Weddings at The Farm......14 years ago today.......

Today Chris & I celebrate our 14th Wedding Anniversary!!  I'm sure everyone says this, but I look back through our Wedding pictures and can't believe how fast time has flown by.  We have gone through so much together over the years and God has truly blessed us with more than we could have ever imagined.  It also is amazing to think that our journey started at this very Farm, where we one day hope to host many more celebrations.  We had our ceremony and a cocktail reception at The Farm and then went back to the restaurant for the reception.  It was such a beautiful day,  the pictures below only capture a few of the special moments.  

I'm thankful and blessed to know that God sent me the perfect person, whom is truly my best friend.  We laugh, we cry and yes we fight sometimes too, but we always remember that if we keep God at the center of all we do the rest will always fall into place.  So today, I say Happy Anniversary to the most amazing man, I thank you for putting up with me, my crazy ideas and all that life has brought before us, including our two adorable girls.  Cheers to many more!!

I hope that despite this wedding being 14 years ago and outdated from today's standards, that you can see the beautiful surroundings this Farm hosts for your special day too!  Don't forget our 1820's BARN will be fully renovated and ready to host your Wedding or Special Event in the Spring of 2017.  Sign up for our Newsletter or email us for additional pricing details.

Warmly,

-Becca Lynde

The Barn Doors & Floors....

These past couple of weeks have truly been flying by.  It's hard to believe its September already and the kids are finishing their second week back to school.  We are really excited and the work of the Amish Crew is almost coming to a close.  They are working to finish the floors and the barn doors, as well as all of the little details.  

We have replaced the front barn door that used to be a metal garage door with big wooden doors that our Amish builders built.  There will be sliding barn doors covering the entire front opening, as well as new sliding wooden barn doors out the back to really open up the space.  This will make sure we have great cross-wind in the barn during weddings and special events.  The front barn opening measures 14 feet high by 14 feet wide, its massive when these new doors are open!  Check out the pictures below for a sneak peak

In addition, they have been working to replace the floors in the barn.  The floors down the sides of the barn had to be completely replaced.  There was basically old plywood that had been put down as the floors.  In the middle, there were still beautiful big old planks.  Our Amish builders have put the new floors down on the sides, but are taking up the old flooring in the center, re-planing the planks to place back down in the center.  This area will most likely be the future dance floor for many wedding celebrations.

Although the Amish builders are almost done with their part, there is still much to be done.  We will now start working on painting/staining the interior and exterior.  In addition, we need to re-point some of the old stone work as well as start the landscaping.  We will also add some really nice flowering trees, a rustic wooden arbor for wedding ceremonies, as well as a few stone patios for additional cocktail/hor d'oeuvres areas.  For some of the finishing details we are looking forward to stringing market lights in the back of the barn, lighting up several of the trees, as will as adding some great lighting inside the barn to truly make it a magical place to host weddings and special events.  Maybe Chris & I will have to renew our vows again, I would love to plan a wedding here!  We look forward to moving along in the project and if you know of a bride and groom in search of a great new wedding venue, please send them our way.  We are starting to book for the Spring of 2017 and beyond.

Warmly,

Chris & Becca Lynde

The Barn Sags......

The back of our barn pre-renovation. 

When discussing the scope of the renovation with our Amish builder he pointed out how the south-facing part of the barn had seen the most wear.  My family has lived at "The Farm" for over 44 years and even dating back to before the previous owner they repaired the roof by adding a slate roof on top of the cedar shake roof.  The weight of that roof for over potentially 100 years caused the barn to really sag.  As a solution he decided to replace the metal columns holding up the backside of the barn with huge wooden beams.  Its hard to even capture how big these beams are in the pictures.  He also added some wooden angle supports to finish the space and keep consistent with the rest of the barn.  What I love is how they used wooden pegs to put the beams together.  Their craftsmanship throughout this process and how quickly they work has been really unbelievable.  We are about 6 weeks into the renovation and the barn is really close to being completed, or should I say at least the Amish builders portion.  There is still a lot of work to be done to complete the project, but we are really excited with how all of the pieces are coming together.  So, now the back of the barn has now received a well needed "lift!" 

As we approach "Labor Day" weekend I hope you all take some time to rest, spend time with God, and enjoy your families! 

Happy Labor Day!

