Entrepreneurial Endeavors: Sullivan's Tractor Service

During this past week, Elliott and I have been in NC beginning the 2010 season of lot maintenance for our family's bushhogging business, Sullivan's Tractor Service. In the past, Daddy would mobilize the equipment and return to the farm in VA while I did the week of bushhogging. Although I enjoy the tractor work-- it allows me hour upon hour of thinking, planning, and listening to music, talk radio, books-on-CD, and sermons-- it can become very long when it is just me out there in the undeveloped subdivisions day after day from early in the morning until dark. This year Elliott is working with me so he will be well prepared to take over my responsibilities next year. It was really nice having him there with me. Not only did we finish earlier, but we were also able to alternate so neither one of us had to spend so much time bushhogging. Most importantly, all of my concerns about the tractor breaking down when my dad is three hours away were not a problem at all! We had to transport the tractor on our trailer twice on public roads, which I had not previously done, but I had such a confidence that it was tied down properly because I trust that Elliott knows what he is doing. Also, we had a tire go flat on our truck and Elliott changed it as if there was nothing to it. Changing tires and properly strapping down the tractor are intimidating (if not impossible!) for me so it was very helpful to have him there.
Since it is the beginning of a new season of lot maintenance, (and my final season), I thought I would share an email I recently sent to a man who was interested in beginning a similar business in his state as an "Entrepreneurial Endeavors" entry:
We began our bushhogging business in early 2003 as a side-hustle primarily for my brother and me. Sullivan's Tractor Service was named after our then-two year old, tractor-loving brother, Sullivan. Our family was in the process of building a house and needed a tractor, so my father decided we should use the tractor to offer bushhogging services. He felt that it would be an excellent opportunity for my brother (then 12) and me (then 15) to cultivate a work ethic and learn business skills.

Although it began as a side-hustle, the Lord has blessed our efforts over the years and it has now become a nice, reliable income for our family for seven months of the year (April-October). Also, the income my brother and I have been able to make through the tractor work over the years has helped us substantially as we have pursued other endeavors as well.

Now that my brother (19) and I (22) are older, we are primarily handling the business. Either my dad or Elliott, my brother, do the weed-eating and field tractor maintenance. I have handled the bookkeeping and marketing for the business since the beginning and it has been a challenging learning experience for me. I have also been the primary bushhogger, often bushhogging 35-40 hours during the one week of the month in which we usually do all of our work. If your daughters are old enough to help with your business, I'd really encourage you to include them. Although driving tractors or weed-eating are certainly not very "girly" jobs, I have enjoyed it so much and have been eager for the season to begin every year.

Marketing has become a great challenge for me as I like to try to grow the business each season. I market through sending out postcards (roughly 300 at a time) to our targeted clients at the beginning of the spring and then additional postcards throughout the season. I also keep track of all of our email contacts and send many emails reminding them of our services throughout the season. Since we market to people who own land in NC but usually live up north, I have found the best way to obtain their primary address is through researching the property's tax assessment cards, which are generally online.

As you may have seen from our website, we cut the lots as many times as necessary each month to keep them nicely groomed and in compliance with the homeowner's association guidelines. Usually we only have to cut each lot once a month (they only have to stay under 16'', as these are still fairly undeveloped neighborhoods), but if we receive a lot of rain it can be more often.

I handle all of our billing through Quickbooks, which helps to keep everything very organized. This year we began accepting credit cards. We offer a 10% discount if clients pay for their entire season up front by the end of April. Approximately half of our clients choose this option. We really try to get people signed on for the entire season, but we do have some that only call once or twice a year when their grass is extremely dense and tall. Since this is more time consuming and difficult on the equipment, I quote their price accordingly.

We have found that it is helpful to set ourselves apart from our competition by promoting that we are a family owned and operated business. We try to include our family picture in our marketing. In the past, we always thanked our customers by sending a peanut gift box at Christmas, but as the business has grown this has become very expensive. This past Christmas we only sent a family Christmas card.

