Advice? Put living quarters in the barn, that way when they come visit they have a private place to stay. That does 2 things, I keeps them from turning your new world upside down every time they visit, it gives them a safe place to stay without feeling like they are imposing. It will increase the likelihood of them returning to the farm. If it doesn’t pan out that way, it’s a place for interns to stay to learn homesteading in exchange for free labor. Win win.
Idea: Establish an RV hookup pad(s) so that students can stay in their own rv or you could purchase a camper for the short term learning experience. (planting season or harvest time?) and on the off season make the Camper a BnB rental. You have lots of possibilities for this new chapter of your lives. You may want to take some time to adjust together before starting a new project. We will be praying for God to direct you each day of this new adventure!
@@lisad8713 as an former rv park owner I can tell you that’s not ideal, RVs consume as much energy and resources as a 2000 sq ft home. Then the people want to drag in cats and dogs and all their bad habits to your place and you foot the bill for the utilities and they get way to comfortable and loose respect, they are there to unlearn that exact behavior, If more space is needed throw up bunk beds in a shed like summer camp does!’
It’s been 13 years now being an empty nester, and it was very difficult for me. At first my husband and I were not aligned with dreams and aspirations. I wanted to be back in the country homesteading. At the time, I never watched UA-cam and had no clue the homesteading movement was about to take off, but somehow, I found your channel in 2021, then others, and I knew this was what God was calling me to do. As I turned our entire Gilbert, AZ back yard into a thriving garden and jokingly said to him, “this side yard is perfect for a chicken run”, I was shocked to hear him say, let’s do it! I could write a book on how God has aligned our ambitions and made homesteading a reality! We are now on 8 gorgeous acres in SC working together to build our homestead. To those who are going through a transition in life and feeling sad, lost, uncertain, or stuck, seek out what brings you joy and look for inspiration that propels you towards it. I planted a pepper seed in 2021 out of hope and desire-that changed the trajectory of everything. It will happen for you too!
Thanks for sharing! I was born and raised in WI and moved to Arizona in 1985 with my parents and younger brothers. I live in Gilbert now, but my hubby and I are working on our new homestead about 3 hours NE of this area. It is just too hot for too much of the year for us in Gilbert, plus the 'town' isn't the nice place it used to be with farms, ranches and farmland. It has morphed into a congested city filled with apartments, warehouses, storage places and more apartments that have swallowed up almost everything. Too many people with every inch of dirt covered with some type of ugly building. We can't wait to leave. South Carolina sounds and looks like a nice state. Gardening here in Gilbert is tough too. Fall and spring not as bad, but summers are really tough to keep things alive. At least for me. Love your story and happy gardening in SC!
My husband and I are at odds re: dreams and visions too. It has gotten so bad that I don’t even let him help me in the garden anymore. It is my retreat too. Thank you for giving me hope.
I was a single dad raising my kids and when they moved out it was hard on them and me. Like you I thought that my food consumption would go WAY down because it was only me at the house but what I found was that I gained two more mouths that liked dads canning and fresh veggies. Now I have four grand kids that like to eat and I love to provide as much as I can for them. It is very hard for young folk these days because of the high prices of rent or buying a home so I like to provide as much food as I can to help but I only provide financial support when it is really needed and they get in a bind. I told them long ago that dad is a food bank not an ATM and they have taken that to heart and have made good lives for themselves. One thing that I can say that if your kids are proud like mine are, they will not ask for food from you, so what I do is show up for a visit and secretly investigate the amount of food and if I feel it is too low I deliver some of the "Extra food" that I tell them I can't use. Saves their pride and I sleep better knowing they are all fed. I have watched you from your begining days and I love your videos. God Bless
10:40 I was glad to hear you say "no tears were shed". My husband and I, as did you two, worked hard for years to raise competent, hard-working, independent young adults. By the grace of God and some good luck, we were successful. This is something to be happy about and to celebrate, not cry about. We are not homesteaders but have a big garden. We love to share our bounty with our children. Two of our three children are gardening now as well. And, they are teaching their children to garden! I'm glad we passed down the skills. Enjoy this season of life!
@marybk882 I didn't shed any tears when my kids left for college either. Like you, I was happy for them and confident that I had prepared them for life as competent adults. My parenting philosophy when they turned 10 (yes they are twins) was that they were "adults in training". As parents we should be proud of the adults we've raised rather than sad for the kids we lost. Nothing has been lost. It's just a new chapter for everyone.
Our daughters are 40 And 38, both married, we have three grandchildren and are enjoying this stage of our lives tremendously. ‘Time flies’ is an understatement. Enjoy all your new changes/stages as they come. God bless and keep you.
We became empty testers 2006. 2015 we built a multi generational house. My mom ourselves and our oldest daughter her husband and 4 kids. Our son in law and daughter co own the house with my wife and me. The kids live in the walk out. We live on the main floor. We usually see the kids multiple times a week. Our son in law and daughterwe see about once a week. We do garden together in summer. They do the starter plants March April
WE HAVE 3 DAUGHTERS, AS EACH ONE MARRIED AND LEFT IT WASN'T MUCH DIFFERENT TILL THE THIRD DAUGHTER MARRIED 15 YRS AGO THEN ONE NIGHT I LOOKED AT MY HUSBAND AND ASK" WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSE TO BE DOING". IT'S BEEN A NEW JOURNEY AND WE LOVE IT. OUR FAMILY OF 5 HAS NOW GROWN TO A FAMILY OF 18. WE LOVE WATCHING THEIR FAMILIES GROW. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LIFE.
You two are personable and warm, and I enjoy watching your together videos and well as your individual videos. I'm not a homesteader, and I no longer have a garden, but I still enjoy watching your videos even though they don't apply to my lifestyle. What I would like to see, though, is more information on the keto lifestyle you follow. You both inspired me to start keto/intermittent fasting the beginning of this year, and I've lost 40 pounds so far, with many more to go. I'd like advice on staying inspired to continue, more recipes, more tips on getting through cravings. I can do without sugar and pasta, but lately I've just been wanting potatoes - I really miss them. Cauliflower only substitutes for so much. LOL! Congratulations on raising two daughters who are independent and confident, and enjoy getting reacquainted with each other as individuals and not just parents.
