Oct. 25th, 2020 04:48 pm
The Green Family Story: Chapter 4
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avaricesims 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)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Minkz and I spent a lovely day and night out at the warm tropical beach, it was pretty miserable to come back home to the farm and start married life in a blizzard. We were getting close to being able to afford a house, particularly with Minkz' Mum giving us $1000 as a wedding gift to put towards it, but for now we were still stuck in the tent. It was so bitterly cold outside there was nothing we could do except huddle in the tent and try to stay warm; it was a relief to go off to work!
Minkz has been looking for a job too but hasn't been able to find one yet, and I worried about him in the tent on his own while I was at work. I suggested he go around to his Mum's place for the day, but Morgan beat me to it and invited him around. They're already friends, but I'm sure he was grateful both for a warm house and to get to know her better.
I joined them after my shift, and Morgan insisted I get some rest in the spare bedroom. She knows it's hard to sleep with the wind rattling the tent and howling around us. I don't know what I'd do without such good friends willing to help us out.
Meanwhile, Minkz got to know Morgan's family too, and made sure they knew how grateful we were for their hospitality. Morgan and her sister Siobhan still live with their parents, who are both very nice and welcoming too.
Her Mum even made us mac'n'cheese, the perfect comfort food for such a chilly evening.
Minkz and I finished up our visit with a hearty meal, fortified, warmed up, and ready to head back out to the farm.
Over the next few weeks, the blizzard let up but the snow was here to stay. The farm isn't as productive in the winter but some plants still produce, and I was selling everything that grew to nearby restaurants. Minkz also helped on the farm - in fact, he was doing most of it, while I was doing my best at work, even managing a promotion.
Eventually, as it always does, all our hard work paid off. I hired a building company who sold houses off pre-done plans, and chose a small, cheerful farm cottage. Not too much later, we were able to pack away the tent and move in to our very first home together!
Of course...we'd spent nearly every penny we had on the house itself, and inside it was a little sparse. We managed to buy a cheap fridge at first, so we could at least store a few simple groceries.
A bench and sink also proved affordable, just, so I could make simple meals, like fresh salads from our own farm-grown produce.
We might not be able to afford wallpaper, lighting, or much in the way of other furniture, but we did manage to buy a bed - a huge upgrade from a sleeping roll on the ground!
And, after all...we were a married couple now...
So there was nothing holding us back!
All in all, life was pretty good. We had a lot of work to do to turn the little cottage into our home, but we'd made a start and both Minkz and I felt comfortable and happy at the farm. I was so proud of all the work I'd done to go from owning nothing but the land itself, to actually having a little house to call my own.
Not that it was all smooth sailing. We struggled a lot at first to pay the bills, forgetting to keep enough aside. Once, the council sent a repo-man, and even though Minkz had managed to sell a whole lot of produce only a few minutes before, he had to pay nearly double to prevent our fridge from being repossessed - almost everything the farm had produced that harvest!
Minkz tried to make some of the money back from Geekcon while it was in town, without much luck unfortunately.
Anyway, money is not the most important thing in life. We might be living on the edge of our finances, but we're rich in other ways. We still visit Christian a lot, and she has now adopted Brayden officially. He's getting so big!
Minkz and I like to take him to the park, and Christian often comes too even though you'd think she might enjoy an afternoon to herself! She dotes on her boys though - Brayden and Minkz both.
It's always good to take the chance to do some more fishing, too.
I've now caught nearly twenty different kinds of fish, making for a pretty impressive collection in my opinion!
More importantly, Minkz is now a good enough cook that he can turn what I catch into a pretty amazing meal.
Brayden isn't quite old enough for fried trout for lunch yet, but Minkz, Christian and I sure enjoy a sunny afternoon talking and eating freshly caught fish.
Almost before we know it, New Year's Eve has rolled around. Minkz and I don't have a TV at home so we decided to head out to a pub for the evening, which turned out to be a lot of fun as quite a few others were there celebrating too.
We spent the evening playing pub games...
And drinking cocktails, of course! Or, in my case, mocktails.
Then we all got together to count down to midnight.
Back home, Minkz and I ushered in the New Year with our own, private celebration too.
Actually, if I'm being honest, Minkz and I have hardly been able to keep our hands off each other since we got married. We both want a big family, so we haven't been taking precautions either...hence my mocktails on New Year's Eve, because I had my suspicions. Soon enough it's certain enough that it's time to let Minkz know he's going to be a Dad - I'm pregnant! He's so excited, as I knew he would be, although we're both a little worried about money.