During the off-season, we have offered other services, such as wetland clearing, tree removal, grading, and driveway culvert installation. Our tractor served us faithfully for the first five seasons, but unfortunately has been worn out to the point where we can't get much work done without breaking something. For the past two years, we have been renting a tractor and bushhog for the roughly one week of each month in which we handle all of our work. Although renting a tractor cuts into our profit margin, it has been nice to not have to worry about the maintenance and repairs.
I hope this information about our business may be an inspiration to others who may be interested in beginning a similar endeavor.

Here Comes the Bride

...In 230 days!My wedding ideas have been heavily influenced by one of my favorite books, Legendary Brides by Letitia Baldridge.

Grace Kelly looks so poised and dignified in her photos. I especially like how John F. Kennedy and Jackie Bouvier had a traditional ceremony followed by a very casual farm reception. I hope to follow their model and have a classy, elegant ceremony followed by a very casual, outdoor reception on our farm.

I have decided that I am going to do my own wedding cake. After taking cake decorating classes over the past several months and learning how to do tiered cakes, plus with the experience of baking many cheesecakes for the restaurant for nearly four years, I feel like it is something I can handle. It will save us so much money and I just love the thought of doing my own cake. I will be making practice tiered cheesecakes over the summer, as well as preparing the real cake several weeks in advance (the cheesecakes freeze and thaw well; that is how the restaurant uses them) so it would not contribute to the last minute stress.

This past week, my mom and I enjoyed the rare treat of spending an entire day together running errands and doing wedding planning. We looked at churches, wedding veils, and discussed many little details.

We had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, which brought to my mind memories of the last time we ate together at The Cheesecake Factory slightly over four months ago on my birthday. I remember we mostly discussed what we knew of Stephen and our preparations for his upcoming first visit. I was very hopeful at the time because I was so impressed by the little I knew about him through his correspondence with my dad, but there were still so many uncertainties and our prayers were just that the Lord would make His will very clear. As I sat in the same restaurant a few days ago, I reveled in God's wonderful faithfulness as I admired the gorgeous engagement ring sparkling on my finger!

Over the past several weeks I have corresponded with over twenty churches in my search for a sanctuary that will hold our number of guests. Very few churches allow non-members to use their facilities, but we were able to obtain special permission from a couple churches and have now narrowed it down to one in particular. We hope to firm up the details this upcoming week if we can secure the neighboring church's parking garage (it is downtown and the parking is extremely limited).

God has shown His presence beautifully in so many details-- from the way He orchestrated bringing us together, to the peace and clarity of His will in our courtship, and through many other details not even mentioned here, so I have confidence that He will make His leading very evident to us as we begin the planning process.

Soon I already need to be choosing my "save the date" cards and invitations! I don't know if most people buy them all together so they coordinate or if I can just buy the "save the date" cards now and then the official invitations in a couple months. I honestly always thought the "save the date" cards seemed to be a waste of money, but since our wedding is going to be near Christmas and a lot of guests will need to make travel arrangements, my mom and I decided it would be wise to have them. Following are a couple of my favorite formal invitation styles:

Do any former brides have suggestions as to where (online) one can find high quality, traditional, and economical invitations?

A December wedding is going to be a challenge because flowers will not be plentiful and the outdoor reception is going to be very weather dependent. We may have a reception hall as a back-up plan in case it is raining, freezing, or even worse, snowing. A few people have said that snow would be so beautiful, but seriously, around here if it snows it shuts everything down and most people hardly know how to drive in it. This is Virginia, not Colorado!

Of infinitely more importance than the church location, invitations, weather, and other minor details is the prayer that our wedding will be a blessing to our guests and that God alone will be glorified through our wedding day and entire marriage! I pray that our focus will be fully on the sacredness of the vows and the covenant we are making before God in the presence of our families and friends.

It is such an exciting time! I am so happy and in love with Stephen and in awe of God's faithfulness!

Mile High Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is a family favorite that I made earlier this week for my dad's birthday. When I was in my early teens, I entered this cake into our small country church's missions auction each year and it sold for $65-$70. Also, it won a first place blue ribbon in the county fair a few years ago, so it is a very proven recipe!

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 c. shredded carrots
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts
8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients together. Add the oil and eggs one at a time. Beat until mixed well. Add carrots, vanilla, nuts, and pineapple. Mix well. Pour into 3 greased and floured 8'' round pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Top with carrot cake icing once cooled.

