Canadian Acres
Farming in the North
Happy Holidays 2015
It’s the 23rd of December and here I sit, 29 weeks pregnant, wondering where the year went. Heck, I’d be happy to know where my 2nd trimester went if I had to choose. But all in all, 2015 was an amazing year full of challenges, unexpected journey’s and most of all joy. And exhaustion…. lots of that. Also, Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake, but maybe mostly in the last few months. I don’t really remember.
Anyway, since I’ve been rather busy with the whole full-time-job-plus-running-a-farm-and-growing-a-human-inside-of-me thing, I did not get a chance to send out Christmas cards to friends and family this year. Though, I do hope that this blog gives you a chance to feel connected to us and the farm all throughout the year, so maybe that’s even better.
My second trimester was spent getting organized for winter and starting to focus on the holiday season. I gained back a bit of my energy but started to feel a lot more aches and pains with the growing of my belly. We tried to keep up with our projects though and looking back, I do feel like we accomplished a lot.
The chickens helped with the yard clean up from fall and very much enjoyed the delayed cold weather and snow. But alas, the snow came and with it the below zero temperatures. These past few weeks have been very dark and I’ve been feeling bad as I rarely get to interact with the critters, let alone struggle snuggle them, when I leave for work and it’s dark and I return home and it’s dark. But Winter Solstice has come and for Christmas I promised them more light, so be it. I’m very giving in that way. Sake gets to warm up in car with me when I get home some nights and receives lots of pets and hugs and the horses seem to be wintering well with lots of feed and little snow to compete with.
Clay spent the unusual warm weather building a woodshed and we tried to soak up as much non-snow time on the farm as we could. I took the opportunity to plant 140 cloves of garlic in the garden, with much help from Sake who thought pulling the newly planted cloves and using them as a toy was great fun. So… maybe we’ll end up with a few less garlic bulbs in 2016. I’m always thankful for the company. I harvested the last of the calendula and put it in oil to steep, took a 6 week quilting course and brewed my first batch of beer (which took me like 7 hours and better taste like unicorns).
We took a break in November to meet my family in Hawaii for American Thanksgiving and loved the much needed break. December brought hearth and home and all the great things of the season.
So all in all, as we wrap up our 2015, we are feeling very blessed, accomplished and just a wee bit tired. This lifestyle can hard and it can be challenging, but mostly it’s full of laughter and joy and beauty and the simple things in life. And really, with the state of the world today, who could ask for anything more.
Wishing everyone a holiday season full of laughter and love, and a joyous New Year.
~Katy, Clay, Baby Peck, Wyatt, Maynard, Sake, Thor, Tyrion, Beatrix, Stella, Ruby, Betty, Thelma, Florence, Pearl, Georgia, Izzy, Sophia, Rose, Blanche, Dottie, Mildred, and Annie.
Canadian Acres 
Merry Christmas too you both! Excited to meet Baby Peck in the new year!
Thanks Kelli! Merry Christmas to you 🙂
Beautiful pictures! Merry Christmas to you and your family with many blessings for a healthy, happy New Year! Tina
Merry Christmas to you and yours Tina!
you are a gift, thank you for sharing,
Thanks Lynn 🙂
I cry every time I read your blog. Thanks honey!
Merry Christmas little mama-to-be! Your blog is fabulous, your pictures are awesome and Happy New Year!
Rita