I have the privilege of staying home with my children. Our day starts early in the morning around 6:00 am. We trudge into the kitchen, sleepy eyed. Fumbling my way to coffee (thanks, babe) while fending off tiny raptors who somehow have the energy to demand 100 things at 6:00 am, we have breakfast together. Sometimes homemade, sometimes cereal and oatmeal. I drink my warm liquid magic and watch them play in circles as the sun peeks through the window.
We stay busy throughout the day. Lots of times we run errands, make cake deliveries. We clean, do chores, fight, and fuss. We love to play outside, gaining dirty feet and sun burnt shoulders. We just do life and (usually) enjoy being together.
After long days, I tuck them into their beds (sometimes hastily) around 7:30. I kiss their sweet faces and get muggies (nose kisses). Then my work begins. I step into my kitchen, there I feel joy, too. I enjoy the methodical measuring of ingredients, the simple crack of eggs, the rhythmic sound of my mixer. I admire the way buttercream glides across cake layers. It is my pleasure and joy to create delicious memories for families, beautiful works of art.
This is relatively new to me, this baking thing. I have had lots ask me, "Where did all this come from?" I can tell you, it came from the Lord. We never planned or dreamed of making baked goods for people. I haven't been professionally taught, there is nothing special about me. Since so many have been curious about where I got my start, I wanted to share.
In the Spring of 2019, I was pregnant with Samuel. I had a good job, I just knew it wasn't a long-term thing. I interviewed for a job I really, really wanted. I had my hopes up. I thought this is what I was created to do, I was all in. I didn't get the job. I was crushed, disappointed. Fast forward a bit... we made the decision that I would quit my day job and stay home with the children. To supplement income, I would continue to work from home at the legal nurse consulting business we had been running for about a year. It did provide some work, but the hours were dwindling and not keeping me as busy as we had hoped. Still, we persevered.
Trevor went on a medical mission trip to Kenya in the Summer of 2019. He was hooked; before his return plane hit the runway, he knew he would go again in 2020. The 2020 trip was scheduled for June. In January we decided to do a "bake sale" fundraiser to pay his way. I made Oreo balls and chocolate covered strawberries for Valentines Day. The Lord provided, it was a great success. During this time, I began to realize God had blessed me with a talent for preparing yummy food, providing lovely packaging, and communicating well with customers (friends).
A little while after that, I felt led to start a blog to share my testimony, hope, and fun with others (this was super scary!) So I did that and it went well. God was in it. This is when it gets fuzzy, I really don't know how the baking began. I have always liked to piddle in the kitchen, especially with desserts. I posted a few pictures to Facebook of some amateur cakes and cookies I made for my family. I was shocked when people wanted to order from me! I felt incapable of delivering what they asked. To make some extra money, I decided to sell some Easter cookie decorating boxes and to my disbelief, they were a hit!
Little by little, I began to gain confidence in the kitchen. I know this was all God. I never had intentions of earning a living from baking, I never marketed myself that way, I never felt like I could do any of this! And thats because I can't. But He can.
There are so many ways He has worked in our lives, if I told you all of them now, we'd be here all night. If I had gotten the job I so desperately wanted, I never would have been able to stay home with my kids, this wouldn't have happened. If our legal nurse business had been booming as I prayed for months, I wouldn't have had the extra time to enjoy baking. If Trevor hadn't obeyed and went on his first mission trip, I never would've had the opportunity to realize this talent. It is a beautiful reminder that He interweaves our twisted paths, the mountains we climb, the forests we trudge, the storms we weather - if we allow Him to be master of our lives, it will all make sense.
So, I guess that in a (big) nutshell, is how I got started. I don't know where this will go, I don't know where we will be in five years, or even a year. We may eventually open a storefront, we may not. I am just overwhelmed with thankfulness that God doesn't give us what we want, His plan is always better.