Minkz has been trying to hard to find work, but there's a lot to do on the farm and he's not had much luck finding hours that work around those obligations. After all, selling our produce is actually a lot more lucrative than my job, so it makes no sense for him to take anything really low-paid if we would then have to downsize the farm. The farming keeps him more than busy enough, as it is.
Anyway, financial security or not we have a baby coming, and Morgan is also delighted for me when I tell her!
She even helps out on the farm for a few days once she hears the news, insisting I rest and relax inside. As if! Being in the garden is still a joy to me, if I can manage a few hours after work. Still, I appreciate her thoughtfulness, and it's nice to have her around every day for a while.
Especially as the house itself still needs a lot of work. We're putting in upgrades as fast as we can afford them, but most of what we can afford is old, secondhand, and prone to breaking. Minkz, luckily, is turning out to be quite handy around the house - we certainly can't afford a repairman!
When he gets stuck on how to fix something he heads to the library to figure it out. Thanks to him, not only are we able to install a basic shower and toilet, freeing us from relying on the gym at long last, but we can even keep them running despite their rickety old plumbing.
A couch is another major purchase - nothing fancy or very beautiful, but it's comfortable and a place to sit and eat.
Minkz and I spent some time nesting, with only Morgan around to visit, before we decided it was time to share our news with everyone else. Christian was the main person we wanted to tell, of course.
She was SO excited she was going to be a grandmother!
Minkz got some Dad practice in with Brayden while we were there. He loves spending time with his foster brother; just imagine how great he's going to be with his own kids.
Normally Christian cooks for us if we visit, but this time I wanted to do the honours, and used her amazing grill to throw together some burgers.
They're Brayden's favourite, so we knew he'd be happy about it!
It was a lovely evening, and a chance to pick Christian's brain for parenting tips. Minkz and Brayden had both been easy babies, she said, and she was sure our baby would be too. I hope so!
Then it was back into the swing of real life. We decided that Minkz should stop looking for work, and instead focus on the farm, running yard sales, and when the baby comes he'll be a stay at home Dad while I go back to work.
He still felt a little guilty about not having a traditional job with a reliable pay check, but I reminded him it was my dream to have the farm, and I only had the gardening job out of necessity. If we could both stay home and work the land full time, I'd have jumped at the chance, though my job is pretty interesting sometimes, and I don't hate it. Minkz took his impending role as stay at home Dad seriously, and ordered parenting books to study whenever he had some time in the evenings.
Speaking of my job, it was getting pretty hard to do it as I got bigger, and closer to my due date. Towards the end of my pregnancy I took some leave; the work was just too physical to keep up with. I loved being pregnant though - feeling our baby kick and roll over as it got bigger and more active was so special.
With some time off work I got to enjoy the farm more too. It was really coming along, with a lot of beautiful flowers and fresh, organic veggies.
In fact, I was out watering the carrots on a cool, overcast day when I felt the first ripples of pain in my abdomen. It was completely unmistakeable - I was in labour!
I yelled for Minkz, who rushed out to the garden right away. We would have liked a home birth ideally, but with the house so unfinished, and this being my first baby, we had planned for the hospital this time.
I think Minkz regretted it once we got there! He'd have loved for me to have the baby at home, in a familiar place, surrounded by the peace of the farm, and he didn't feel comfortable in the sterile but bustling hospital...though he DID want the doctors around to help me!
In the end, I think I agreed with him. Our doctor was very nice, but I hated the machine they used for the birth. Next time, I want a natural birth at home. Anyway, this time around, the important thing was everything went smoothly - my labour was just as straightforward as my pregnancy, which I'd felt great during and had hardly any morning sickness at all.
We welcomed our first child, a daughter, to the world without too much fuss. Her name is Clover Green, and she's just perfect.
Minkz whisked us away home as soon as the doctors discharged me, and fell right into the role of Dad without a hitch. I knew he'd be wonderful.
We had our friends and family over almost right away to meet her. I couldn't wait to show her off.
Morgan was really happy for us, though Clover stayed asleep for most of her visit. She loves babies, although I don't think she's planning on her own any time soon.
Christian also came around right after the birth, and congratulated her son on becoming a Dad.
Clover even woke up for her Gran, much to Christian's delight!
