Faith, Family, and Freedom in the Old Ways
Last updated on May 27th, 2026 at 10:34 pm
Faith, family, and freedom have always been guiding values in our lives. But when we stepped into homesteading, those words began to take on deeper weight—less like ideas, and more like daily living.
When people learn we run a small hobby homestead, homeschool our children, bake with wild yeast, and care for more animals than we can easily count, they often ask the same question:
“How did your family start this lifestyle?”
The answer is simple.
Our journey began with one word: freedom.
Freedom — The First Spark
Growing up, freedom meant flags waving in the wind, the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and stories of the American Revolution. I’ve always loved that chapter of history—courage, conviction, and ordinary families choosing extraordinary bravery.
But as I grew older, my understanding of freedom softened and deepened.
It began to look less like something you defend in history books…
and more like something you live in quiet, ordinary days.
Today, freedom looks like:
- dirt under my nails from the garden
- a toddler tugging at my skirt
- jars lined neatly in the pantry
- animals depending on our care
- and a slow, steady life built with our own hands
Strangely, one of the first places that shaped this vision for me wasn’t a history book at all.
It was Little House on the Prairie.
The slow rhythms, the neighborly kindness, the reliance on skill and stewardship—it all stirred something in me. I used to dream about traveling by horse and buggy, living close to the land, and knowing how to truly provide for my family.
My husband still laughs at that dream.
And I’ll admit—I’d still trade car keys for reins any day… though I’ll keep a few modern conveniences tucked in graciously.
Freedom That Stays Home
Homesteading is not freedom in the way the world often defines it.
When you have animals, you don’t leave on a whim. You plan around seasons, feed, births, and weather. Vacations become rare or require trusted friends with generous hearts.
But if travel and constant movement aren’t your priority…
Then homesteading becomes a different kind of freedom entirely.
It becomes:
- the freedom to learn
- the freedom to grow capable
- the freedom to provide for your own household
- the freedom to mend, build, preserve, and steward what God has given
And that kind of freedom doesn’t disappear when life gets hard.
It stays with you.
Because knowledge is something you carry forever.
Roots Beneath the Soil — Our Scandinavian Heritage
Another thread woven deeply into our story is our Scandinavian heritage.
Nordic culture has always carried a quiet strength—resilience, humility, deep family loyalty, and reverence for the land.
Our ancestors lived close to the earth because they had to. Winters were long. Food was earned through careful planning and hard work. Survival depended on skill, faith, and community.
I often picture the women who came before me:
knitting by firelight, tending animals in the cold, stirring simple meals over open flames, raising children with steady hands and quiet strength.
Their lives were not easy.
But they were rooted.
That same spirit still shapes our homestead today.
We are especially drawn to Icelandic sheep—living reminders of that northern resilience. Their wool, their hardiness, their quiet presence on the land—it all feels like a thread connecting past to present.
Nordic living reminds us:
- less can be enough
- simplicity has strength
- home should be warm and welcoming
- family is the greatest wealth
Our homestead is not a recreation of the past.
It is a blending of old-world wisdom with present-day faithfulness—carrying forward what is good, true, and enduring.
Faith — The Anchor of It All
If freedom was the spark, faith is the foundation beneath everything.
We believe God placed us here—on this land, in this season, as this family—for a purpose that is still unfolding.
And growth, as we’ve learned, is rarely comfortable.
Sometimes the same lesson comes more than once. Sometimes the path ahead feels unclear, like fog over open fields. But even in uncertainty, we have never been alone.
God has been steady.
Not always removing the storm—but always walking with us through it.
A phrase that has shaped our journey is:
“a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”
To us, that means:
- humbling ourselves before God
- admitting where we fall short
- surrendering our will into His hands
It is not always easy. But it is always good.
And somehow, on the other side of surrender, we find ourselves changed—softer, steadier, and more grounded in what matters.
Doubt not. Fear not. Trust Him.
Family — The Heart of Everything
Though I’m writing about family last, it is truly the heartbeat of our homestead.
Without God and without the freedom to learn and grow, our family simply wouldn’t be where it is today. From the very beginning of creation, God made families central to His plan. “Multiply and replenish the earth” wasn’t just the first commandment—it was an invitation into joy, purpose, and connection.
Family shapes communities, nations and souls.
It’s no wonder the adversary fights so hard to destroy it.
We are far from perfect. We argue, struggle, mess up, and begin again—sometimes daily. But our love for God and for one another keeps pulling us back together. And we pray that your family, too, finds the strength and humility to grow together in love and patience.
“I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6
Welcome to Our Homestead
Our journey into homesteading has been full of mistakes, learning, and moments of heartache.
And we would not change it.
Because woven through it all are the quiet, sacred joys:
warm bread on the table
children laughing in the pasture
baby animals in springtime
firelight in winter
and a home slowly becoming what we prayed it would be
This blog—and this farm—is our offering.
A place where faith, family, and freedom are not just ideas…
but a way of life, lived day by day, like threads woven into a warm Nordic blanket.
We are learning as we go.
We are building as we grow.
And we are grateful you are here with us along the way.
