The Beautiful Chaos: A Baby Boy, Building Community, and Larson's Legacy

Life! What a beautiful, harsh, loving, emotional, peaceful, and chaotic experience. Am I right?

If I had to describe this current season at Larson's Land, that would be it. We are spinning a lot of plates right now, but every single one of them is a blessing.

Right now, we are officially wrapping up the construction on the new storefront in Holt. We’ve painted, plumbed the sinks, run the electrical, and installed all the ductwork. We are about a week out from the big commercial roaster finally being delivered! The best part is that, from the outside, this historic building still looks exactly the same. But very soon, it’s going to be providing entirely new experiences. We are so excited to bring laughter, deep relationships, and a renewed sense of community that I feel this town of Holt has been missing.

Growing the Family and the Farm Speaking of beautiful chaos, we got some massive news this week: We are having a boy! We are incredibly excited to welcome another son into this family. On top of that huge blessing, we had family from the East Coast come out to visit us. We had such a great time catching up, holding space for each other, and sharing glimpses of what is happening in our day-to-day lives. I am forever grateful for those moments.

The human family isn't the only thing growing, either. Since the last post, we’ve added 14 chickens, 1 duck, and a pig to the farm.

• The chicks are the ones that hatched with the preschool kids at our church.

• The duck came from a gentleman in Lathrop who needed to rehome him—and that interaction actually turned him into a new friend and a coffee customer this week!

• The pig found his way to us from a friend on Facebook who couldn't keep him anymore.

Getting to know these people and catching up with old friends through the farm has been incredible. Isn't that what life is really about? Developing relationships that bear great fruit.

Protecting the Marriage It’s also a powerful reminder that as new friendships develop and businesses grow, we have to put that same energy—if not more—into our marriages.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

I’ve noticed times in my life where I get so hyper-focused on one aspect of life (like building a storefront or running a farm) that my marriage can take a hit. It is so important to take the time to emotionally check in. We have to set aside our selfish needs and be there for the greater good of our spouse. Thankfully, as we’ve aged, we know we aren't perfect. We protect our family fiercely, and that starts with circling back to each other to make sure we feel loved and cared for. Sometimes, that isn't a grand gesture. Sometimes it’s just giving a foot massage at the end of a brutally long week to let your significant other know, "Hey. I see you, and I love you."

A Dash of Larson’s Love As we continue remodeling the building, I’ve still been carving out time to roast beans for our friends and the new people finding the Larson's Land journey.

I’ve been roasting beans from all over the world lately, and I can truly feel our reach increasing. It is the greatest feeling in the world knowing that Larson's name is expanding into other people's homes. With every bag of coffee, people are getting to experience just a dash of the whole-hearted, overflowing love that Larson gave to others. It is incredible.

"Let all that you do be done in love

(1 Corinthians 16:14)

If you need a fresh bag, here is what we are currently roasting at the shop:

Sulawesi (My personal favorite right now—an excellent body with sweet chocolate notes and a hint of peanut at the end!)

Costa Rica

Brazil

Mexican La Honey

Colombia Decaf

Timor

Keep moving forward, keep protecting your people, and enjoy the beautiful chaos this week.