Life on the Homestead this Spring:

🌿Progress, Patience & A Little Bit of Faith

There really is never enough time in the day… and if you’re building a homestead, you feel that deeply.

While time and budget don’t always allow us to check off every goal we dream up, I’m so proud to say we’ve taken some big, meaningful steps forward this year. And honestly? Anything else we accomplish from here on out will just feel like a sweet bonus blessing.

Of course, not everything fit into this season—and that’s okay. Some projects we’re pressing pause on until next year include adding cows, building our greenhouse, putting up a farm shop, finishing the balcony, and creating a beach area for our pond (plus a few smaller ideas tucked in our notebooks).

But we truly believe those things will come in the right time—God’s time. And we’re trusting that it will all come together just the way it’s meant to.

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🌼 What We’ve Been Working On

Even with a few delays, we’ve been anything but idle.

Here’s what we’ve been able to bring to life so far:

• Finished garden beds 🌱
• Organized and refreshed our gated garden
• Started a beautiful wildflower patch 🌸
• Upgraded livestock areas 🐐
• Completed our berry bushes (this one feels SO rewarding!)

Each project may seem small on its own, but together, they’re transforming this place into something truly special.

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🔨 What’s Coming Next

Next on our list (and probably stretching into summer… let’s be honest 😉):

• Touching up the driveway
• Building out sidewalk and porch areas
• Landscaping and leveling the property
• Planting grass seed
• Adding rock to the dog kennel for easy clean-up
• And building Liam his very own playground 💙

It’s a lot—but we’re showing up, working hard, and taking it one step at a time.

        

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🏡 BIG NEWS: Memorial Day Barn Sale!

Memorial Day weekend is bringing something BIG…

👉 Our Barn Sale!

We’re clearing out all the extras:

• Things that don’t fit
• Things we no longer need
• Things that just don’t serve a purpose anymore

Because one thing’s for sure…
our clutter might just be your next treasure.

Anything that doesn’t sell will be donated or taken to a local resale shop—nothing going to waste over here!

And speaking of parting with something meaningful…

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🚐 A Bittersweet Goodbye

Our beloved Howard Camper—the one that helped us take those first big steps into this life—is going up for sale.

This one’s close to the heart.
But we’re excited for it to go help someone else chase their dreams too.

👉 Keep your eyes posted for the listing if you’re looking for your own little adventure starter.

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🌱 Growing Season Goals

We’re especially excited to see what our garden brings this year.

More than anything, we want to:

• Grow abundantly
• Preserve better
• Stock our pantry full

That’s the dream ✨

And yes… we’re still hoping for ducks this year 🦆
Even if they don’t come right away, we’re working on getting their space ready—so when the time is right, so are we.

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☀️ Looking Ahead

After all the planning, building, and prepping this spring…

I can honestly say I’m ready for a little:

• Slower moments
• Simple days
• Time with family
• And a whole lot of summer joy

I’ve got so many fun ideas in mind, and I can’t wait to share them with you all.

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✨ Stay tuned for our summer update—and keep an eye on the page for everything we’ve got coming next!

Setting Ourselves Up for Success in God’s Timing — Howard Homestead 2026

 This coming year’s theme here on the Howard Homestead is simple:

setting ourselves up for success by trusting God’s timing and learning from the past.

God willing, the days of putting the cart before the horse are behind us. We’ve made mistakes, we’ve stretched ourselves thin, and we’ve tried to grow faster than our foundation could hold. But this year? This year is about wisdom over hurry, structure over chaos, and stewardship over stress.

We’re learning that if we can’t properly care for what we have now—emotionally, financially, or physically—then “bigger” won’t fix anything. Sometimes the most faithful step forward is one that slows you down first.

We can always grow later.
But we must be steady and intentional today.

And that might mean scaling back for a season so we can prosper in the next.

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Garden Goals for the Year

Our garden plans are all about sustainable growth:

• Gradually adding raised beds as we can afford them
• Creating a better layout and increasing our variety of foods
• Selling any extra produce at our farm stand
• Dreaming of a greenhouse—possibly starting small to support the garden and farm stand

Every addition will be done at a pace that reflects where we are, not where we wish we were.

