I must have started at least half a dozen posts since I last updated you here, but I didn't manage to finish any of them. I guess my heart was not quite in it. I feel like in many ways, our life here is not what we imagined when we moved here 6 years ago. We had hoped that by now, we would be beginning to consider building our home on the north-facing hill, that we would have basic boundary fencing up, and that we would be well on our way with livestock.
However, as many of you well know and have experienced for yourselves, the last 5 or 6 years have not been easy in this economy. The cost of everything has gone through the roof and in turn our progress has been painfully slow.
18 months ago, I felt the pull to finish up my theology study, which I started years ago before I became chronically unwell with a heart condition. Thankfully, I am well now, and I have gone on to do a full Bachelor of Theology. I have 11 subjects left and am studying half-time. I am also working part-time as a lay minister in the Anglican church with children and families. It is a wonderful job, which I love, and I work with the very best people.
This has, however, been a big adjustment for our family. It's a significant increase in travel and time spent off the farm, and it takes up a huge amount of my week. Financially, although the pay for a lay minister is very modest, it does help to cover the ever-increasing bills. However there is always a cost in working, too. Petrol and childcare are significant expenses. I am not entirely sure what this will look like in 2025, how big a study load I will juggle or what subjects I will do. There seem to be two pathways regarding work and study appearing, and I am contemplating which one I am called to be on.
The pressure of travel has not been easy, and at times, we have questioned whether it is wise to stay on the farm. The world feels so different now than it did six years ago—harder. We have, at times, felt less hope that we will ever be able to get this place up and running properly. As such, we have questioned if it is worth investing the kind of money and time it will require. Our children are only young once, after all.
But as I watch our dairy goats snooze in the afternoon sun, hear the cackle of the chooks, and see the fairy-wrens darting around the bushes, we continue to hold to our dream. Though it is perhaps a little more battered these days and it has changed over the years. It has simplified. There is no end date nor percentage of our own food we hope to grow and preserve. The reality is Grant works full-time off-farm and I, too, work a significant amount of time off-farm now. Caring for a family of 6 is a big job in itself. Our goal is simply to live well, grow and raise some of our own food, to enjoy our family and live within our means.
We have recently started the extension on the yurt. To see the deck come together has injected a spirit of hope and excitement once again into our hearts. Friends and family have come to lend a hand, and their help and encouragement means a lot. There is a few more hours of work to do, and then we will be able to lay the yellow tongue flooring and the first stage of the build will be complete.
The children are doing well, William is driving now, he has bought himself a project car which he is enjoying a lot, and he is entering year 12 this year. Angus is entering year 8, learning guitar and has a lovely group of friends, Henry is in his final year of primary school doing year 6 and is as funny and interesting as ever, and sweet little Elsie continues in her family daycare. She is 5 in February - oh, how time flies! She will go to big school in 2026.
Though there is more to share, I might leave that for another time. I am not even sure anyone will find this post as it has been so long between updates! Like many things, this blog seems to be in a transition period aswell, and I have wondered what I should do with this space. To continue? To let it go? To let it evolve into something new?
Perhaps that, too, will become clear in time.
Much love and blessings to you and yours.
- Em xx
Posts
So nice to hear from you again. LIfe changes, the challenges are always different. I hope you find a way to make your hearts happy whatever 2025 brings
ReplyDeleteThanks! I feel like 2025 is going to be a challenging but hopefully a rewarding year. It will be wonderful to see the extension start to emerge. I hope it is a wonderful year for you and yours too. xx
DeleteYou have been missed! And its great to hear an update on how things are going. I completely understand the struggle to find the right balance between what we want and what is possible. We too continue to reevaluate plans as kids grow up, move out...and move back in 🙄. Life is ever evolving, and sometimes I need to remind myself that that's okay.
ReplyDeleteHang in there, the right things will reveal themselves at the right time.
Cassandra xx
Oh thankyou! I have missed everyone here too. It seems to be such a common experience of children moving out and then back in, times are so tough for young people trying to establish themselves independently. You are quite right, life is evolving, and thats ok. Perhaps I am becoming more reflective with age! xx
DeleteGosh the children have grown so much. Perhaps focus on what you have achieved. Our priorities and dreams can change as circumstances and we ourselves change. It is lovely to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteDonnasbackyardfarm
They really have, it is astounding to think how small they were when we moved here, and that Elsie wasn't even born yet. Certainly there has been alot of changes, I hope all is well with you and your family Donna. xx
DeleteGreat to read your blog update Emma . I think wherever you live there is never enough time with a family to look after. Or if you have surplus time you don’t have the funds to achieve the bigger projects. You have achieved a lot with a big family. Wishing you a wonderful 2025.
