Updates for 2023

Well, the website is finally live, we are ensconced in our property, we have progress on one of the houses being built, we have chickens that are laying like crazy, we are busy in our community and loving it!

Alrighty, from where we left off! Mom and dad moved up to the property to begin the camper adventure last December (2022). Soon after they arrived up here we got 3 hens from my in-laws farm….aaanndd a couple week late all but one were eaten up by a bear who came out of hibernation in the inordinately warm weather! We ended up getting 6 more chicks a few months later, and then 18 more a bit later, and then a few more in October (2023), so we are at 13 full-sized hens, one full sized rooster, 2 bantam hens, and 1 bantam rooster. They took their winter break and are now at 8-12 eggs a day, finally.

We have been working on getting the home portion of our homestead going, and can now happily and officially say that there is one house in the works and should be finished by late spring/early summer! Mom and dad’s house has been picked out, and by the end of next week should start being built, which is fantastic news. We were able to subdivide the property so the O’Neill portion now has our own piece of the property with our own address

The kiddos have become involved in story time in town, and begun at a local new start-up co-op for homeschool, which we are absolutely loving! They are also flourishing in their dance classes, which begin again next week, ballet for Sawyer, and tap and ballet for Rowan.

Matt is settled into his job as mail handler for USPS and working as a carrier to help supplement hours. I am working at the local library and absolutely loving it! Dad is working with cars and having lots of fun with that as well.

Beyond those employment opportunities we are also working on getting the farmstead started through the animals, gardens, and some hard work. The plan is to add some pigs to our little plot in the spring so that they can help us clear the area for our past and future pond site. With all the eggs our chickies are laying now we are also hoping to get a little stand going to have some eggs available to sell.

Our goal is to be able to really get the homestead/farm going even more this year! 2024 is going to be our year! Come along with us for the ride!

Matthew, Leigh Ann, Rowan, Sawyer, Micah, Kathi, and Frank