Icing:

1/2 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
2 8 oz. blocks cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts

Cream butter with powdered sugar. Add cream cheese and blend well. Add vanilla and nuts.

Enjoy!

Defining Amazing & Wonderful

As I typed my courtship journal entries a couple weeks ago, I realized that I use the words "amazing" and "wonderful" to describe Stephen ridiculously often, so I decided I would elaborate on a few of the attributes that make him so amazing and wonderful to me. I am also writing this because I miss him very much and I love to write about him!

He is an avid student of the Bible and walks closely with the Lord. He has a depth of spiritual wisdom that far surpasses his years, and by his example, I am challenged in my own walk with God. He is someone that I can respect and I have full confidence that he will be an excellent spiritual leader for our own family. He thinks through biblical, cultural, and political issues deeply and has profound insights. He is an outspoken Christian and his testimony of God's saving grace in his life is the most beautiful story of redemption I have ever heard. He seeks out the wisdom of godly mentors. He prays the sweetest prayers over us. When he is praying, I can hardly even concentrate on praying in my heart because I just want to remember all the wonderful things he says!
.:.:.

He honors me and encourages me in biblical womanhood. He is so proud of me for wanting to simply be a homemaker. He firmly believes in a traditional, complementarian view of marriage. He is committed to being faithful in our marriage and I can trust him wholeheartedly without reservation. He wants a large family and is going to be such a good daddy to our children one day. He is the man I hope our sons grow up to be just like. Nothing brings me as much joy as hearing him talk about our future family.

.:.:.

He treats me like his greatest treasure and writes the sweetest love letters to me. It is my delight to open my email inbox and see an unread message from him, even just a few sentences telling me what he is thinking about and that he loves and misses me; or when I eagerly await his "real letters" arriving in the mailbox. Everything he buys me and everywhere he has taken me is top notch. He insists on driving everywhere (just to be sweet... not because my driving scares him... or at least I don't think that is the reason!) and opens the car door for me. He likes my cooking and tells his family and friends about what I cook for him.
.:.:.

He is way brilliant and strives for excellence in everything. Among his many intellectual gifts, he is an incredible writer. All of his articles and essays are so well-written and have perfect conclusions. He is extremely driven, disciplined, and he has an exemplary work ethic. He is always reading deep books and articles, both for his studies and enjoyment, yet he kindly takes the time to explain some of what he is learning. He challenges me and teaches me so much. He has plenty of reasons to be proud of his accomplishments, yet he is remarkably humble. He is a leader that is not hindered by man's approval.

.:.:.

He has so much vision! Prior to meeting Stephen, I was truly sick of all of the aimless, directionless guys of my generation. It seemed that the vast majority of young men were avoiding responsibility and attempting to prolong their youth as long as possible. Stephen is nothing like all of those guys. He thinks way far into the future and has proven himself to be diligently preparing for the next chapter. He is so intentional in his decisions, including in his pursuit of me. He took the initiative in our courtship and was respectful toward my parents throughout a long, intense pre-courtship process.

.:.:.

I could list so many more reasons why he is so perfect for me and I am so thankful for him. He is so much more than I ever hoped for or imagined. Every single day I am amazed that I am marrying him.

Meeting Blogging Friends

left to right: Emily, me, Katie

Today we had the privilege of visiting with a dear family we met through blogging! We enjoyed our afternoon spent with the Nichols family very much. Mrs. Nichols was one of the first people to begin commenting on my blog nearly three years ago, and since then, Emily has probably become the most faithful commenter on all of my posts. I have enjoyed getting to know Katie through blogging and emails as well.

Emily surprised me with a beautiful tea cup candle holder she found at an antique shop and even specifically bought a candle that would match the toile wallpaper I recently mentioned in a blog entry! It was such a thoughtful gift and one I look forward to using in my future home.

It was such a blessing to visit with such precious sisters in Christ!

Recent Happenings on the Farm

Sheridan has been asking for a donkey for a very long time and she finally got one yesterday! Immediately when she woke up this morning she asked me if she could go check on her donkey.

Last week we hosted our first farm tour of 2010 and had about 150 people in attendance.