Yes, keep doing these types of videos please 😊 We are entering this stage ourselves. We’ve already made changes-paring down the garden has been one. We are also adopting another dog from a rescue and so excited about it! Would love to get into animal rescue in some way. We bought a travel trailer & also looking forward to exploring this beautiful country of ours while visiting family & friends. Thanks for always sharing such great content & cheers to the next chapter being amazing!
I would like to see videos of what you taught your girls and/or what you wished you would have- in the realm of homesteading. I’m a bit older than your girls, but in the middle of raising my own 3 girls and would love to glean from your experience! ❤
I wish you and Kevin the very best in this new stage of your life. My husband and I have been married 47 years and he went on early retirement 8 years ago and I have been a house wife for 33 years all my children are adults. I have never been so happy as I am now we have always been very good friends, companion, and have had the same interests and we are together 24/7 to tell the truth I would not change it, I am now 65 and he is 69 and I hope we have many more years together in our journey, God willing. Have a lovely day Sarah and Kevin. I wish your two children the very best in their future and careers.
Congrats to all on these new adventures in life! We’ve been empty nesters for a good 20 some odd years! I think mostly I had to figure out who I was outside of being mom 24/7, after that learning to cook for 2 instead of 3, 4, or 5 of us! 😂
Moms always have the hardest time when the nest is empty, You held back your tears well. Congratulations on the next step. Good luck in the future. God Bless your family ....
I'm currently in Baton Rouge sending off my youngest to LSU! We are from Southern California so it is a big move! I have shed some tears but I know she will do well and I am proud that she is up for an adventure!
We had our first three very close together,and they are leaving home fast on each other’s heels. But we had an encore baby 7 years later, chances are fairly high we’ll have grandkids before we’re done parenting. We’re enjoying every stage with the last one. Rather glad the livestock chores won’t be all on me quite yet!
I as a mother, had a little hard time letting go, It took a couple of years to not get emotional when it was too quiet around the house or at the supper table at night, I missed their noise and their presence! It eventually got better, and when I felt alone, I would listen to the radio or put some music on to take my mind off of it! One thing I was interested in that I thought you both could help me and others with is education about raising Cattle, Beef or Milk cows. I have never raised cows, It would be very helpful to know how you take care of them, their pastures, i.e. like rotational grazing, feed, supplements, shots?, products to have on hand, long gloves, equipment needed for health checks to any other things you do with your herd, like how long do you keep your heifers before they get sold or butchered, to bull or no bull! What to look for to determine the health of your cattle! I know you both have covered some of this, but it's been scattered through out all of your videos over the years! Just something I thought would be good to cover, but if not, that's ok! I love you both and your channel anyways! God bless you both! ❤Numbers 6: 24-26
I find i haven't downsized my garden because i enjoy growing things and my daughters love to come over and shop at my house. My house is still home base. ❤
Been empty nesters for 16 yrs now. Husband just retired. Since retirement we have been having so much fun and actually getting to know even more about each other
My husband and I owed a Hunting store together and worked along side each other as well as working our Homestead together for 28 years. We looked forward to an empty nest, but God had other plans for us. We have raised 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren off and on. We adopted our youngest grandson and he will be 11 next month. As much as we dreamed of an empty nest we cannot imagine growing old without this young man. He is the joy of our life. We homeschool him and are teaching him to live a sustainable lifestyle. My question I have for you is how do you plan to incorporate your future grandchildren in homesteading? We love our grandchildren and try to instill in them the importance of living a Homestead lifestyle. Best wishes for Samantha as she starts college!
Remember moving the youngest to college, then moving him home at the end of the year, then back and forth each year. It's more like taking them to camp, haha. He came home often and on breaks of course. Didn't feel like he was gone from the house until he finally got a job out of state. Enjoy this phase. The relationship changes, but can be just as rich if not more.
We have been "empty nesters" for 23 yrs. now. We love to garden, but living in Wisconsin, that is only about 6 months of the year. We love watching your channel, and love watching all the gardening things, love watching your canning and cooking shows, and it helps us to get through what seems like the very "long" winter that we have here. Since this is harvest time, a very fun time for us here, we are pretty busy, but come November through March, that is the challenging time! Oh, and with your recommendation, we did get a bunch of the vega raised beds this year. They are great! Planning on getting more for next year. Enjoy your next part of your life. Once the grandchildren come around, it will change again, for they are such a joy in your life that you will love! Love the channel, and God Bless You!
you two have been so blessed with family and all things i think you both will do super great as empty nesters and thats a great thing most empty nesters feel lost due to not having things to do or talk about once kids leave the nest but both of you have each others plus have your homestead to take care of your will still be busy with or without your girls on it. most people feel empty and lost due to not having a hobby or anything to keep them busy and motavated like you guys and myself included i am a small homesteader like most my kids are grown and have their own familys now i keep 1 breeding pair of IPP's i breeding pair of american bresse chickens and 6 laying hens 1 dairy jersey cow 1 bull 3 cows 5 ducks and just for me i get enough meat for all year long plus to give to my family fresh milk and eggs for me have my nice 40x60 garden house for all my veg needs have fruit trees and a 20x40 plot for my fruit watermelon cantalope honey dew melons strawbeerys my egg plants squash and beans and cucumbers ect i also have a 5 tier harvest right dry freezer a dehydrater a butlers pantry for dry storage and i have both my water canner and pressure cooker so i am busy looking after all my little herds of animals and my gardens and cooking and canning to keep from getting the empty nest blues. god bless you both and keep you happy and healty and busy lol.
