You are currently looking at a small section of our land where there is soon to be a large garden, chicken coop, and a chicken run. I took this the first day I strapped my little newborn into his carrier and push mowed it. As I mowed I prayed over our land and how we were going to use it. I prayed for wisdom, favor, and the grit to continue when it gets hard, because I know it will.
Homesteading is not for everyone, and is not an easy way of life. It takes persistence, sweat, achy muscles, sacrifice of time and comfort, and a lot of learning. However, it brings satisfaction, growth, joy, character, bonding with nature and each other, and that amazing feeling of sitting on the porch with a glass of tea after a day of hard, beautiful, fulfilling labor.
So, why did we choose homesteading?
We are a blended family and when we met and married we were living in the suburbs of San Antonio. I grew up in the country, while my husband grew up in the suburbs of Indiana. He loves to make me happy though, and it didn’t take long before he had built a cute little raised garden bed for me to plant in. Soon after marrying and him building my garden, the pandemic hit and the world shut down.
We were so grateful for that humble garden and the time spent together. We actually grew many vegetables very successfully that year, and it gave us an addictive taste of providing for our family’s needs in a way we hadn’t before. We toiled, nurtured, learned and out of that we reaped a harvest both of food and skills acquired. Our kids loved getting to see the little seedlings turn into plants and then food. They were always excited to try everything right off the plant as we gathered it. I learned to can and preserve, we joined a farmers co-op, and I learned to make sourdough.
All of these experiences led us to look into homesteading. I devoured books, podcasts, blogs, and YouTube videos. Anything I could get my hands on that would help us make an educated decision. After a year of research, we decided that we wanted to start the hunt for land-this lifestyle was definitely for us. It took two years for us to find the place meant for us. It has less land than we had hoped for, but things always happen for a reason.
We learned and grew from that tiny suburban garden and it provided exactly what we needed in that season. Just like that, this sweet little homestead, our Steady Oaks Homestead, will provide everything we need in this season. I find myself relieved that we are starting small and learning a little at a time as we go. The house has needed much more work than we anticipated, and it is definitely an adventure, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything. We feel called to this lifestyle and all it has to offer to our family. Homesteading looks different for each person, and I am excited to see what ours evolves into.
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