Kastin, is the youngest member of the homestead, but he may very have the biggest heart and biggest desire to participate in everything we do.  He loves the animals most.  Feeding Betsy, the miniature Jersey milk cow is one of his favorite jobs.  He has learned where his food comes from, how to feed and water the animals, which animals he can safely approach and which ones he needs to give some well deserved respect.  He gathers eggs (with supervision), spends time in the garden, and loves to learn about how the animals provide food for us…going from the farm to the freezer.  Some disagree with children participating with butchering projects, but Kastin loves participating.  He will grown up knowing exactly how much work it takes to provide food for his family.  He knows how to strain fresh milk, how separate cream and churn it into fresh butter.  He meets almost every task with a thousand questions and a smile on his face.  He keeps us all on our toes, and gives us the perspective of a child, which a very refreshing and wonderful way to view life.  Life on the homestead, for Kastin, is filled with excitement, exploring, and an inquisitiveness that most of us lose as adults.  Some days, I’m not certain whether we have actually taught Kastin more than he has taught us.  

Maddie is 6, and growing up before our eyes.  She has developed a personality that keeps us laughing and is finding out that the things she can accomplish are limited only by her desire to get the job done.  She is building the kind of confidence that I wish all children had.  It has been a challenge for her to overcome a inherent shyness.  Just a few months ago, she was afraid to try new things, was picky about what she ate and was quick to say, “I can’t do it.”  She was afraid to do anything by herself.  Today, she will tackle a challenge, will take off on her own to the barn to gather eggs, or go to her house by herself to get something.  She is my right had gal when we are packaging meat because she knows exactly which button to push when on the vacuum sealer and can put labels on the packages of meat almost as fast as I can.  She also asks a million questions a day and has a creative imagination that keeps her entertained for hours.  She is truly a child that can play with a pile of rocks, and create an entire town.  I often find her special rocks laying on the kitchen counter or dining room table.  They all have a story behind them, and Maddie will tell you the whole story.  One of her favorite things to do is cook hotdogs over an open fire.  She would just as soon play in the dirt as anything else.  She knows how to milk the cow, gather the eggs and which feed each animal gets.  If there is something amiss in the barn, you can bet Maddie will notice and let you know. 

Owen, at 11, knows how most things are done on the homestead.  He sometimes thinks faster than he can do things, and has had to learn to slow down and focus on the task at hand, and while planning ahead, not get distracted by the next thing to be done.  If he will always remember that lesson,  he will go far in life.  He is very quick to take care of the “girls” on the homestead, and will frequently step up and take on a physical job that one of us girls is doing.  He knows how to fill the wood stoves, understands the work that goes into providing food, and appreciates the animals for a far different reason than the younger two children do at this point.  Owen will quickly try to find a way to get a job done that may be difficult at first thought.  I snapped the picture to left during deer processing because it such a great example of how he studies what is going on around him, and finds a way to do what needs to be done.  He knew how to start skinning the deer, but could not reach it.  He figured out a solution and started in.  I tease him about being an “old man” in a young boy’s body.  He is true gentleman and many times has to be forced to go play and have fun, because he would rather hang out with the adults.  We have to constantly remind him that he has the rest of his life to be an adult and for right now, we want him to enjoy being a boy.  I can’t wait to see where this child’s drive takes him life.