The past year has been the most whirlwind, the most inspirational and the most difficult year I have experienced. There have been so, so many blessings and quite a few heartbreaks, but we have made it through, and it sure feels good on this other side! My online presence has been severely lacking. Even though I have had so much to say, it kept seeming to me that I had to work it all out in my head and understand my experiences for myself before I went spouting about them online. Everything I *thought* I knew has mostly been thrown out the window, and I now approach life (especially as a mother and a farmer) almost through the eyes of a child–a humble beginner.

And so in the spirit of the upcoming New Year, I resolve to return to my presence online where I hope to relate some of what has gone on around here (the good and the bad).

But in the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving, I leave you here with a list of all of the things we have been thankful for over the past year.

kisses from my boy
brussels sprouts
home grown chicken dinners
high speed internet
childrens peaceful sleeping faces
strawberries freshly picked still warm from the sun
baby bunnies
cozy warm beds
a barn full of hay
a large home garden
shelves full of canned goods
a husband who is always willing to wear his farmers hat
3 family meals each day
Jared’s new office with a heated floor
5 freezers full of nourishing food
owning property free and clear
owning our farm officially!
new fencing
soft, slippery mohair
baby animals
our cozy wood stove
sheepskins
calla lillies
ratatouille
a remodeled playroom
our trusty little car
huckleberries
the Carlton house sale
fresh cheese curds
Community Plate
raw milk
2 happy cows
grits
Jerry Ripp
reclaimed wood floors
my knitting
farm tours
potlucks
feeding Corey and Armen
food from other farmers
bead board
new babies
buckets full of blueberries
our trusty tractor
Thanksgiving dinner
family and friends