We are just a small family of three, but what we lack in human numbers, we make up for in animals. At last count we had 23 in total, including a puppy, two recalcitrant cats, a couple of demanding sheep, 15 hens, a rooster, and a couple of stick insects too – and yes, they all have names.
We like animals a lot, but our daughter Ruby is the real animal-lover in our family. She’s 9 years old, and has wanted to be a vet her whole life. She’s even built her own “vet clinic” in the side yard ... sometimes it can be hard to find the balance between supporting her and protecting others :)
Anyway, back to our introduction ...
Shane and I met in our 20s and both qualified as social workers in 2003. We’ve always worked with children and families, and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. However, a few years ago we hit a rough patch, and despite looking fairly good from the outside (pretty house, nice cars, good jobs, etc.), other than the joy we felt parenting our daughter, we just didn’t feel that happy or fulfilled.
So, in true social work fashion, we reflected on our family’s situation, and looked at our options. We also looked at what our personal values were, and whether we were living a life consistent with these values – authenticity is also big in the world of social work. Long story short, we were less than impressed with what we found, and decided to make some changes.
It took a couple of years, but we used that time to talk, plan, and dream, and then one day we found it, the half-acre piece of land that would eventually become: 9 Degrees Celsius. It was clear that both the land and the house had been neglected for some time; however, instead of being frightened by this, as good social workers we reframed it all as “an opportunity”.
Imagine a place where you could live the life you dreamed of, give your children a level of old-fashioned freedom, and genuinely enjoy yourselves most of the time? Yep, that’s what we thought too, perfect!
Right from our first visit, we knew that actually working towards our dream, of a simple self-sufficient small farm, would be part of the dream itself, and that’s what makes it so great. At the risk of boring you to death, another accepted principle of social work is that the process is as important as the outcome (I know, you didn’t sign up for Social Work 101 ... but I can’t help it!).
It’s now been more than 12 months since we moved to our little farm, and it definitely hasn’t been easy, but it has been real. These days we work hard to live a life that is consistent with our values and our dreams, and we appreciate that each challenge is a valuable part of the journey we’ve chosen to be part of. As a result of being more purposeful and intentional, we are growing as individuals, and as a family, but we’re also making a home, a future, and a life together.
Thanks for taking the time to learn a little more about us, and we hope you feel inspired to also dream big, and to take your own journey, whatever it might be.
Bonnie, Shane & Ruby
#9degreescelsius
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