Sometimes in the deep, dark parts of winter, when everything is dry and brown and dead, words can be hard to come by.

Sometimes you want to share the excitement when things go right, but not the mess when things go wrong.

And sometimes in this up and down and inside out journey you need to focus on someone else’s words, and not your own.

But Spring comes in February here…

And when there aren’t words, sometimes there are pictures worth 1,000 words.

I spent a few months enjoying puppy kisses and hiking with the kiddos over Christmas break and waiting for something green or pink or purple to poke up and refresh my tired heart.

I find that sometimes I don’t even realize I’m waiting…I just look around one day and realize that I haven’t moved. (Figuratively speaking, here.)

Since Christmas I’ve spent a lot of time finding time for myself. I’ve never been big on “me time” as a parenting concept. I believe in balance, but I feel like “me time” in motherhood circles has become a valid point that’s been abused. But as I’ve spent the last 6 weeks overcoming my guilt at taking the dogs for a walk twice a day, every day, ALONE, I’ve realized that–throwing out all the catch-phrases of the moment–I’ve been living quite out of balance.

My areas of service have become just more tasked to be checked off the TO DO list, in my heart.

And that needed to stop.

I’m still a working momma. A farming momma. A church-going, bible teaching, daily praying momma. But I’m getting out of the busy momma club.

If I had written a New Years Resolution it would be this…LEARN TO REST. That doesn’t mean stop working, or stop farming, or stop writing, or stop going, or stop doing…rest is only found in the Lord. So along with the American Revolution and Tree Identification and how to dye wool with plant fiber, this year I’ll be learning about rest. I’ll still be finishing our series on the Costs of Farming, and I’ll be banding tails and trimming hooves and reading Where the Red Fern Grows out loud to the crew–

And I’ll be finding quiet. Resting. Thinking. And watching the grass grow.

Hope you’ll join us!