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The past few weeks had been going really well. With Loïc’s help, the groundwork for our farmhouse renovation was moving forward quickly. Trenches were dug, utility lines laid, and everything seemed on track. It felt like we were finally reaching an important milestone in the renovation. But then, just as Philippe was finishing the last few trenches, the unthinkable happened. A completely unpredicted rainstorm hit only a small part of our town. A freak downpour that no forecast had shown. In minutes, the trenches filled with water, the pipes began to float, and days of work were lost. We felt devastated and unsure how to keep going.
The next morning, our family was supposed to return home to Belgium, but instead they made a choice that meant the world to us. They decided to stay longer to help us repair the damage. That evening, everyone was working side by side again, rebuilding what the rain had destroyed. Despite the chaos, we ended the day feeling deeply grateful, reminded that we are not alone in this. The following day they fixed most of the damage, and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye to everyone. Over the next few days, Philippe continued repairing and securing the damaged utility lines. He also found two little treasures that we will definitely keep, as they are a testimony to how long this place has existed and how long people have lived here. After all that rain, there was still some grading to be done, and he dug the last trench to put in the waterline for the vegetable garden. Finally, with the grading finished, it was time to level the driveway a bit more so everything is set for the next step, which we will cover in the next video.
Take care, thank you again for watching and see you next week!
If you did not get a chance to watch our Year 2 recap, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/fj7zLvFozPo
°°° Our Story: We’re Philippe, Anicia and our little explorer is Odin. In the summer of 2023, we left the comforts of our lives in Belgium and purchased an old farmhouse in the south of France, specifically in the Dordogne region. We produce weekly videos documenting our progress on the property, with the ultimate goal of renovating it and restoring it to its former glory. Join us on our journey of transforming this French homestead as we aim for a simpler, yet more fulfilling life closer to nature. We’ll be expecting our second child soon (in November 2025)!
#france #homestead #offgrid #farmhouse #movingtofrance #frenchcountry #renovation #renovationproject #countryside #livinginfrance #building #countrylife #restoration #slowlife #renovating #youngfamily #renovatinginfrance #FarmhouseRestoration #restoration #excavation #frenchcountryside #frenchfarmhouse #slowliving #offgridliving #barn #barnrenovation #wildlifecam #building #slowlife #slowliving #hardwork #family #bobcat #restoration #thwaites #dumper #bobcat #DIY #FrenchDrain #UtilityTrenches #groundworks
°°° MUSIC | We use epidemic sounds for our music: https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/featured/ Feel free to ask us the title of songs in the comments!
35 Comments
Family first. ❤
That rain brought tragedy to triumph. It brought your family together and showed just how much can be conquered by love. Family is EVERYTHING!!!
Blessings friends.
So sad to see this happen. Thank God you were able to fix it and get it done permanently. Now, when you can, install the fabric and add the gravel fill for an excellent pad for movement of machinery and parking. Marcel from Saskatchewan.
beautiful old coin finds. hopefully you find a billion more of them.
9:29 beautiful picture.🌼 🌸
20:48 excess soil
this was a emotional 😢 vlog.
you have a wonderful family.
Another fantastic slice of your life in rural France – thank you so much
Such a cruel and crushing blow to all your hard work. Your family really stepped up to help and I'm so glad they did. Progress moves along!
So sorry for the rain and what it did. Such a thoughtful and nice family you all are. Fingers crossed you get finished before the next big rainstorm🤞
Well done ! Amazing family stayed to help . Don’t give up keep going , you’re doing such a wonderful job . It’ll all work out in the end 🔆🔆😎😎🔆🔆
6.03 I was nearly crying with you. After all that hard work not just the past few weeks but even the months it took to clean the soil and remove the big stones the fixing of the dumper and digger and everything else in between. It is just crazy how much damage mother nature can do in a few minutes. Absolutely shocking to see your trenches fill up and pipes starting to move and electrical equipment getting wet in the worst places. So relieved your family is as lovely as you all and are able and willing to help. That's what it is all about. Family and hard work. I'll continue watching now but I wanted to express my appreciation for the amazing footage of the lightning you managed to capture. It really shows the power of nature versus the power of hard work, determination and family love. I'm keeping my fingers, eyes, legs and arms crossed in the hope that by the end of the video you'll have the worst problems fixed again….
Thanks!
Aahh, this broke my heart. What a lovely family…we always hit jackpot to have such a loving, supportive family. All the best guys. All will be well.
It wasn’t bad luck at all instead you are so fortunate as the rain brought a beautiful opportunity to your family.. a chance to come together when you needed them, a chance to work together, to rely on each other, it was a downpour of LOVE. 💕💝💕 And you had GOOD luck finding very old coins on your property!!🍀..They may be worth a bit of money.💰 It would be worth having a go around with a metal detector..🤔
16.28 cool coin finds maybe the rain was needed to wash these out?🤔 Strange
Family says it all. Well done . Life has setbacks but you are still progressing.
Your family is the best. Cheers
Balen is dat! Maar never waste a good crisis!! Lijkt een goede test van de drainage systeem… Komt goed. Succes!
What a lovely family
Bravo, à la famille qui est resté, pour vous aider, a reprendre le travail, bon courage pour la suite.
Like everyone else, we were so very sorry to see the devastation the Storm brought.
Thank Goodness for a wonderful family ❤
We are all thinking of you .keep up your strong determination to win against all odds xx
So sorry about the rain damage and grateful that you have such a great family who helped in that way!❤
I'm sure you're all lovely but so many adverts……
Bonjour, vous dites que la majeure partie de l'eau est venue de la route qui descend chez vous, vous devriez alors mettre un drain avec grille métallique en bas du goudronnage et en travers de la route ce qui vous permettrait de le raccorder tant que vous avez vos tranchées ouvertes. C'est ce que je ferais!
As you showed the rain pouring down, I could have cried. I felt your pain. Your family were wonderful staying to help repair what was damaged and level everything once again. That is true family love and understanding. A big thank you to your family. I am happy that all the trenches are now filled and you can continue moving forward. Ronnie in Saskatchewan
😢😢
I felt like crying when I saw the rain as well …
Ohhh my goodness, I cried when you said your family where comming back to support you – what a treasure <4
Op het weer hebben we geen vat, goed dat de familie nog even kon blijven om het ergste te verhelpen.
You are blessed with a wonderful supportive family. Take heart. You also have the support and good wishes from your subscribers!😊
Dit is een echte FAMILIE….anderen helpen in nood ! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
I couldn't believe all that rain, we really felt for you. Pleased your family stayed to help. You have achieved so much & it will all be worth it in the end ❤❤❤❤❤
You have a lovely and kind family!
What a beautiful family blessings on you all xxx
Thanks for your vid 😇💗💗💗love and bless you guys ❤😊good work with the pipes 😊 I hyped your vid 180 point's 😊
vous êtes de la belgique francophone? 🙂
I bet you sleep well at night, i love seeing what you are doing. We moved to France in April near Clisson. I could always come down sometime if you ever need an extra pair of hands. I’m a baker by trade, but handy with other jobs. Aaron