2023 proved to be a remarkable year for the farm, yet it took an unexpected turn that struck me like a sucker punch to the gut.

On October 31st, it was revealed that Ian's cyst grew back, and very rapidly.

We returned home, scheduled the surgery and celebrated Thanksgiving and Ian's 40th birthday.

Taken with fear and uncertainty for our future, it took all of me to trust in God's plan for our lives. And when I lacked faith, I turned to close friends and reaching out on Instagram asking for you to pray with us.

The road ahead was too familiar, and could not bear it alone.

On November 27th, Ian had brain surgery which proved to be successful, but not without a detour.



The day after surgery, he was alert, making jokes, and could see from both eyes as the cyst was on his left optic nerve.

His head hurt and he mixed up his words a little, but we were eager to get home.

Within an hour of discharge, Ian's condition worsened, mixing up words and his anger was more and more pronounced - a stark contrast to his usual self.

That night Ian had emergency surgery to remove a hematoma that had developed, putting pressure on the front lobe of the brain.

The following couple days were difficult, marked by intense pain. We tried different pain meds and finally got him pain under control after those very long days.

After eight days in the hospital, Ian returned home!



Finally, no more trips to the hospital and sleepless nights. Finally, I could hug and kiss my boys longer than 15 minutes a day. We were together again!

The subsequent month proved challenging as Ian still required assistance and remained sensitive to noise. However, his recovery, compared to the previous surgery, exhibited a remarkable speed.

Now Ian is back to farm work and working hard to get the farm back on track for the 2024 season.

He will continue having annual scans to ensure all is well.

As we move forward, back into the rhythm of farm life, we are filled with gratitude for God's healing and unwavering support from friends and family like you.

Thank you for being with us on this rollercoaster ride of our farm, which undoubtedly seems to continue year after year.

We look forward to seeing you soon!