I am so excited to be announcing the opening of my own business, Claire Marie Farmhouse, a bed and breakfast. I feel very blessed for such an opportunity because it encompasses all the things I love: hospitality, cooking, and people! This idea came to me shortly after we hosted a wedding here for my best friend and her "now" husband in June 2011. I had such a fun time planning, decorating, and mingling with all the great people in attendance that evening. (You can see pictures under my "Wedding & Special Events" page.)
My incredible husband, Aaron, has been my biggest supporter in this process! We bought this property in the spring of 2009. It was a dream come true for us both to have not only our own home, but land with a fruit orchard, pond, barn and pasture, and woods! Aaron has worked tirelessly over the last couple of years to make this place look so beautiful. My big project has been the guest house. Before we moved in, it had been utilized as an office/gym, and was just...kind of gross! But it was a great space and had wonderful potential. I was so thrilled to have not just an extra room, but a whole house for all our out-of-town family and friends! Needless to say, it's been a delight to decorate and make the place feel warm and cozy.
Aaron is a Radiology Resident at LSUS and a Major in the Air Force Reserves. We have 3 amazing children; Haden (14), Ella (7), and Heidi (3). This home has been a marvelous place to raise children. Over the last couple of years we've acquired a little livestock and some chickens. The kids get to run all over the place exploring nature. We fish, take walks through the woods, pick wild blackberries in the spring, build fires in the fall to roast hot dogs & marshmallows, and work together as a family to keep the place looking nice and running smooth! God has richly blessed our precious family!
Since I was a child I had always dreamed I would be a homemaker with a little family to take care of. There was a time in my twenties when I had serious doubts that would ever happen. I was a single mother and worked a desk job for a transportation company that I was quite miserable with. I remember thinking, "Only 45 more years until retirement!" But alas, God blessed me with Aaron, and once we were married I got to leave the trucking business. We moved around a few times during the earlier years of our marriage...from Little Rock, AR to El Paso, TX for Aaron's medical school; and then to Bossier City, LA for his military service at Barksdale AFB. No matter where we were living I always tried to make our small rental houses feel like "home". I would have boxes unpacked, dishes in the cupboards, and pictures on the wall in less than a week! However, in my heart I was always yearning for a home of our very own. We looked at several over the years, but nothing ever worked out or felt right. There were 2 houses in particular that I was certain were meant for us. I became obsessed with them...even one house that was located right by the train tracks! The disappointment I felt when offers fell through just seemed unbearable. Aaron would do his best to encourage me saying that some day the right house would come along. I had to keep praying about it and leave my worries & wants with the Lord.
A verse that has always meant a great deal to me is Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". I would constantly meditate on this. I can't describe the feelings I had when I knew we were going to get this property in Greenwood, LA. To know that this is what God had in store for us all along completely humbled me. God really knows the desires of my heart because he has blessed our family with far more than we ever imagined! My kitchen is the perfect place to house all my things I inherited from my grandmothers. For the first time, everything just goes together so well. And I have a mud room! I always wanted a mud room. It's probably one of my favorite areas of the house. The kids love it too. Ahhh, I could go on and on about all the little things that I recognize as God's special touch, just because He cares for me! It's just amazing how He loves to oversee every small detail of our lives!
So after having said all that, I feel God has led me to have this business as a way of utilizing the talents He has given me, and as a way of providing financially for my family. I have gleaned a lot of understanding in this after studying the Proverbs 31 woman. It is my hope and prayer that our family will shine with the light of the Lord for all the guests we have here!
By the way, Claire Marie Farmhouse is the name I came up with in honor of our two daughters, Ella Claire and Heidi Marie!
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