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Livestock Improvements

This year’s biggest work will be improving the livestock areas so we can care for our animals the right way.

Here’s what’s on the list:

General Improvements

• Move livestock areas farther back on the property
• Place pens closer together for convenience and safer management
• Add better drive‑up access for feed transportation
• Improve feed storage and access points
• Install upgraded feed bins accessible from outside the pens
• Weather‑proof, higher‑capacity water systems
• Better access points for every single pen

Chickens

• Reinforce and secure the coop run
• Protect them from predators
• Strengthen the structure for Michigan winds and heavy snow

Pigs

• Create more solid ground—no more never‑ending mud pit
• Build proper shelter to protect them from the elements

Goats

• A sturdier, safer play area

A temperature‑controlled shelter strong enough for whatever Michigan throws at us

Ducks & More

We’re hoping to finally begin the duck area, develop the creek, and also build a meat‑chicken tractor. We’d love to get a mobile electric livestock fence this year to help with rotational grazing and reduce feed costs.

All of this must be in place before we expand our flock and herd again—more goats, pigs, chickens, and eventually adding meat birds and ducks.

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Farm Stand & Homestead Projects

We’re hoping to upgrade our farm stand into a small self‑serve shed shop—so many exciting ideas brewing! Lotions are currently in the works, and of course our “leave one, take one” library will happen.

                 

Other seasonal dreams include:

• Adding another berry bush each year
• Continuing to grow our little orchard by adding a tree yearly
• Expanding our hunting land coverage by gradually adding trees
• Focusing on structure and landscaping across the whole property
• (God willing!) Finally getting our balcony and porch built

Indoor projects will likely wait until fall or be squeezed in between outdoor work.

And yes—there will be a huge barn sale this year, along with plenty of DIY crafting.

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Family Time & Adventures

We’re hoping for more family bonding around the pond again this year. Liam is campaigning for a water slide—so we’ll see what kind of magic Mom and Dad can pull together first, lol.

I’m excited to get started on his playground, too. That little boy is made for the outdoors, and he’s ready to run the land!

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Thank You for Following Our Journey

Stay tuned as the warm months arrive. There will be plenty of updates, plenty of chaos, and plenty of fun here at the Howard Homestead.

And we’ll be holding tightly to this verse as we work:

Galatians 6:9 (KJV)

“And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Cold Heart Dead of Winter

 

A Winter Not for the Faint of Heart

This winter has been brutal—the kind of season that feels pulled straight from old‑time Michigan weather tales. We’ve been hit with everything: dramatic temperature swings, pounding rains, snow that melts as fast as it falls, and winds that seem determined to rearrange our entire property.

Because of the warmer days mixed into the cold, the snow has melted quickly, leaving us with extremely high-water levels. Spring, at this rate, is going to be messy. Our property has transformed into a full‑blown swamp. The pond is overflowing, water is pooling everywhere, and the areas where the well was worked on—and where the power company buried the new lines—have turned into true quick‑mud.

From a distance, the ground looks solid. But step on it? Down you go. I found myself waist‑deep at one point and had to use a nearby pallet to pull myself out because no one could hear me. Even the port‑a‑potty guys have been skipping us because their trucks kept getting stuck. On the days they did come, they still needed to be pulled out. And of course, I nearly buried my Jeep in the same mess. There's just no avoiding it until the weather finally dries out what winter left behind.

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When Winter Isn’t Kind to Animals

Our animals have had their fair share of hardship, too. We lost two kittens that ran off, and heartbreakingly, one passed away for reasons we still don’t know. Only one of our kittens made it through the chaos.

The pig area has been a complete disaster. Honestly, when processing day came, it felt like a mercy for everyone involved. We learned a lot this season and will be making some much‑needed improvements once the warm weather arrives.

Water has been its own battle—frozen solid most days, except when it warms up just enough to pour rain on us again. A Catch‑22: rain hydrates the animals, but floods everything else.

