Happy May, dear friends. The sun is warm now, and the lavender bushes are in full bloom. I’ve been harvesting bunches of these fragrant purple stems to hang to dry around the house, which feels so simple yet so comforting.
And speaking of home and comfort, as a sleeping babe rests against my chest, I thought this was a good opportunity to dust off my laptop, help myself to some tea, and share the long-overdue home tour some of you have been asking for. And rightfully so, as over the years I’ve shared little things and projects here and there, but not the full picture.
Will you join me? We start in the kitchen. And yes, that is one big rock! And no, we didn’t put it there, it’s been there all along. Yes, we tried breaking it apart. No, that didn’t work. Yes, we love it very much. The kids? Yes, they love to climb it. It’s every below-13-years-old favorite part about our home, and we’ve given up saying be careful. It’s great for those motor skills anyway.
Same spot, different perspective! Can you see it? Below is the house when we first came, when it had trees growing inside, and the love and care that went into building it 100 years earlier was mostly hidden under dust, broken tiles, and overgrowth.
I’ll be honest, the following bathroom photo is a bit of an older one, but not much has changed… Except that we now have a flush toilet, after 12 years of an outside compost toilet. The new toilet fits right between the bathtub and the sink. This has been such a big change! I have to say I do not miss those night visits to the compost toilet in the rain, though I will sorely miss the infinite resource that was the resulting compost from this system. Thankfully, we still have two large mature piles we’re feeding the garden beds, and we’re finally figuring out new systems, such as a productive method of collecting our sheep’s manure.
The bedroom is the heart of the home, as it’s right in the center of it. It was the original building, where a family of 9 used to live. Yes, all in this one division! Here’s a fun bedroom progress post from a few years back.
Then, leaving the bedroom, the small corridor gives way to Sam’s woodwork and the staircase.
The living room is below, and upstairs is the office space and our eldest daughter’s bedroom. Remember the making of the apothecary shelves in the office?
Alright, let’s go down the stairs and head out.
The porch has become our favorite spot to hang out with friends and enjoy the warmer days. We’re now working on making new stone garden beds around it, and I’m excited about sharing them soon (it’s a bit of a big project, as there are so many stone walls to build, which thankfully is one of Sam’s love languages). I can’t wait to fill them with plant friends!
On the back of the house, what was one of our first gardening spaces has gained a life of its own. And look, I found another before-and-after photo. I love seeing how much the plant kin has taken over in 9-ish years!
And finally… Home feels even better with the littlest new addition to our family.
Baby F is here! She was born on the last day of April after a very peaceful and quick labor. And, if I was worried about what having a hospital birth would be like after our previous home birth, those insecurities were quickly dispelled after I saw the small dream team that was on shift at the hospital that night, and who supported me through a natural birth (which I wasn’t sure I could get in a hospital setting!). After one and a half hours in the delivery room, there she was, and our hearts were so full of joy, gratitude, and love. She is just perfect.
Navigating the new rhythm and reality as a family of four has been both a challenge and a joy. For now, we’re still in the newborn bubble, but pieces are falling into place… and everything makes so much sense. The 10-year gap between children, which I was quite nervous about, has been absolute bliss. J is so thoughtful, helpful, and caring — and understanding as both Sam and I learn to stretch ourselves in new ways.
I’ll finish this transmission here, as my brain feels kind of in half gear these days. Thank you, everyone, for the well-wishes and messages over the past few weeks. I feel very grateful for this thoughtful community 🤎