❤CONGRATULATIONS 🎊 to Samantha Upon Entering the College World!! Prayers for Her. I have Watched You Kevin & Sarah of @Living Traditions Homesteading Since You 1st Started & the Girls were Young. ❤You are Both Great Teachers Parents Christian Examples (not Ashamed)❤ & Wonderful Example of Homesteading through it All. I do Miss You Making Meals & Canning & The Whole Thing. I am Not Able to Homestead and ONLY LONG for the COUNTRY (as I was Raised) being disabled & Not Owning Anything of My Own I live with an Empty Nest 3x's over & Grandchildren I Am not able to even Get To. Empty Nesting has Not Been Easy for ME ALONE..But Being from MO I look forward to Seeing What You All come Up with..GOD BLESS & STAY CLOSE TO THE LORD & HE WILL GUIDE & DIRECT YOUR PATHS ..❤
I’ve been retired now. 14 years. What surprised me was the fact that in those 14 years we have been together virtually 24/7.. I’ve thought often, “ It’s a good thing we like each other.” In fact, we prefer being together., workin together, doing life together. Because we prefer each other’s company it has been so much easier. I really believe that in our case the sum is better than the parts. God’s blessings on you two as you take on being empty nesters. You’ll do well with His help.
This will be a hard time for but you will prevail with Gods help. I’m 80 and the last child left a long time ago and we survived and made the best for us. It can for you also. God bless.
Glad you address this it's beeujut my husband and myself..so when o watch your video, I had to adjust the information you gave to fit our needs and now it’s gonna be good for me to hear how you’re handling canon for two string Food for two because I really struggle with that because I have a large family extended family, and I struggle with how much stuff can’t preserve to freeze freeze dry whatever I need to do I seem to overdo sometimes so I’m looking forward to this next step in your life. Love you guys. God bless you.
Have you considered a farm stand. Since Sarah loves gardening it only seems natural that this would be a good avenue for you both. Good luck in your future endeavors 10:40
I am glad to see y'all have a great attitude towards the new chapter in life! I have watched y'all over several years & I have learned a lot. I do enjoy the sit down videos also. Chat videos about how best balancing time with the farm work & raising kids. We are a younger couple & have a toddler so advice from y'all looking back on how you balanced time would be helpful. Also, I know you have done videos with some details in the past, but chats about how to leave corporate & being able to work from home would be very interesting to us. Our goal is to someday be able to work from home/farm.
Maybe you could share the gift of homestead knowledge that God has given you both by way of opening your doors to a kind of hands on learning place for teenagers/grown ups in your community. By doing so you could pass on the great learnings you have obtained over many years
Hello Kevin & Sarah,I was ok with being an empty nester but sure miss my children when they were young & at home.They are married now & I enjoy my grandkids.Bless your family!❤
Well, as I've seen, you will need to plan for the kids to come back from time to time. Things happen, like fighting with their husband or can't find an apartment of their own. But ether way, you're home to them. And they know that you are there for them. God's blessings over you in your new lifestyle, i know that you are going to have a great time together.
Yes, I understand what you are going through. But - do not be afraid. You will not be lonely. My daughter left, my son left, then my husband left - but in a short time I had four kids instead of two, then grandkids came - luckily I kept two spare bedrooms and I had to add Murphy’s beds there. I am lucky - they live all close - in So CA and they like my organic garden produce.
I'm retired, My wife still works (RN). Our youngest is in Medical school. Empty nest is great for your relationship . My advice is spend more time with the Lord and enjoy sitting on the porch with the wife. That's what I would do
Hi, after having raised 3 children with my husband it was sad when the last one left. Then a few years after we were blessed with grandchildren. In between that time we traveled and visited with friends. You will make it work. .
Now is the time for you to travel and explore off the homestead. That means you need to train someone who would love learn to homestead and who can fill in as you take the opportunity to travel and explore. Don't wait till you retire to explore and travel at least some because none of us knows what health concerns or other things will prevent future travel and exploration. God Bless and Good life!
Honestly, I have traveled a lot. When you have plants at home you stress out by leaving for a week. These folk have so many animals. The stress of leaving them probably isn't worth the travel destination trying to relax. I travel via watching UA-cam videos now.. Its cheap travel with glorious photography.🙂
There is such a push in our culture to put the kids front and center. Everything is for and about the kids and the parents don't devote much time to each other and their relationship. The result is entitled kids and a married couple that only had the kids in common, so now that the kids are gone there is no foundation for the marriage and it crumbles. We recognized that our kids were going to grow up and start lives of their own, so we made sure to stay connected and spend time doing things together as a couple while raising kids. As a result when the last child moved out it wasn't quite as much of a shock. You guys work so well together that I don't think it will take much adjusting. Great point about scaling the homestead so that it is something just the 2 of you can handle. That way when the girls were growing up their chores and their help didn't have as much pressure on them. With the girls gone you would definitely have a lot more stuff for the farmers market.
The transition for me was becoming a widow on the farm/Homestead with all of the children grown and moved out. As prepared as we tried to be for me doing this by myself, of course there have been things I didn't plan for. I'm so lucky 2 of the grown children (and grandkids) live very close and can help if needed and if their jobs and school allow ❤Thank you for your honest conversation!
so crazy! Watching this and this Thursday our last two kids are moving out to stand on their own. We are getting ready to move to our first homestead. we have been doing what we can from our condo we purchased when all five kids were still home with us. now it is finally just the two of us.
I am now a great-grandmother but my age does not lessen my memory of how hard adjusting to being an empty nester was. Now I'm going through it with my grand-daughter who is now a mother with her 2nd on the way. We were very present in her growing up. Now she lives 3 hours from us and her Grandpa and I are experiencing empty-nest once again with. Of course we want them to be happy in this new phase of their lives and we support them - BUT we miss them! AND we absolutely adore our great-grandson!
