This is me! I was born and raised in New England where I lived the first 21 years of my life. I spent the next 18 years in the deep south and since 1999 I’ve called North Carolina home. I have a degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA but I left that world behind in 2001 and became a high school math teacher. The kids at school just call me “Boudreau” and my own kids call me “Pops”. Over the years in both the corporate world and in the halls of learning I’ve earned the reputation for being unorthodox. I kind of like that title.
This is my darling wife and the love of my life, Colleen. There is very little we don’t do together. She is the heart and soul of everything we do up here. Originally from New England, like me, she comes with a feisty Irish heritage. That red head isn’t a lie, either. She is a teacher’s assistant at the same high school at which I teach. Her abilities are second to none in the kitchen. It’s a wonder I don’t weigh 400 pounds. Even the kids at school know her as the “Cookie Lady”. We got married in 2000 and it was the best decision of my life. I’m not sure it was for her though because she got stuck with me.
And here we have Alex. Alex is the youngest of our six kids. He is a lot of the muscle on this little homestead. He is also our knife master. He can sharpen or repair just about any blade and he knows how to use them too. The kid is almost magic when it comes to skinning and cleaning game. He is one of our kids that definitely has a homestead mentality and would love nothing more to live on a homestead and set up a smithy shop. He figures somebody needs to know how to fix a plow blade.
Louis is our second youngest son. The boy is smart as a whip and quick at picking things up, but he will quickly get distracted if the sun hits a speck of dust floating in the air. He enlisted in the Army in early 2017 and it has been the best thing in the world for him. He’s doing great and we couldn’t be prouder of the boy. He has a natural ability to work outside of the box and see some incredibly unconventional solutions to everyday situations. He’s definitely giving the Army a run for it’s money, but he’s also got a couple of letters of commendation for his actions so far too.
Alysia is our oldest daughter and with her husband Al make quite the couple. These two are not likely to find their way out to a homestead any time soon although AL played a key role in helping me get this website up and running. Alysia is a vegetarian, animal lover who once rescued a mouse our cat caught, nursed it back to heath and then let it go in our basement. You’re likely to find these two having a good time a Renaissance Festival dressed in their full regalia. In many ways, these two are still very much kids at heart.
Steven is the second oldest son in the clan. He and his wife Anna Maria only live a few miles away so they swing by the house regularly. Steven is my lumberjack which is quite handy to have on a homestead. Anna Maria is the only one that has every curbed Steven’s wild hair, but they are a blast to have around. When Colleen and I finally settle on our big spread, these two will be right there with us as both definitely have an eye towards the lifestyle on a homestead.
James is our oldest son. James and Donna have been together for a little more than 5 years now. James is our master scavenger and barter. If I need something around the place he is the go to guy. James is also another one of our kids that would love to get set up on a homestead. James does have a son but there are some crazy issues with his ex-wife so we rarely get to see our grandson. To be honest, I’m not even sure where the kid is living now. Colleen and I figure if we can pull it off we’ll have quite the homestead with a bunch of our kids around.
Stephanie is my youngest daughter and the most mercurial of all of the kids. She lives 1000 miles away in Louisiana with our grandson Blake. Sadly, we only hear from her occasionally and see her even less frequently. Stephanie is a true survivor. No matter what happens this little firecracker always seems to end up on her feet. She keeps talking about wanting to find her way back up to North Carolina and some day we sure hope it happens. I have the distinct feeling that Steph will end up one the family homestead when she finally does make back home. Right now though, she has her life to live and a son for whom she must care.