ReplyDeleteThankyou, and you too. There is the saying we can either have time or money, rarely can we have both. Trying to find the balance in the midst of that can be a challenge thats for sure. xx
DeleteIt's nice to see your update and to me, it looks like you've done a lot! I can't believe your baby is almost 5! I hope 2025 allows you to slow down a bit and not be on the road so much. andrea
ReplyDeleteI know! She has gotten so big in recent times, and is seeming very grown up. I hope 2025 brings less time on the road too, though I am not confident it will. One can hope! Thakyou for your kind encouragement. xx
DeleteI have been wondering how everything is ticking along. How lovely to read your update! Your thoughts and questions here resonate with me, and I imagine many more people, in today’s world. I trialled working on a full time contract in 2024 but have made the counter-cultural decision to go back to casual work this year (for a number of reasons). The deck is looking magnificent and I’ll bet it will be glorious to enjoy it finished, knowing how much it took to get it done (and not just the physical labour!). Take care and know that people you don’t even know on the other side of Australia are thinking of you and wishing you all the best no matter what direction you decide to follow.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your move to casual work, I hope it brings you the balance you are seeking. It is so good to have the time to persue nourishing cooking and personal interests if it is at all possible. Though making counter cultural decisions can also bring with it its own pressures. Thankyou for your thoghtful encouragement. I'm really touched, I genuinley didnt know if anyone would still pop on by, I have been so haphazard here the last year or so. Best wishes for you too. xx
DeleteHi. It's good to hear from you and to catch up on how things are there. I'm a long way from you, living here in SW France but I love hearing about your life and I'm sure your parh will become clear. Enjoy your family and your lifestyle for now xx
ReplyDeleteOh I can only imagine how lovely it must be to be in France! Thankyou for popping by. xx
DeleteIt's lovely to see your update, and hear how life is going for you. I've been sorting through back issues of Grass Roots and came across a story you wrote.....it had me wondering how you all were. All the best for 2025, I'm sure the best path for you will become clear. Nanette
ReplyDeleteOh thats lovely. I was going through my GR magazines the other day too. I should try to write another article, its always alot of fun. I hope 2025 is a wonderful year for you and yours too. xx
DeleteGood to hear from you again, Emma. You do sound busy. I am sorry you are not as far along in your journey you started a few years ago but I am sure things will work out for you all. Your family looks lovely. Have a blessed year.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chel! Hopefully now the extension has started in such a big way we will begin to gather momentum again. Have a blessed year to you and yours too. xx
DeleteEmma, we lived on a homestead that I hoped would be for life. My children were 3,4,6&7 when we moved there. And I was studying full time. It didn’t work out. We bent another way. That’s not to say you won’t do what you plan. Just sometimes life has other thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYou are very right, there are seasons for everything. Some seasons naturally come to a close, I'm glad you followed your hearts and chose the path that was right for you. xx
DeleteHow lovely to hear from you Emma! Like Chel, I too am sorry you are not as far along as you had hoped. However life is a journey with twists and turns and bumps along the path. It's a journey to be enjoyed, lived and experienced in the moment.
ReplyDeleteSince doing the permaculture course, my goals and expectations have changed also. I've learned to be more flexible and sway with the seasons and breezes, and not be so focused on the end goal. I'm enjoying being more open to what life presents us with.
It's so lovely to 'see' you all Emma! Take care.
Fran (francesleestudio). xx
Hi fran that sounds a wonderful thing to come away with from the course with. I hadn't specifically thought of that, but you are right. Permaculture is all about adaptation and working with what you have, a lovely way to be. It has certainly been an interesting few years, one I hope we look back at with great fondness. xx
DeleteWow a teenager driving, yes time moves fast doesn't it. The deck will make a huge difference to your lives and it's great that you have had extra support from family to help. Have a good week. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane
ReplyDeleteHaving family and friends visit has been a big boost. It is lovely to see everyone. Finishing the deck will be wonderful, it will nearly double our living space. To see it begin to take shape is very encouraging. xx
DeleteHi Emma, I have often had a look to see if you had written anything and am just pleased you are all alright. I knew you were studying and thought that time was probably taken up with that. Like others have said it is lovely to hear how you are going and we all hope it is a good journey. It's great to hear you are enjoying your lay minister work. Please keep writing here if it's not too onerous. We'd love to know how you are going. Sue
ReplyDeleteThankyou for continuing to check in Sue, I'm really touched and surprised at how many people have reched out over this post. I have been reminded of the goodness of social media and platforms like this. That they have the ability to bring people together which is a good thing. You're right that study does take up alot of my time, the end of semester last year really knocked me. All my assignments were due at once and goodness it was hard. But I have had a good rest now and am looking forward to the new year that is upon us. xx
