About Us

This blog is a story of my family’s life–first in mid-Michigan and then in Northern Michigan as we grow the life we’ve always wanted.

For most of our lives together, my husband, son, and I lived in a house on a small lot in a small village in mid-Michigan.

My husband grew up on a 45-acre farm where he could play, roam, hunt, and work the ground. His Mom canned and made homemade bread. He is a homesteader at heart and city life, even in a small village, does not fit him well. I grew up in a small town, and while I am used to life in a town, I have always loved solitary places of natural beauty and secret gardens.

We tried to create such a life in our village. We turned our whole yard into gardens of various sorts. However, we always dreamed of having a few acres in the country, a place without close neighbors, just big enough for a large garden, some fruit trees, and maybe a few chickens. We wanted an unhindered view of sunrises, sunsets, and storms. We wanted to watch deer grazing. We wanted our dog to be able to run free without a leash. We wanted land just big enough to be a joy, but not so big that it became a burden. We didn’t see how we could make our dream come true.

In May 2013, our 18-year-old son was diagnosed with testicular cancer. We battled his cancer together with faith, courage, a sense of humor, and occasional tears. However, when the treatments ended, we found ourselves utterly exhausted.

In early 2015, we were weary, overwhelmed, and stressed–not only from JJ’s battle with cancer. My husband worked at a difficult company that was making him sick, and we had struggled for years with emotionally abusive family. We decided that we needed to have a fresh start in a new place. JJ and I urged EJ to post his resume on Indeed.com and a few days later a company contacted him, and after a couple of interviews, he was hired.

We moved “Up North.”  To Michiganders, “Up North” is a magical place of breathtaking beauty where we all long to go to escape the stresses of life. It is a place of forests, lakes, fresh air, campfires, outdoor activities, and history. It is practically heaven. When we think of “Up North,” we almost hear angelic choruses. Most people go to Northern Michigan for vacations; we were going there to live.

We can see clouds, and storms, and a night sky filled with stars. There are beautiful lakes only a couple of miles from our home. We have deer grazing close to our house, turkeys wandering through our yard, and we hear coyotes howling in the night. We have several cats and a beautiful rescue dog named Hannah Joy. I am raising chickens and I go on a treasure hunt every day gathering their eggs. We are growing a garden and planting fruit trees. Life is good.