Hi, I’m Ashley.

I’m a homesteading, homeschooling mama of seven, desiring to live a simple, natural, God-glorifying life here on our four acre homestead in NE Indiana.

My focus here is to share about the skills and lessons we learn as we seek to nourish our bodies, hearts, minds, even the land itself according to the wisdom of the past.

God has graciously provided for all our needs through the abundance of creation and we are, daily, learning more about how to care for our family in the most natural way possible.

We believe that the simplest, most natural way is usually the best way and that this can often be discerned by looking to the way people have lived in harmony with creation throughout most of human history. While we are thankful for many scientific advancements and modern conveniences, we acknowledge that they nearly always come at a cost. We, personally, know that cost all too well. Read more about our battle with severe eczema.

Here on our little patch of land, we raise much of our own food using organic methods and cook it from scratch using traditional methods. We have lots of people to provide for and each of us has an essential contribution to make. Our kids milk goats, carry water buckets, collect eggs, snuggle babies, read books to twin toddlers, and sometimes even fix dinner for the family. Most of our days require hard work from all of us, but we believe that this is the kind of work that brings joy, builds character, and makes us more fully human.

I am so thankful for the work of Charlotte Mason and the Ambleside Online advisory for giving us a vision for education that has greatly enriched our lives. You’ll find us at home most days, discussing great ideas, reciting scripture, poetry, and Shakespeare, drawing, painting, singing old hymns and folk songs, knitting, whittling, riding ponies, rambling about in the woods, and reading piles and piles of beautiful, living books. I’m thankful beyond words to have this time to be at home learning alongside my children. The days we have together go by so quickly.

Come along as we share the lessons we’re learning along the way! We want to provide you with inspiration, encouragement and practical resources to help you build a less toxic, slower-paced, more abundant life, to the Glory of God! ~ and maybe even find some kindred spirits along the way!