Hard Days
Today was a hard day.
Maybe I should say… a discouraging day.
Once again, I’m feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes this is just too much for one person to do alone. And really, with hubby working two jobs, I do feel like most of the time I am doing this alone.
Days like today, I just want to throw the towel in. Do we really need animals? Life would be SO much easier if we didn’t have animals. A baby, a two year old, and a six year old are enough to keep me more than busy!!
If we didn’t have the goat I could plant more of what I want to around the home. But we can’t afford adequate fencing, so we let her roam free during the day so that she can graze. I’d love to plant more berry bushes, herbs, and trees, but she would surely destroy them all.
If we didn’t have the pig… we’ll, you know all about my pig problems!
If we didn’t have animals I wouldn’t have to freeze my buns off going out in 10 degree weather to break the ice out of their water buckets, and replace it with warm water.
If we didn’t have the puppy, I wouldn’t have to worry about poop in my driveway, and dead chickens in the yard.
If I only had a garden to worry about, I could get a break in the winter!
But, we are doing this for the experience. We are doing this to learn. We are doing this for our future. Oh why do we have to be so ambitious?
Tonight, the kids go to bed early. Tonight, I get a hot bubble bath… and a brownie.
Some days… are just hard.
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I do not have gardens to grow and a bunch of animals to take care of but I do feel these feelings too. I have 4 children, I work part time and keep up the house. My husband works long hours and we barely get to see each other. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed too. You are doing a wonderful job and it is definetly not going unnoticed by your children, husband, animals, all of us blog readers and most of all God!
I really understand! Some days I get discouraged too! I’m sure tomorrow will be better. A lot of times when I lose my chickens, I wonder why I keep them, but other times I am so happy with them. Today was sad for us as we lost our favorite americana hen. No more blue eggs for us.
I love the…”tonight I get a hot bubble bath…and a browine.” I do that some nights too! =)
I’ll pray that you have a better day tomorrow!
Have some peppermint tea too!
Blessings,
tarena
tarena-
you read my mind! except I had green tea
Hang in there….believe it or not, as much as we may envy others lives, there are others that envy ours……Not many lives are easy….we learn from each other, and share our experiences to make the road a little less rough. You can’t buy experience….you have to live it. Trust in God, and your heart….you’ll be okay.
{{{{Kendra}}}} Tomorrow will be a better day! I feel ya though! With working 52 hrs a week this month AND scrubbing the new home to make it fit for humans to live in, I am already exhausted. I did have a nice hot bath Monday afternoon after cleaning and before taking a nice nap before work. What a difference soaking in some hot water does for the mood!
Hi Kendra,
We’ve got alpacas instead of a goat or pig, but the dogs, chickens, etc. keep us hopping, especially when the weather is so cold we’re breaking ice on water buckets. What a pain. But so far we have more good days than bad…and sometimes you deserve a brownie. 
I completely understand your feelings in your post! We’re trying to do the same thing but my kids aren’t little like yours. I’m counting that as a blessing. No more diapers.
Keep up the good work. I love reading your blog, including all about the pig.
Julia
I’m right there with you… only post-pardum (baby #5 is 27 days old), we’re in Michigan and it’s a -13 windchill when I go out to tend critters, and my hub is working overtime (and weekends). It doesn’t help that the beginning of January is “where do we put the stuff acquired over the holly-daze” time, too. Overrun, overwhelmed… and the kids are trying to get back on schedule from all of the Chanukah, X-mess, and New Years festivities. Throw in there a surgery for my husband, and we feel your pain!! Homeschool has been really something to try to keep up during all of this – we’re having a lax week, getting the routine tweaked and reinstated.
This, too, shall pass. Hang in there!
I love your blog and have been reading. Hugs to you! Yes, life would probably be easier if you didn’t have the goat and the pig. Here are some suggestions to ease up your burdens a little.
1.) Can another farm/person in your area take the goat and the pig?
2.) Could always think about using them for food. (Think about it…I’m not advocating the butcher yet…just look at it as an option).
3.) Ask for some help to build a decent pen to keep said pig and goat. Any family, friends, neighbors that could help with that?
4.) Could just open the gate and let them fend for themselves. Goat? What goat. Not my goat. Pig? Really? You saw a pig??
5.) Train dog to be a Goat and Pig herder. Dogs can do amazing things, and puppydom only lasts for a little while.
Well that’s my brainstorm. I hope you figure out what to do. I think Winter is the worst of it. You’ll make it I know! Certainly someone else out there has it worse off. Keep your spirits up!
Good luck! And keep us posted!
Cathy
Aww Kendra,
It is perfectly natural to have these feelings. I always question things in my life as well. I love you and you are truly blessed!!! Hang in there
Yes, exactly.
My overwhelming things are slightly different and don’t involve farm animals, but yeah.
I spent a good hour sobbing about things today. Which, I have to say, worked quite well to quiet down the kids as they got all confused as to what on earth was going on and why mommy was upset.
Have you thought about fencing the berry bushes? It is a considerably smaller area to reinforce until you have the time, money and/or desire to fence in the goat.
Not that I want you to have any more work to do.
Like so many others, I hear you and feel the same. I love my daughters but some days, as a single mom with a job that takes me out of the house two days a week (blessedly work from home three days a week), life can be hard. Keep plugging away and don’t feel bad if you can not do it all.
Best of luck.
So sorry you are having a rough time. It happens to all of us at some point or another, but usually without a pig involved. I wish we had the guts to get animals like you are. We are thinking about chickens soon – maybe. I don’t want to go out in the cold to feed and water them.
I just discovered your blog tonight and feel like I have so much in common with you. I can’t wait to read more!
I had that same hard day today. Between the kids having their 2nd snow day in a row, animals that needed cared for, household chores, etc, etc., I felt overwhelmed and stressed. I see a bubble bath in my future this evening!
I’ve said all the things you just did! I just found out about “homesteading” but have been inadvertantly doing it without knowing it had a name! We have had a horse, a pony, a calf, 4 baby chicks, a rabbit, 4 goats, 2 dogs & two cats… sometimes I am sooo ambitious! But along with my four darling kids (including a baby girl 10 months) we have recently narrowed it down to the dogs and cats for a little while! I was wondering what on earth I was thinking especially when I spent all last winter in the freezing cold hauling 5 gallon buckets of hot water out 8 months pregnant through the snow! My friends dont seem to heap so much work onto their plates! I have to admit though I’m starting to get the bug to start chickens… possibly sheep. Get back out into the garden… I just thought you might like to know someone has been in your shoes! Your blog is so interesting! Thanks for the inspiration!
Blessings,
Olivia
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