The Pine Barrens of South Jersey
In 2020, we bought an old, abandoned house deep in the woods of the Pine Barrens. This was before anyone had the nightmare of pandemics thrust upon them.
I can’t quite explain the feeling I had when I first stepped onto that land—I just knew it was mine. I loved it instantly. Walking into the house, with its old wood floors and rich trim throughout, I felt at home. There was no doubt it would be a labor of love, but I embraced it.
Someone lived hard and loved this place once- what happen?
At the time, my husband’s company moved us frequently, and this home became one of our stops. Looking back, it was the best place we could have been during that period. I still feel so grateful to God for that.
That house was a gift to my family—a place of healing when we needed it most. It was a blessing, but also an enormous amount of work.
We cleared trees, remodeled the kitchen, and painted so much I thought we’d never finish (we never finished😅). But I found joy in refinishing furniture—it was oddly calming. We tackled a bathroom remodel, mold treatment, plumbing fixes, and even a full septic dig. Major yard work? Endless. Pest control? Never-ending. We worked on water treatment, installed a new roof, brand-new siding, and even added a beautiful pond, built from the ground up. Watching the house transform was incredibly rewarding.
Yet, there was always more to do. Just as we started dreaming about our next projects, we received our next “orders” to move.
Leaving was bittersweet. We hadn’t finished everything we envisioned, but we were moving to a place we love even more—a place that truly become our home, Texas! What made it easier was knowing we were passing our project to a sweet little family who loved the house as much as we did. They shared their plans to raise horses and start a small farm, which was exactly what we had once dreamed of.
Not long after, they sent me a picture—sitting together by the fireplace, the same one my mom and I had poured our hearts into. It was picture-perfect. In the end, choosing them was easy. We had given that home all the love we could, and now it was in the hands that would cherish it just as much.
SK
- Confusion: The Chaos Strategist
- 5 Bible Verses to Remember: Gratitude, Forgiveness, Worthiness, Grace, and Peace
- Fixing the Hinges on the Gate | by fabricthatmademe
- Switching Off Survival Mode
- It’s Not That Deep…Or is it?
Leave a Reply