March 26, 2015
When I moved to our 5 acre home almost twelve years ago, I was single and thinking of going to live and teach abroad in Thailand. I had mailed off my applications and credentials and essays about why I love learning…and then Life sent a big huge curve ball.
The mister.
We met at the dump when I had taken a load of garbage from my first home to begin the long process of claiming a little of Me in this new place. A year later, he proposed. Another year after that, newly married, we welcomed our first child. Yet one more year, we moved into our home we built. Fast forward several years, we have a trio of kids and a menagerie of beasts, with more on the way. We have created our space, our sanctuary from new gardens to a pond to a barn and coop and more.
It has been a lot of work. A lot. Life has thrown us some pretty heavy curve balls…health issues that keep us on our toes every single day, to legal woes with neighbours (how could we know the previous owners, sixty years ago, built our house eleven inches over the property line?).
Yet here we are, with a little faith, clearing more land to get ready for our goats. Goats!!! I will be a milking maid this time next year…who would have thunk it?
Today we hired three teenage boys to come help dig our fencepost holes. Josh was supposed to have been at work, but he was let go at noon so he found all of us down in the new pigpen/goat area hauling rocks and digging deep. Feeling good.
So he joined us.
And those boys? Wow! They worked hard and happily, without many complaints. They laughed with my kids who hung off their every word. And their words were respectful and honest and caring. My nine year old joined in and made a little money, too. After four hours, all the posts were dug and much of the area cleared for new critters.
With a little faith, I should have known these teens would prove to be the best darn farmhands I could have wished for.
A goat park made by the mister…apparently goats like to play! And so do my own kids…
Yes, in twelve years so much has been created and nourished and rooted. I feel so very very blessed by this life we live.
Hello out there, I'm happy you stopped by! My name is Jules and I am grateful to share my family's homegrown adventures here...from homeschooling to homesteading.
This space is my own reminder to savour the beauty amidst the chaos and messes of motherhood...to see the extraordinary in the everyday ordinary. Thank you for joining me.
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6 Comments
Truly inspiring me to have goats…just may be not this year 🙂 I hear they need good fences and are excellent escape artist…sure not in the mood to run after goats…so instead we are getting 3 heritage bread pigs. Ah the life…I here they are good escape artist too LOL…Wish me luck. This will be our second year of living on our 5 acre little farm. We have big dream…have already had some major bumps ( hubby had stroke last spring and has fully recovered) The yard site only came with a house so we need to build barns and put up fences. Love the climbing thing your hubby build for the goats.Great idea to hire teenagers…will need to look into that. Our meat birds are order…I dream of sheep and a mini jersey cow, but I need a barn first…oh and some fence. Have a great week-end. Nadine
You know how much I love your homestead, thank you for sharing this story of how it all began. And you met your beloved at the dump! Looks like everybody is having a productive (and fun-filled) springtime. The kids are getting so big… Sending good vibes and wishes.
Goats! What a wonderful new adventure!
I would LOVE to know about Sunshine’s pants! Did you make them? Is there a pattern? My own little Sunny girl would LOVE some!
Nadine…it sounds like you are well on your way! Yes, the great goat escapees concern me, too. We have not had any problems with escaping pigs, yet! I think a trick that we picked up from some oldtimers is to pen them in a small enclosure for the first two or three days when they arrive at your farm. Then, when they are let out into their yard, they won’t bolt because they won’t be as nervous or unsettled. It has worked for us…(I hope I didn’t jinx myself). Wishing you a beautiful second year on your farm! xo Jules
Your well wishes are received with gratefulness, Susan…thank you! Lots of love your way, too.
xo Jules
Hi Heather…thanks. Yes, I made Sunshine a few pairs of pants last spring. I use our old tattered pj pants pattern whose name is long gone. I like them though because they are in the round, meaning not two leg pieces seamed together to form one leg. Does that make any sense? Basically, each leg hole is one piece of fabric allowing a nice drape. Then I embellished with ruffles and ribbons and patch pockets. Easy peasy, honestly. We call them her farm pants and she does love them.
xo Jules