9 Years of Chick Chick Coop: A Homestead Dream in the Making

As we enter our 9th year anniversary with Chick Chick Coop, I find myself more excited than ever about where we are and where we’re headed. Sometimes I sit and wonder why didn't we start this homesteading journey earlier in life? The only answer I can come up with is that we were just busy. Caught up in the corporate world, raising our kids, running from one thing to the next, like so many others in the rat race.

If only we had started in our 30s or 40s… how much further along would we be now? But then again, maybe this chapter came at just the right time. Maybe we needed those years of hustle to truly appreciate what it means to slow down.
To live simply.
To build something with our hands and hearts.

Now, we’re steadily carving out a life on our little piece of heaven, one step at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a sustainable lifestyle. But it’s coming together—and it’s beautiful.

We’re fortunate to live in a place that offers so much, nestled in a quiet community most folks around here call The Branch. The nearby bayou gifts us with fresh bass, bream, white perch, and catfish. Our own ponds provide a steady food source too, and even more joy as our grandsons cast their lines into the water, their faces full of hope and wonder.

They say there are black bears in the woods surrounding us, though I’ve only seen one on our son-in-law’s deer camera—caught red-pawed eating the corn he’d put out for the deer! And speaking of deer, our two oldest grandsons, ages 9 and 8, have already shot their first deer for the family freezer. They’re learning early what it means to live off the land.

Our small Aberdeen cattle herd is growing, and with it, our goal of raising our own beef. The grandkids help keep things light by naming the ones destined for the freezer things like Taco or Frenchfry—a little humor that helps them understand the cycle of farm life without getting too attached.

Of course, our coops are always full of life. With our two Chick Chick Coops and plenty of hens, we have more eggs than we can eat—and we love being able to share them. This year, we’ve planted a garden again, and oh how I love it! Eric worked so hard to bring all my sketches and ideas to life. The fruits of that labor are already showing up in the form of cucumbers, squash, and zucchini. Watching the garden grow is like watching a dream unfold in real time.

Every morning brings with it a quiet kind of magic—the cluck of a chicken, dew on the garden rows, grandkids running barefoot through the yard. Our goal is for life to be slower and fuller now. It’s rich in the ways that matter most.

Sometimes I think this was never just about chickens or coops.
It’s about legacy.
About passing down something real and meaningful to our children and grandchildren.
It’s about teaching them where their food comes from, how to live with intention, and how to find joy in the simple things.

So as Chick Chick Coop steps into its 9th year, we’re dreaming bigger than ever. Not just of new coop designs or more chickens, but of a life lived close to the land, full of grit, grace, and gratitude. We’re so thankful to all of you who’ve been a part of this journey with us.

Here’s to year nine, and all the beautiful, messy, fulfilling steps still ahead.

We wouldn’t trade it for anything!