Young couple decides to raise 5 children away from the big city and tells their experience

the american Jodi Mockabee She is a mother of five, a photographer, an interior designer and the director of a home school. Since childhood, she dreamed of spending more time with her family and in nature. And the dream finally came true.

And in this post, the awesome.club shares with you Jodi’s curious story, as well as some photos that show the hectic lifestyle of this family.

Jodi and her husband, Jason, were raised in conservative families, exemplary students and hardworking. After graduation from high school, even before they met, the two dreamed of starting a family. They met in a bar, started talking and… fell in love.

The couple arranged a simple wedding and traveled to the Mediterranean for their honeymoon. Jodi says that, at the time, the couple already knew, unconsciously, that they wouldn’t be able to travel for a long time. And it’s true, the responsibilities of a large family take up a lot of time and resources, but they still have a lot of adventures out there.

In March 2006, Jodi gave birth to her first child: Carter. And a year later was born Everett🇧🇷 In both cases, pregnancy and delivery were complicated, and the mother needed the help of surgeons. In 2010, the third daughter was born, little scarlett🇧🇷 On that occasion, everything was simpler, without intense pain. Jodi got the chance to give birth at home, which was her dream, with the help of her loved ones.

At that stage, the Mockabee family had already moved several times. Eventually, they decided to sell the house in Northern California, settling in Southern California, near Jodi’s small hometown. The two were attracted to country life, so they bought a small farm away from the city.

Even though Jodi and Jason had bought a relatively cheap home in the ideal location, the property needed a lot of repairs. She remembers that the rooms were more like attics and that the furniture was very old. The couple then decided to carry out an extensive renovation, which had to be carried out with the little budget they had, reconciling the works with the raising of three children.

And another surprise came along the way: Jodi became pregnant again and, at the end of 2011, the twins were born. Elijah and August🇧🇷

The main part of the budget dedicated to the works was applied to the renovation of the kitchen. Jodi bought new furniture, including a large table that doubles as a study place for the children. The kitchen was integrated into the living room, creating a wider environment. The couple produced some of the furniture on their own, finding materials in the forest in the region. The living room window has an incredible view and the place has become one of the family’s favorites, who love to enjoy the sunset.

Jodi admits she didn’t have the time or money to go to stores and pick out what she liked. She learned to do everything on her own, being helped by her husband. Instead of expensive hardwood flooring, they laid sheets of laminate, and with the leftover material, they made tables.

To save money, they sometimes exchanged services. For example, a man made the children’s beds based on drawings made by his mother. Jodi, in return, took her wedding photos. For another person who helped with the stairs in the house, the mother produced a family portrait.

So that the space in the house would be enough for everyone, Jodi turned the garage into the bedroom for her older children. The bunk beds take advantage of the space and make fun of the kids.

The twins’ room, like the entire house, has many handmade things. Some of them were found on the streets and restored. On the children’s beds, Jodi decided to carve excerpts from her favorite poems. The wall decorations were developed with the participation of the children. They also worked on the decoration of the house in general, creating accessories from natural materials, as it is possible to collect raw materials in the forest behind the house.

Scarlett’s room is a dream for many girls. Basically all the decor elements were made by Jodi.

It wasn’t right away that Jodi chose to homeschool her children. At first, the older ones went to a regular school, where their mother studied. They liked the institution, but at a certain point, the mother understood that she needed to spend more time with her children and find a suitable rhythm and education system. “I didn’t want to drop my kids off at school and then complain about not having time to make breakfast for them,” recalls Jodi.

Starting homeschooling wasn’t easy: Jodi had to study tons of content to begin with. For a few years, she experimented with different methods and is still trying, but points out that she doesn’t cling to any particular system. When her kids are playing some educational game, Jodi doesn’t interrupt the process even if it requires rescheduling the entire day. Children like to study at home, and all program content is broadcast. They also do not have communication difficulties: they interact with friends who live in neighboring farms and participate in extracurricular activities.

Every summer, Jodi plans a varied program for the entire year, setting goals and objectives. She also prepares the content of the weekly classes. Creativity plays a big role in education: all children like to draw and do handicrafts. There are also mandatory classes such as English, mathematics, history and geography.

Almost daily, the Mockabee family takes a walk in the middle of nature: they go for a swim in the lake or explore the forest. And the mother admits that she also learns from the children. When they find an unknown plant or fruit, they take it home and analyze it with the help of books, describe it and attach it to a special album.

Albums hold a special place in Jodi’s methodology. Every day, children write a short story or draw a picture about the subject studied, learning to correctly express their own thoughts. Jodi catalogs all her children’s work, putting them together in themed albums: that way, she can know what level each child is at, just as children can refresh their memory about that particular information.

Of course, Jodi doesn’t know everything, so children rely on encyclopedias, the Internet, and other teachers for help. The oldest son is the only one who loves math, so he takes extra classes online. He was also the first to show an interest in music. Jodi and Jason can’t play musical instruments, so Carter taught himself to play the piano and violin. The second son followed suit, still learning the ukulele. The daughter, meanwhile, loves horses and practices horseback riding at a professional level.

Today Jodi is fully dedicated to her family. Rarely do they pose for photo shoots, with the mother often snapping future mothers and newborns. For years, she has maintained a blog and Instagram profile (@jodimockabee) where she inspires other moms and dads to set new family goals by sharing her life story, parenting tips and stunning images.

Is that you? Would you like to live closer to nature? Comment with your opinions about this lifestyle.