One year ago today, we received our Certificate of Occupancy from the building department…that “official” piece of paper that says we really do own our home, and that it’s okay to FINALLY move in.  And so on Valentine’s Day, 2012, we began the very exciting process of occupying our new home that we built with our own hands.

After two years of what seemed like a never-ending process of dirt shoveling, framing, plumbing, drywalling, tiling, painting…and countless inspections, we were delighted to put the key in the door and finally call it ours.  We now scarcely remember it looking like it did in this photo!

During the last phases of construction, we rented a cute little cabin near downtown La Veta, a very small town in Southern Colorado, with only 600 year-round residents.  Quite the shift from big-city Denver living!  This adorable little cabin was just that – little – at only 650 square feet, it was a true test of our patience.

But day after day, we continued to make progress on the house, no matter what kind of weather came our way.  And breathtaking sunsets like this certainly helped see us through to the end…a sanctuary we can call home.

It has been an awesome and educational experience, not only to build our home from scratch, but then to learn how to make our own electricity and heat our water with the glorious power of the sun.  This is truly what it means to be “off-grid”, way out here in our little spot of bliss on earth.

I was even conned into learning how to drive the tractor, who we fondly refer to as, “el Roho”.  I was told it was a “pre-requisite” in this country!

And so it is…our first full year at el Rancho.  May I never have to live anywhere else, and may I always have my sweetie and my dogs at my side to enjoy the nature and beauty that surrounds us.