Grand Opening Day

Dear Friends! What a wonderful day this was!  I know if you are on Facebook you may have already seen these pictures, but for those of you who aren't, I promised you a report tonight!

Here's our two happy entrepreneurs this morning as the clock struck 10:00 and the doors to the new Dixie Cottage were finally opened for business:

Signs were put out front...

And the switch was turned on for the open sign in the window:

New signs were also added to the front doors:

Refreshments were ready for our "guests"...

And gift baskets were prepared for some lucky winners at the end of the day. There was a drawing for the three baskets and a grand prize of a $50.00 Gift Card!

There was a steady stream of visitors, customers, and well-wishers.  This couple below was the biggest surprise to me...they are former school mates of mine who traveled all the way from my home town about 60+ miles away to see the store. They said that my son Ben had built a lovely bench for them a few years ago from their king sized headboard, and they loved it so much and appreciated him delivering it all the way to them, so they thought it was the least they could do to drive up here to see his new store:

I regret that I did not get a picture of another notable visitor today. Some of you may know Betty Barber, a frequent visitor to some of our blogs. She doesn't have a blog of her own, but she loves to read our posts and often comments.  She recently moved into a community about 20 minutes from where we live and we've been communicating about the opening of this store, and so today she came to see it and meet me in person. We had a lovely visit, but things were kind of busy when she arrived and I neglected to get someone to take our picture. She has promised to come back and maybe we can even have lunch sometime. That would be wonderful, so Betty, if you are reading this, please know that I appreciated your visit so much and look forward to seeing you again sometime soon!

Also, my sweet DIL Rose had special visitors today...two of her sisters who live about an hour away came to help out and show their support. Also one of the sisters' husband and daughter and two granddaughters were here for a while, but again, it got busy and I didn't get their picture! I wish I had. The two little girls especially were so sweet. The older one "Rose", was the flower girl in Benton and Rose's wedding almost 5 years ago. She is now a tall and lovely 4th grader. And the younger girl is named "Lily"!! Of course many of you know how much I love THAT name!  Anyway, here we have my DIL Rose, her sister Tina and sister May. 

As I said, it was a long and busy day, and after the past week + of moving and preparing for this day, you can imagine how exhausted Ben and Rose must have been at the end of the day:

But it was a happy kind of exhaustion, and they are so thankful for all the show of support and enthusiasm for the new store. Oh, I forgot to mention that yesterday afternoon our Pastor and his wife came by the store to pray with us and ask for God's blessings upon the new store. That was very very special.  And then today even the Mayor of the City of Interlachen stopped in to congratulate them. Again, I wish I had taken some pictures! Hindsight is always 20/20.  

And so that is the story of the Grand Opening Day at Dixie Cottage! It was a great new beginning, and we look forward to many wonderful days ahead.  And if you are ever in the area, please be sure to stop in and visit! (But be sure to let me know first so I will be there to meet you!)

“18  Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert."

Isaiah 43:18-19