So yes, welcome to the world, little Clover. We're so happy to have you join the family.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Minkz and I spent a lovely day and night out at the warm tropical beach, it was pretty miserable to come back home to the farm and start married life in a blizzard. We were getting close to being able to afford a house, particularly with Minkz' Mum giving us $1000 as a wedding gift to put towards it, but for now we were still stuck in the tent. It was so bitterly cold outside there was nothing we could do except huddle in the tent and try to stay warm; it was a relief to go off to work!
Minkz has been looking for a job too but hasn't been able to find one yet, and I worried about him in the tent on his own while I was at work. I suggested he go around to his Mum's place for the day, but Morgan beat me to it and invited him around. They're already friends, but I'm sure he was grateful both for a warm house and to get to know her better.
I joined them after my shift, and Morgan insisted I get some rest in the spare bedroom. She knows it's hard to sleep with the wind rattling the tent and howling around us. I don't know what I'd do without such good friends willing to help us out.
Meanwhile, Minkz got to know Morgan's family too, and made sure they knew how grateful we were for their hospitality. Morgan and her sister Siobhan still live with their parents, who are both very nice and welcoming too.
Her Mum even made us mac'n'cheese, the perfect comfort food for such a chilly evening.
Minkz and I finished up our visit with a hearty meal, fortified, warmed up, and ready to head back out to the farm.
Over the next few weeks, the blizzard let up but the snow was here to stay. The farm isn't as productive in the winter but some plants still produce, and I was selling everything that grew to nearby restaurants. Minkz also helped on the farm - in fact, he was doing most of it, while I was doing my best at work, even managing a promotion.
Eventually, as it always does, all our hard work paid off. I hired a building company who sold houses off pre-done plans, and chose a small, cheerful farm cottage. Not too much later, we were able to pack away the tent and move in to our very first home together!
Of course...we'd spent nearly every penny we had on the house itself, and inside it was a little sparse. We managed to buy a cheap fridge at first, so we could at least store a few simple groceries.
A bench and sink also proved affordable, just, so I could make simple meals, like fresh salads from our own farm-grown produce.
We might not be able to afford wallpaper, lighting, or much in the way of other furniture, but we did manage to buy a bed - a huge upgrade from a sleeping roll on the ground!
And, after all...we were a married couple now...
So there was nothing holding us back!
All in all, life was pretty good. We had a lot of work to do to turn the little cottage into our home, but we'd made a start and both Minkz and I felt comfortable and happy at the farm. I was so proud of all the work I'd done to go from owning nothing but the land itself, to actually having a little house to call my own.
Not that it was all smooth sailing. We struggled a lot at first to pay the bills, forgetting to keep enough aside. Once, the council sent a repo-man, and even though Minkz had managed to sell a whole lot of produce only a few minutes before, he had to pay nearly double to prevent our fridge from being repossessed - almost everything the farm had produced that harvest!
Minkz tried to make some of the money back from Geekcon while it was in town, without much luck unfortunately.
Anyway, money is not the most important thing in life. We might be living on the edge of our finances, but we're rich in other ways. We still visit Christian a lot, and she has now adopted Brayden officially. He's getting so big!
Minkz and I like to take him to the park, and Christian often comes too even though you'd think she might enjoy an afternoon to herself! She dotes on her boys though - Brayden and Minkz both.
It's always good to take the chance to do some more fishing, too.
I've now caught nearly twenty different kinds of fish, making for a pretty impressive collection in my opinion!
More importantly, Minkz is now a good enough cook that he can turn what I catch into a pretty amazing meal.
Brayden isn't quite old enough for fried trout for lunch yet, but Minkz, Christian and I sure enjoy a sunny afternoon talking and eating freshly caught fish.
Almost before we know it, New Year's Eve has rolled around. Minkz and I don't have a TV at home so we decided to head out to a pub for the evening, which turned out to be a lot of fun as quite a few others were there celebrating too.
We spent the evening playing pub games...
And drinking cocktails, of course! Or, in my case, mocktails.
Then we all got together to count down to midnight.
Back home, Minkz and I ushered in the New Year with our own, private celebration too.
Actually, if I'm being honest, Minkz and I have hardly been able to keep our hands off each other since we got married. We both want a big family, so we haven't been taking precautions either...hence my mocktails on New Year's Eve, because I had my suspicions. Soon enough it's certain enough that it's time to let Minkz know he's going to be a Dad - I'm pregnant! He's so excited, as I knew he would be, although we're both a little worried about money.
