Dreams Come to Life

It is so hard to believe that this is all coming to life. Years and years ago, we started dreaming of living on a farm, and having our own mini-homestead. We are talking 7 or 8 years ago of hoping and dreaming. Years of container gardening on a patio.

Here we are. We have seeds started indoors. We have some of the early plants in the ground already– praying the sudden and unexpected freeze didn’t kill them. We have other seeds that you sow directly in the soil. The dream is slowly coming to life. A couple of years ago, I was sent a free water bath canning kit– with the big pot and utensils– from Ball Jars, and I can’t wait to make jam with our blueberries, cherries, and strawberries. That is, if my kids don’t eat them all before we get them inside. PS– this book is a life saver if you are new to canning. You get instructions for EVERYTHING.

It is all just such a blessing. It is not lost on me for one second how fortunate we are. We are fortunate that we bought heirloom seeds and two small raised bed kits last year. We are fortunate that God placed this home in our hands. We are fortunate that we have established apple and cherry trees in the yard. We are fortunate that Scott is “essential” and still has a job for the time being. I’m able to work from home for now. The future is so unknown for all of us, so we are doing our best to be wise and plan well.

The only dream on hold is chickens. We don’t feel that we are completely prepared. I’ve been trying to convince Scott that we need some baby emus. So far, he’s not going for it. 😉 I want to feel confident before we bring chicks home to raise, and I’m just not quite there yet. I’m afraid we would end up with all roosters, and I want none of that. I also want to make sure we have a GOOD system in place for winter.

For years, I’ve been reading and researching what it takes to homestead. Did you know that you don’t have to have a big farm to be a homesteader? Small baby steps can get you there. Bake your own bread. Grow your own spices in a small window box. You can grow a big tomato plant in a pot on your porch. Most communities have a local farmer that you can buy eggs, meat, and produce from.

I read this article recently, and I really encourage you to read it.

Here are a couple of good resources to help you learn–

The Prairie Homesteader gives great tutorials on just about everything you could need.

Homesteaders of America

Taking Inventory

Making: Today is Taco Tuesday, and I’m not thrilled. (The smell of tacos made me SO sick for all four pregnancies, and I still haven’t recovered.) So, I’ll focus on all of the bread we’ve been baking. I taught Chloe how to make lasagna on Sunday, and that was a lot of fun!

Drinking: coffee all day every day

Reading: Meg & Jo. My interest was peaked when I heard about this modern retelling of Little Women. I’m not too far into it. So far they have stayed true to the character’s personalities– just put them in modern settings.

Wanting: I just want to go somewhere. HA! I want to go camping in Yellowstone. Stick me in the woods somewhere to hike and play.

Watching: We watched the new Little Women, and it was fantastic! The Call of the Wild was also so beautifully done. Scott and I loved both. We’ve tried to have “date nights” after the kids go to bed by watching a movie and telling Chloe to go back to bed. #sofun

Listening: I’ve been loving Sally Clarkson’s podcast. I usually only listen to a podcast when I’m taking a shower and getting dressed for the day.

Wishing: Honestly… that we were in a place where I could quit my job. I love my job, but I had forgotten how much I LOVE being home with my family in the evenings. I miss our patrons and my co-workers also… but I’m not ready to go back to missing almost every family dinner.

Enjoying: Running again. It hurts. I’m SO slow and something is seriously messed up with my right knee. I missed those happy endorphines. It’s always worth it.

Loving: Long walks (around the perimeter of where we live) in the evenings with Scott while the girls play in the yard. I’m just so thankful for this place.

Hoping: I hope that our berry bushes survived the sudden freezes that we had… I also hope the temperatures will continue to warm and stay there.

Needing: Motivation.. I don’t have the desire to do anything today. I just want to curl up in bed with a book and my cup of coffee. Alas, the children need educated.

Feeling: Oh, man. What a question. I’m all over the place.

Wearing: I basically wear this sweatshirt every time it’s clean. It’s so comfortable. Yes, it was also pricey even with a discount code. Given how often I have worn it since buying, it was worth every penny.

Quarantine Life Lately

Sunscreen Stick

Is anyone else ready to get off this weather roller coaster? Last week, we had eighty degree weather that switched to damaging storms and winds. The temperatures dropped to below freezing. Yesterday, it snowed.

I’m sure that our blueberry and strawberry bushes didn’t survive, which is really heartbreaking. We were so excited for them. Everything that we have started inside has begun to grow, and I’m praying that our garden is successful this year despite the weather. Our cherry and apple tree have blooms on them, and they look so pretty!

