A Simple Grounded Life: Starting Small, Growing Slow, and Living Fully

Why We’re Here

Welcome to A Simple Grounded Life. We’re so glad you’re here. This is a place where we share our journey toward a simpler, more intentional lifestyle—one that’s grounded in faith, family, and the everyday joys of working with our hands and hearts.

We are a family of five who loves spending time outside—whether it’s playing, going on walks, hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, gardening, spending time with our animals, or working on projects together. We also spend a lot of time at church, serving our community, and strengthening our faith as a family.

Starting small is more than okay—it’s a gift. We didn’t grow up on a farm, and we don’t have acres of land, but we felt called to live a simpler, more grounded life. This blog is for anyone who wants to embrace that same calling, no matter where you’re starting from.

The Heart Behind A Simple Grounded Life

Life today moves fast—faster than ever before. Demands keep piling up, and technology fills every corner of our days. In the middle of all that noise, we want something different for our family. We want to give our kids a life rooted in faith and grounded in skills that will serve them for years to come.

More than that, we want to make a positive impact—not by having all the answers, but by sharing what we learn along the way. Whether it’s admitting our mistakes, offering advice, or just putting a smile on someone’s face, our hope is to encourage others to live simply and purposefully. At the center of everything for us is Jesus, who reminds us that real growth happens when we stay connected to Him.

As John 15:5 says,

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

This verse reminds us that no matter how small our beginnings or how slow our progress, the key is to stay connected—to trust, to lean in, and to let life grow naturally from there.

What Starting Small Looks Like for Us

My mom always had a garden when I was growing up. I have vivid memories of wandering into that garden and grabbing fresh tomatoes, carrots, or radishes—and eating them right then and there. That simple joy stuck with me. When I got married, I knew I wanted to keep that tradition alive.

What made it even better was that our own yard had a “garden” already—if you could call it that. Honestly, it looked more like a wild little forest than a garden. But we started chipping away at it, clearing space, planting seeds, and slowly turning that forest into a garden we could call our own.

Then a couple years ago, my brother got chickens, which sparked my interest even more. Eventually, I convinced Paige to buy a chicken coop when we found a great deal. We agreed to let it sit in our yard until next spring since it was late summer/early fall when we got it.

But then, one day (three days after purchasing the coop), we stopped by our local Rural King “just to look.” And somehow, we accidentally came home with six baby chicks.

That’s how it all began—small steps, unexpected surprises, and a willingness to dive in even when we didn’t have all the answers. Starting simple gave us room to learn, grow, and find joy in the journey.

The “Grow Slow” Mindset

Living this way isn’t about rushing to perfection or checking all the boxes. It’s about embracing the process, mistakes and all. We’ve been working at this for over eight years, learning that sometimes the best growth happens when you give yourself permission to be a beginner.

Trial and error are part of the story here. From crooked garden beds to the occasional chicken escape artist, we laugh, learn, and keep going. Those small wins—like the first egg from a hen or watching our kids’ excitement as they plant seeds—remind us why we started.

When we bought our house, there was landscaping everywhere; we actually were overwhelmed by everything. Paige was pregnant with our twin girls, and we were feeling the pressure of a new marriage, pregnancy, and first-time homeownership. We decided that we would make it a priority to downsize our landscaping to make it more manageable. What a great decision. Now we have a clean slate to make our property in our own vision. Slowly and intentionally.

The “grow slow” mindset isn’t just about gardening or homesteading. It’s about life—taking time to build habits, grow relationships, and root ourselves in what really matters. We invite you to join us in embracing the beauty of steady, meaningful growth.

What You’ll Find Here

At A Simple Grounded Life, we’re all about sharing the real, imperfect journey of living simply and intentionally. You can expect regular posts that cover the things we love most: caring for our animals, tackling DIY projects, growing our garden, and sharing gentle faith encouragement.

Right now, we’re consistently sharing our favorite moments through Wings & Waddles Wednesday, where we spotlight our chickens, ducks, and other feathered friends, and Free Friday, which celebrates the joy of finding and salvaging free treasures. Whether it’s transforming a dilapidated kids’ playhouse into a “Turkey Tavern,” rescuing free plants someone is downsizing, or welcoming animals people can no longer care for, we want to show that living this lifestyle doesn’t have to be expensive.

We also love rolling up our sleeves to build and create, so you’ll find plenty of hands-on DIY projects and “make-it-yourself” moments sprinkled throughout the blog. While we haven’t focused much on food yet, we’re excited to start sharing delicious, gluten-free homemade remedies and simple recipes—like turmeric ginger shots and homemade jerky—that fit with our wholesome, grounded lifestyle.

No matter what day you visit, we hope you’ll find something to inspire you to slow down, get your hands a little dirty, and grow alongside us—one small step at a time.

Let’s Grow Together

Thank you so much for stopping by A Simple Grounded Life. We’re grateful you’ve taken this first step with us on a journey toward living more simply, intentionally, and connected to what really matters.

We’d love to hear from you—whether it’s a question, a story, or just a hello. Feel free to leave a comment or send us an email anytime.

If you want to join us as we grow and learn, subscribe to the blog, follow along on social media, and come grow with us—one small step at a time.

My prayer for you is that you find peace in the slow moments, joy in the simple things, and a deep sense of purpose in the life you are building.