Elliott explaining the laying hen operation:Lining up to sample raw milk on the front porch:

When not occupied with normal housework and Sullivan and Harrison's schooling, I have been doing the final preparations for the new season of lot maintenance, selling spring/summer clothes on eBay (the lovely thought of my upcoming marriage and the reality of a future with a good amount of moving around causes me to want to simplify my wardrobe!), completing a couple sewing projects (I hope to post pictures soon), enjoying preliminary wedding planning (i.e. mainly just securing a church for the ceremony at this point), and talking to Stephen at any chance I get!

We are enjoying the beautiful setting temporarily provided by the lush, green wheat fields adjacent to our farm.

Not Everyone Is Happy About Our Engagement

Sheridan is convinced that she is also going to marry Stephen. I've tried to persuade her three year old mind that Stephen is only marrying one girl and that one girl is me, but she only tries to console me that I can marry someone other than Stephen so she can marry him! The night Stephen and I returned home after he proposed earlier that day, Sheridan cried because she didn't also get a new ring from Stephen. She talks about him, draws pictures for him, and asks when we can pick him up from the airport again (she thinks he lives there). Stephen bought her a bear in London, which Sheridan affectionately named, "Little Stephen." I love how our story of the Lord bringing us together will one day serve as a great encouragement for her as she waits for God to bring her man into her life.

Stephen is so sweet to her and listens to her often insignificant rambling. I am so thankful to be marrying a man who takes the time to listen to my little siblings. While Sullivan and Harrison spent time with us during Stephen's last visit, Stephen would carry on conversations with Sullivan about wars and history and even made an effort to teach Harrison how to be a gentleman by opening car doors and pumping the gas.
Days after Stephen left, Harrison was still opening doors for me, as Stephen had taught by example, and has evidently been impacted by Stephen in other ways as well. Yesterday, Harrison was telling me that he is reading through 1 Samuel in his Bible, and added, "Isn't Stephen reading through 1 Samuel too?", as if he was trying to copy his much older future brother-in-law.

I have been blessed with such a good man! I could list so many reasons why Stephen is so perfect for me and why I am so excited about our future together. I am so thankful.

Courtship Journal Entries: Part Six

February & March 2010 (The conclusion! I am definitely not posting any journal entries more recent than three weeks ago!)

Over these months, we emailed and/or talked nearly every day.


February 15, 2010

Yesterday, immediately at midnight as it officially became the 14th, I opened the box from Tiffany's that had been sitting on my desk for the past week. Beautiful pearl earrings! I love them so much and hope to wear them one day with my wedding gown. What a perfect Valentine's Day!


March 15, 2010

Today, in a small sitting area in a passage of woods behind Monticello, my dear Stephen got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I am the happiest girl alive. I'm engaged!

Courtship Journal Entries: Part Five

January 2010

January 6, 2010

This past Sunday, as we visited a different church with a different pastor in an entirely different state, imagine my surprise when he began his sermon on the exact same passage yet again- Colossians 1:9-12! God has been so good to me through all of this.

Tomorrow is the long-awaited, much-anticipated day at last! I suppose it is either a hugely misguided confidence in myself or simply the "peace that transcends all understanding" because I am still not nervous. I am just incredibly excited. My one prayer for our visit is that God will make His will incredibly clear to all of us, no matter what His will may be. I want to be able to look back on this experience one year from now with the perfect confidence that either Stephen was NOT part of God's will for my life-- not always wondering "what if?" -- or I want to have the total assurance that he was indeed God's will for my life if we are actually married then!

January 7, 2010

What an amazing man! He is sleeping in my own house as I write this late in the night of our meeting. I like him incredibly much. He's so friendly and easy to talk to. Oh, Lord, I am so amazed if this is the man for me!

**Stephen spent one wonderful week with my family. Every little detail of our first days together is truly too precious for me to post for the whole world! By the conclusion of the visit, Daddy had given Stephen his full approval in pursuing marriage and Stephen and I were prayerfully seeking God's will.**

January 25, 2010

God, thank You for the great thing You alone have done in bringing my Stephen into my life. What a bright, exciting future you have given me! Your love for me has manifested itself in a deeper way than ever before, that You would choose me for such a good man.

