Hey there! I’m Carey. I see you found the Blog. Grab a cup of coffee and stay awhile!

Welcome to the Spirit Hill Blog

And All the Nitty Gritty Details

Of course things are just getting started. But here you’ll find everything from our DIY New Build, sustainable living practices, and gardening tips, to non-toxic alternatives and our favorite homestead home finds.

Browse All Posts

Or lets find what you’re looking for:

Carey 3/24/26 Carey 3/24/26

What to Research Before Buying or Building on Land (We Wish We Knew This Sooner)

Thinking about buying land? Here are the most important things to research first—from zoning and setbacks to utilities and soil tests—so you can avoid costly surprises later.

Carey 3/18/26 Carey 3/18/26

The First Thing We Should Have Done Before Planning a Build

Before we could build anything, we had to understand the rules attached to the land. This post shares what we learned about permits, township regulations, and subdivision — and why researching them early can shape the entire plan.

Carey 3/11/26 Carey 3/11/26

This is the Part People Don’t Talk About

Building while working full time isn’t aesthetic or easy. It’s second-shift energy, shared stress, and choosing the weight anyway.

Carey 3/4/26 Carey 3/4/26

The Land Changed the Timeline

The dream was already there. The land didn’t create it — it just made waiting harder to justify. Here’s how the timeline shifted and why we chose to start sooner, even if it meant starting smaller.

I’m Carey

Despite it being in yet another rental, that season mattered.

It’s where I learned to garden. Where I processed deer meat alongside my husband. Where I began intentionally building habits toward a more self-sufficient life. Every skill learned and every seed planted was practice for something bigger.

Despite loving parts of our rental life, we always knew we were building toward land of our own.

Now that day is close.

Life on Spirit Hill is my honest record of what it looks like to trade comfort for intention. We’re building our home from the ground up — starting with a small cabin and growing from there — while working full time and learning as we go.

I share the beautiful moments, the slow progress, the mistakes, and the milestones. Not because we have it all figured out, but because building something meaningful takes time — and I believe that journey is worth documenting.

In my 30s now, I grew up in a rural, two traffic light farm town before running off to the city to chase a career — where I met my now husband. Like many young couples, we spent a few years building stability, trying city life on for size, and figuring out who we were and what we wanted.

Eventually, the pull back to something slower felt stronger than the pace we were keeping. So we moved closer to our roots and began renting a single-family home with a bit of land — close enough to family and farm life to feel rooted again.