Four years ago I was introduced to the art of blacksmithing. I was instantly hooked in the practicality and the fun of heating up metal to shape in into needed sizes and for unique purposes. While on a vacation for our 25th anniversary, Stephanie and I watched a few men work and even purchased a knife they had made. It was awesome.
Backstory, my grandfather was born in 1901 and as a farmer in Western Kentucky had to learn how to handle blacksmithing needs on his own farm. He had all the tools. When he passed away, my father was given his primary hammer. And then he had given that hammer to me. This sparked my love for blacksmithing and put me in an emotional place where I just had to learn more.
So early in 2022, I went back to that blacksmithing school we had seen on vacation and took my father, son and nephew with me. We each made knives and learned a great deal about metal working. It was a blast.
After nearly two years of saving, finding things at yard sales, being given gifts from friends, etc... I have finally put together my anvil and forge. And this week I made a fire poker to be used in our camp fires and charcoal production. This is a dream realized... although its only beginning.
I am finding such joy in this new hobby.
Thanks so much to everyone who has helped me me in this endeavor!
I'm Brad. My wife Stephanie and I have been working on our yard for 23 years. It has been a labor of love that has paid us in relational dividends 100 times over. It has truly become a passion for me and I can’t wait to share it with you. In this world of negativity, violence, crazy high prices for entertainment and the spread of disease… there has never been a time more ripe for enjoying life in your backyard. Thank you for considering this journey with me.
Over the last 23 years, we have dug a ¾ acre fishing pond, paved out creek rock walkways, installed Zoysia grass sod, installed lighting and fans on our porch, built a large tree house, expanded our backyard storage, and most recently built a party barn for throwing small events with our friends, neighbors, family, and church family.
We are seeing those years of development produce a truly wonderful haven for our home life in the yard.
And the heart of our yard is most certainly relationships. We build friendships, dive deep into parenting, fall in love all over again, and even spend quality time with God as we look deep into this world’s beautiful outdoors. Our yard is the most peaceful place in our lives.
And now I want to help you find that same peace of mind.
Over the next few weeks, months, and maybe even years, I plan to paint the picture of a yard full of heart. It will certainly be up to you how you choose to apply the things you read here, but it will be my goal to give you loads of options to bring you joy, hope, and peace right in the middle of your yard.
The yard will no longer be seen as a job upon which to toil and torture oneself. It will be seen as a sanctuary to retreat from life's stresses and shelter oneself from the anxieties that exist all around us. Your yard will become your vacation from the parts of your life you need to escape. Let’s go there together.
Whether you live in a small town, a subdivision, or an urban setting… if you have a yard, you have potential for all I’m describing and more. So let’s explore. Let’s dream together. And I will share my experiences from the past 30 years of marriage and family in the yard with you. Let me give you a few examples of things we will consider together.
· The importance and joy of peaceful conversation between family members.
· Moments of awe shared together around campfires or staring into the universe.
· The value of tackling fun tasks together as you build your retreat in the yard.
· Meals cooked and eaten outdoors and the relaxing experience that comes with them.
· Share moments with the best of friends.
· Introductions to new neighbors and potential best friends.
· We will look at new products on the market that help you get the most experience for the least expense and effort.
· We will talk about pets and space you can share with them.
· We will talk about parenting and the peace you can give your children in their own safe space at home.
· We will think through storage so that the yard is always clear and clear of things that bring more stress.
· We will protect your investments by keeping expensive things safeguarded.
· We will learn outdoor cooking techniques to empower you to eat gourmet meals at home and on a budget.
· We will learn together how to make your yard the envy of your neighborhood and raise your friendship level as much as you would like.
And we will explore so much more together. Ultimately, our goal is to help you find the joy that we have found right in our yard. We now have a long list of people who want to come and witness what we have built for ourselves. So it's our time to help you experience that comfort and gratification with us.
Thank you for joining us on our journey.
We will cover it all. Over the past 23 years we have had to think through the effort required, the budget allowed and the time invested to create such amazing outdoor space. We want to share those experiences, stories, products and relationships with you.
My name is Brad and my wife is Stephanie. But this blog isn't just about us. We have seen our yard expand our lives into caring relationships with hundreds of others from our community, workplaces, church, and family. This blog is about them. And this blog is about the outdoor space that has helped us all grow and enjoy life.