Spring 2014…. Our Growing Homestead

This is our first season with our new garden on the new homestead. When we first started planning our projects for the summer, I thought we were undershooting. I wanted goats… like, NOW. I wanted acres of corn… NOW. I wanted to double the chickens and raise meat birds…NOW. But alas, we did not accomplish all of that and I am so…GLAD. What we have taken on has been more consuming than I thought. The picture perfect dream of a productive homestead where I would go out to the garden in my perfect homesteading outfit (with apron of course) and harvest the produce, cook and can and blissfully appreciate all the God has given us is well….. not exactly how it all works out.

I’m learning that in the midst of our busiest days we find ourselves harvesting carrots before they rot. On the rainiest days, a chicken gets sick and has to be tended to. The beautiful sunflower hideout is infested with caterpillars that need to be picked and squished. Yes, that is the reality of homesteading. Oh, and my homesteading outfit? How about pajamas, uncombed hair, glasses, chicken poop shoes and a cup of coffee. Ha!

However, amongst all the chaos and imperfections I do find myself appreciating all that God has given us. There are those moments of beautiful sunny skies when I see my kids picking produce or running with the animals, and I realize this is the dream we set out for. Little by little, our dream is becoming a reality.

Here is a sneak peak of what’s been going on around the homestead this season. In a perfect world I would post amazing pictures of the carrot muffins I made, or the best way to hardboil our fresh eggs… but when I start baking and cooking the kids in my house go wild and taking pics is the LAST thing on my mind. So enjoy the pics I did manage to take 🙂

Our new shed/chicken coop in the works…