This winter has tested us in ways we didn’t expect. The intense cold and harsh winds claimed the lives of all five of our goats, and our hearts are heavy. We’re grieving, but we’re also grateful for the joy they brought us and the memories we’ll always carry.

We also lost a large number of chickens to a predator, including our only rooster. This spring, we’ll need to rebuild our flock and find a new rooster. To add to the chaos, the net roofing over the coop run completely collapsed under the weather conditions.

Even our little egg stand didn’t survive the windstorms. It was blown across the property—along with our return‑carton tote, brick included. Not that it mattered much at that point; we had no eggs left anyway.

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A Blessing in the Storm

In the middle of all this, we are incredibly thankful to have finally moved into the new build. We hadn’t planned to stay in the campers for as long as we did, and things were getting dicey—financially and weather‑wise. Being indoors now is a blessing we don’t take lightly.

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Looking Ahead

We’re praying for an early spring that dries up the land and gives us a fresh start. Once the beautiful weather arrives, we’ll jump into:

• Landscaping projects
• Garden planning
• Rebuilding and improving the livestock areas
• And hopefully constructing a sturdier, better farm stand

I have high hopes for the stand this year. My husband is excited to get started on the landscaping, and—God willing—we’ll even get the balcony built.

Stay tuned… the fun is just getting started!

Our Build Is Move‑In Ready!

 The last few months have been an absolute whirlwind. Between the brutally cold Michigan weather and a handful of unexpected setbacks, we weren’t able to move in before Christmas like we hoped. But on January 15th, we officially passed our final inspection and received occupancy approval—and just like that, our dream home became a reality!

A Christmas We’ll Never Forget

Even though the timeline didn’t go as planned, God surrounded us with incredible friends who stepped in as subcontractors and made sure we could still celebrate Christmas in the new build—just a little differently than expected.

Mulder Insulation launched the transformation back on November 12th, completing the spray foam in about three days. That opened the door for the drywall crew, who worked tirelessly—weekends, harsh weather, everything Michigan could throw at them. Meanwhile, the propane, electric, and well were all hooked up during that same stretch, inching us closer to “home.”

Bringing the Inside to Life

In early December, our good friend Jake Cameruci, owner of JMC Painting, showed up with his crew and tackled the entire house in just two days. We chose white throughout the home to brighten the space and give everything a clean, open feel. With the paint drying within hours, we were finally able to move on to the next big projects—and that’s when the house really started feeling like a home.

The following week, my husband jumped straight into action, knocking out the upstairs railing and several other projects he had been eager to finish.

Then came one of my favorite parts.

The Most Beautiful Personal Touches

One of my best friends, Zoe, owner of Wallflower Co., came in and painted the most stunning wall murals for our bedroom accent walls. Liam’s room now looks like a magical woodland forest—something straight out of a child’s imagination, perfect for a boy who loves to pretend he’s hunting. And our own bedroom mural? It feels like stepping directly into a twilight forest scene.

She also hung the wallpaper for my coffee bar—an elegant olive branch design from Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia collection. (A little secret: I found it at Menards for half the price Target had it listed!) Zoe’s work blew me away. Every brushstroke felt intentional, heartfelt, and filled with her unique talent. These additions are some of the most meaningful parts of our home, and trust me—there will be more Zoe projects to share soon. She’s just getting warmed up. 😉

By New Year’s, all of this beautiful work from our friends was complete.

My Husband’s Hard Work

Behind the scenes—and honestly, all around the clock—my husband poured his heart, strength, and sweat into this home. He installed all the flooring, the bathroom cabinets, the kitchen cabinets, and the interior doors. His dedication is woven into every inch of this place. Our home is built with love, resilience, and a determination to give our family the best he can provide.

Celebrating the Holidays Anyway

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we were still able to pop up an air mattress, decorate a tiny Charlie Brown Christmas tree, and spend Christmas and New Year’s together under our soon‑to‑be roof. It wasn’t what we originally envisioned, but it was cozy, magical, intimate—and absolutely perfect in its own way.

