Winter plans

Happy New year! I'm a little late, but it is nice to be back to blogging. Despite all the lovely blog posts I had planned for December, the entire month got away from me and I am just now realizing that I haven't show up here for about a month. This was my first year with TWO kids in school and I was downright shocked by how busy their Christmas activities kept us. The week before break I was a frazzled mess. (Note to self: while giving all the teachers handmade marshmallows was a nice touch, next year plain old gift cards might be in order.) Then we had gobs of family in town and spent the next two weeks chumming around with them playing disc golf and eating and sitting in front of the fireplace and eating and... eating... Naturally, I had to spend the next week or so recovering from all that sitting around. Oh poor me, life is rough. :)

And now it is a new year and I am brimming with new year garden plans. I am not one to make grand resolutions, but this year I am determined to actually grow a significant portion of our food. Of course, I am now just in the planning and preparing phase of that resolution and still spending just as much money at the grocery store. But I hope to put a significant dent in that number by the end of the year. I'll be sharing my process here so you can follow along, and maybe even grow some of your own family's food as well.

These pictures were snapped a few mornings ago when we woke up to a completely frozen back yard. The boys ran outside the (new!) sliding glass door to the pond and spent a chilly half hour throwing rocks out onto the frozen surface, enjoying the crack each one made as it broke through and sank to the bottom without making even the smallest ripple on the solid surface. Such a simple, pretty morning.