Minkz has been trying to hard to find work, but there's a lot to do on the farm and he's not had much luck finding hours that work around those obligations. After all, selling our produce is actually a lot more lucrative than my job, so it makes no sense for him to take anything really low-paid if we would then have to downsize the farm. The farming keeps him more than busy enough, as it is.
Anyway, financial security or not we have a baby coming, and Morgan is also delighted for me when I tell her!
She even helps out on the farm for a few days once she hears the news, insisting I rest and relax inside. As if! Being in the garden is still a joy to me, if I can manage a few hours after work. Still, I appreciate her thoughtfulness, and it's nice to have her around every day for a while.
Especially as the house itself still needs a lot of work. We're putting in upgrades as fast as we can afford them, but most of what we can afford is old, secondhand, and prone to breaking. Minkz, luckily, is turning out to be quite handy around the house - we certainly can't afford a repairman!
When he gets stuck on how to fix something he heads to the library to figure it out. Thanks to him, not only are we able to install a basic shower and toilet, freeing us from relying on the gym at long last, but we can even keep them running despite their rickety old plumbing.
A couch is another major purchase - nothing fancy or very beautiful, but it's comfortable and a place to sit and eat.
Minkz and I spent some time nesting, with only Morgan around to visit, before we decided it was time to share our news with everyone else. Christian was the main person we wanted to tell, of course.
She was SO excited she was going to be a grandmother!
Minkz got some Dad practice in with Brayden while we were there. He loves spending time with his foster brother; just imagine how great he's going to be with his own kids.
Normally Christian cooks for us if we visit, but this time I wanted to do the honours, and used her amazing grill to throw together some burgers.
They're Brayden's favourite, so we knew he'd be happy about it!
It was a lovely evening, and a chance to pick Christian's brain for parenting tips. Minkz and Brayden had both been easy babies, she said, and she was sure our baby would be too. I hope so!
Then it was back into the swing of real life. We decided that Minkz should stop looking for work, and instead focus on the farm, running yard sales, and when the baby comes he'll be a stay at home Dad while I go back to work.
He still felt a little guilty about not having a traditional job with a reliable pay check, but I reminded him it was my dream to have the farm, and I only had the gardening job out of necessity. If we could both stay home and work the land full time, I'd have jumped at the chance, though my job is pretty interesting sometimes, and I don't hate it. Minkz took his impending role as stay at home Dad seriously, and ordered parenting books to study whenever he had some time in the evenings.
Speaking of my job, it was getting pretty hard to do it as I got bigger, and closer to my due date. Towards the end of my pregnancy I took some leave; the work was just too physical to keep up with. I loved being pregnant though - feeling our baby kick and roll over as it got bigger and more active was so special.
With some time off work I got to enjoy the farm more too. It was really coming along, with a lot of beautiful flowers and fresh, organic veggies.
In fact, I was out watering the carrots on a cool, overcast day when I felt the first ripples of pain in my abdomen. It was completely unmistakeable - I was in labour!
I yelled for Minkz, who rushed out to the garden right away. We would have liked a home birth ideally, but with the house so unfinished, and this being my first baby, we had planned for the hospital this time.
I think Minkz regretted it once we got there! He'd have loved for me to have the baby at home, in a familiar place, surrounded by the peace of the farm, and he didn't feel comfortable in the sterile but bustling hospital...though he DID want the doctors around to help me!
In the end, I think I agreed with him. Our doctor was very nice, but I hated the machine they used for the birth. Next time, I want a natural birth at home. Anyway, this time around, the important thing was everything went smoothly - my labour was just as straightforward as my pregnancy, which I'd felt great during and had hardly any morning sickness at all.
We welcomed our first child, a daughter, to the world without too much fuss. Her name is Clover Green, and she's just perfect.
Minkz whisked us away home as soon as the doctors discharged me, and fell right into the role of Dad without a hitch. I knew he'd be wonderful.
We had our friends and family over almost right away to meet her. I couldn't wait to show her off.
Morgan was really happy for us, though Clover stayed asleep for most of her visit. She loves babies, although I don't think she's planning on her own any time soon.
Christian also came around right after the birth, and congratulated her son on becoming a Dad.
Clover even woke up for her Gran, much to Christian's delight!
So yes, welcome to the world, little Clover. We're so happy to have you join the family.