What’s Next for Us

Now that we have occupancy approval, the next steps are:

• Emptying and sorting through our storage units
• Finalizing the last draw on our construction loan
• Converting it into our mortgage loan
• Continuing to slowly complete the remaining projects as a family

Through every challenge and every breakthrough, God has been with us. We are overwhelmed with gratitude—for our friends, for the progress, and for the blessings we continue to see each day.

Please keep our little family in your thoughts and prayers as we keep moving forward on this beautiful, blessed journey.

More updates to come soon! 💚🏡✨

Building Dreams: The Countdown Begins!

     In some ways, it feels like everything has happened lightning fast—and in other ways, time seems to be dragging. It all comes in waves. We’re so close to being in the build now, we can practically taste it!

              

    The house is officially dried in. The interior is fully framed out, aside from a couple of small areas. The upstairs doors and all windows are installed, and the roof is complete. External doors and siding have been ordered and are next on the list. Now, we’re moving into the utility installation stage!

    Our kitchen cabinets and appliances have all been purchased, and I’m thrilled to continue picking out items. The design and décor phase is what excites me most! The hope is to move in sometime in November—so the countdown begins!

    When we move in, the house will be at a livable stage, though there will still be plenty of finishing work left to do. We’re looking forward to tackling those projects ourselves, even if they take time. What matters most is that we’re so close to the moving-in milestone of this journey.

    Standing upstairs and looking out over our property fills me with joy, comfort, and hope. This is our home—the place where we’ll grow and create beautiful memories together. I can’t wait to experience and share them with my family.

              

    As for the landscaping, we’ll be doing all of it ourselves. Why wouldn’t we? We own a lawn care business, and this is the perfect opportunity to showcase what we can do! Most of the landscaping will wait until next year, as the colder months are approaching and we’ll need time for the grass to take root. It’s likely that many of these projects will span two summers to fully complete.

    We have exciting plans for a creek and a playground—it’s going to be so much fun! We’re also planning to build a balcony with a patio area underneath. Our amazing neighbor helped us dig a small pond that will be used for swimming and fishing. Next year, we hope to stock the pond and enhance the surrounding landscape. We’re envisioning a small beach area and a water slide, along with finishing the dock, adding lighting, seating, and a few other touches.

    For now, we’re in a transitional phase—wrapping up outdoor projects and shifting our focus to indoor needs. With drywall installation just around the corner, I’m starting to dream up colors, patterns, and layouts. We hope to do most of the work ourselves, but for the parts we can’t, we’ll be partnering with some close friends who own small businesses. We’re excited to support them and collaborate on these projects.

             

    So, while it may seem like I’ll have less to share soon, the truth is—I’ll have even more to talk about once we’re in the space and making it our own. Stay tuned as we continue this adventure together!

Homestead Happenings: Fall Reflections & Future Plans

    There have been a lot of moving parts over the last couple of months out at the homestead. In some ways, things are starting to slow down—and in other ways, they’re just beginning to pick up. Tis the fall season!

    We currently have five female goats that we plan to use for dairy and breeding, though we’re not quite ready to begin that process yet. I’m happy to report that they now have a lovely play area, which we plan to improve in small ways next year. We absolutely love our girls! Their names are Dixie, Belle, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Peaches. I named the first two, as they were a surprise gift from my husband, and our son Liam happily named the other three.

    Speaking of goats, we also have one meat goat that will soon be ready for processing. I intentionally avoid getting attached to animals intended for meat, and I won’t be present for the processing—that’s all my husband’s domain. I’m incredibly grateful for him, as I simply don’t have the heart for that part of homesteading. I’m the nurturer and caretaker between the two of us. Jake is a big animal lover too, but he has a stronger stomach and a deeper understanding of the purpose behind harvesting meat.

