A Family Tradition

"The west was not won on tofu."

Right, wrong, or indifferent, even though we're out here in the Northeast, we couldn't agree more with the above quote (as recently spotted on a t-shirt in one of my favorite ranchin' boutiques...).

Our flock of Thanksgiving turkeys arrived this week, all fluffy, white, and peeping. It's hard to look at one of those adorable little birds and think stuffing and gravy... In general, what we do is hard. We don't take it lightly, and raising your own meats is not for the faint of heart. We cry - when the time comes. We thank them, and our God. We appreciate.

Photo Credit: Beaux and Arrows Photography, ME

It's easy to become worried about how we're being perceived to those outside our small family circle. We're not heartless, just because we're capable of providing a completely home-raised meal. We remind ourselves that if it wasn't us, these turkeys would have gone to someone else - or a factory - somewhere maybe not as loving, or appreciative. They're in good hands here, and that's what counts.

Photo Credit: Beaux and Arrows Photography, ME

At the end of the day, I think you really have to love it - you have to want it. This life. This old fashioned on purpose, work hard/play hard, deep rooted, homemade from scratch life. It would be easy to get burnt out, and it would be easy to let someone else handle it - there have been times that we have done both. I can't say for certain where the inspiration came from completely. Whether it was our obsession with cowboy boots, the Homestead Husband's childhood farmer dreams, or my stuffed animal obsession as a young girl... whatever it was, it's always been there. We love caring for them, raising them, teaching our daughter life lessons through them, and bringing our focus to the simple things in life that can sometimes be overlooked.

Carrying on with historic traditions that our country is based in brings us pride, and we hope to instill that sense with our family as it grows, even if they don't choose to carry on with our hobbies. We hope to keep building and growing so we can continue to share our family's traditions with yours.

Photo Credit: Beaux and Arrows Photography, ME