The garden has been planted. The chicken coop is clean and repaired. We just have to put some more wire around the outer edge to prevent predators from digging their way in.
This time is nice. Most of the hardest work is done. Now, we continue to pull weeds, faithfully water, and watch as our seeds sprout and slowly grow. We discovered that seeds from a pumpkin we tossed had sprouted. That may be the most exciting thing for us! We tossed a white pumpkin with the others, so we are curious to see which color grows.
This has all been a lot of work. But, work that we love. With the tiny baby chicks, you have to clean their bums or they get an intestinal blockage and can die. The stock tank needs cleaned often. Their water is constantly full of wood shavings. In the garden, you can’t just throw seeds in some soil and expect positive results. There is a lot of planning that goes into a garden.
I got to pick the first tomato from my spaghetti and salsa garden yesterday! Thanks, Mom! I love seeing the fruits of our labor. Our garden is growing. Our chickens are growing and healthy. Our children are growing and healthy.. aside from one of them getting an ear infection from floating in the pool, but even that is on the mend.
It can be scary when you see a dream start to come to life. What if the reality isn’t what you thought it would be? What if we end up being terrible at homesteading? We are still in the early phases, so those questions still feel unanswered for the most part. So far, the reality has been even better than the dream and we are so thankful.
I hope that next year I have much more information to share– more than just my thoughts. Scott and I are still learning and growing through it all. We are reading books and blogs; watching youtube videos and listening to podcasts. I’m so thankful to live in a time when so much valuable information is available at the tip of my fingers.