    This will be our first year harvesting meat from our homestead, and we’re truly humbled by the experience. We have four pigs that should be ready between November and January, God willing. Out of the four, we plan to sell at least one. These are exciting first steps for us as we aim to grow our livestock a little more each year. We hope to eventually have more pigs for both meat and breeding, and we’d love to add meat chickens and cows to the mix. Personally, I dream of having at least one Highland cow for milking—they’re such beautiful creatures to me! All in due time.

    Next year, we plan to improve the pig area and build a better structure for feeding and watering. Winter will be interesting, but we’ll make it work—hard work is no stranger to us. When we’re determined, we can move mountains. This entire journey has already taught us so much.

    We also plan to make some minor improvements to our laying chickens’ run next year. For now, we’re focused on cleaning up the area and preparing for the colder months, as our hens are starting to slow down in their egg production. I wish I could say the same for ducks, but we weren’t able to add them this year. Ducks are definitely at the top of our list for next year, and I couldn’t be more excited!

    We already have a growing list of to-dos and prioritized goals for next year. Needless to say, we’re big dreamers with a budget, so we’re trying to stay disciplined to minimize stress and avoid setbacks. We’re taking things year by year, one project at a time—starting with outdoor projects since we’re limited by the warmer months.

    One of our biggest upcoming projects is the garden. Next year, we hope to create a garden bed layout that we can expand little by little. I plan to be much more organized than I was this year. I’m also saving some of our own seeds for next season, and I’m over-the-moon happy about it—it’s such a gratifying feeling. I want to grow more flowers next year because I love fresh-cut blooms. I’ll be scaling back on produce a bit to focus more on our personal needs. My goal is to stock our pantry, and if we have extra, we’ll offer it for sale at our farm stand.

    I have lots of ideas for the farm stand! I’m not 100% sure what it will look like next year, but I trust it will be whatever God intends it to be. This is a journey, and we’re here for it. The garden is slowing down now, as expected for this time of year. Harvesting is my favorite part of gardening! We even set up a picnic table to use as a small produce stand this year, and I must say—it’s been incredibly rewarding. Seeing my son’s face light up with excitement when he helps me is by far the best part. I think it’s safe to say harvesting is his favorite part too.

    One area that’s starting to pick up is deer season. My husband is not only an avid hunter but also the processor for others in the community. This man has many talents, and I’m proud to say that despite the exhaustion, he finds joy and peace in it. I’m thrilled to report that my excellent-shot-of-a-husband has already stocked our freezer with two deer this year! He started off strong with early doe—no pun intended.

We’re excited to see what this fall season brings and pray that God has plans for a plentiful harvest.

God bless, and happy hunting & harvesting!

We are BUILDING!

   

Wow a lot has conspired since my last post and things have been what seems to be non-stop busy in a good way. To summarize we are finally to the point where we are now building! 

                                           

  First of course came our blueprints on the barn. We were amazed on how easy and cost effective this part ended up being. Jake was able to draw up what we wanted, and the blueprint expert was able to turn Jakes rough draft drawings into the final needed product.

                         

   Next was figuring out a lender. This seems to be the stage we always run into unexpected hurdles. We originally wanted Jake to be the general contractor, but we quickly found that the banks that were willing to work with us on what we could afford as a down payment would not allow that. We decided the best option we had was to stick with the lender we already had for the land. After this was decided, things started to come together very quickly. During this process we were thankfully able to settle on a builder that came recommended by one of our new, very good neighbors. Thankfully this builder was able to work with us to achieve the pricing we needed to be approved. In the end it all worked out and we closed in April! 

  We finally broke ground in May!! The footing is now placed, and walls will soon be poured. The build should roughly be completed within six months. I will say though, we are over the moon happy to finally make it to this stage and sooner than we anticipated. Now that we are finally here, it has become very hard to keep our patience at bay as we feel like this has been a long time coming. We are very much ready to settle down a little and have everything in one place again. Stay tuned for all the updates on our Facebook and Instagram pages!!

