Experience the journey of a suburban couple as they leave their comfort zone and build their own homestead in Texas, with This Home Sweet Homestead.
“Sometimes fear pushes us to get out of our comfort zone a lot faster, and it was definitely God’s doing to get us out here.”
Brenda is a Texas-based homesteader who moved from the suburbs of Denver and Arizona to south central Texas. She and her husband are currently renovating a 1990s double wide on 1.1 acres, having recently made the transition from RV living.
Brenda and her husband moved from Denver to Arizona, and then to Texas, in search of a quieter, simpler life. They went RVing in an attempt to save money, but that didn’t work out for them. After much research and looking for properties, they found a double wide on 1.1 acres in a flood zone. With some research, they were able to find an affordable flood insurance policy and moved into the property.
They have been there five months and are gradually building a homestead, starting with chickens and ducks. Despite not growing up as homesteaders, they are learning and having fun as they go.
In this episode with This Home Sweet Homestead, you will learn the following:
1. How did Brenda and her family make the transition from suburban living to RV living?
2. How did Brenda and her husband navigate the difficulties of finding and purchasing land in Texas?
3. What have they been learning while they build their homestead?
Resources:
Find Brenda, This Home Sweet Homestead (Formerly Crunchy Homestead Mama):
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Chapter Summaries: This Home Sweet Homestead
[00:00:02]
Thank you, Brenda, for being here for the more sunsets please podcast. I’m happy to finally actually get to talk to you and meet you. And chat and chat and learn a little bit more.
[00:00:18]
The couple moved from Ohio to Texas to get a better job. They decided to put their house on the market and prepare for RV life. Husband got a job offer within three weeks. The couple decided to go ahead and get ahead.
[00:09:24]
We’re on 1.1 acres in our 1990s double wide that we’re trying to bring into the 21st century. The property is beautiful. We have been here five months, about five months. Now we’re starting to build our homestead.
[00:16:54]
We got our birds from a friend of ours who’s in our home school group. It’s almost impossible to be totally self sufficient unless you do have 300 acres. No one single farm can do everything, it’s still a team effort. We’re really having a lot of fun learning.
[00:19:47]
Husband and wife have 1.1 acres in the outskirts of Central Texas. They hope to buy the lot next door if it ever comes up for sale. They’d love to get donkeys. Maybe someday they’ll be able to milk goats.
[00:28:34]
20 years ago my dream was to live in New York City and work in the fashion industry. For the first time in my adult life, I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. It just feels comfortable for me to be back out in the country. We just trust that God’s will is perfect.
[00:36:51]
It took me a long time to figure out professionally what I wanted to do. Nothing satisfied me professionally in the workforce. I am happiest being a wife and a mother. I think we do women a disservice by telling them they need to aim for more than that.
[00:39:50]
Our biggest challenge is just financially, being able to do what we want to do. There’s always fear and change because you don’t know what you’re getting into. But I’m trusting that God will provide.
[00:43:51]
Kate: Can you pinpoint one moment along the way, along your journey, that you did see a total life change? She says getting out of suburbia was the defining moment. Kohn says the more money you have, the more you adjust your lifestyle.
[00:52:09]
The whole scripted life does well in this social media world. But the whole real life gets missed in the middle. Our kids are seeing that as they get introduced to social media. Even going into RV life, there was still discontent. An RV is an RV.
[00:59:46]
The goal used to be how much land can you go out and live on. Now it’s how big of a house can I put on the tiniest plot of land in a neighborhood. Everything that people choose is the status. And the more social media grows, the bigger the drive for status.
[01:08:45]
The Internet is such a mental and emotional overload that none of us we were not designed to be a global community. This is making us so global and accessible to everything at the touch of a button. We were not meant to be that way at all.
[01:09:35]
How has this move between all these different lifestyles and again, ending here at the farm, at the homestead, impacted your marriage? What has helped our marriage the most recently is me taking a step back. Me learning to be more submissive in the biblical sense.
[01:15:09]
Just like everything in creation, a male role has a different role than a female role in every situation. Women are not meant to be the big faith leaders, the big leaders of the household. It goes against nature and it goes against God’s design.
[01:18:06]
Marriage has helped him learn to be content with where he is, he says. He says this is the most peaceful place he’s ever lived. Enjoy what you have while you have it and not always be looking for what’s the next step.
[01:21:25]
Kate: What has been your lowest low? Trying to figure out where you’re supposed to be. The lows help you appreciate the highs. LZ: There’s always a way and it always works itself out.
[01:27:26]
The first egg was a big celebratory day. What was the best thing that happened during all this change? Looking around and realizing we have a homestead. The thing we joked about and kind of hoped for, we have it now.
[01:29:54]
The whole purpose of this podcast is to inspire others to just get out there and do it. Life is short, but also stay within your means. Don’t be so set on striving to reach somewhere you haven’t gotten. Just be content with where you’re at.
[01:35:26]
Brenda: You can find me on instagram at crunchy homestead mama. You’ll have a name for your farm at some point, so you can give it that name? Maybe. It was fun. Really appreciate this conversation.
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