I have named the slower, colder months of the year our official off season here at the Broken Oak. Hosting markets that involve you to open your farm and home are special in so many ways, but I treasure the months when our family can just be home and care for the farm without the pressures of getting it ready to share.
It just so happens that the off season months are some the busiest of months for our farm animals as far as feeding goes. The calves at home need grain everyday and hay weekly (Weston’s Job), the cows and calves at the big farm need hay everyday (Dad’s Job), the horses need feed and care everyday (Ally’s Job). In order for everyone to carry their weight I keep the house warm and homemade meals on the table to fuel all of the workers when they return from chore time. These quieter months allow me to pitch in more as well and I love riding along and feeding with Cam and the kids. On occasion, when Cameron is out of town the kids and I do the big feeding for him, but most days I think he looks forward to the simple pleasure of stewardship after a long day in the office.
As I mentioned before, most of the time you can find me in the kitchen this time of year. I love trying new recipes and have been working on a few to share.
Along with cooking I have been going through each space in our home and purging things that are taking up space and no longer holding value. New routines and systems are helping the day to day run smoother and our home easier to manage. (How do we acquire so much stuff?).
Along with purging our home I have been purging my heart as well. I have been very selective about purchases this month and my hope is this year to be more intentional with spending and what we buy for our home.
It feels good to check things off the to-do list that have been there for awhile. Our off season has proven to be a great time to do things like get our stove fixed, replace our leaky kitchen faucet and sand down my childhood dresser
I have been taking a lot of walks, enjoying one on one time with each of our kids and reading when I can squeeze in the time.
We have been enjoying a lot of quality time with extended family and hosted our California cousins for a few days.
It seemed like our theme for the 2022 year was full throttle with not a let of let up. As I stepped into this year I realized my heart was aching for slow and steady so that is exactly how I started 2023.
Home has always been the spring from which all my other dreams and ideas bubble from. Some seasons I am able to spend less time within these walls and when that happens I start to notice an ache and I began to feel like I am running on crumbs. I am thankful for time to re-charge and re-set my focus.
I hope that y’all are enjoying your current season. I pray it is full of the things that you bring you joy and remind you to do the things that fuel the passions God has placed in your heart.
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