It’s Been a Monday on the Homestead

There are some days on the homestead that feel calm, steady, and beautifully predictable…

And then there are days like today.

It’s been a Monday.

Coffee First… or Not

The morning started like most do—trying to get ahead of the day before it gets ahead of me.

Cleaning up, thinking through everything that needs to get done, mentally stacking the never-ending list that comes with homestead life.

And then…

coffee everywhere.

Spilled all over myself, the counters, the floor.

(And this just after my husband texted me that he had done the exact same thing… in his truck. Apparently, it’s contagious.)

Now don’t get me wrong—coffee smells wonderful.

But only when it’s in your cup… not when you’re wearing it.

The Great Goat Escape (Round One)

Once I got cleaned up, it was time to head out and start chores.

Feed the babies.

Let the mommas out.

Move everyone down to the back pasture so they can stretch, graze, and just be goats.

Simple enough, right?

Except… apparently overnight, the babies decided they officially have legs now.

And they used them.

Before I knew it, they bolted right along with their mommas—straight into the back pasture and beyond.

Which meant I was suddenly running across 4 acres…

in pajamas…

and flip flops…

trying to round up baby goats first thing in the morning.

There’s something humbling about diving for a baby goat before you’ve even had a proper cup of coffee.

Thankfully, they didn’t get too far—and my son was right there helping me bring them back in.

Enter the Livestock Guardian…

Once everyone was settled, I had what felt like a great idea at the time.

Let Riley, one of our Great Pyrenees, head down to the back pasture to re-mark the area and help keep predators at bay.

If you know livestock guardians, you know—they take their job seriously.

What I should have done first…was walk the fence line.

What I actually did…was let her go.

The Deer Incident

Within minutes, Riley spotted what she clearly believed to be a major threat to the herd…

A deer.

And just like that—she slipped the fence and was gone.

I ran back toward the house to grab treats, hoping to lure her back, while my son took off after her.

Somehow, he managed to catch her in the neighbor’s yard across the street.

I’m still not entirely sure how—but I’m grateful he did.

The Walk of Shame

Riley made her return home in true fashion—

attached to my son for dear life, covered in mud,

and carrying half the field home with her in the form of burrs… lots and lots of burrs.

What used to be a pond is now more of a mud pit thanks to all the rain, and she made sure to enjoy every second of it.

She got the full “walk of shame” back to the house… with neighbors driving by as witnesses…

and was absolutely not allowed inside until she dried off.

Meanwhile, Back at the House…

Inside?

A completely different kind of chaos.

The house still showing the aftermath of vendor prep.

Trash waiting to be loaded.

Dishes stacking up.

Laundry that somehow never ends.

Products need to be listed.

Inventory needs to be restocked.

Another market weekend is already around the corner.

Kids need to get their school done.

Animals still needing care.

A million little things pulling in every direction.

This Is Homestead Life

And the truth is…

This isn’t unusual.

This is homestead life.

It’s early mornings and messy kitchens.

It’s chasing animals before breakfast and cleaning up after everyone else all day long.

It’s mud, and chaos, and moments where everything feels like it’s happening all at once.

But it’s also laughter in the middle of the madness.

Kids learning responsibility in real time.

Animals that depend on us—and trust us to show up every single day.

It’s not always pretty.

It’s not always easy.

But it’s real.

And somehow, in the middle of all of it…

I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

🌿 From Our Homestead to Yours

There may always be something—but there’s also always something worth holding onto.