Life on the Compound

We've been here on the compound a week shy of five months. Approximately three more months than I anticipated we would be here...and counting. We call it the compound because that's what people who don't live here call it. My parents live in the northern most house, Grandma's next door, my brother Charlie is soon to be living south of her twenty yards in my aunt and uncle's old home, and my aunt and uncle have a brand new home on the southern most part of the Shively compound.

It's been Shively land for several generations now and it is a special little place in this world I was blessed enough to call home all my growing up years. And, now I'm experiencing all I loved about it growing up all over again as I'm here in transition while our house is on the market. The boys and I spend quality time outdoors nearly every day. Gabe has become quite countrified in our time here. There used to be a day where getting his hands dirty really bothered him and thinking about touching bugs and small critters was completely out of the question. Neither of those are issues for him any longer.

I capture moments here every day with my camera and today I'm sharing them with you.

 

Kite flying with Uncle Charlie.

 

Fishing in the forbidden pond.

An activity we can no longer enjoy.

"Riding" Libby while I pull weeds in the garden.

Dug the teepee out of the storage trailer.

Hours of fun in the yard with it.

Competition time.

Who can balance the book on their head the longest?

Not Gabe.

A whole lot going on in this photo.

Gabe throwing grape tomatoes.

Daniel shooting them on the ground.

Mom administering a free haircut and advice on the phone at the same time.

Casey holding still.

Duke roaming for a place to lay.

Barrett just roaming.

Just a regular old evening on the compound.

 

Riding/driving Grami's mule.

Cleaning up cut trees the electric company left behind.

Always work to do on the compound.

This boy's not complaining.

Picking up rocks in the yard with Aunt Kaci.

 

Sunset view from the back deck.

 

Loving this cooler than usual summer and the gorgeous evenings.

No exciting updates on the house. Still praying for FEMA to make a favorable ruling on the map amendment. We are in a waiting period with them now and could be waiting for a response as late as end of August. Any seriously interested buyers have been put off by the insurance requirement. Looking forward to the day when this issue is a distant memory. In the mean time soaking up life on the compound as we know it will come to an end when the house does sell. And, we believe in Jesus' name that it will!