From the Homestead
Stories from our land, our family, and what we're building at Iron & Harvest.
The Reality of Appraisals
Our beach house closed today—and it didn’t go the way we expected.
We ended up taking a $16,000 hit from our agreed-upon purchase price.
Not because the market changed overnight. Not because buyers backed out. But because of the appraisal process—and the ripple effect of decisions made early on.
Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam
This easy homemade strawberry jam is made with fresh strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice—no pectin needed. A simple, small-batch recipe you’ll be glad to have when strawberry season is over.
Sourdough Bagels
These sourdough bagels are chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, and made with a simple overnight fermentation. If you’re looking for an easy sourdough bagel recipe you can make at home, this is a great place to start.
I’m Not Enough, But God Is
When people hear I homeschool, their most common response is, “I could never.”
I Chose to Homeschool My Children…Now What?
What am I actually required to do each year?
I asked the same questions (and so many more) when we started. As a rule-follower, I was anxious I’d miss something and get in trouble. 😅
We haven’t even started building…
Here’s What We’ve Learned So Far
Before starting this process, we assumed building a home would mostly come down to picking a floor plan, choosing finishes, and watching it all come together over time.
Turns out, it’s a lot more layered than that.
Y’all - building is hard.
Our Daily Homeschool Rhythm
Our days don’t look perfect.
But they do work for us.
And after a few years of homeschooling, that’s really what we’ve learned to focus on—not perfection, but rhythm.
When the “good life” isn’t quite enough
Nothing was wrong.
That’s probably the simplest way to say it.
Our life worked.
Our home worked.
Our routines worked.
We were content. Beyond blessed.
But over time, we started noticing something…
Not what was missing, per se.
Just what we wanted more of.
Why we chose to build a homestead
For a long time, we’ve felt a pull toward something slower… more intentional… more rooted.
Empty calendars and sunshine fill our souls and fuel the kind of life we’ve always dreamed of.
That’s partially why we chose to homeschool—
to avoid the rushed mornings and packed evenings.
Because busy schedules tend to create disconnect and stress for us…
and that’s not the kind of life we want to build for our family.
So instead of buying another house, we bought land.
But this wasn’t a quick decision.
It’s actually been unfolding for a couple of years now.