11 Nov Tue 2008
First time for everything
Greetings! My name is Jeff Register, and I, along with my wife Amy, own and operate Flashlight Farm. I titled this entry "First time for everything" because I have never written a blog before - this is my first time. If it's good, please let me know. If not, well, check back later to see if I have gotten any better... :-)
Our lives are full of "First times." I remember the first time my dad took us hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was fall and the leaves were in full color. I remember the first time we turned over our canoe in the Shenandoah River. It was spring, and the water was still cold! I remember the first time I drove to the mall without my parents having to ride with me. I remember my first traffic ticket (ouch!). We just had our fifth child, but I still remember holding our eldest child for the first time. At 5lbs 6oz, she could lay full length on my forearm.
There are lots of first times: my first time going off to college, my first day on my first "real" job, my first violin solo, my first time taking the CPA exam (my first career was in public accounting), my first (and only) wedding.
Many of those first times were important milestones in my life. Others were memorable for the accomplishment they represent. And still others were memorable for the enjoyment or thrill of the moment.
Flashlight Farm represents another set of first times for us. It is the first time we have paid attention to how we use and treat the land. It is the first time we have seen how closely we are tied to the land and its products. It is the first time in my adult life that I have been able to spend large quantities of time working with my family. It is the first time we have tasted success in the pursuit of a family business.
We would like to see the farm grow and flourish. We would like to see the children growing up to desire this lifestyle. We would like to tell our grandchildren someday about what it was like to move from the city to the farm, and how blessed we were to have that opportunity.
One thing is sure: between now and then, there will be many more first times, and I intend to notice and enjoy every one of them!