Change is Good

A lot has transpired since my last post.  My husband became a Realtor after about 20 years in the banking industry.  What a change!  This last year has been a little scary, but also a lot of fun!  We are enjoying the benefits of more family time and flexibility in our schedule which is great for life on the homestead.

Let me just say, I am super proud of my husband!  He studied hard while working full time and passed the state licensure test on the first try.  I admire his dedication to fully engulf himself in learning and yet remain every bit engaged in his family and career.  What a great example for the kids to see!

The kids and I are loving this change!  We get to interact with him throughout the day and have dinner by 5:00 pm which makes for a nice long evening.  No more waiting till 6:30 or 7:00 pm for him to get home!  Sure there are times that he has to show houses in the evening or hold an open house on Sunday, but when he has been home all week, it hardly interferes in the big picture.

The twins just celebrated their ninth birthday and have learned to ride the mini-bike.  They absolutely love it!  Our 7-year-old tried basketball for the first time and excelled, just as he has done with soccer.  He's a natural athlete and it's fun to watch him play.  Our daughter continues to play soccer as well but has started taking piano lessons with her twin brother.  She is doing well and it makes me proud to watch all three grow in their talents.

God has been good to us!  He continues to provide for us through this change of careers and the blessings abound.  I give Him all the glory for helping us transition from a job with a solid, known income and good insurance, to one where you have to work for every penny, not knowing when the next paycheck will come and figuring out health insurance benefits.  We have learned to trust God more, from the first decision to make a change, to the daily ins and outs of this new lifestyle.

My Take-Aways:

1. Follow your dreams.  Make a change!  It might be risky but if it's what God wants you to do, it's worth it!
2. Family time is important.  Never take for granted the time you get to spend together.  Be intentional in creating time with each other.
3. Be supportive of your loved ones.  They may be relying on your strength to get through the challenging times.

Come On, Spring!

Slowly but surely we are creeping out of Winter and into Spring.  I realize that without the contrasting seasons we would likely take our favorite temperatures for granted.  But I am ready for the increasing warmth and daylight.  I am ready for all things green and full of life.  Just yesterday we all rejoiced after noticing the tomato seeds we planted last week had sprouted. 

Here we are in February and starting to have longer days and some are feeling warmer than others.  The warm days draw us out to take in the sunshine and even do a project or two.  It’s rather sad how much the weather affects my productivity.  I don’t seem to thrive in the winter months like I do the rest of the year.  Needless to say, I look forward to Spring.  I think the animals will be grateful for the change of seasons as well.

Recently we were able to enjoy a couple of those nice warm days.  I cleaned the barn porch.  I had to scrub the chairs and nesting box and floor.  Everything was covered in red dirt from the chicken run.  We also ran electricity to the barn.  We now have a light and some plugs which is amazing!  I also planted onion starts in the garden and they are still green, so that’s a plus! 

The kids had a couple days out of school due to the weather.  Despite the cold temps and wintery mix falling from the sky, they were out exploring the creek multiple times a day.  I decided to go with them a few times just to get a change of scenery.  I love nature.  It’s beautiful even when everything is brown, but especially when highlighted by snow, sleet and ice.  

During the inside time, the kids found interest in sewing.  They cut up old clothes and made things for their babies/stuffed animals.  We did a fun experiment using milk and vinegar.  We also let the kids make peanut butter cookies by themselves (except putting them in the oven and taking them out).  They did great!  We are learning to let them try things even if it means letting them fail.  It can be hard not to hover over them but it is good for them to build independence.

The kids have also had some fun sitting on the back porch shooting BB guns and learning about gun safety.  I love the back porch of the house because the North wind is blocked and we get to bask in the sun.  It is also peppered with muddy boots from exploring the creek.  Note to self:  don’t leave the boots out or the dog will chew them. 

All in all, I am thankful for the rain for our land and the extra time I have gotten to spend with the kids this week.  Spring is on the way and soon we will be busy and look back at these cold months of inactivity with fond memories.  

My Take-Aways:

1. Don’t rush life.  We have different seasons of life and they are all beneficial to who we are.  Find the good and savor what each season affords.
2. Let the kids get muddy.  Let them explore nature despite the extra loads of laundry it may bring.  
3. Just as the rain and sunshine bring about life, the extra time spent with family leads to deeper relationships.  Embrace it!

A Full Day of Homesteading

We had our first warm weekend of the new year and we made the most of it.  It was a full-blown homestead Saturday!  These are the days I look forward to the most…family time outdoors with the feeling of great accomplishment (and exhaustion) when the day is done.

