As we approach Thanksgiving, I am remembering the reasons to be Thankful this year.
- Recent:
Over the last month all of my children have been sick at one time or another. The thing is, that well, I get to stay up with the sickies. I find it a privilege to be the one that God has chosen to tend to these little ones as they are sick. Taking care of them is at times exhausting and at times refreshing.
How can I find it refreshing? Because many times their tender little hearts come out. They show such appreciation that I am taking care of them, that I love enough to be there.
Other times I see the compassion come from their siblings that want to help take some of the burden off of me when they see that I am reaching the end of my energy stores.
Here my children are reading a book together for our history lessons on the Tablet, while I snooze.
My children have cooked, taken care of younger siblings, done extra chores and helped can the end of our garden harvest. Though, most of our homeschooling has been pushed aside, I see the work they have done during this rough season and know that they learned something much bigger than any textbook could have taught them. Some days they ran the majority of the household on their own. Other days they took care of major projects that needed to be dealt with, with some help from me…Switching out the season’s clothes for all eight of us in ONE day being one of those projects.
Thankful for? Compassionate Children
- Summer:
- Spring:
The summer started with the same drought we suffered last summer. It was hot, dry and well nasty. Our wheat harvest was ok considering the conditions and the hay was tolerable. However, as July burned into August, we finally got a bit of rain, and…
We had a lot more hay. The wonderful thing? The hay price has shot up, A LOT because of nationwide hay shortages and well, the hay has grown and grown and produced a lot since August. We are just now baling our last acres of hay for 2012.
The rain also came in time to help our garden produce fairly well. My tomatoes weren’t great, but I got a lot of green ones and made a lot of Salsa Verde which my husband loves.
Thankful for? God’s Provision
This spring was a fun and eventful time for myself…I had the opportunity to fly out to North and South Carolina to the Teach Them Diligently Convention, and to see family I rarely get to see. It was hard to leave my family here at home, but it was wonderful to get to fellowship with friends and family across the country, nearly uninterrupted…I had kind of forgotten what an uninterrupted conversation was like.
I also traveled to a Homeschool Convention in Kansas City in April with another friend Dawn and two of her daughters. Today, my children still talk about their new friends (her daughters), and the beautiful drive.
These conventions are a time of refreshment and rejuvenation for the homeschool mom. We are surrounded by likeminded moms who understand our daily struggles for an entire weekend.
Thankful for? God’s Refreshment and
Friends and Family
Winter:
Our daughter Hannah struggled with some digestive issues all winter. We spent several afternoons at our pediatrician and were really no closer to a solution…
Then, our raw milk supplier started producing again and…that solved all issues. Other than her digestive issues and a bought of pneumonia at Christmas with her and her four year old brother, we had a very healthy winter.
For my birthday, we got a new Dairy Cow, Daisy. What is special? She has a heart on her forehead. She has become quite the sweet cow, and should calve just in time for our winter milk supply to be drying up.
Thankful for? Health
There is a whole series of these 31 Day of Thanks posts. To check them all out, and watch for more, click the graphic below. While you are busy clicking, don’t forget to enter the giveaway too. What are you Thankful for this year?
Check out all the great items being given away in this weeks 31 Days of Thanks Giveaway! Click the picture to enter!
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mother, christian, wife, woman, child of God. It is about my life as a farmer’s wife, as a cook, a baker, a nurse, a teacher, a woodworker, a housekeeper, a farmer (yep, I drive tractors, pick up hay bales, and other farm duties), a gardener. So, what you read here, is me, as a transparent sometimes hot headed, passionate, and opinionated person.
I am thankful for my husband. It has been a rough year for us. My husband has been unemployed about 4 or 5 times in about 2 1/2 yrs and its been rough. But no matter what we are in this together.
I am also thankful for my sons cause they are pretty cool. 