   We are currently attempting to camp out on the property every weekend to help move things along. We are trimming up some trees, putting up a garden gate, and setting up living quarters for our livestock. The first livestock to make it out to our land is our 50 chickens. We are happy to now be able to sell the eggs down at Chesters. We are not stopping there though! We soon will be adding our goats Dixie and Belle, plus an additional 4 more goats, 2 lambs, 10 ducks, and some pigs!! We are quite literally planning on hitting the ground running and could not be more exited. On top of our livestock, I have been busy getting our seedlings started down at Chet's greenhouse to soon be planted in our garden. The future is bright!! Hold on to your seat as there will be lots to share over the course of the next few months. 

Making A Plan

    

    When Jake and I knew this journey was without a doubt what we wanted we knew the next step would be to find a realtor. We knew of a few good realtors that came highly recommended, but they were not well known for what we were looking for. They were more about the fancy houses. It was not the style or anything close to what we had wanted. Jake happened to stumble across this guy named Ryan on Facebook who had listed a property we were interested in nearby. We thought why not give him a try; he is advertising the exact type of land we are looking for and in the right areas. 

    When we first met Ryan, we knew immediately that he was our guy to make things happen. A couple fun facts we liked off the bat about Ryan was he was self-employed, a parent, and had had pigs before. This guy understood us. Ryan has been great this whole journey. We have known him for roughly two years now. He has taken the time to get to know both my husband and I’s likes and dislikes and what we were comfortable compromising on. This man has had no easy task. My husband was wanting mostly woods. Where I wanted more pasture. The "view" was a big deal to me. Whereas good hunting grounds was a big deal to Jake. 

     

      Ryan helped us every part of the way ensuring we understood our options and when it came time the tasks, we needed to fulfill to be able to put in offers. Ryan helped us from budgeting discussions to also ensuring we knew all our top lender options and how it worked. When we realized this dream would not be possible without selling our house to have a reasonable down payment Ryan even helped us with that. I feel like Ryan has come to having more titles than just realtor. He has become someone we absolutely trust with all our decisions in this process. 

    My husband and I both made accounts with Zillow and Redfin. I personally like the organization on the Redfin app the best because not only was I able to filter my searches better, I also was able to categorize what I saved in separate groups, attach comments, save multiple commutes, and my husband and I both were able to link the same account with different emails. Using these apps, Facebook, and Ryan’s expertise we started filtering through the properties we were highly interested in. 

    Next Ryan would take us on the showings, and we would discuss pros and cons, what we could afford, and what the townships would allow. Ryan would take care of any questions we had and always answered promptly. 

    We have looked at land all over west Michigan it seems. We did entertain looking at land with existing houses on them. Most of the houses without us even looking at them we had already decided from looking at photos we would want to flip. In today's market that was just not something we wanted to do. Now had the houses been nice enough to rent out we may have entertained that idea but again the prices in today's market were just too high to do that and build. So, we checked that possibility off the list. We looked at land with existing barns on them and of course vacant land as well. Our favorite properties usually consisted of 50/50 woods and pasture with some form of water access such as a creek or a pond. Needless to say, we were not the only ones who favored those properties. So, they came and went. With every property that did not work out it was a hit to our confidence level on if the right property was out there. Ryan was always honest, kind, and reassuring that it may take time, but it is out there. We just had to be patient and keep looking. Something would eventually fit. 

    Well, I am here to tell you that after roughly 2 years of searching and only two months in a camper our man Ryan was right! Finally, an offer we submitted on roughly 40 acres of beautiful land was accepted!! Now our journey can really start developing into a dream come true. I can't wait to tell you more about the property and our plans. God is good!

Camper Life

                       

    Living in a camper is not all the fun and games you would think it would be. My first initial thought was "okay we can do this!" "This will simplify things and declutter our lives quick." I thought that living in a camper would help me de-stress because I would have to live off less, clean less, and have fewer visual anxieties. Though my initial thought process was not completely out of left field, they were not at all what I had in mind when reality struck. The visual anxieties within the camper quickly became very discouraging. I am claustrophobic, and being in a smaller space only made that worse. We had to move fast at an inconvenient time of year. We had to fit the three of us and two dogs in a camper. The time we moved did factor into the unpleasantness because we did not have time to prepare like we should have. Let's face it though, most things in life, whether good or bad, never really happen as planned or when it's convenient. You get bored or discouraged thinking "when is this going to happen?", then bam here we are, and it is time to act. 

