We moved this week. It was weird and emotional and difficult. But it was also amazing.

I’ve written before expressing grief and frustration with time. Time is fleeting and may sometimes feel cruel, watching those we love most age and pass from this world, taking with them memories that will never be replicated.

But today I’m here to say that time can also be beautiful.

One year ago

On January 15, 2024, my husband and I toured the house I’m sitting in. After years of scouring Zillow and touring various listings, the real estate agent called to show us what would become our forever home.

Sure, it needed some work, but it sat mere footsteps from our farm. We knew moving to the farm was just the ticket for more time together — eliminating my husband’s commute to the farm every morning and night.

So, my husband, Dan, worked meticulously over the last year to turn the house into a home. And today it’s perfect. Our forever home.

The Lord provided.

Fast-forward a year and we’ve officially moved. Plus, we’re expecting our second child — another sweet, beautiful, wild little girl. Her due date is Jan. 14, or almost exactly a year after we first toured the farmhouse.

We’ve prayed and thought hard for the last few years about when and where to grow our family. Now both of our sweet girls will live and roam here on the farm on an endless playground of wide, open spaces.

Related:The low-pressure front

The Lord provided.

One year ago, I was working on staff at Prairie Farmer. Although it was my dream job, I started to feel my dream shift away from my career and instead toward my family. I left Farm Progress in June to start a freelance journalism business. It was weird, heartbreaking, and seemed especially scary given a downturn in the commodity markets. But it was the best decision, and a great lesson for me in trusting the Lord.

Today, I still get to write and photograph the incredible stories of Illinois agriculture, just in a different way. I’m able to adjust my workload to the season of life I’m in — and what a gift that’s been.

The Lord provided.

It’s amazing how much things can change in just one short year. It’s even more amazing to look back and see how God was working in my life, making things happen behind the scenes.

I’m humbled. I’m blessed. And I’m so grateful.

NAP TIME: After a long week of moving, Clare and Winnie were both ready for naps and opted to crash on our area rug in the middle of the living room.

Gratitude

There’s a song on Christian radio called “Gratitude,” by Brandon Lake. I ugly cry every time I hear it (cue pregnancy hormones) because I feel the lyrics so deeply right now, and I know it’ll always bring me back to this year. Some of the lyrics:

Related:Oats: How to eat the healthiest grain on Earth

“All my words fall short
I got nothing new
How could I express
All my gratitude?

So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah”

A friend asked me recently if I felt like I was on a mountain or in a valley, referring to a high or low point in life. I can honestly say right now I’m on a mountain. Thank you, Jesus.

I know I’ll have valleys, and that’s OK. I’ll take them as they come. But today I’m screaming my praises from the mountaintop. I’m optimistic for all that 2025 has in store, knowing that He who holds tomorrow also holds my hand.

What are you grateful for this holiday season? Email [email protected].