An Official Celebration!

As of 2pm today, Kevin became the official owner of Independence Nursery & Garden Center. The process of this change in our lives has so many pieces. It seems long at times with various delays - but God shows us His complete sovereignty through it all. He reminds us every morning to take one day at a time. Through the process of delays, we are both learning to have JOY in the hard times & to trust that He IS fully in control. Even today as we signed papers, there are a few small details that have to be finalized next week to make it "officially official". So once again a few more delays! :) It has been a great growth time for us all to say the least!

Kevin has been working here since early January - learning the ropes, setting up a new cash register system, & bringing his experience of paver work to the SE Kansas area. There is no one in this area doing the kind of work Kevin did in K.C. - so people are very excited about what he can do. The crews just completed a huge retaining wall for a gentleman who asked our company to do it last year - but they just didn't have the experience or confidence to do it. So they had Kevin look at it as soon as he arrived on the scene & it was well within his scope of experience so they went forward. It was a huge boost for all the employees & Kevin. He is excited to bring his experience to expand the business here. He was taken out to lunch last week by a paver company that is trying to win Kevin's attention because there is no one really addressing the market in SE Kansas for patios, retaining walls, etc. They are very excited to have Kevin's experience & knowledge in SE Kansas.

Kevin's favorite part right now is getting to know the nursery side of things & helping with the retail store. He has always dreamed about doing this, so this is very exciting & new for him. Over the last 10 days - the retail store has been very busy. They are seeing a huge increase in people wanting seeds & garden plants. With the economy struggling, more people are looking to grow their own food - this is very evident on a daily basis.

In the near future, the kids & I will be at the nursery a few afternoons a week to start learning the ropes. The kids love to be there & are learning about the nursery as well. For now, my role has been behind the scenes. My first order of business - straight from the boss - was to make a postcard to mail to all the customers. It was fun to be creative & do something new. Here it is:

We continue to ask for your prayers in regards to the sale of our home. We are asking the Lord to move quickly in this. Please pass the word if you know anyone looking for a house.