Congratulations. We are seeing our youngest daughter and her husband going through empty nesting........so our youngest set of grandchildren are all at the age of leaving home and spreading their wings. May they soar high and let the breeze take them to this beautiful world in the best way. It's a happy and a tearful event, memories and yet hopes and dreams for their beautiful futures. You and Kevin will do great and perhaps have carved out some empty time to take on a hobby or do whatever you enjoy but haven't done much of. I am excited to see how it all transpires. I am sure you will find amazing things to accomplish and new inventive things that you had always wanted to do. Best wishes for your daughters and I cannot believe they are that old already........they were just little when you began this journey. Blessings
You will have more time for each other. To do things for just you. Stay in contact with your kids. Grandkids when they come. When kids left we enjoyed doing things together off homestead as well as at home. The real transition for me was losing my wife 4 years ago. Enjoy having each other while you can.
I remember becoming empty nesters. It’s an exciting time for everyone. You’ll discover that you have a lot of free time that you didn’t have before. You are still young and can do fun things together. Congratulations to all of you and I know God will bless your wonderful family.
As having gone through this you now enter a new chapter in your life. We like our new chapter in life and a new lifestyle. Kids need to grow up and leave the nest, part of life.
Yes, with easy transportation, etc, kids leaving home is how things are now. They must leave to grow up, tho I think a homesteading set of parents could make them mature.....chores.
In Washington State, you must complete all prerequisites before entering nursing school. Usually, that takes 2 years before the nursing program. In my mother's day (1945), the prerequisites were included in the nursing program, so 2 years prerequisites, 2 years nursing, completed the program, which was 4 years total. Now days, you are on your own for the prerequisites because they're not included.
My husband and I met in college, we both went into the same field - graphic arts. We even worked in the same office at the same company for years. We were best friends when we married, that is important, we think. Then, in my 50's, I had a business that he would help me with when he got done at work. Now, both of our girls are raised and gone, one married, the other single. We are retired and with each other almost all the time. Still best friends!
The future will bring a larger family, we started with ourselves and two boys, now after being empty nesters for a few years our family has gone from four to a family of nine. When they come home it’s fun and a huge blessing but we certainly look forward to them all going home. 🤭
I sensed you going through changes. More of you both doing separate videos. That is a very smart change, divide and conquer! Many changes in our lives over the years. I always pray we will grow together. It is awkward sometimes. But unconditional love and having my best friend as a life companion is awesome! You will both be just fine.
Indeed, the Lord does have a plan for his people, in every part of their lives. Amen! I appreciate you sharing part of your lives with us, and all that can be learned from your videos!
Congratulations. We are there and have been for several years. Just make sure you do have your own interests as well and keep learning that is so important. I have no doubt you will come up with something new and exciting. 💝🇨🇦
I wish more kids could grow up having the type of lifestyle you taught your girls. They'll carry the knowledge you gave them throughout the rest of their lives. Good on both of you.
You are going to have a great time as empty nesters! We have been empty for about 7 years now and we love our time together now. We have tried new things, enjoy the garden, and we continue to plan our future. My advice, live in the moment, and enjoy every moment you have together. My challenge has been cooking for two!
I would like to hear about your eating program. What do you start the day with, what foods. Do you ever tire of certain foods. And how do you change it up from time to time? I tried Keto and got very tired of eggs. And sausage. I’d just appreciate some examples of meals over time. I am a widow so just need to feed myself, so your two person meals would work for me. I’m thinking of this as a healthier lifestyle for myself. Thank you so much. ❤
It's funny we made not seen the girls much boy had time flew. It may us as much with our own children but when your favorite UA-cam family's start growing up it hits the ❤. Congrats Job well done.
It’s been a long time for me since I was an empty nester. I do recall going through feeling a little lost. Learning to cook different was a little difficult in the sense of downsizing my cooking, but no matter where my children were that feeling in my heart of daily needing to know they were okay never left and to this day, they are in their early 50’s I still have that same feeling. There definitely is an adjustment. God bless you both!
A couple of things I truly appreciate in observing your lifestyles is: the respect you have for each other, i. e., like not interrupting each other; accepting your individual roles AS husband & wife; & above all, your unashamed love of JESUS! ✝️🥰🙌🏼 I’ve been an empty nester for 21 yrs now, & I promise….your next 20+ will be AS enjoyable, if not more….esp when you begin to have ‘lil replicas of your girls running around!🥰 Blessings on your homestead, & thanks for sharing your lives w/your fans! 🥰
Advice? Put living quarters in the barn, that way when they come visit they have a private place to stay. That does 2 things, I keeps them from turning your new world upside down every time they visit, it gives them a safe place to stay without feeling like they are imposing. It will increase the likelihood of them returning to the farm. If it doesn’t pan out that way, it’s a place for interns to stay to learn homesteading in exchange for free labor. Win win.
That great advice.
I need more people like u in my life. This was great and I will carry this advice with me as well for our kids. Thank u
Idea: Establish an RV hookup pad(s) so that students can stay in their own rv or you could purchase a camper for the short term learning experience. (planting season or harvest time?) and on the off season make the Camper a BnB rental. You have lots of possibilities for this new chapter of your lives. You may want to take some time to adjust together before starting a new project. We will be praying for God to direct you each day of this new adventure!
@@lisad8713 as an former rv park owner I can tell you that’s not ideal, RVs consume as much energy and resources as a 2000 sq ft home. Then the people want to drag in cats and dogs and all their bad habits to your place and you foot the bill for the utilities and they get way to comfortable and loose respect, they are there to unlearn that exact behavior, If more space is needed throw up bunk beds in a shed like summer camp does!’
Great idea!
Good Morning! I absolutely love your channel and being so real on it!! Thanks for being authentic!