We started our day in the goat pen.  We walked through the field scooping up poop to use as fertilizer for the garden.  The kids helped rake and scoop and even provided their big plastic dump truck as a means from getting the poop to the garden.  My husband raked out the goat’s shelter and started a compost pile of hay and poop (as there was a lot of fertilization that had taken place in the shelter).  This task inspired him to go to the local farm store and buy a pitch fork.  It’s always exciting to get a new tool, right?

We made a family trip out of the deal, too.  We love going to Tractor Supply!  The kids got new kid sized shovels and gloves with which they helped shovel the garden and play in the sandbox.  The gloves also came in handy later when moving firewood to the house (and climbing trees).  We have had our fair share of cold weather lately and had depleted our rick of wood.   While in town we got produce seeds and onion starts so we will be ready for planting as it warms up.  I can’t wait!

After adding the fertilizer (goat poop) to the garden and returning from the store, it was time to till the garden.  I had gone to the front yard to water the flower bed shrubs and ivy and was thrilled to return and find my husband teaching our youngest son to use the small tiller.  They were having a great time of bonding!  My son thoroughly enjoyed tilling and continued to help till all 3 beds were done.  He was dancing and entertaining us as he tilled.  He is as full of life as they come!

Now that the garden was ready and we had prepped for more cold weather we were able to do other things around the homestead.  We cleaned up the inside of the barn and cut a huge dead limb out of a tree that was hanging from an ice storm a couple years ago.  We made small shelters in the chicken run since we have had hawks preying on our chickens.  I also added fishing line across the top of the run to see if that would keep the hawks out and the chickens in.  Only time will tell if this will help.  We also ran the sprinkler in the goat pen and chicken run since it has been so dry lately to help get the nitrogen (chicken/goat poop) into the soil.

The best part of this full day of work, was that we had fun together as a family.  I’ll be honest in that there was one kid that needed persuasion to join us outside but once he was out there he never went back inside.  The kids worked right alongside us enjoying the work as if it were play.  And when you are together as a family, that’s just what it feels like…play. 

My Take-Aways:

1. There is something very fulfilling about working on a homestead.  Fresh air and sunshine, tasks completed, and all working towards one goal as a family.  It’s more than a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.
2. Kids are capable of much more than we give them credit.  Teach them life skills and watch them grow!
3. Sometimes you need to persuade kids to get outside.  Once outside, they flourish with creativity!  Be a good role model and get out there with them!

Winter Daydreaming

Here we are in the dead of winter.  It’s cold and there’s not much going on around the homestead.  I spend a lot of time by the fire enjoying the warmth, mesmerized by the flames.  My desire to exercise has dwindled to an all-time low because I don’t want to get out in the cold.  I still go out daily to feed the chickens and goats and collect eggs, but I wait till the warmest part of the day to do so.  So what does one do with all this spare indoor time?  Planning…others might call it daydreaming, but I call it planning!  Oh the projects that I look forward to doing!

There are so many projects!  I want to start a compost bin so we will be able to add good nutrients to the gardens.  Many things get thrown away that should be recycled back into the ground.  We just need some food grade barrels and some lumber to build the bases.  I also want to build multiple rain barrels to make good use of the rain coming off the roof.  We could water the garden and animals if it was set up correctly.  Then there is the idea of having a wash station for the garden produce.  It could even be hooked up to a rain barrel!  This is something that could be made out of a changing table or other old piece of furniture.  The creative brain in me gets really excited about re-purposing things!

Pinterest Changing Table Wash Station

I’m also looking forward to this year’s garden.  In the past my husband has been the one who tills and plants (very well I might add) and I would water and pick produce (or squash bugs) as needed.  This year I am doing my research in all this down time by the fire.  I told my husband that I am taking over the garden and maybe even adding more raised beds.  By the end of the year I may give it back to him but I want to give it a try!  I’m thinking about using some old discarded tractor tires for more beds.  Then we won’t be limited on space! 

Gardens looking for love.

None of this could be done without my amazing husband.  He jumps on board with all (well, most) my ideas and together we make it happen.  Go Team!  Now you will have to stay tuned to see if any of these particular projects come to fruition.  It’s always easier to dream them up than to see them to completion.  What about you?  What kind of projects are you planning? 

The barn is my favorite project thus far.

My Take-Aways:

1. Daydreaming is fun.  It makes the long winter days go by a little faster.
2. Homestead projects are never-ending.  It’s part of the fun, really.  Something we can do as a family and take pride in the end product.
3. A fireplace is a requirement in my home.  I wouldn’t know what to do without it!  It’s what dreams are made of!