DeleteHi Emma, so lovely to hear how you are all getting on. I check in often and was very pleased to hear everyone is well, but how time flies! Don’t lose sight of how much you have achieved, it is amazing. Stay true to your values and do whatever is right for your family. It would be lovely to keep hearing about how you are going if you are happy to keep posting here. Wishing you all the best. Louise
ReplyDeleteThanks Louise. I've been really touched and surpised by the number of people who have reached out. It has encouraged me to keep posting here, though it might be a little sparodic at times. I am aiming to take my camera out more this year, and that will hopefully help me post more too. It is a great practice for noticing the little things. Time does fly, they were all so little when we moved, and now they have grown so much! xx
DeleteHello Emma! Thanks for the update. I hope you able to find some balance between home and work life. ❤️ And so happy you all are able to start on the extension!! - - I wanted to share, I have a little YouTube channel, Little Red Cottage, I would be honored if you visited. 😊
ReplyDeleteOh I just checked it out and realised your @mamafelicity on IG. I didn't realise you were doing YouTube, I really like your honest, thoughtful, down to earth IG account. Though I am not sure IG is showing it to me very often which is frustrating. I think I saw patch curtains in one of your photos a while back and loved them so much I made Elsie some, I'm also going to eventually make a pair for the lounge too. xx
DeleteSo lovely to see that you and family are well and smiling. Blessings for 2025 and where it leads. NZ Ingrid
ReplyDeleteThankyou Ingrid. I hope 2025 is a wonderful year for you and yours too. Thanks for cotinuing to check in! It means alot. xx
DeleteHi Emma,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to wrote this post as I relate to so much of it and in our busy lives it's really nice to take a moment to read something that connects to you.
I definitely understand starting so many writing projects and never finishing I have been writing a grass roots article for three years on our journey and never finished 🙈 so after reading this I'm making that a goal this year. I can also relate to growing Children and pondering what's right in or future living on farm or off. We are lucky to have our long term rental but it just seems painfully slow to save towards our own farm and qualify for a loan. our children who are entering teen years apart from our youngest who is 6 they all want more friend time which when you are rural means more driving and time off farm. I love our quiet moments at home but it can often be overshadowed by the immense workloads that need to be done in scraps of time. I don't know the answers either but I wanted to say I empathise athat parenting and raising a family along with farming is a huge adventure and challenging by I'm not sure there's any less challenges off farm just different.
I'm so pleased to hear it resonated with you. And I agree, it is helpful to hear others are navigating a similar path. To know we are not alone can be engouraging in itself, even if our path stays the same.
DeleteSaving towards a rurual property is incredibly challenging, and seems to only have gotten harder in the last few years from my understanding. The juggle of teens is real. Will being able to drive has already been helpful, as both our teens like to see friends in town and they can sometimes organise it to work togeather. It will be easier again once his project car is up and running.
I hope you can reach your dream of owning a property in the not too distant future. I will be cheering you on form the slidelines! Goodluck with the GR article. perhaps consider doing it as a series of articles and address one part of your journey for each one? Planning them out over several issues. It might be easier to break down that way, and you have content for the next few issues. Just a thought! xx
Hi! Lovely to hear from you and catch up on how things are with you. I’ve followed your updates for so long and always enjoy hearing about your life. Wow, the children! Take things as they come—your path will become clear when the time is right. For now, enjoy your family and the little moments that make life special.
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK, it’s much the same. Jobs are becoming harder to find and less well-paid, and the prices of everything have gone up dramatically. We too have changed our plans many times over the last few years. The most important thing is our time together—though six unexpected months with my hubby every day is getting a bit much now, as we really could do with an income :) He hears back today about another job, so fingers crossed!
I’m looking after my elderly father, who lives 45 miles away and doesn’t want to move closer, so most of my time is taken up with driving there and back. My elder two have both got jobs now and are doing well, and my youngest is just finishing up home-schooling—then we’ll see what he decides to do. Most of where we are now is not at all what we planned.
We have our health, a comfy home, and all love to be together—so no complaints here :)
Hi Sue, apologies I missed your comment! It is certainly an uncertin time isnt it? And I think being flexible in this climate might just be the ket to survival. And simplifying, simplifying, simplifying.
DeleteBy the time you see this you will have found out about his job, I hope it was successful. A good, stable permanet job almost seems like a luxury now. So many positions are short term or casual.
I'm sorry to hear about the driving, but it is wonderful you can support your father in his home in this season of his life. Fuel is such a big expense, but being at home, in their comfortable and familiar environment is often so important to our older folk. It is a wonderful gift you are giving him.
Im glad you are managing to find the silver lining and go with the flow. Blessings to you and yours. xx
This looks like hard work our grandkids want to do this but the council where they bought a block is giving them a hard time.
ReplyDelete