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Oct. 14th, 2020 07:47 pm
The Green Family Story: Chapter 3
Generation 1: Living off the Land
You've always dreamed of running your own farm...living in the country, enjoying the fresh air, avoiding the rat race.
Goals:
1. Complete Freelance Botanist and Angling Ace (founder), and Big Happy Family (spouse)
2. Reach the top of the Gardening career
3. Max the gardening, fishing, and flower arranging skills (founder) and the parenting skill (spouse)
4. Get married...but no woohoo before marriage P
5. Have at least three children, and at least one boy and one girl
6. Grow a garden with all types of plants (except the Outdoor Adventure plants)
Goals:
1. Complete Freelance Botanist and Angling Ace (founder), and Big Happy Family (spouse)
2. Reach the top of the Gardening career
3. Max the gardening, fishing, and flower arranging skills (founder) and the parenting skill (spouse)
4. Get married...but no woohoo before marriage P
5. Have at least three children, and at least one boy and one girl
6. Grow a garden with all types of plants (except the Outdoor Adventure plants)
7. Catch every type of fish (except the Sulani fish)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My first job as an adult was to run yard sales every chance I got. I spent a lot of time in parks, dumpster diving, digging, beach combing...anything I could think of to find things to sell, and now I have a way to get people around looking at my stuff.
It works, too. Whenever I post an ad I get a good crowd, and generally at least a few good sales. I know I can't live off yard sales alone though, and while the garden is looking pretty good these days, if I ever want to get out of my tent and into a real home it just isn't enough on it's own. Now that I'm old enough, I've managed to score a job - low paid, low skill, but a real job nonetheless - as a gardener. Obviously. It's my only real marketable skill!
Sometimes, life has a way of surprising you though. At the end of my first day of work I received a phone call from my grandmother's estate lawyer, telling me more money had been raised from the estate and a final payment was owed to me. They had already deposited $2500 into my account, and it would clear the next day. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I never expected anything more from the estate - I was grateful for the money for the land I got in the first place - but it was a very welcome bit of good news. I mean, it's not like I won the lottery or anything, I still need the job, but it'll go a long way to being able to start building something to live in on the farm.
I celebrated my surprise windfall by ordering my first drink as a proper adult, down at the beachfront club near my farm.
Speaking of the farm, it's really looking good. The plants are thriving, and I even managed to get my first promotion at work after only a few days on the job. I'm still not handling anything more than potting soil, but I'm learning a lot and getting a paycheck.
Of course, despite all the excitement of my birthday, new job, and inheritance money, I hadn't forgotten about Minkz. He's graduated from high school now too, though I haven't had a chance to go around to his place since school finished. No matter, because he asked me on a date! Doesn't he look dashing? He'd had his hair cut since I saw him last.
He took me to a cosy, charming little restaurant - my first time eating out, actually, since Gran and I were more about cafes than fancy places like this. I had salmon and he had steak, and we both ordered wine. It was all very grown up! Minkz was just as charming and kind as ever though, and we had a lot of fun.
Speaking on fun, I've been settling into my new grown up routine. Work, tending the garden, going to the gym for a shower, spending time at Minkz and Christian's place regularly...and seeing some old friends around the place! Duane and I still hang out when I catch him at the gym the same time I'm there. We're good mates, and we usually chat and joke any time we bump into each other. We share a love for comedy after the great time at the Humour and Hijinks festival as kids.
I've also been hanging out with Morgan a lot. Luna Villareal and I have sort of lost touch since school finished, but Morgan and I still see each other heaps, even though we're both quite busy with work. I'd go so far as to say she's my closest friend, excepting Minkz of course.
Who, I have to admit, gets the lions share of my free time. One cold, clear evening he invited me out to the Bluffs, where we once went swimming together in a thunderstorm.
He seemed to be in a funny kind of mood, very flirtatious and affectionate, but also a little on edge. I didn't know what to make of it.
Mostly, though, he was his usual sweet self. We lit a bonfire and snuggled up together by it, staying warm near the flames and talking about anything and everything.
As it got later things got...a little more heated. Excuse the pun!
So that's why he seemed in such a strange mood...he was nervous! Minkz proposed to me by the bonfire, under the stars, and it was the most romantic moment of my entire life.
