1 Month to Negotiate, Plan, and Purchase a Business.... How we got here

Hello! If you're here, it might be for any number of reasons.... you know Theo and Chellsey Stad and are wondering how we got here. Maybe you knew #BattleRiverLandscapeSupplies in Camrose and are wondering what's going on with it. Or maybe you've simply stumbled across our website and are curious to know about our somewhat bizarre story. Whatever the reason, this blog post is being written in the hopes to entertain and inform our customers and followers of the amount of work it has taken to get to this point.

This point being Day 0. As I write this, tomorrow is our FIRST official day of ownership, and we have carried much stress and sent many prayers upwards to get to this point. Many things have not gone according to plan, tears have been shed, sweat has been let (what's a word for that?), and much stress has been sent heavenward. This blog post is not here to complain, but to provide some insight. For humor purposes, I've written it in diary form from the perspective of #TheYard - happy reading! (Dates are approximate)

September 2, 2021 - Dear Diary, today something different happened. Up until now, I've enjoyed peace and quiet, many lovely customers coming for colorful stones for their yards, firewood for their stoves, and storing items for the same family I've been with for 5 years? Maybe 6 now. (I'm just a yard, I don't know how to count.) But I do know when something out of the norm is happening. You see, this lady now wanders the yard regularly- and I've seen her on and off over the last 2 years, but she's never stayed this long. But that's not what has been weird... ever since she's shown up, the air has felt different - no, not colder or windier. Just.... different. My owner has a new spring in his step and the other 2 girls working the front desk are talking in hushed tones. I'm not sure what it means but I am listening a little harder. Stay tuned, I'll write when I know more.

September 10, 2021 - Dear Diary, so I think I know a little more of the story now. The 2 girls who worked the front desk no longer come around, they gave their notice shortly after my last entry. Alarm bells are going off in my head! (Am I sentient? I suppose I shouldn't dwell on these things, it might be too confusing to consider.... so, on that note I'm moving on....) The new lady is still hanging around, and with her she has brought a relative who I see a lot more of - I do know it's a relative, you know how sometimes you can just tell? There's been some chatter with my owner on his phone a lot more these days, it's rare to have long silences between hearing ringtones. I still don't know what it means, but I'm starting to get the idea that it's BIG..... 'Til next time!

September 17, 2021 - Dear Diary, it has been a week since I've last written to you, not because nothing has happened, but because SO MUCH has!

A new relative of the lady is now here almost DAILY. The great part is that he runs the loader often and hangs out with me all the time. I get the feeling that we understand each other very well, so I am happy to have him around. I understand that he is not an employee, but I do not understand what his commitment here is, so bear with me while I try and figure it out.

The 2 new ladies are here all the time, they are definitely employees here..... okay bye!

September 20, 2021 - I overheard bits of conversation involving "Selling the yard...." that means me.

That clarifies a bunch.

October 1, 2021 - Dear Diary, I have it on good authority that I am officially the subject of al conversation these days. I'm being sold to the new people, but I know there's been much fun in negotiating and figuring out where they are going to work from (from the main building or from their own shop in my yard?), and inventory things. Whatever happens, I know they plan on running my yard with the same goals that I'm already used to. This is good.... otherwise I would miss my current regular customers. The ladies have also gotten used to seeing many of the same people, hopefully for all of us that won't change!

October 8, 2021 - Overheard that there's possibly going to be a store on the Landscape Supplies side? Interesting.

October 12, 2021 - Oooh it got even more intriguing! Someone else is interested in purchasing my sister company, the BBQ store! Is this goodbye to my former owner?

October 15, 2021 - More news, the ownership date has been moved up! I get my new owners sooner!

October 30, 2021 - Wild. This weekend is wild. There was a farewell party in the BBQ store that I was not invited to. But I know it was farewell, so many people I've known for the last 5 or 6 years showed up throughout the day... what else would it mean? And the smell of pizza and Smoker was overwhelming.

I'm confident this is what it was.

November 1, 2021 - Dear Diary (It seemed apt to write a proper title again), today was INSANE. My yard has been steadily emptied of storage items over the course of October. And then today, when I felt all crisp and tidy, a new building showed up.

I think I'm allowed to say this now, my NEW OWNERS had that lady here again today - that one girl who made me realize I should start writing this down- and her little kids were climbing up my rock piles and making a mess. But I do think it's official....... my future looks a little different.

You should see what I mean, I don't think you realize how amazing it was to see that office building show up, and watch the tears run down the face of...

I suppose I should start calling her my New Owner, hey?

....Oh, and I caught their names at one point: Theo and Chellsey. Suffice to say that I am beyond excited for what my future holds.

Written by: Amanda Bos, the "New lady" in this story - daughter of

Theo and Chellsey Stad - AKA the "New Owners"

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