I have been thinking a lot about history lately, the history of our family. As I was thinking about “our story” His still small voice spoke into my heart that it was really “His Story”!
It began around 1976 (Rick says July 7, 1976 at 4:00pm. I was wearing a yellow Adidas shirt). Through God’s marvelous grace and some lapsed time we became one October 12, 1979. His Story began, and what a journey it has been! We came to our new life in Christ our first year of marriage. We were baptized in the Puget Sound when I was 8 months pregnant with our first blessing from heaven. Our first home was on a farm in the Key Peninsula outside of Gig Harbor, Washington where our hearts were drawn to God’s amazing creation and the joys of raising a family on a farm. Over the years our hearts were pulled to land on a farm, to animals, to gardens, to the smells and the fruits of the labor of our hands.
On my birthday some 22 years ago Rick got me two kinder goat does. We were excited to add them to our little farm. At that time we thought it would be a good thing to attempt due to a milk allergy in our son. We soon found there was sooo much joy and gratification working and playing with the goats.
It went beyond something new to try, beyond a hobby or a phase in life. It wasn’t long before we realized there was something for everyone. Rick had suffered with tendinitis and we had read that raw goat’s milk would help coat the joints and he would be pain free. To his delight (and mine:) he could now with ease muck out pens and other works the farm always surfaced. Lewis could enjoy cheese again and milk. He loved thinking of new ways to drive the goats. For some years he enjoyed goat carting and won a grand champion in that class at the county fair. The girls and I loved making cheese and grew in the art as the years passed. I think all our girls enjoyed goat lattes! We enjoyed the time spent milking; it has always been a therapy to me, a sweet time with my Lord and His creation. I loved being a goat midwife; there is something about new life and the miracle therein!
The children and grandchildren have loved feeding baby bottles and naming new babes and playing with them. Did I mention naming? I meant renaming and nicknaming to a perfect match of each personality and the way they were dressed! One of the amazing things about “Kinders” is they come dressed up in coats of many different colors, so very fun for all! We then started goat milk soap making, I would never buy another bar of ivory again! So much room for creativity and we all loved how it felt like washing with the richest best lotion ever!
Every year I would pray and the Lord would add another layer for us to research and discover with our goats milk. A product line was conceived and family business born. In all the blessings over all the years, we see the greatest being each individual blessing He has given us and the gifts He has given them: our seven amazing children and nine amazing grandchildren! Our prayer is that our lives would be a reflection of His light forever. How blessed and excited we are at all the Lord has done! We continue to pray in all things, in all of life that He will be glorified as He writes His Story on our lives!