"O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." Isaiah 25:1

"In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." Isaiah 25:9

Lord, I pray that I will one day be a good wife for my Stephen-- his Sarah Edwards. God, please remind me to draw my confidence and satisfaction in You and not expect Stephen to meet all my needs.

"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." Isaiah 64:4

Courtship Journal Entries: Part Four

December 2009

December 1, 2009

**The following was written as I began a new journal.**

Every new journal begins with the hope and anticipation of what may be written among the upcoming pages. This one more than ever! Oh, how I hope God's will for my life includes Stephen! May the following pages find me delighting in God's faithfulness, no matter where He is leading. My heart longs to be Stephen's help-meet, but above all I want for God to be glorified through my life, whether that includes Stephen or not.

My precious sisters in Christ, Elizabeth and Marie, prayed the following verse over me. I was shocked when I realized that our sermon at church this past Sunday was on the identical passage. Such a coincidence is no coincidence at all. It's as if the Lord gave this scripture specifically to me and was intentional in giving it to me, using two different avenues. It speaks to my present situation so perfectly and encourages me of the Lord's evident interest in my often impatient heart. It is so defining for this season:

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12


December 15, 2009

Stephen is flying to Richmond in 23 days! The email came last night, and he wrote that, after consideration and prayer, he booked a flight for January 7! He'll be staying through the 12th! I couldn't be any more excited. I'll probably get really nervous, but I'm not yet. It's as if things are finally beginning to progress! I am filled with joy unspeakable. The following verses are the song of my heart:

"Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" 2 Samuel 7:18

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." Isaiah 46:10-11

"Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears." 2 Samuel 7:22

I love it.

Duke 61 Butler 59

It's Game Time.

From the perspective of a girl who has grown up in ACC country, the NCAA Championship is a bigger deal than the Super Bowl... Especially because my beloved Duke Blue Devils are playing in the big game this year. I have a good feeling about tonight, but I may delete this if they are down at the half. ;)

ACC Tournament 2008

NCAA Tournament First & Second Rounds 2009

Wishing I were in Indianapolis 2010!

Go Duke!

Courtship Journal Entries: Part Three

November 2009

November 7, 2009

Daddy still hasn't responded to Stephen's letter from October 14. It is discouraging, but the Lord gives me a renewed strength to get through each individual day of waiting. I greatly feared that Stephen would lose interest in me, but he sent an email last week thanking us for the cookies and resources, then a lengthy email of pictures and details about the beautiful town in England where he is living, so I have a glimmer of hope. I like him so much! I read and reread his emails and the articles written about him, I listen to his testimony online again and again, and I have an entire file of pictures of him that I found online or that he had sent! I pray for him nearly every day and I ask the Lord to make me into a worthy wife for him.

November 9, 2009

Tomorrow marks four weeks since Stephen emailed Daddy. Stephen has sent two more messages since then, but still no response from Daddy. Oh Lord, please give me Your peace. I beg You to complete this work You've undoubtedly begun and clearly reveal Your will.

I am incredibly thankful for my dad's oversight and wisdom throughout the courtship, even though at this moment I was very discouraged with the timing. Through this four week delay, I was reminded that ultimately "The king's heart (or in this case, my dad's, or just authority in general) is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases" (Prov. 21:1) and I had to continually call out to God for the patience to endure what seemed very long and difficult at the time. If we choose to trust the Lord to bring our spouse, His will will prevail-- no matter how the obstacles may seem. We only have to trust the Lord and trust our authority.

Our fathers have so much more wisdom regarding these issues than we do. As one who has seen what it is like to take things into her own hands, and make unwise decisions due to her own poor, vulnerable judgment, I could not have been any more happy to have had a father who was willing to "screen" young men for me. Over the past several years there have been other young men who have approached my father regarding a courtship with me. Looking back at each situation, I can think of so many reasons to be thankful that my dad was the one handling everything instead of me. Heeding our fathers' guidance is very crucial, even if we may not agree! Furthermore, if we do not know how to submit to our father's authority in our lives, we will certainly not know how to go under our husband's leadership either, so this is a good area to practice for the future.

November 12, 2009

The rain is pelting the windows and metal roof as the fierce wind roars with the remains of a tropical storm. I sit at my picturesque bedroom desk lit by my seashell lamp as Sheridan sleeps on the bed behind me. I'm happy and blessed. God's individual love for me, or at least my perception of it, grows as my story unfolds.