Of course I said yes - he had literally swept me off my feet! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect night. And can you believe it? I'm engaged!
Naturally, the first thing Minkz and I did after he proposed was head around to his Mum's house to tell her the good news.
She was so excited for both of us, though not at all surprised. We hadn't really discussed it officially or anything, but Minkz is basically living out at the farm with me now - he's got clothes and other bits and pieces stored in the tent, and hasn't been staying with Christian except for the odd night here and there for weeks. So she'd been pretty sure he'd been planning to pop the question!
Not to worry about Christian being lonely with her only son moving out though - in the last few days she'd taken on fostering a little boy called Brayden. I got to meet him while we were there visiting, and he's SO cute. She's not sure what will happen for him legally speaking, but she said that if the social workers can arrange it and his birth parents agree, she'd like to adopt him officially.
Minkz also got to meet his baby foster brother, and seeing him cuddle and coo over him melted my heart. He's going to be such a great Dad someday.
Anyway, after a lot of snuggles with the baby and more congratulations and hugs from Christian, Minkz and I headed on our way.
We weren't quite done celebrating our engagement yet! The romance festival was on, and Minkz and I decided to have dinner there and just enjoy being an engaged couple.
It was gorgeous - so romantic, with beautiful music playing and loads of other couples flirting, dancing, and chatting happily.
Of course, we can hardly keep our hands off each other! Minkz knows I want to wait until we're married to take the next step though - it's how Gran raised me, and I know it's old-fashioned but it's important to me, so after a delicious dinner of ramen we headed back home.
To a heavy blanket of snow over the whole farm! This is a first, and although it's lovely, it makes me long for building our very first house. It's going to be a cold night in the tent tonight.
(A/N: yeah, the cow plant is glitched. It's actually fully grown but keeps reverting to earlier stages, though the Sims can interact with it as normal despite there being no animations).
I'm still floating on cloud nine from Minkz' romantic proposal, but soon enough it's back to life as normal. Minkz doesn't have a job yet, so he's started spending his day searching for rare collectibles and usually runs at least one yard sale to sell what he finds while I'm at work. I told my colleagues about my engagement of course, and every one was so thrilled for me, plus I even got another promotion! They've let me start sorting and planting the seeds now, which is somewhat more interesting than filling pots with soil.
I'm excited to tell absolutely everyone I know about the engagement, so when I bump into Duane again at one of our regular gym visits for showers and to catch some TV, I show him the pictures. He's delighted for me, and asks to come to the wedding. Of course I'll be inviting him...and that gets me thinking about the wedding. I'll have to start planning it! We don't have much money, and it will set us back a bit on the house, but I so badly want a proper wedding that our friends and Minkz' family can come to, and celebrate with us.
Morgan and I go out for dinner so I can share the news with her too. She's so excited for us!
She offers to help plan the wedding, so we spend the meal hashing out some of the details. I don't want a big service, so hopefully we can pull it together soon. I'm head over heels for Minkz...I don't think either of us need a long engagement.
In fact, after talking it over, Minkz and I agree on a beachside wedding in the beautiful resort town of Sulani - deciding we'll splash out a little on the ceremony, since we can't really afford either the time or the expense of a honeymoon. With Morgan's help, I soon have it all booked, organised, and underway.
Minkz' Mum, Christian, is the first to arrive of course.
I think even Minkz was a little teary as she congratulated us both warmly, enthusing about how happy she was we'd found each other.
Really, I couldn't have asked for a better mother-in-law.
It was drizzling lightly as everyone ordered drinks before the ceremony, but it didn't matter too much - Sulani is warm most of the year, and everyone was still happy dancing on the beach and drinking cocktails.
I couldn't resist trying out the chocolate fountain right away, though I was very careful not to let it drip on my dress!
Then, before I knew it, it was time for the ceremony. Minkz and I stood under the gorgeous arch, draped with flowers.
Our friends watched as we exchanged vows and rings, promising to love and care for each other forever.
And just like that, Minkz was my husband, and I was his wife! The rain even stopped during the ceremony, letting the sun come out just for a little while before sunset.
