Thursday, September 10, 2015

Some Exciting News



For eighteen and half years we have called this land we live on home. It is a special place to us, a place where we feel deeply rooted, and connected. This land sustains us in ways I could never have imagined, and believe it or not, has taught us so much over the years.

Over the years we have shared this land with family, many friends, and in recent years, lots of kids. While both Justin and I are homebodies, and on some level introverts, we do enjoy sharing this land with others. We enjoy having friends here to celebrate festivals, to share in seasonal gatherings, or to enjoy a meal and hang out. We have hosted a lovely art festival in our yard, complete with an afternoon tea served up by my dad, mother in law and myself, and this summer I hosted my first summer nature camp.

This land is special to us, and we want to share that. So, slowly over the last year we have been talking about this land, how to make use of it in different ways, how to share it, and how to create a gathering place of sorts. It took us a while to really understand what we wanted to do, but it has finally come to fruition, and today I want to share that with you.

We have named our little homestead, Life At Nature's Pace. It is a small family homestead that will hopefully act as a way for us to share our love of nature and passion for homesteading with others. There will be interactive, skill based workshops, and camps, right here on our land, for kids to adults. Some of these workshops will be lead by us, but we also hope to bring in people from our community who have skills in different areas to share their knowledge and experience as well. In essence, creating a small community of people gathering together to learn from each other.

We are starting small with two workshops this fall, one for kids, and one of adults. I have some plans for some winter workshops, and am slowly approaching people to see if they are interested in sharing their knowledge and skills with others. It has been an interesting path to this point, and we are excited to see where it goes.

I spent some time a few weeks ago creating our new website, and hope you will stop by and check it out. There are still some things I will be adding to the site, a little shop to sell my products, and a gallery of Justin's art, but those things will come in time, over the next few months.

So, here we are, at the beginning of a new journey. I am just a little excited about putting this out there, and even more excited to see where this journey takes us.

58 comments:

  1. From an outside looking in perspective this feels like a very natural next step for you, as well as an exciting one. And your website looks perfect, fingers crossed that this new venture is everything you all hope it will be.

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    1. Thank you Sally. I am not totally sure what I hope it will be, it will be something that unravels slowly over time, and we will see where it goes. We are open to wherever this path leads us.

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  2. Your home and garden are beautiful Kim, I think this is a wonderful idea ! Fiona :)

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  3. That is such an awesome idea!! If I lived just a tiny bit closer, I'd be there in a heartbeat!

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    1. Thanks Anke. Oh how I would love to have you in one of my workshops. Maybe one day....

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  4. That is very exciting, Kim! I think it sounds like a wonderful decision and you will certainly find great rewards in doing this. I look forward to seeing your progress!

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  5. It looks great Kim! Best wishes for your new journey! Hugs!

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  6. Again, congrats! I think it is a wonderful new adventure you are setting on. I wish you nothing but the peak of happiness. :-)

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    1. Thank you Yanic! And big thanks to you for our lovely family photo :)

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  7. That is exciting Kim! So happy for you! ☺

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  8. That really is exciting news Kim and I am thrilled for you and your family.
    My fingers are crossed that one day I will be able to travel north and
    take part in one of your workshops, I know I would have the best time.
    Off to check out the website.
    Big hugs!

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    1. Thank you Tracey. Oh, I will cross my fingers for that as well, how wonderful would that be. One day we have to make it happen. xo

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  9. wonderful! oh Kim, I wish you all the best on the fun adventure! how generous of you to share your space like this and to be working to create and nourish community in such a deep and meaningful way.

    bravo!

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    1. Aw, thank you so much Amanda, your kind words mean so much to me. xo

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  10. Kim this is so perfectly perfect- I wish I lived closer to you. Love your website what a wonderful and enriching offering- I wish you oodles of success.

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    1. Hello there my friend. You know I wished you lived closer too, then you could come a teach a few workshops here...dying yarn, knitting, we would have so much fun.

      Thank you. xo

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  11. Oh this IS so exciting!!!! How I wish we lived closer!! Maybe someday my little family will have to take a trip up to your homestead. So many good wishes coming to you!!! This is awesome <3

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    1. Thank you Jen, we are all pretty excited about it here too :) Oh yes, let's make that happen one day, we would have so much fun together.

