About Kenton.

A week after Wrennie was born, Kenton started a new job. I know, could we have more life changes at the same time? This was needed though, for his emotional well-being, and mine. Let me back-track for a second and tell you how that came about.

Kenton has been into woodworking since we were dating. He did a year of NAIT in their woodworking and carpentry program, and wanted to give it a shot ... see if this could become a career... make furniture for a living...not just as a hobby in his spare time.

Right after we were married, I got one whopper of a tax return back from the government, and Kenton went shopping for tools. Very big tools. I have never seen money disappear that fast, except when I am in a knitting store. (You are now wondering why on earth I gave my money up for this endeavour instead of going on a huge Nokomis shopping spree, I'll get to that.)

If you didn't already know, we live in an apartment. Not much room for tools in a 2-bedroom.

So his parents generously allowed him to take over half of their 2 car garage and turn it into his shop.

Even though he had most of his supplies for making pieces now, it was too soon to "go into business" so to speak. He hadn't exactly designed anything yet, or made anything outside of his NAIT projects. That part was going to take some time.

What to do in the meantime? The current job sucks.

Kenton found out about an Edmonton based company called IZM owned by 2 guys who design and make modern furniture...all by themselves. Click on that link, you NEED to see their stuff. So he called them up to see if they were hiring- this was winter of 2008. Nope, not at the moment...and not until this November did they get back to Kenton saying they were ready to hire. We had been waiting a year for this!

He would be helping with sanding, oiling, finishing pieces and some assembly. And no, this was not a lucrative move for us at all. If anything, it was starting at the bottom again, starting over in a totally different field. They wanted him to start as soon as he was ready....which would turn out to be the week after Wrennie was born.

So I am on maternity leave now, and Kenton is starting a new job. The money is not rolling in. What were we thinking?

All I can really say is that if we didn't take this opportunity now, we would never know if it would have worked. Who can live with the regret of not taking that chance?

Not to mention...how many of you have husbands that are unhappy in their current job, or wish they could be doing something they truly love on a daily basis? There is something to be said for a husband that comes home from work every night content. Some things aren't worth a massive pay cheque.

So here we are, Kenton is working for IZM, and slowing building his skills and knowledge with them and with his own work.

Yes, it makes me nervous, it is a risk after all.

Yes, I do believe he can make a living from furniture making. No, I am not just saying that. Wives do not hand over huge cheques of cash to their husband that could have been spent on tons of beautiful clothes and shoes or trips if they did not think that something else was more worth it.

It's not as if Kenton did the program and said, "Wow that's fun" and just hoped he could do it. He is really good at it. I mean, really good. Even pieces from school he would bring home would have his own creative slant to them (despite the fact that he would be told not to deviate from the project plans at school- what a rebel) and great craftsmanship. To his credit, he is a bit of a perfectionist in life. Some call that Type A or "anal", whatever term you like. But when that type of personality is channelled into something as meticulous as woodworking, it is to your benefit. I know it won't be easy, and I know we are not in it for big money. Big deal.

In Kenton's words, "You are good to me." He means it with all his heart.

Want to see one of Kenton's biggest inspirations? Here is sweet, old Sam Maloof, and above is his famous rocking chair.