Our guests returned to the beach, where the food was set up ready for them, but Minkz and I stayed out on the platform with the wedding arch for a while, just enjoying each other's company.
Just like the night we go engaged, he swept me off my feet.
Then we returned to our guests, though not before sharing a last embrace. The ceremony had been everything I'd hoped - romantic, relaxed, with the sound of the ocean in the background.
Morgan and Duane congratulated me as we shared a drink after the ceremony, and I thanked Morgan for all her help pulling the wedding together so quickly. It wouldn't have been so perfect without her working so hard to help me out.
And that was that, the most perfect wedding I could have asked for!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My first job as an adult was to run yard sales every chance I got. I spent a lot of time in parks, dumpster diving, digging, beach combing...anything I could think of to find things to sell, and now I have a way to get people around looking at my stuff.
It works, too. Whenever I post an ad I get a good crowd, and generally at least a few good sales. I know I can't live off yard sales alone though, and while the garden is looking pretty good these days, if I ever want to get out of my tent and into a real home it just isn't enough on it's own. Now that I'm old enough, I've managed to score a job - low paid, low skill, but a real job nonetheless - as a gardener. Obviously. It's my only real marketable skill!
Sometimes, life has a way of surprising you though. At the end of my first day of work I received a phone call from my grandmother's estate lawyer, telling me more money had been raised from the estate and a final payment was owed to me. They had already deposited $2500 into my account, and it would clear the next day. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I never expected anything more from the estate - I was grateful for the money for the land I got in the first place - but it was a very welcome bit of good news. I mean, it's not like I won the lottery or anything, I still need the job, but it'll go a long way to being able to start building something to live in on the farm.
I celebrated my surprise windfall by ordering my first drink as a proper adult, down at the beachfront club near my farm.
Speaking of the farm, it's really looking good. The plants are thriving, and I even managed to get my first promotion at work after only a few days on the job. I'm still not handling anything more than potting soil, but I'm learning a lot and getting a paycheck.
Of course, despite all the excitement of my birthday, new job, and inheritance money, I hadn't forgotten about Minkz. He's graduated from high school now too, though I haven't had a chance to go around to his place since school finished. No matter, because he asked me on a date! Doesn't he look dashing? He'd had his hair cut since I saw him last.
He took me to a cosy, charming little restaurant - my first time eating out, actually, since Gran and I were more about cafes than fancy places like this. I had salmon and he had steak, and we both ordered wine. It was all very grown up! Minkz was just as charming and kind as ever though, and we had a lot of fun.
Speaking on fun, I've been settling into my new grown up routine. Work, tending the garden, going to the gym for a shower, spending time at Minkz and Christian's place regularly...and seeing some old friends around the place! Duane and I still hang out when I catch him at the gym the same time I'm there. We're good mates, and we usually chat and joke any time we bump into each other. We share a love for comedy after the great time at the Humour and Hijinks festival as kids.
I've also been hanging out with Morgan a lot. Luna Villareal and I have sort of lost touch since school finished, but Morgan and I still see each other heaps, even though we're both quite busy with work. I'd go so far as to say she's my closest friend, excepting Minkz of course.
Who, I have to admit, gets the lions share of my free time. One cold, clear evening he invited me out to the Bluffs, where we once went swimming together in a thunderstorm.
He seemed to be in a funny kind of mood, very flirtatious and affectionate, but also a little on edge. I didn't know what to make of it.
Mostly, though, he was his usual sweet self. We lit a bonfire and snuggled up together by it, staying warm near the flames and talking about anything and everything.
As it got later things got...a little more heated. Excuse the pun!
So that's why he seemed in such a strange mood...he was nervous! Minkz proposed to me by the bonfire, under the stars, and it was the most romantic moment of my entire life.
Of course I said yes - he had literally swept me off my feet! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect night. And can you believe it? I'm engaged!
Naturally, the first thing Minkz and I did after he proposed was head around to his Mum's house to tell her the good news.
She was so excited for both of us, though not at all surprised. We hadn't really discussed it officially or anything, but Minkz is basically living out at the farm with me now - he's got clothes and other bits and pieces stored in the tent, and hasn't been staying with Christian except for the odd night here and there for weeks. So she'd been pretty sure he'd been planning to pop the question!
