enjoy the experience with them.