When my husband and I married in 2015, we were both in college and pursuing careers in business. We were well dressed, fairly arrogant, and made for the city, lacking any skills other than how to operate a computer and keep up with the Joneses. So, when we decided seemingly overnight to sell our beautifully manicured house and move to the country, everyone thought we had lost our marbles. When we also added that we were looking for at least five acres to raise chickens and goats and would be homeschooling (oh, and by the way, I’m pregnant with baby #3), we had five heads each.
What Happened When We Got Here?
Our homestead story has a rough start. For one, the transition wasn’t easy. The house we were going to originally buy had foundation issues at inspection and therefore we lived in my parents’ basement while house hunting for four months. By the time we moved into our home, I was in my third trimester. I will spare you the details on living in a basement without a kitchen as a family with a three and one year old and a pregnant momma. It was challenging, but doable. This span also gave us time to hone our focus on what we wanted to accomplish first, which was a blessing. Our list included getting chickens and establishing a garden. We also learned very quickly that the amenities we were used to (like the zoo, museums, and tasty eating establishments littering every corner in the city) were comforts we were reliant on and were painful to give up.
What Were We Lacking When We Began?
Decades ago, my great-grandparents owned a 100-acre farm near our current home, but once my grandmother left the country for the city, she never looked back. She retained some of her skills, like sewing, but almost all of the homesteading mindset was lost before my generation. An appreciation for simple living, the tried and true “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” mentality, a local community that looks out for one another even when it’s not convenient, food preservation, and cooking from scratch were all important things for my husband and I to accomplish. We simply had little to no foundation for it.
Our Challenges
When I got married, I didn’t even know how to properly cut a steak let alone cook one. My poor husband stuck it out for eight years, bless his heart. Now I am able to pay him back with homemade bread and whipped honey cinnamon butter. You can tell we’re city folk by making copycat Texas Roadhouse at home, but can you blame us? It’s delicious and so much better when made for pennies on the dollar. I look forward to passing on skills like food preservation, gardening, and cooking from scratch to my children and seeing how they continue to grow in this lifestyle if they so choose.
chickens! The blue egg made me so
giddy!
We also faced the arrogance part of our “city personality” we thought we sold with the house. The first mistake was thinking two acres of nice, green lawn simply wasn’t enough to accomplish our overzealous goals to become Farmer and Mrs. Joe overnight. We have since realized we are starting from ground zero on everything (either on our property or in ourselves). That requires a lot of patience. Especially when you have three (soon to be four) young kids who also need our attention. I am just now gaining confidence in making from-scratch meals. It has taken almost two years to learn how to use a knife properly, source quality ingredients, and invest in my family by taking the time to do these things.
First Lessons in Our Homestead Story
I had to learn it is not selfish to ask for time to watch videos on how to pressure can or make bread from scratch. It is not selfish to invest in kitchen tools that will continue to serve us for years to come. The initial investment may seem really high, but it is going to give invaluable return for generations to come. The simple living mindset and homesteader lifestyle comes with a serious shift in perspective and priority. That change in our hearts will be ongoing, I believe.
Though we are not the homesteaders of our dreams, each day I strive to reclaim the skills and simple living. I hope you join our family on our journey toward greater self-sufficiency and freedom. I wish I had documented everything over these last two years as we have made great strides. However, I do know there is plenty more in store for the future. I am so excited to share the rest of our homestead story with you, friend!
Learning new skills have a way of increasing your knowledge, to the point where one day you’re surprised to realize there is nothing you cannot accomplish. Bravo!