Not to worry about Christian being lonely with her only son moving out though - in the last few days she'd taken on fostering a little boy called Brayden. I got to meet him while we were there visiting, and he's SO cute. She's not sure what will happen for him legally speaking, but she said that if the social workers can arrange it and his birth parents agree, she'd like to adopt him officially.
Minkz also got to meet his baby foster brother, and seeing him cuddle and coo over him melted my heart. He's going to be such a great Dad someday.
Anyway, after a lot of snuggles with the baby and more congratulations and hugs from Christian, Minkz and I headed on our way.
We weren't quite done celebrating our engagement yet! The romance festival was on, and Minkz and I decided to have dinner there and just enjoy being an engaged couple.
It was gorgeous - so romantic, with beautiful music playing and loads of other couples flirting, dancing, and chatting happily.
Of course, we can hardly keep our hands off each other! Minkz knows I want to wait until we're married to take the next step though - it's how Gran raised me, and I know it's old-fashioned but it's important to me, so after a delicious dinner of ramen we headed back home.
To a heavy blanket of snow over the whole farm! This is a first, and although it's lovely, it makes me long for building our very first house. It's going to be a cold night in the tent tonight.
(A/N: yeah, the cow plant is glitched. It's actually fully grown but keeps reverting to earlier stages, though the Sims can interact with it as normal despite there being no animations).
I'm still floating on cloud nine from Minkz' romantic proposal, but soon enough it's back to life as normal. Minkz doesn't have a job yet, so he's started spending his day searching for rare collectibles and usually runs at least one yard sale to sell what he finds while I'm at work. I told my colleagues about my engagement of course, and every one was so thrilled for me, plus I even got another promotion! They've let me start sorting and planting the seeds now, which is somewhat more interesting than filling pots with soil.
I'm excited to tell absolutely everyone I know about the engagement, so when I bump into Duane again at one of our regular gym visits for showers and to catch some TV, I show him the pictures. He's delighted for me, and asks to come to the wedding. Of course I'll be inviting him...and that gets me thinking about the wedding. I'll have to start planning it! We don't have much money, and it will set us back a bit on the house, but I so badly want a proper wedding that our friends and Minkz' family can come to, and celebrate with us.
Morgan and I go out for dinner so I can share the news with her too. She's so excited for us!
She offers to help plan the wedding, so we spend the meal hashing out some of the details. I don't want a big service, so hopefully we can pull it together soon. I'm head over heels for Minkz...I don't think either of us need a long engagement.
In fact, after talking it over, Minkz and I agree on a beachside wedding in the beautiful resort town of Sulani - deciding we'll splash out a little on the ceremony, since we can't really afford either the time or the expense of a honeymoon. With Morgan's help, I soon have it all booked, organised, and underway.
Minkz' Mum, Christian, is the first to arrive of course.
I think even Minkz was a little teary as she congratulated us both warmly, enthusing about how happy she was we'd found each other.
Really, I couldn't have asked for a better mother-in-law.
It was drizzling lightly as everyone ordered drinks before the ceremony, but it didn't matter too much - Sulani is warm most of the year, and everyone was still happy dancing on the beach and drinking cocktails.
I couldn't resist trying out the chocolate fountain right away, though I was very careful not to let it drip on my dress!
Then, before I knew it, it was time for the ceremony. Minkz and I stood under the gorgeous arch, draped with flowers.
Our friends watched as we exchanged vows and rings, promising to love and care for each other forever.
And just like that, Minkz was my husband, and I was his wife! The rain even stopped during the ceremony, letting the sun come out just for a little while before sunset.
Our guests returned to the beach, where the food was set up ready for them, but Minkz and I stayed out on the platform with the wedding arch for a while, just enjoying each other's company.
Just like the night we go engaged, he swept me off my feet.
Then we returned to our guests, though not before sharing a last embrace. The ceremony had been everything I'd hoped - romantic, relaxed, with the sound of the ocean in the background.
Morgan and Duane congratulated me as we shared a drink after the ceremony, and I thanked Morgan for all her help pulling the wedding together so quickly. It wouldn't have been so perfect without her working so hard to help me out.
And that was that, the most perfect wedding I could have asked for!