Geoff works on the farmstead full time.  Daily animal husbandry chores, equipment maintenance, home remodeling, and farmstead improvements fall under his purview.  He occasionally does home improvement projects outside the home, as time allows.  He spent six years in the Navy as a mechanic, six years in new home construction, eleven years in manufacturing, and has a Bachelor of Business degree.  These experiences taught him nearly all of the valuable skills needed for life on a farmstead.  He enjoys target shooting, fishing, motorcycle rides, researching, challenges, and finishing projects.  He is extremely focused and driven, and can always find a reason to make a detailed Excel spreadsheet.
 
Casey works outside the home to keep sane and help the farmstead get established.  Despite popular sentiment, small-scale farming requires considerable capital outlay.  She is a retired Navy electrician, and has Bachelor of Psychology, Bachelor of Nuclear Engineering Technology, and Master of Divinity degrees.  She enjoys her employment, as it is in a downtown office building (a childhood dream) and requires frequent travel (an extrovert’s dream).  She is also an online collegiate adjunct professor.  During her free time she enjoys running, writing, and fundraising for the American Cancer Society.  She has a keen eye for interior decorating and a love for experimentation in the kitchen.
 
Anastasia is a junior in high school.  She attended public school through her sophomore year, but is now home-schooled.  This affords her the opportunity of spending more time with Dad, helping with the animals, setting her own schedule, and avoiding the chaotic lunacy of the public education system.  Like many young girls, she loves going to the mall to shop for shoes and make-up.  Her dream is to obtain an accounting degree and work as a forensic accountant for the FBI or some other law enforcement agency.  She loves to bake, and always has a word of encouragement and a hug for anyone who needs it.

As Geoff tells it, our story began with the purchase of a John Deere lawn tractor.  But, in reality, our journey began almost twenty years ago while stationed onboard the USS NIMITZ (pictured here).  He was a mechanic and I was an electrician.  We each worked in one of the nuclear power plants that provided the electricity and propulsion for the rest of the ship.  Life on an aircraft carrier is like living in a small city of 5,000 people.  Even though we worked in the same department, we had never met until two of our friends decided that we might be perfect for each other.  Surprisingly, they were correct!

We were an unlikely pair, or so we were told.  I liked having all the attention and he wanted none of it.  He was a meat and potatoes kind of guy and I was a vegetarian.  I was a city girl from California and he was a mid-Western boy.  Oh, and I will not even try to explain our differing views on politics and religion.  We did, however, agree that lemon flavored yogurt was our favorite.  This leads to a funny story about how I knew Geoff was the one for me.  Stop by sometime and ask us about it.  We have lots of funny stories including one about Geoff peeling shrimp for me.

The years have gone by, and we have grown together.  Many of our differences have become similarities.  Now, the areas where we still differ have become areas where we complement each other.  And, for me, that is what Second Journey Farmstead is all about.  It is our life after retiring from the military.  Our focus is completely on God and the life that he would have us lead here on 3.5 acres of his beautiful creation.  This is our second journey….