Easter was so fun. The kids had to hunt for their baskets this year, which was so fun. They had a riddle to solve to find where they were hidden. My parents came over and watched the kids hunt for eggs from their truck. It was weird not sharing a meal with our whole families. Even when we lived far away, someone was always visiting on Easter. Our local Ace Hardware set up goodie bags outside for you to pick up. (I am that person that is spraying EVERYTHING off before anyone can touch it.)

Italian Bread Nests

The storm we had last week was wild. Flat line winds came blasting through out of nowhere. Our windows were still open and it blew so much dirt all over everything. We had a branch fall on the house, but thankfully it missed Harper’s bedroom window. It landed right next to it and there was a stick that was shot through the screen. There were a lot of limbs to pick up, but no significant damage. Some people lost barn doors and had damaged roofs.

It’s been pretty exciting around the farm. The farmers are all starting to work in the fields. It’s so fun to see the massive equipment driving down the road. I’m very excited for a front row seat to planting season.

How are you all doing? Stir crazy? Loving the slow pace? Sick of being home?

Helpful Homeschool Items

There are some items that have made our Homeschool days more successful. They aren’t necessities, but definitely help things go more smoothly. They also would all be useful if you are only temporarily quarantine-schooling.

Timer // I love having a timer for the kids. They get ten minute breaks every two subjects. They know that when the timer goes off, it’s a non-negotiable. It’s time to get to work again.

Headphones // This actually feels like a NEED in our home, or it would be a mess of distracting sounds all around. This way, the kids hear their work and no one else’s.

Storage Center// When you have tons of glue, markers, colored pencils, etc. this comes in handy. It’s a great place to hold it all and keep it organized. There is also a mini-version if you don’t need a large one.

Construction Paper // This has endless possibilities for kids. Let them use the creative side of their brain to shake things up.

Hanging folders // This is what keeps me sane through the week. Sunday night, I organize the papers for the whole week. This makes it so that we just have to grab our papers for the day in the morning. The alternative is that everyone is scrambling trying to gather the correct papers.

Pencil Sharpener // The reviews speak for themselves.

Treats // No, these aren’t for the kids. These are for you. Homeschooling is hard, and a treat helps. 🙂

Quarantine Diaries

I have encouraged my daughters to keep a journal during this time. I encouraged them to write down what they were doing each day and what they were feeling. It will be fun for them to pull out when their one-day children and grandchildren ask about this time in history. By the way, Chloe asked me if they actually had cars when I was a little girl or if I rode in a buggy like Laura Ingalls Wilder. I had to bite my cheek to hold in my laughter. haha!

I will have this blog to keep track of what we did and how I felt. Though, I do try to keep things more positive here, so not everything will be documented.

We got our raised beds put in. The dirt has been getting worked and we need to get some more soil for them. The seeds that need started indoors have been started.

Harper wanted to make these boxes into her house. We taped them together and the girls colored the inside. This was days of entertainment before they were forgotten.

We set up our table so that we can have more picnics outside with the weather warming up. It’s tricky with the wind out here, so this was the only one we’ve had so far. It’s going to be in the 70’s today!!

Chloe wrote that we have been making more desserts, and she’s not wrong. haha! We’ve been baking a lot. I thought homemade cinnamon rolls sounded good, so I put them together on Saturday night. Scott pulled them out when he woke up Sunday morning so they could rise. It’s super easy. Here’s the recipe I used. The dough is so versatile and delicious. I made this frosting.

I also finally unpacked all of the homeschool curriculum for next year. Well, Chloe and Addi’s curriculum. I haven’t ordered Harper’s yet. Each year, I feel more overwhelmed than the last. They are growing so much and have so much more learning happening. I love how eager they are to learn! If you don’t know, we use Abeka Academy curriculum. I can’t recommend it enough. Our children have grown and learned SO MUCH. I don’t get anything for saying that. Call me, Abeka. I’d love to be your brand rep!

Last night, Chloe and Addi declared that they never wanted to move out of our house, even when they are grown. I’m sure that they will change their minds when they are older, but it’s nice to know they are happy.

I got out my sewing machine to make some fabric masks. It got jammed multiple times and I ended up bursting into tears. I’ll be making curtains today once my fabric arrives, and I’m praying that it cooperates. It hasn’t been all happy sunshine and rainbows here. We’ve become angry with each other. We’ve been sick of doing the same thing every day. We miss our parents. So– no perfection here. Just trying to enjoy it while we can while still being human.