Hello fellow homestead mamas! It’s such a joy to be able to share with you all a glimpse into our little homestead here in New Zealand. I’m Lauren Macfarlane; wife to Jono (a pastor of a small church in town) and mama to 4 amazing humans. Their ages are 8, almost 5, 15 months, and I’m pregnant with a “surprise gift” baby #4! Our little home up the far lane is in the beautiful Pohangina Valley here in the Manawatu (central North Island of NZ).
Technically my kids are the real ‘Kiwis’, since neither my husband or myself were born here! We’re a blend of 3 different countries and backgrounds now. My husband spent the first 15 years of his life in South Africa, and I am from the USA (mostly Southern California). But here we are happily raising children, chickens, sheep, goats and a few cattle in lovely “Middle Earth.” Yes, the LOTR references are frequent but after 9 years here, I still find it magical, and hobbit jokes abound.
It’s a bit of a marvel that my husband and I found ourselves chasing the homesteading dream, and maybe more of a mystery to some friends and family that we truly love it. Neither of us brought a ton of experience to the table. He had almost no experience with pets or animals and grew up a “townie” through and through. I was very familiar with the work that animal ownership involves having grown up with goats and horses. But my gardening experience was on a scale ranging from ‘non-existent’ to ‘I-remember-to-water-my-
So how did the homestead life become our dream life? Well, that dream started as the desire to spread out. To be able to talk outside without our neighbors hearing every word. To let our kids run and yell and play, and not feel anxious about how close they got to a busy street. To teach them through hands-on experience and hard work. To have a place to enjoy nature and feel rested. To try new things, work with our hands and delight in the fruit of our labors.
The process of finding our little house is a story for another time, but 2 years ago we were so blessed to have our dreams realized and begin a new way of life. The 4 acres of hilly paddocks, garden and orchard were overgrown with weeds and thigh-high grass. The house was a complete wreck inside (I’m talking holes in numerous walls, unusable toilets, a missing laundry floor, and floors covered in paint spills) but together we tackled the projects as they came. And to be honest, it’s all still a big work in progress.
Though the first few months in our country home were grueling (I was 12 weeks pregnant with my 3rd when we moved in and we did as much DIY ourselves as possible), I remember it mostly with fondness because we were so eager. But of all we accomplished, I’m most proud of how my kids grew and changed in those early months. And how they’re thriving now. It’s one thing for mom and dad to have a dream of a new lifestyle, but it’s something special to see your kids grow to embrace that dream and lifestyle themselves.
Their “normal” is so different to what it was 2 years ago. Making sure to close the farm gates? Normal. Checking for eggs each day? Normal. Researching about backyard snails? Normal. Watching dad process a sheep we raised? Normal. Yelling “Mom the goat’s out again!!” Normal. I wish I was joking about that last one, but if you’re a fellow goat-owner, you know that mischief is normal.
Living this dream takes hard work. I look at our house and property and still see a running list of all the things we still need to fix, clean or make over. Several months ago, I admired my neighbor’s extensive, established garden wishing mine looked the same. She reminded me that she had lived there for 15 years. I needed that reminder. Time is important. Each season we seek to grow a little more, improve on the last, and enjoy where we are.
So with that little introduction to us, I hope you’ll join along on my takeover at the Homestead Mamas Instagram. I’m so excited to share with this amazing community more of our day-to-day life and connect with you all. I’m eager to learn along with you!
Xx Lauren
Please join us by sharing, continuing the conversation below, and connecting with Lauren at the following:
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