I've been stewing over how to write this post for awhile. It's subject is so tender to a lot of people, and yet I simply can't not say something about it. Someday when I'm old and gray I'll look back on my life through this blog and remember the things that shaped me, and this is definitely one of them. My little niece, Olivia Mae passed away on July 22nd. She was born on the 20th of July. Two days of ups and downs and stress and joy were all we got with her and then she left us. I don't think the details of her birth and life are important to this post, but I wanted to just write a little about what she has taught me about grief and mourning. The sadness that came to me, an aunt who never got to even meet her, was completely overwhelming. I couldn't stop crying when I got the news. I cried like I haven't cried in a long, long time. Sobbed, really. For her and for my sister and her husband and for all my family and for the world. Death is just s...

Last Friday started like any other day. The kids and I got ready and got to work on chores. Addison and I suited up and headed out into the snow to feed the chickens and break the ice on their water and give them something to drink. The chickens have dealt with winter admirably. They don't like snow on their feet and have a hard time walking in it when it's deep, but they're always up with the sun and out to greet us when we go to take care of them. Nate shoveled them a nice path and put some fresh straw out for them to stand on, and they really enjoy that. They pretty much just spend their whole day standing there in the straw. A couple days earlier some dogs from down the road had gotten loose and come bounding into our yard. Dogs and chickens don't exactly mix, and I heard frantic bawking as we were getting home from the grocery store, so I sprinted to the back yard and had to chase the dogs off with a rake. The poor chickens were scared to death and had all headed...