New Beginnings

You were born.

And then you were a big sister.

And then you started school.

For the next 13 years, your new year began with a new school year. Pencils and erasers and notebooks and Trapper Keepers and bottles of glue and markers and that fresh box of Crayola 64. 

And there were new sports seasons.

A new musical.

A new car (or at least new to you.)

A new boyfriend.

And then there was college.

A new crowd.

A new direction.

A new city, or even a new state.

Along came a new job, or maybe several.

A new apartment.

A new house.

A new feeling, thinking that this one was THE one.

A ring on your finger.

A wedding.

Another new house.

A new puppy.

A pregnancy.

A new baby.

A family of four.

Another new house. 

A family of five.

A new year.

A new season.

A new month.

A new week.

A new day.

We are endlessly beginning again. Life is full of fresh starts. Do you feel like you're stuck? Take a look around. See the new. Choose to see past the things you cannot change and see the fresh and the good that is constantly being presented to you. 

Spring is here. Have you seen it? Is there a better fresh start than springtime? Around here, Spring means new life.

From apple trees

To lilac bushes

To baby chicks

To kittens

To nests, ready for little blue eggs. 

We plan the garden

And mow the grass

And swap our snow boots for mud boots. 

We watch our tiny chicks grow.

And we wait for the rain to stop long enough to do a little light landscaping. 

Here and there we catch a day of sunshine. After months of coldness and gray skies, warm sunshine here in Michigan is the greatest gift and we take full advantage of it. 

The chickens get snuggles

The swings soar to the moon

The cat gets more than she bargained for

The dirt bike gets fired up

Eggs show up in full-force

And everyone just wants to soak up the sun. 

We don't take these opportunities for granted. We choose to live here for the lifestyle. I don't mind the grass stains and the mud and I don't mind when Grey turns a little too wide on the tractor and misses a bit of long grass. I don't mind getting side-tracked with pruning a tree when I'm in the middle of cleaning the chicken coop and I don't mind going on an adventure with Nash to hunt for sharks in the ditch instead of pulling those weeds along the front of the house. Every day is a new beginning. I wake up and make my plans, and if I accomplish half of what I set out to, then I call that a successful day. And if not, I'll get to it tomorrow. And if I don't? Who cares. Sometimes, the most important thing is just getting outside for a little fresh air,

where you might find a whole clutch of eggs hiding under the old truck,

and where you can perform some ridiculous stunts!

I am learning new things all the time.  For example, I have learned that chickens love s'mores as much as we do.

I have learned that wine tastes just as good by an outdoor fire as by an indoor fire.

I have learned that chickens get really annoyed when you try to clean out the coop while they're trying to lay eggs.

I have learned that you should always wear goggles when fishing in the mud.

I have learned that mama cats know just how long they can be outside at play before their babies need them back inside.

I have learned that sometimes when you're walking in mud boots, the mud claims a boot.

A fresh start is what you make it. It could be a huge, epic change to your life, or it can simply be a new start to a new day.  So the next time you're feeling angry or sad or frustrated or just stuck, I hope you're ready, because a new beginning is right around the corner.