Reflecting on 2022

I’ve never really been one to make new years resolutions or pick a word of the year.   But looking back on 2022, if I had to pick a word it would be patience.  I’m a hurry up and get things done, instant gratification kind of person.  I didn’t realize going into 2022 I’d be at the mercy of the bank, the planning committee, the State of TN, the septic folks, the soil scientist, and the list goes on... I don’t know what I was expecting, but I know I didn’t expect it to take almost a year to get all our permits and get approved by a bank. It was never part of MY plan to dive head first into a pool of patience in 2022, but it was definitely a part of God’s plan.  Boy, did He teach me to slow my role and trust His timing. While there were so many highs, there were just as many lows. Being stuck in a season of “waiting” was mentally challenging for me. I cried my fair share of tears, but we also celebrated so many milestones. 

We spent the majority of 2022 planning and coordinating our ideas for Anson Arbor Farm.  In addition, we tackled a lot of fun projects at the property. As I scrolled back through my camera roll, I’m reminded that we:

• Obtained all our building permits

• Found a bank partner (22 banks later…for more on that, click here)

• Cleared most of the brush along the road and creeks

• Reforested a section of our property

• Cut up and moved a ton of fallen trees (thanks to the snow!)

• Mowed, Mowed, Mowed….so much mowing

• Designed and started a feature wall on the warehouse - the plant wall

• Mapped out the location of each cottage

• Made progress on the exterior of the Shop Building and Warehouse

• Started ordering furniture for the cottages!

• Worked with a branding company to create the Anson Arbor Farm brand

• Obtained all the required building permits

• WE BROKE GROUND!

There’s a lot to be proud of on that list, but our greatest and most proud moments of 2022 were:

• Cheering our youngest (Liv) on in volleyball and watching her thrive as she fell in love with the game

• Watching our son (Jake) become a leader in BYX, a christian based fraternity, and him leaning into his love of theater

• Celebrating our second oldest daughter’s (Kenzie) engagement AND they bought a house, a big year for her and her fiance

• Having a front row seat as our oldest daughter (Katie) launched an entire YoungLife program at a local school

Y’all, 2022 was a year for the books, both personally and professionally, but watching our kids chase their dreams and reach new milestones in their lives brings us so much joy!  We are so proud of each one of them for being authentically themselves and living out their goals and dreams.

For Jase and me, 2020 was a year of dreaming, 2021 will forever be the year we took a leap of faith and bought the property, and 2022 shaped up to be a year of planning, coordinating and preparing for construction.  It’s hard to believe that this whole journey has already been three years in the making.

We are banking on 2023 being a big year for Anson Arbor Farm!  This will be the year that we host our first guests at the property and we are so excited about that!!

Wishing you nothing but the best in 2023!