How is summer break over already? One of my favorite memories of this summer was having all four of our children home (sporadically) at the same time. As we have moved into the phase of life with young adult children, time as a family gets increasingly scarce. We have made the most of this summer together.
Our oldest Razorback daughter has headed back to the hill for her second year of college. She thoroughly enjoyed being back home in the country this summer. I thought she would have been itching to get back to college life in town, but I could tell she enjoyed the slower pace here at home. For that I am thankful.
I watched her love of horsemanship blossom over the summer. She hauled my mare to a couple of different rodeos just to parade her around the grand entry with her friends who are rodeo queens.
I saw her get up early to wash the mare and carefully braid her mane and tail into a beautiful work of art. The two of them enjoyed riding trails around the farm on a regular basis. I don’t know how much she will miss the horse, but I know the horse is going to miss her.
She took responsibility for making the occasional feed & mineral run into town and procured fly spray and other supplies as we needed them. We had a lot of fun with her at home this summer.
We still have a few chickens, and she enjoyed her daily dose of scrambled omelets from farm fresh eggs. Our garden has thrived despite the extraordinary amount of rain we have had. Fresh vegetables and berries have accompanied almost every meal this summer. I think growing some of our own food is satisfying. We’ve even had a few nights where we made homemade ice cream.
She and our sons take turns counting cattle and enjoying all that life on the farm has to offer. I always thought she was going to be our child with big city stars in her eyes after she finished college. I do not think that is going to be the case.
In one of our many talks over the summer, she disclosed that she really loves the peace and quiet of our home. I was surprised and thankful. I just wanted to soak up every minute.
As our children have grown older, they have grown more independent of their need for us as parents. We have really learned to enjoy these young adults.
Our youngest daughter will begin her senior year of high school this month. The cycle continues as kids grow up and leave our family’s nest. We have made the decision to homeschool our oldest son this school year. We have found tremendous freedom is planning an academic schedule conducive to his gifts and dreams. I am sure there will be more to talk about soon regarding our adventures in homeschooling. Our youngest son is in his last year of middle school and is excited about Fall junior high football.
The days will start to get shorter as we move into the next season, but this will always be a summer full of treasured memories with our family. I will look forward to the first break when the gang is back together again soon. These years are a joy and I hope yours are too, neighbor.
Jody Harris is a freelance communications specialist, gardener, ranch wife and mother of four. She and her family raise Angus beef cattle and other critters on their northwest Arkansas ranch. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Jody, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