It’s been 13 years now being an empty nester, and it was very difficult for me. At first my husband and I were not aligned with dreams and aspirations. I wanted to be back in the country homesteading. At the time, I never watched UA-cam and had no clue the homesteading movement was about to take off, but somehow, I found your channel in 2021, then others, and I knew this was what God was calling me to do. As I turned our entire Gilbert, AZ back yard into a thriving garden and jokingly said to him, “this side yard is perfect for a chicken run”, I was shocked to hear him say, let’s do it! I could write a book on how God has aligned our ambitions and made homesteading a reality! We are now on 8 gorgeous acres in SC working together to build our homestead. To those who are going through a transition in life and feeling sad, lost, uncertain, or stuck, seek out what brings you joy and look for inspiration that propels you towards it. I planted a pepper seed in 2021 out of hope and desire-that changed the trajectory of everything. It will happen for you too!
Great story! We started in Gilbert as well!
That's awesome! Bless you guys!
@@JamesCouch777 thank you 🩵
Thanks for sharing! I was born and raised in WI and moved to Arizona in 1985 with my parents and younger brothers. I live in Gilbert now, but my hubby and I are working on our new homestead about 3 hours NE of this area. It is just too hot for too much of the year for us in Gilbert, plus the 'town' isn't the nice place it used to be with farms, ranches and farmland. It has morphed into a congested city filled with apartments, warehouses, storage places and more apartments that have swallowed up almost everything. Too many people with every inch of dirt covered with some type of ugly building. We can't wait to leave. South Carolina sounds and looks like a nice state. Gardening here in Gilbert is tough too. Fall and spring not as bad, but summers are really tough to keep things alive. At least for me. Love your story and happy gardening in SC!
My husband and I are at odds re: dreams and visions too. It has gotten so bad that I don’t even let him help me in the garden anymore. It is my retreat too. Thank you for giving me hope.
Loved the Corporate Kevin & Sarah picture.
I was a single dad raising my kids and when they moved out it was hard on them and me. Like you I thought that my food consumption would go WAY down because it was only me at the house but what I found was that I gained two more mouths that liked dads canning and fresh veggies. Now I have four grand kids that like to eat and I love to provide as much as I can for them.
It is very hard for young folk these days because of the high prices of rent or buying a home so I like to provide as much food as I can to help but I only provide financial support when it is really needed and they get in a bind. I told them long ago that dad is a food bank not an ATM and they have taken that to heart and have made good lives for themselves.
One thing that I can say that if your kids are proud like mine are, they will not ask for food from you, so what I do is show up for a visit and secretly investigate the amount of food and if I feel it is too low I deliver some of the "Extra food" that I tell them I can't use. Saves their pride and I sleep better knowing they are all fed.
I have watched you from your begining days and I love your videos. God Bless
I loved the food bank not an atm motto . Thanks for sharing
That's Great!! Congratulations 🎉
Good luck Samantha on your nursing journey!❤🙏🏻
10:40 I was glad to hear you say "no tears were shed". My husband and I, as did you two, worked hard for years to raise competent, hard-working, independent young adults. By the grace of God and some good luck, we were successful. This is something to be happy about and to celebrate, not cry about. We are not homesteaders but have a big garden. We love to share our bounty with our children. Two of our three children are gardening now as well. And, they are teaching their children to garden! I'm glad we passed down the skills. Enjoy this season of life!
@marybk882 I didn't shed any tears when my kids left for college either. Like you, I was happy for them and confident that I had prepared them for life as competent adults. My parenting philosophy when they turned 10 (yes they are twins) was that they were "adults in training". As parents we should be proud of the adults we've raised rather than sad for the kids we lost. Nothing has been lost. It's just a new chapter for everyone.
The cinnamon basil you have is what I call African Blue Basil. It makes a wonderful tea and addition in the culinary realm.
We are walking the same journey of empty nesting. Prayers for your hearts.
Enjoy your grandchildren
Good luck with the empty nest. At least you keep busy. You'll need it.
totally here for this... homesteading for 2
Our daughters are 40 And 38, both married, we have three grandchildren and are enjoying this stage of our lives tremendously. ‘Time flies’ is an understatement. Enjoy all your new changes/stages as they come. God bless and keep you.
We became empty testers 2006. 2015 we built a multi generational house. My mom ourselves and our oldest daughter her husband and 4 kids. Our son in law and daughter co own the house with my wife and me. The kids live in the walk out. We live on the main floor. We usually see the kids multiple times a week. Our son in law and daughterwe see about once a week. We do garden together in summer. They do the starter plants March April
WE HAVE 3 DAUGHTERS, AS EACH ONE MARRIED AND LEFT IT WASN'T MUCH DIFFERENT TILL THE THIRD DAUGHTER MARRIED 15 YRS AGO THEN ONE NIGHT I LOOKED AT MY HUSBAND AND ASK" WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSE TO BE DOING". IT'S BEEN A NEW JOURNEY AND WE LOVE IT. OUR FAMILY OF 5 HAS NOW GROWN TO A FAMILY OF 18. WE LOVE WATCHING THEIR FAMILIES GROW. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LIFE.
You two are personable and warm, and I enjoy watching your together videos and well as your individual videos. I'm not a homesteader, and I no longer have a garden, but I still enjoy watching your videos even though they don't apply to my lifestyle. What I would like to see, though, is more information on the keto lifestyle you follow. You both inspired me to start keto/intermittent fasting the beginning of this year, and I've lost 40 pounds so far, with many more to go. I'd like advice on staying inspired to continue, more recipes, more tips on getting through cravings. I can do without sugar and pasta, but lately I've just been wanting potatoes - I really miss them. Cauliflower only substitutes for so much. LOL! Congratulations on raising two daughters who are independent and confident, and enjoy getting reacquainted with each other as individuals and not just parents.
Yes, keep doing these types of videos please 😊 We are entering this stage ourselves. We’ve already made changes-paring down the garden has been one. We are also adopting another dog from a rescue and so excited about it! Would love to get into animal rescue in some way. We bought a travel trailer & also looking forward to exploring this beautiful country of ours while visiting family & friends. Thanks for always sharing such great content & cheers to the next chapter being amazing!