-Becca & Chris

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  

Matthew 11:28-30

Hobo Packs

What I like most about this recipe is it's simple cleanup. You can even eat dinner right out of the foil. Then throw away the foil! You can easily substitute any fish for the scallops. Or add in any seasonal vegetables you have.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

·      1.25 lbs. medium to large scallops (about 5 per person)

·      2 squash, 1/4” dice

·      2 zucchini, 1/4” dice

·      1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

·      1 bag frozen corn kernels

·      Bag of greens (either baby kale or spinach)

·      Handful of herbs (chive, thyme, basil)

·      4 large pieces of tin foil (size of two legal pads)

·      4- 1tbs of butter

·      ¼ c. white wine or chicken stock

·      salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Heat grill to high
• Spread out the 4 pieces of foil on a counter. This will help assemble it quickly.
• First place the bed of greens on the foil, then add the rest of the vegetables.
• Add about 5 scallops to each hobo pack and season with salt and pepper
• Add the butter in the middle of the scallops, then wine (this helps steam everything nicely)
• Finally add herbs to the top.  Close each hobo pack on itself.  You can bunch it together, like a hobo bag, or fold it nicely like a pillow.  Keep it a little loose to allow for air circulation
• Drop the grill to medium heat and add the hobo packs.  Depending on your grill it could take 15-25 minutes.  Keep checking back to see if you can hear it steaming.  I usually take one off after 15 minutes and open it to see if the scallops are cooked.  They should be white and firm.
• To plate you can either eat them out of the foil for quick cleanup, or serve them over quinoa or rice.  It’s a great summer dish and pairs well with the wine you cooked it with!

Our "Goliath".....

Some of the beams in the barn are over 32 feet long, which is unbelievable.

This past week has surely been a whirlwind at "The Farm."  The floors are starting to be laid in the barn and the big front wooden doors have been installed.  (I have some updated pictures below.)  Anyone who has gone through a renovation can probably relate that at times there just seems like an endless list of things that need to get done.  This week we have been working on all of the little details that will make a big difference.  The final design of the glass doors, what will the stain color be on the exterior and interior.  We took some time this weekend to meet with an old friend who will be helping us with the landscape design.  We're also beginning to plan the electrical work, do we burry the lines do we upgrade the panel?   All of these things need to be decided, while at the same time trying to maintain on track with our budget.  In addition to the Barn details, we also are so excited about the bakery.  We have been getting more orders for fundraisers and the farmers markets are really starting to take off.  All of that being said, Chris and I are both balancing full-time jobs that we love and the bakery/barn renovation are what I would call more of our passion.  Sometimes we get into bed and wonder "Are we doing the right thing?"  

This morning we had to take a step back and re-set our priorities.  The girls came in our room this morning after they woke up and we really felt like we needed to spend some time with God as a family.   Of course the first thing they asked is "Can we watch TV?"  We told them before doing anything we need to spend some time with God, so go get your bibles and come back to our room.  Miss. Charlie our 4 year old, almost 5 year old had her little bible and we asked her what story she wanted to read, she turned to the story of "David and Goliath."  So we read the story in her kids bible, then read it in Gracie's bible which is a little older version and then Chris read it in his bible.  (1 Samuel 17)  I can't tell you how many times I've heard that story and read it, not only as a child, but also an adult.  But today, it was like I was hearing it for the first time.  As Chris was reading the words, I started thinking about how often we limit God's power, do we really believe we can beat a huge giant like "Goliath?"   This little shepherd David was the only one who was brave enough and trusted in God with every piece of his heart that he would beat Goliath.  I kept asking myself if I was witnessing this in real-time what would I be thinking?  Here you have this tiny shepherd who is going to take down a giant with a single stone and a sling shot.  I guess my whole point of this story is that we all face "Goliath's" in our lives, that distract us, defeat us and take our focus of our one and only priority  which should be "God."  If we keep him our main priority, whenever "Goliath" comes our way, we will no doubt be able to overcome it, not by our own strength, but by the living God who works through us.  

So this week as we start another crazy week of to-do's and endless tasks, I pray that we continue to keep God at the forefront.  Let him guide our actions, our decisions and plans to make sure we accomplish all what he wants us to do, and not sweat the small stuff.  So we are once again giving our "Goliath" over to God and trusting he will guide us every step of the way.  We are so excited to see the finished project and are even more excited to host our first Wedding!!!  

-Becca & Chris

"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."  

1 Samuel 17:45-46