    It is definitely smart to try to plan the best you can but try not to over think things like I did. You should hope for the best but always plan for the worst-case scenario. Prioritize what needs to happen now, decide what can be figured out later, then go from there. Your vision and plans will constantly change and evolve as you find more affordable and more efficient ways of doing things. This all takes time, patience, budgeting, and lots of research. Honestly, life is all trial and error. Learn from the bad, excel from the good, and thank the lord for being by your side every step of the way. 

    At the start, we were a little more cramped than we had anticipated we would be. Some clothes needed to be hung up and we honestly had nowhere to put them. We were not hooked up to plumbing yet, being that it was winter when we moved. So, all the overflow clothes got thrown into the shower to be resolved another day. Slowly I did start buying camper friendly storage organizers on Amazon, along with stackable milk crates we already had, as a way to store what we could. This has helped. Use what you have and only buy what you need. We thankfully were able to park at a family members property. Therefore, we have been able to go inside to shower and use their plumbing for our daily needs, if you know what I mean. Let me tell you though having to walk outside during an artic blast storm to get to indoor plumbing is not fun. I'm definitely not an outhouse kind of lady. Other family members and friends have also helped by letting us use their washer and dryer. We use 2 large 100-pound propane tanks in rotation to heat the camper and cook. We also rotate 4 jugs filled with water to cook, water the dogs, fill the coffee pot, and any other needs. Yes, I put "fill the coffee pot". Some luxuries you just can't let go of. 

    Needless to say, I am very much ready for Spring to arrive. Side note: thank you Phill the ground hog for the early Spring prediction. I very much hope you are right this time. Not sure if Spring will solve all of our problems, but it will be nice to be able to finally hook up to plumbing the right way. We are also just looking forward to being outdoors more. We want to make this experience truly feel like we are in the back yard, camping. We plan on making it as fun as we can for our son. Including cooking out at the campfire more, and planting what we can for food in hanging baskets and repurposed laundry baskets. I'm thinking maybe some strawberries and cherry tomatoes to start. We shall see.  

    Life has not been all bad living in a camper. This experience has tested our limits no doubt, but it also has forced us closer together. It has been a joy bonding with my family. Playing games together, cuddling while watching movies, and running around outside playing with our animals. Even though it is tough, and at times stressful, growing together has been my biggest joy. Taking the time to pause and notice things you would not otherwise notice helps you appreciate the small things in life so much more. After all is said and done, I only hope that what we take away from all of this is that we can do anything so long as we have each other. Family is the most important thing in this world. Family is what makes it all worthwhile. 

     Hopefully by the time fall approaches we will be more prepared for winter. My advice to you if you too plan to go on the same journey we have, is to plan more realistically. Do not rush into it! Stock your essentials first. This will help however you are going to temporarily live be more comfortable. Then list the house. This way when the house sells in the first two weeks it was listed you can hit the ground running. Also, pack everything! Only leave out what you would if you were going on a temporary trip. You can always get the extras back out when you need them. Have a huge garage sale before listing as well. Don't be afraid of living out of boxes for a while. If you need a storage unit, establish this once the house sells. Then immediately take all your extra time organizing and moving your stuff. If 30 days is not enough for you, discuss seeing if 60 days is an option before signing on the dotted line. If you have some place to store a shipping container this could be another more affordable option to store your belongings without those monthly payments. Always factor in time for things to go haywire. This way you have a better idea where stuff is when you need it or when you go to sell anything. If you can take time off work I would recommend it. Maybe attempt making it a long weekend if possible. Because you can always be sure of one thing, and that is the unplanned experiences. 

    One thing is for certain: you live, you learn, and God will always provide! Until next time folks. Remember to enjoy the little things in life along the way.