I would like to see videos of what you taught your girls and/or what you wished you would have- in the realm of homesteading. I’m a bit older than your girls, but in the middle of raising my own 3 girls and would love to glean from your experience! ❤
I am pleasantly surprised to see a video on a Tuesday 🥰
You guys surprised me last week too when I saw a video -not on a Saturday or Wednesday 🥳
Sarah, Kevin gave you the "evil eye" when you said that you wouldn't need as many tomato plants. 🤠
I wish you and Kevin the very best in this new stage of your life. My husband and I have been married 47 years and he went on early retirement 8 years ago and I have been a house wife for 33 years all my children are adults. I have never been so happy as I am now we have always been very good friends, companion, and have had the same interests and we are together 24/7 to tell the truth I would not change it, I am now 65 and he is 69 and I hope we have many more years together in our journey, God willing. Have a lovely day Sarah and Kevin. I wish your two children the very best in their future and careers.
congrats it is deffinitely interesting being an empty nestors
Congrats to all on these new adventures in life! We’ve been empty nesters for a good 20 some odd years! I think mostly I had to figure out who I was outside of being mom 24/7, after that learning to cook for 2 instead of 3, 4, or 5 of us! 😂
Congratulations 🎉🎊
Love all your videos! God bless!
Next comes grandchildren!
Moms always have the hardest time when the nest is empty, You held back your tears well. Congratulations on the next step. Good luck in the future. God Bless your family ....
I'm currently in Baton Rouge sending off my youngest to LSU! We are from Southern California so it is a big move! I have shed some tears but I know she will do well and I am proud that she is up for an adventure!
Really enjoyed watching 👍👍
I remember going through a kind of greiving process when all the kids left home. Buy now I can t imagine having them back under the same roof. 😂
We had our first three very close together,and they are leaving home fast on each other’s heels. But we had an encore baby 7 years later, chances are fairly high we’ll have grandkids before we’re done parenting. We’re enjoying every stage with the last one. Rather glad the livestock chores won’t be all on me quite yet!
I as a mother, had a little hard time letting go, It took a couple of years to not get emotional when it was too quiet around the house or at the supper table at night, I missed their noise and their presence! It eventually got better, and when I felt alone, I would listen to the radio or put some music on to take my mind off of it! One thing I was interested in that I thought you both could help me and others with is education about raising Cattle, Beef or Milk cows. I have never raised cows, It would be very helpful to know how you take care of them, their pastures, i.e. like rotational grazing, feed, supplements, shots?, products to have on hand, long gloves, equipment needed for health checks to any other things you do with your herd, like how long do you keep your heifers before they get sold or butchered, to bull or no bull! What to look for to determine the health of your cattle! I know you both have covered some of this, but it's been scattered through out all of your videos over the years! Just something I thought would be good to cover, but if not, that's ok! I love you both and your channel anyways! God bless you both! ❤Numbers 6: 24-26
It's hard I grieved for a year 😢❤love from Australia 🦘🌏
I find i haven't downsized my garden because i enjoy growing things and my daughters love to come over and shop at my house. My house is still home base. ❤
It was hard at first, but it isn't until they get married that life really changes! Grandbabies!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉
Been empty nesters for 16 yrs now. Husband just retired. Since retirement we have been having so much fun and actually getting to know even more about each other
Good luck on your new adventures!😊
My husband and I owed a Hunting store together and worked along side each other as well as working our Homestead together for 28 years. We looked forward to an empty nest, but God had other plans for us. We have raised 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren off and on. We adopted our youngest grandson and he will be 11 next month.
As much as we dreamed of an empty nest we cannot imagine growing old without this young man. He is the joy of our life. We homeschool him and are teaching him to live a sustainable lifestyle.
My question I have for you is how do you plan to incorporate your future grandchildren in homesteading? We love our grandchildren and try to instill in them the importance of living a Homestead lifestyle.
Best wishes for Samantha as she starts college!
Remember moving the youngest to college, then moving him home at the end of the year, then back and forth each year. It's more like taking them to camp, haha. He came home often and on breaks of course. Didn't feel like he was gone from the house until he finally got a job out of state. Enjoy this phase. The relationship changes, but can be just as rich if not more.
We have been "empty nesters" for 23 yrs. now. We love to garden, but living in Wisconsin, that is only about 6 months of the year. We love watching your channel, and love watching all the gardening things, love watching your canning and cooking shows, and it helps us to get through what seems like the very "long" winter that we have here. Since this is harvest time, a very fun time for us here, we are pretty busy, but come November through March, that is the challenging time! Oh, and with your recommendation, we did get a bunch of the vega raised beds this year. They are great! Planning on getting more for next year. Enjoy your next part of your life. Once the grandchildren come around, it will change again, for they are such a joy in your life that you will love! Love the channel, and God Bless You!
Take a deep breath and enjoy your time together. You have plenty of time to formulate your future.
you two have been so blessed with family and all things i think you both will do super great as empty nesters and thats a great thing most empty nesters feel lost due to not having things to do or talk about once kids leave the nest but both of you have each others plus have your homestead to take care of your will still be busy with or without your girls on it. most people feel empty and lost due to not having a hobby or anything to keep them busy and motavated like you guys and myself included i am a small homesteader like most my kids are grown and have their own familys now i keep 1 breeding pair of IPP's i breeding pair of american bresse chickens and 6 laying hens 1 dairy jersey cow 1 bull 3 cows 5 ducks and just for me i get enough meat for all year long plus to give to my family fresh milk and eggs for me have my nice 40x60 garden house for all my veg needs have fruit trees and a 20x40 plot for my fruit watermelon cantalope honey dew melons strawbeerys my egg plants squash and beans and cucumbers ect i also have a 5 tier harvest right dry freezer a dehydrater a butlers pantry for dry storage and i have both my water canner and pressure cooker so i am busy looking after all my little herds of animals and my gardens and cooking and canning to keep from getting the empty nest blues. god bless you both and keep you happy and healty and busy lol.