November 16, 2009

Waiting. Life moves on at its steady pace and only my thoughts reflect the story that began unfolding slightly over two months ago. It began so quickly and eventfully, full of excitement and anxiety, yet now it has slowed to a very quiet pace. Daddy emailed Stephen last Tuesday-- almost a week ago-- but Stephen has not responded yet. He's always responded within just a couple days so I'm surprised that he hasn't written yet. I have a confidence that the Lord has brought about this amazing, unfolding story for something-- not just to leave me hanging indefinitely. Waiting does increase my faith in God's plan and timing, and I talk to Him so much more often throughout the days. I know His love in a new way; that He would possibly bless me in this magnificent way with this great, brilliant man. I can only rejoice in His love for me, His smiling over me, His real, true faithfulness!

November 24, 2009

Stephen's most recent email was gloriously long and so encouraging. His response to the resources we sent seems to be good. He said he also plans to have a large family, which is so important to me. The highlight of the letter was near the close when he asked Daddy for the next step, as he would like to move forward with his "strong intentions and focus of pursuing Meredith" and he said he'd like to come visit our family and asked if he could come during his Christmas break or in the spring!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Photo courtesy of http://www.cpbgallery.com/ . My cheesecake was not nearly this pretty!

I hope everyone is having a lovely Easter Sunday celebrating Jesus' death and resurrection and the new life available to us through His sacrifice.

Earlier this weekend I made this delicious Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake for the first time. The cheesecake is very rich and the crust is a real brownie. It was a big hit around our home and only a few slices are remaining.

Our Wal-Mart is running an incredible sale on their cream cheese (the Great Value brand, which makes a better cheesecake than Philadelphia cream cheese, in my opinion) and each package of cream cheese is only 50 cents! I had been paying $1.57 per package just a few weeks ago. Since I use a lot of cream cheese (due to baking cheesecakes for the restaurant) and they don't expire until September, I have stocked up with a ton of packages. I love little unexpected blessings.

He Is Risen!

"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to His own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away. And who can speak of His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people He was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace” Ephesians 1:7

"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. See, I have told you." Matthew 28:1-7

Happy Easter!

Spring on the Farm

I will continue posting my series of courtship journal entries within the next couple days, but I wanted to take a break to share about the other things going on around the farm. I do not have an April Fools Day joke this year, although Oliver has been encouraging me to write that Stephen and I eloped! It is shocking how last year's April Fools joke actually came true nearly word for word one year later. The farm is recovering from its dead, winter state as the pastures are greening up and the daffodils are in full bloom.

We bought ducks for the pond and recently released them.It was beautiful and warm outside today. My students did some of their school work at the pond. As we near the one year mark since finding this abandoned farm, we are so thankful for the Lord's provision. Walking back to the farmhouse after a picnic lunch at the pond:

Sheridan is so sweet in her little dresses that show off her chubby legs. I love painting her toenails pink for the summer. She proudly shows off her toes to the rest of the family.

As I go about my daily responsibilities, I never cease to smile when I catch a glimpse of the beautiful, sparkly diamond on my finger and am reminded yet again of God's goodness to me in blessing me with the amazing, perfect-for-me (!) man I am marrying! With so much excitement and overflowing joy, I struggle to focus entirely on the present. I know that I am going to miss this season of my life very much so I am striving to make the most of these final months with my family.

Tiered Easter Lily Cake & Fondant Present Cake

Last night I completed my final cake decorating course! I made a tiered cake with pale yellow buttercream icing dotted with white royal icing Easter Lilies. My family is so tired of cakes and buttercream icing so Sheridan and I are planning to take the cake to a nearby nursing home tomorrow as an Easter treat for the residents. These past several months of Wilton cake decorating classes have been very worthwhile. Learning the art of cake decorating was a great winter project and I am pleased with the many new techniques I have been taught. I hope to use my newly acquired cake decorating skills to one day make birthday cakes for my children and possibly for small events. I also am hopeful that I can do my own wedding cake (a multi-tiered New York style cheesecake), but I need a lot of practice!

Fondant cake from a few weeks ago: