Oh man you guys! It doesn’t seem possible. 1) we are living in Iowa. 2) we’ve been here 2 years now and 3) we are having our 1 year milestone celebration! How is that even possible?
This was taken at our previous home as we had loaded the last box into the moving van and we were saying goodbye to Texas. The future was unwritten, a blank canvas, a new beginning.
Little did we know what our future would hold and what new adventure we would be starting. All we did know was that we wanted to be closer to our kids and wanted to be a part of our grand babies lives for as long as we could be.
Belle’s dream of owning a Bed & Breakfast was just that. A BIG dream. While house hunting, she knew immediately that this house was it, that it would be the ideal B&B and that everything they owned (furniture & cherished pieces) would fit perfectly in each and every room. Boo was later convinced (without being arm wrestled), and so it began.
I like to think that sometimes we are lightly impressed upon with beautiful-subtle gestures from above to let us know we’re on the right track. And guys…I won’t speak on Boo’s behalf but I can tell you that I’ve felt so many of those beautiful subtle gestures and it makes my heart skip a beat and I seek those quiet moments to just sit back and give thanks. Spending time with our grandkids is priceless, being able to live out my dream of owning a B&B is a wonderful bonus.
We are blessed!
We have met some beautiful people that we’ve welcomed as guests but they leave as friends. When you’ve worked in a large, overpopulated metropolitan area and work with the public, you begin to lose hope in society. At least, that’s where I found myself. I love the hustle and bustle of city life but I don’t miss the impatience, the demands, the traffic, the entitlement that is prevalent in our world today. Yes, with open arms I have embraced small town living, the simple country life! Something I really wasn’t sure I would be able to handle.
In the picture above, is a display of some gifts we have received from strangers that entered our lives and are now beautiful friends that will forever hold a special place in our hearts. An old key from one, an antique scale from another. Because they took the time to see what we love, what we collect. The give thanks sign, a gift from a college student that we fell in love with and is now headed for a new adventure herself. When God places beauty like this in your life—-acknowledge it, welcome it and give thanks!
Paying off~
So risks have paid off!
The risk of talking my husband into believing in me. In us, and working together to run a B&B has also paid off.
1 year milestone celebration
In these old pictures we just acquired, this old house will be standing long after we are here. In the meantime we plan on making the most of it. Welcoming many more friends through our doors or if you’ve already been (and like our door says)… we hope, you will come again!
Thank you Lamoni, our community & guests for making our 1st year an unexpected— best!❤︎
