If I had a "real" job...

We probably would have been able to buy some land by now, but who would be home to take care of it all? Who would grow the food? Who would tend to the animals?

We have 20 egg laying chickens. We also have 36 chicks which were hatched by 4 hens just last month.

We also raised 50 meat birds this summer, they were a lot of work, I had to sprinkle cool water on them many times a day to try and keep their body temperatures down in the intense heat waves we were having, never mind how often I had to fill their water and feed dishes.

Next year we will be adding pigs to our homestead. The going is slow because of finances, yet, we are persistently getting to the point where we need less and less money to survive.

Even though our homestead is small and we are renting, our landlord is really cool and he has let us grow food instead of lawns. Every year we add more gardens and greenhouses as money permits. This was our best year yet, with food bursting out of every corner of our property. Next year we will plant the remaining sections that we couldn't afford to this year.

If I had a "real" job...

We would be able to put our kids into all the sports they want to be in, but who would be here for them every day after school? Who would they be raised by? More strangers. So they would be raised by strangers all day and then with all our money, we could take them to some other places after day care to be with more strangers all evening.

If I had a "real job" we'd be able to order pizza and get all the treats the kids want, but who would bake them bread and buns every day? Who would be feeding them wholesome homemade dinners with all the food we grow and animals we raise?

The boys wanted me to bake another pie, so we set out to collect more berries. There aren't many blueberries left so we picked huckleberries, blackberries and a few blueberries. When my husband came home from work, he took them out again to get more. I added in some apple because apparently the kids ate more than they put in the bowl haha!

Buns buns buns! I have to bake 60 or more a week for my ravenous boys!

Sourdough bread. I bake a couple of these a week, usually one I give away to friends or family, everyone loves my bread!

Chicken vegetable soup, all from our homestead except the salt and pepper! Nothing beats that feeling! NOTHING!

If I had a "real job" I'd never have the energy to do the things I do for our family, becoming sustainable is what we are trying to do, to cut down costs so eventually my husband won't have to work very much outside of the homestead.

We want to cut out the middle man (money) and provide most of our needs ourselves, or by trading/bartering within our community. We believe that both parents should be home. We believe that it is unnatural for kids to grow up missing one or both parents!

If I had a "real job"...

Who would be home to try and BE the CHANGE we wish so badly to see in the world?

And I have to finish off by saying I am SO GRATEFUL for Steemit! For everyone who has supported me! Because of Steemit and all of you beautiful souls, I am finally earning an income for the first time in 5 years!

It helps so much to have that little extra help around here, and the best part is, I don't have to leave my homestead and my children to do it. I get to do what I love, and it's what I did everyday on other social media anyways.

I wrote about it last month, when we were going through some crazy shit with Brendan being out of work, I was able to use what I had saved on Steemit since last September to pay our rent! You can read my story if you'd like:

Thanks To Steemit I Was Able To Help Our Family In A Tough Time!

I wouldn't change my life or my choices for the best paying job in the world, if it meant I had to leave everything we have going on here.

Being here for my family, plants and animals. Sustainability and the self worth that comes from being able to meet our own needs without using the middle man (money)...

Is Priceless.