❤CONGRATULATIONS 🎊 to Samantha Upon Entering the College World!! Prayers for Her. I have Watched You Kevin & Sarah of @Living Traditions Homesteading Since You 1st Started & the Girls were Young. ❤You are Both Great Teachers Parents Christian Examples (not Ashamed)❤ & Wonderful Example of Homesteading through it All. I do Miss You Making Meals & Canning & The Whole Thing. I am Not Able to Homestead and ONLY LONG for the COUNTRY (as I was Raised) being disabled & Not Owning Anything of My Own I live with an Empty Nest 3x's over & Grandchildren I Am not able to even Get To. Empty Nesting has Not Been Easy for ME ALONE..But Being from MO I look forward to Seeing What You All come Up with..GOD BLESS & STAY CLOSE TO THE LORD & HE WILL GUIDE & DIRECT YOUR PATHS ..❤
I’ve been retired now. 14 years. What surprised me was the fact that in those 14 years we have been together virtually 24/7.. I’ve thought often, “ It’s a good thing we like each other.” In fact, we prefer being together., workin together, doing life together. Because we prefer each other’s company it has been so much easier. I really believe that in our case the sum is better than the parts. God’s blessings on you two as you take on being empty nesters. You’ll do well with His help.
Enjoy it and each other. My husband passed two 1/2 years ago. We only had 9 months as empty nesters to be just us
Sorry to hear about your husbands passing but it does make you realize how life can change quickly.
Enjoy ! A new normal is ahead of you. Thanks for sharing your spiritual life.
No advice but congratulations! Oh! Enjoy yourselves!
Very interesting ❤, thanks for sharing 😊
I really enjoyed seeing old family pictures!
Blessings +++!!!
This will be a hard time for but you will prevail with Gods help. I’m 80 and the last child left a long time ago and we survived and made the best for us. It can for you also. God bless.
Glad you address this it's beeujut my husband and myself..so when o watch your video, I had to adjust the information you gave to fit our needs and now it’s gonna be good for me to hear how you’re handling canon for two string Food for two because I really struggle with that because I have a large family extended family, and I struggle with how much stuff can’t preserve to freeze freeze dry whatever I need to do I seem to overdo sometimes so I’m looking forward to this next step in your life. Love you guys. God bless you.
Congratulations on your new empty nester journey together.
Enjoy
Have you considered a farm stand. Since Sarah loves gardening it only seems natural that this would be a good avenue for you both. Good luck in your future endeavors 10:40
Congrats
I am glad to see y'all have a great attitude towards the new chapter in life! I have watched y'all over several years & I have learned a lot. I do enjoy the sit down videos also. Chat videos about how best balancing time with the farm work & raising kids. We are a younger couple & have a toddler so advice from y'all looking back on how you balanced time would be helpful. Also, I know you have done videos with some details in the past, but chats about how to leave corporate & being able to work from home would be very interesting to us. Our goal is to someday be able to work from home/farm.
Maybe you could share the gift of homestead knowledge that God has given you both by way of opening your doors to a kind of hands on learning place for teenagers/grown ups in your community. By doing so you could pass on the great learnings you have obtained over many years
Hello Kevin & Sarah,I was ok with being an empty nester but sure miss my children when they were young & at home.They are married now & I enjoy my grandkids.Bless your family!❤
Well, as I've seen, you will need to plan for the kids to come back from time to time. Things happen, like fighting with their husband or can't find an apartment of their own. But ether way, you're home to them. And they know that you are there for them. God's blessings over you in your new lifestyle, i know that you are going to have a great time together.
Enjoy it
It’s definitely a transition, but I say enjoy it! Our youngest is 42, so it’s been awhile. Life goes on in a new way.
Yes, I understand what you are going through.
But - do not be afraid. You will not be lonely.
My daughter left, my son left, then my husband left - but in a short time I had four kids instead of two, then grandkids came - luckily I kept two spare bedrooms and I had to add Murphy’s beds there.
I am lucky - they live all close - in So CA and they like my organic garden produce.
I'm retired, My wife still works (RN). Our youngest is in Medical school. Empty nest is great for your relationship . My advice is spend more time with the Lord and enjoy sitting on the porch with the wife. That's what I would do
Amen…the perfect plan
Hi, after having raised 3 children with my husband it was sad when the last one left. Then a few years after we were blessed with grandchildren. In between that time we traveled and visited with friends. You will make it work.
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Now is the time for you to travel and explore off the homestead. That means you need to train someone who would love learn to homestead and who can fill in as you take the opportunity to travel and explore. Don't wait till you retire to explore and travel at least some because none of us knows what health concerns or other things will prevent future travel and exploration. God Bless and Good life!
Honestly, I have traveled a lot. When you have plants at home you stress out by leaving for a week. These folk have so many animals. The stress of leaving them probably isn't worth the travel destination trying to relax. I travel via watching UA-cam videos now.. Its cheap travel with glorious photography.🙂
There is such a push in our culture to put the kids front and center. Everything is for and about the kids and the parents don't devote much time to each other and their relationship. The result is entitled kids and a married couple that only had the kids in common, so now that the kids are gone there is no foundation for the marriage and it crumbles. We recognized that our kids were going to grow up and start lives of their own, so we made sure to stay connected and spend time doing things together as a couple while raising kids. As a result when the last child moved out it wasn't quite as much of a shock. You guys work so well together that I don't think it will take much adjusting. Great point about scaling the homestead so that it is something just the 2 of you can handle. That way when the girls were growing up their chores and their help didn't have as much pressure on them. With the girls gone you would definitely have a lot more stuff for the farmers market.
The transition for me was becoming a widow on the farm/Homestead with all of the children grown and moved out. As prepared as we tried to be for me doing this by myself, of course there have been things I didn't plan for. I'm so lucky 2 of the grown children (and grandkids) live very close and can help if needed and if their jobs and school allow ❤Thank you for your honest conversation!
😄Welcome to our world!
so crazy! Watching this and this Thursday our last two kids are moving out to stand on their own. We are getting ready to move to our first homestead. we have been doing what we can from our condo we purchased when all five kids were still home with us. now it is finally just the two of us.
no advice, just know others are traveling this road too.
