This week I am sooooo excited to see that it’s staying light longer. It’s actually light when we get home now and do the chores. This makes a huge difference to the end of our day!

I am so thankful to see that winter is coming to a close, even if we still get frosty mornings! It’s light longer and longer every day. Our temps are coming up to the 40s and 50s so we can all get more fresh air without working about anyone getting sick or having to dress up like the abominable snowman.

“Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.” (Daniel 2:20-21)

And I am so thankful for my girl. Look at her! She can farm, she can mother, she can converse like a 20 year old…she is amazing! I don’t think I survive from day to day around here without occasionally depending on her maturity to safely see my camera out of harms way, man the remote control, or help zip up zippers.

“Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all…Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Proverbs 31: 29, 31)

And I’m thankful for my little guy too! He makes me laugh. Especially how he’s always popping up in pictures doing nothing while everyone else working. He’s an A+ observer.

“And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21:6)

And I’m thankful for all the people who shared their sympathy over losing our dog recently. It’s a hard adjustment. We miss him for himself, but we also find ourselves as dog-less dog people. It’s been 15 years since I lived in a house without a dog (longer than that if you ignore the 2 year blip while I was in college). No more coming home at lunchtime to let him out. No more jingling tags and clickety-clack of nails on the tile floors. No more warning when someone comes to our door! No more thump-thumping of an exuberant tail any time we walk into the room…

Even the kids aren’t quite sure what to think. They’ve never not had a dog. They’re use to taking him along any time they didn’t want to be alone. Within hours of returning from the vet, the Cowboy told me he couldn’t feel the chickens because Yankee wasn’t there to go with him. The Ladybug didn’t want to go turn off the hose because it was dark out and there wasn’t a dog to go with her. Now, Yankee was a lot of things, but chances are if something had jumped out of the dark he would have probably run the kids over trying to get away from it. But it’s sweet that they thought he was so brave.

“…Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.” (Luke 6:21)

But this too shall pass. I’ve been looking for a little pick-me-up lately and I managed to dig around in my garden enough to find some new green poking up here and there. February’s been a hard month for us the last couple years. But winter never lasts forever. I’m thankful to see that spring is on the way, again.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)