      Thank you so much. xo

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  12. Oh Kim, I am so excited for you all!!! I really wish I could come to your workshop!!! Have fun my friend. xo

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    1. Thank you Julie. I am sure it will be a ton of fun. I will be sure to share photos of the first workshops. xo

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  13. Congratulations dear friend, on this wonderful new endeavour! Such an exciting chapter to start! May it be truly blessed. xo

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  14. Oh Kim, that's absolutely wonderful! If I was close I would apply to both for me and issa...
    You are just showing us how powerful can be life if we really live it as dreams come to us...
    You're a star!

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    1. Thanks Sandra. I know Reece would love it if Issa was coming :) He keeps asking who is coming to the kids workshop. And I would love it if you could come to the adult one...maybe one day.

      Aw, big thanks for those kind words, they mean so much. xo

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  15. Yes!Yes!Yes! What a beautiful project!!It is so important to keep the skills of the past alive, this is a great Idea!
    And the new website looks great!;)

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  16. I wish I could attend a workshop!! :) Maybe someday...

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    1. I wish you could too. I bet you would have some wonderful skills to offer in teaching a workshop too. Maybe that could happen one day....

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  17. Oh how wonderful Kim...You are so amazing in your ability to share the goodness you've found and created and this journey is just perfect. I'll be signing up one of these days for sure. xoxo

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    1. Aw, thank you Erica. I would love to have you in a workshop one day :)

      xo

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  18. Kim- I am so excited for you! What a fun journey you are beginning!!

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  19. OH MY this is so so so you!!! I am thrilled with your creativity and insight to bring something to the community that you love :) Good luck and congrats!!

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    1. Thank you Karen. We are so excited about it, and can't wait for our first workshop. The registrations have been rolling in, and that just makes it seem so very real.

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  20. I like it and I predict it will be a big success! You have the passion and knowledge of nature and I love that you want to share it. Good luck.

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  21. Kim- I'm just catching up, and I have to say that when I read this I just kept feeling like of course! This seems like a natural fit.. It sounds perfect. I'm so excited to check out your website, I'll take a look. And yay for selling your stuff.
    (And thanks for the mail!)

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    1. Aw, big thanks my friend. You have just made me smile with your comment.

      Glad to hear the mail arrived :) Have a wonderful weekend. xo

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  22. Aw, thank you Rosemarie. I wish you were closer too, we would have so much fun together :)

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  23. What a great project. If I lived closer I'd already have signed up to the workshops! Best of luck. I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds.
    The three of you must be so excited!

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    1. Thank you Emma. We are very excited. The children's workshop only has one spot left to be filled, and the adult workshop is halfway there. It feels good.

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  24. this is AMAZING!! what a lovely idea! i am so excited for you. i think it is amazing that you plan to share your amazing homestead with others. you are truly an inspiration kim!

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    1. You are too kind my friend, thank you for your words. xo

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  25. what a wonderful project ... Long life to him ! Congratulations to you ! If only I lived on your continent ...

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  26. Oh that's incredibly exciting and just the perfect fit for you - now all I wish is that I lived nearer!!

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    1. Thanks Carie. It feels so right for us, and I am so excited to see where it takes us. Ha, wouldn't that be awesome. It would be so great to have some of you wonderful ladies in my workshops, or even leading workshops.

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  27. Oh, Kim, what wonderful news! And just one more reason I wish that we lived much, much closer to you! Congrats! I am so glad that you are making this dream a reality! xo

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    1. Thanks Shel, we are pretty excited about it. And the really great news, is my first workshop is full already...so excited about that!

      I wish you guys were closer too. I think we need to chat about a visit one of these days :)

      xo

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  28. Oh wow, this sounds amazing! Congratulations and looking forward to hearing more about this new endeavor.

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    1. Thank you!!! I will definitely share more as we get going with workshops. I am so excited!

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  29. This IS exciting news. I'm so happy for you and your family and everyone whose lives this will impact. I wish we could come, who knows what the following years will bring. Be well.

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    1. Thank you so much my friend. We are pretty excited, and can't wait to see where this takes us.

      I wish you could be here too, maybe one day you will make it out this way....

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