I am now a great-grandmother but my age does not lessen my memory of how hard adjusting to being an empty nester was. Now I'm going through it with my grand-daughter who is now a mother with her 2nd on the way. We were very present in her growing up. Now she lives 3 hours from us and her Grandpa and I are experiencing empty-nest once again with. Of course we want them to be happy in this new phase of their lives and we support them - BUT we miss them! AND we absolutely adore our great-grandson!
Once you get over the identity change, and adjustment period, you're going to love this next stage!
Congratulations. We are seeing our youngest daughter and her husband going through empty nesting........so our youngest set of grandchildren are all at the age of leaving home and spreading their wings. May they soar high and let the breeze take them to this beautiful world in the best way. It's a happy and a tearful event, memories and yet hopes and dreams for their beautiful futures.
You and Kevin will do great and perhaps have carved out some empty time to take on a hobby or do whatever you enjoy but haven't done much of. I am excited to see how it all transpires. I am sure you will find amazing things to accomplish and new inventive things that you had always wanted to do. Best wishes for your daughters and I cannot believe they are that old already........they were just little when you began this journey.
Blessings
I love the authenticity of this video. 🌻 It's great that you support your daughters following their own paths. Empty nesting can be a really big deal.
Congratulations on having the house to yourselves.
You will have more time for each other. To do things for just you. Stay in contact with your kids. Grandkids when they come. When kids left we enjoyed doing things together off homestead as well as at home. The real transition for me was losing my wife 4 years ago. Enjoy having each other while you can.
We are blessed so that we can bless others.
I remember becoming empty nesters. It’s an exciting time for everyone. You’ll discover that you have a lot of free time that you didn’t have before. You are still young and can do fun things together. Congratulations to all of you and I know God will bless your wonderful family.
Grand babies! Yes, that is next 😊😆😁
As having gone through this you now enter a new chapter in your life. We like our new chapter in life and a new lifestyle. Kids need to grow up and leave the nest, part of life.
Yes, with easy transportation, etc, kids leaving home is how things are now. They must leave to grow up, tho I think a homesteading set of parents could make them mature.....chores.
In Washington State, you must complete all prerequisites before entering nursing school. Usually, that takes 2 years before the nursing program. In my mother's day (1945), the prerequisites were included in the nursing program, so 2 years prerequisites, 2 years nursing, completed the program, which was 4 years total. Now days, you are on your own for the prerequisites because they're not included.
Great job. Time for a well earned vacation
My husband and I met in college, we both went into the same field - graphic arts. We even worked in the same office at the same company for years. We were best friends when we married, that is important, we think. Then, in my 50's, I had a business that he would help me with when he got done at work. Now, both of our girls are raised and gone, one married, the other single. We are retired and with each other almost all the time. Still best friends!
The future will bring a larger family, we started with ourselves and two boys, now after being empty nesters for a few years our family has gone from four to a family of nine. When they come home it’s fun and a huge blessing but we certainly look forward to them all going home. 🤭
I sensed you going through changes. More of you both doing separate videos. That is a very smart change, divide and conquer! Many changes in our lives over the years. I always pray we will grow together. It is awkward sometimes. But unconditional love and having my best friend as a life companion is awesome! You will both be just fine.
Indeed, the Lord does have a plan for his people, in every part of their lives. Amen! I appreciate you sharing part of your lives with us, and all that can be learned from your videos!
Advise....I would slow things down but prepare for grandchildren...I think they all will need you ❤
We became empty nester this year too. Our last one joined the Navy.
Raising independent children is the goal! Well done!
Congratulations. We are there and have been for several years. Just make sure you do have your own interests as well and keep learning that is so important. I have no doubt you will come up with something new and exciting. 💝🇨🇦
You have entered the waiting game until the grandkiddies come. Congrats, and be patient.
I wish more kids could grow up having the type of lifestyle you taught your girls. They'll carry the knowledge you gave them throughout the rest of their lives. Good on both of you.
You are going to have a great time as empty nesters! We have been empty for about 7 years now and we love our time together now. We have tried new things, enjoy the garden, and we continue to plan our future. My advice, live in the moment, and enjoy every moment you have together. My challenge has been cooking for two!
I would like to hear about your eating program. What do you start the day with, what foods. Do you ever tire of certain foods. And how do you change it up from time to time? I tried Keto and got very tired of eggs. And sausage. I’d just appreciate some examples of meals over time. I am a widow so just need to feed myself, so your two person meals would work for me. I’m thinking of this as a healthier lifestyle for myself. Thank you so much. ❤
Oh my golly, the photo @8:30 😲
These are times that are not typical. Catch up on the news that you have been missing. Reconnect with your family and close friends that you miss.
We dropped our 1 and only son off the other day at college too. Definitely is a life changing moment for sure.
It's funny we made not seen the girls much boy had time flew. It may us as much with our own children but when your favorite UA-cam family's start growing up it hits the ❤. Congrats Job well done.
It’s been a long time for me since I was an empty nester. I do recall going through feeling a little lost. Learning to cook different was a little difficult in the sense of downsizing my cooking, but no matter where my children were that feeling in my heart of daily needing to know they were okay never left and to this day, they are in their early 50’s I still have that same feeling. There definitely is an adjustment. God bless you both!
It's the same for me, I pray for them and I know God has them in His big hands, I still want to hear from them as often as I can.
A couple of things I truly appreciate in observing your lifestyles is: the respect you have for each other, i. e., like not interrupting each other; accepting your individual roles AS husband & wife; & above all, your unashamed love of JESUS! ✝️🥰🙌🏼
I’ve been an empty nester for 21 yrs now, & I promise….your next 20+ will be AS enjoyable, if not more….esp when you begin to have ‘lil replicas of your girls running around!🥰
Blessings on your homestead, & thanks for sharing your lives w/your fans! 🥰