06/29/2025
Believe it or not, Eric thought of starting up our little family flower farm this spring because of this very sight. 🐸☀️💦
As a parent, sometimes you realize the importance of saying no to certain things.
You could pay for it.
Or see the greater benefit for your children to NOT pay for the cost of repairing and maintaining it.
Because it is really a want rather than a need. And there are needs that are higher priority in caring for a family than having a pool.
That delayed gratification grows self control.
That working hard for it builds appreciation and gratitude rather than a feeling of entitledment.
That their character and heart is more important to cultivate.
That working diligently and perservering even when you want to make excuses to give up and do something more fun and lazy, like we all naturally gravitate to, help build a strong work ethic.
To be thankful for work, and the ability to work with our own hands.
The reward of a job well done.
That we are each an important, contributing member of the family.
To be able to work hard and play hard.
Thanks to you all who have come out and bought flowers or taken a class! Whether you knew or not…the kids helping plant, harvest flowers, w**d, put together bouquets and help wherever…putting skin in the game…the sales have gone towards the kids’ joint goal of earning enough for a replacement pool liner. And they did It! We had been patching it for years, and what had grown to a 3 foot patch worked for one last season till the liner shredded from old age one winter under our tarp. I think the previous owners had put it in around 1995. So it really lasted many wonderful seasons.
And our pool was now a pond with frogs croaking.
We sat the kids down last year and told them, “Sorry kids. We’re not going to be able to do the pool this year. We need to save towards a new roof.” And they understood and respected that.
So the pond sat.
Eric and I, as a young married couple, had actually said we never wanted a pool.
The cost of maintaining it and the time.
Then 6 years ago, we needed to buy more land for a business we were starting up with livestock, we wanted to move closer to about 10 minutes from church. An older couple from church we learned were looking to downsize from their 10 acres to no yard, due to his declining health. 10 acres was exactly what we were looking for. And it was right about 10 minutes from church. And felt just like home. Country. But how can It really be country when It Is 3 Minutes from Walmart?!!
Eric jokes that we bought the tractor and they threw in the house, they were SO generous with us! A sweet place for kids to grow up…to have those fond childhood memories.
But It had a pool.
We decided to give it a one year trial. We could always sell It.
But we saw our young children go from being scared of the pool to fearlessly diving/jumping In. And to be able to share to pool with others outside our family.
It’s worth It. Especially with the kids taking responsibility for this. And to keep it up, w**ding and giving a hand. To be good stewards.
Everything we have belongs to God.
God has been gracious. We are humbled.
Business owners know the freedom being your own boss can be.
To be willing to work hard for potentially no pay.
The flexibility.
The times of plenty.
The times of leanness.
To give glory to God at all times. Because He is worthy. Even In the lean times.
To give thanks to God in everything, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Even In the pulling of w**ds, and years of child training where It’s hard to see the fruit of any of your labors.
One plants the seed. Another waters. But God gives the increase.
Thanks for cheering us/our kids on In this venture! Means a lot. ❤️ To God be the glory!
