We did it! If you read the last blog post, you already know a few of the challenges we faced in the last six months. We hurdled one obstacle after the other, but y’all, we did it! We finally put a period after construction and officially checked it off the list.

I’m still a little in shock that the race against the clock is finally over. Oh, and what a sweet celebration it was at our Grand Opening event!

We knew we wanted to invite our family and friends to check out the property, tour the cottages and enjoy an evening at the farm. So we set the date, May 4th, and we buckled down to finish the last five cottages and the barn venue. Whew. Y’all, it was a wild few weeks!

We are so so grateful to everyone that helped us finish this property and get the farm “guest ready”.

There are a few folks that deserve a shout out:

Ashley (my sister, my hero): The last 6 months (well, the last 42 years, really) she’s never left my side. She made the hour and a half drive 2-3 times per week to help me keep moving forward. She’s often the brains behind a lot of the ideas at the farm, and she put together the most beautiful grazing table I ever did see for our grand opening event. Besides Jase, she’s my partner in crime, my personal cheerleader, my endless supply of gummies, my best friend. Even though she oversees 80+ long term rental properties of her own, she willingly gave up time in her own business and offered her crew (Tom, Huford, Bud & Shawna) to come help us whenever we needed them. Jase and I trust her to the ends of the earth and wouldn’t have made it through this project without her by our side.

My Parents: Y’all, my parents are in their 70’s and they can still run circles around us. They have been showing up every available weekend they have to mow, clean, clear brush, paint, haul trash, fill gas tanks, change light bulbs, iron curtains, hang TV’s, scrape stickers off 44 windows and 24 doors… you name it, they’ve helped us with it at the farm. They never once doubted our vision and have worked tirelessly to help us achieve it. And when they weren’t physically at the farm, they were usually praying for us or marketing for us. :) I often say, “who needs a marketing firm when you have Bill Denton as a Dad?!”. He’s been our best marketing tool and we are grateful for it.

Sarah Grace (my niece): If you know her, then you love her. Sarah Grace has become my go-to. She can literally do anything. She has painted, patch holes, poured concrete, sealed floors, hung a ridiculous amount of curtains and cabinet pulls, cleaned, and the list goes on. When I’m panicking over something, she’s always right there to say, “it’s okay, we got it”. She’s so calm and patient and willing to do whatever I need her to. She’s organized and I love that so much. She can switch gears between setting up a food table to moving stuff on a tractor in the blink of an eye. Y’all, I love this one so much and I’m so grateful for her physical help but she’s also such a joy to work alongside and spend time with.

Amie (Jase’s first wife, but more importantly, my dear friend): I know, I know. It sounds strange to most people that Jase’s ex-wife is at the top of our list. We’re not like most families. We’ve figured it out, and I promise you, life is sweeter when you are working together. Amie never let up. She has been cheering us on for the last 3 years, but in the more recent months, she could see that I was drowning. Much like my sister, she often made the hour and half drive to Sevierville to help with whatever we needed! She has helped diagnose a septic issue, dug a trench and installed water drainage pipes, cleaned, hauled junk from the barn to the warehouse, stained trim, made beds, scraped windows, even ran errands for us….but her most important role was “Quality Control”! I trusted her 1000% to do things they way I would do it and, usually, she did it better. She helped me prep the cottages for the grand opening and I wouldn’t have been able to do without her! I am forever grateful for her and the relationship we’ve developed. She’s been a true blessing to us these last several months.

Mrs. Lorie: It’s funny how life has a way of bringing people in and out of your life. Lorie is a lifelong family friend and kept our youngest daughter for us when she was a baby. We hadn’t seen Lorie in 10+ years, but when she reached out to let me know she has a cleaning business and was interested in helping us with the cottages, I jumped at the chance to have her help. She’s meticulous and loves this property like it’s her own. I couldn’t ask for anything more than that. She has jumped right in, helped me do construction cleaning, and has cleaned cottages for me so I could focus on finishing the last five and prepare for the grand opening. She has blessed us big time by ensuring our cottages are clean and ready for our guests.

My Aunt Jean: This is my Mom’s twin sister who just had knee surgery. She insisted on doing the flowers for the event, and without question, I turned over the reigns. She made the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and table centerpieces. Flowers weren’t even on my radar for the event, but it took it to the next level. They turned out so beautiful. So, a huge thanks to my Aunt Jean who we love so much.

It’s hard to put into words what it means to us to have made it this far. We’ve taken the last several days off to rest, reset at home and reflect on everything we’ve accomplished. To be honest, it seems so surreal. It has taken a village to help us get to this point - whether its physical labor, prayer warriors, cheerleaders, transportation for our daughter…whatever role you have played, we thank you. With everything in us, we are grateful for your love and support.

The cottages are done! The Barn is done!! Stay tuned as we begin to push out the remaining cottages and share those for the first time! We are working to get our website and listings updated as quickly as we can!

We love y’all! Thank you for being here!

Jase + Ange

Grand Opening of Anson Arbor Farm!

Our Why.

A Small Glimpse at the Last 6 Months