As the year comes to a close, it feels only right to pause for a moment — to look back at everything 2025 held for us, and to appreciate just how full it was. This year wasn’t flashy or fast, but it was full of friends, family, and of course the Funny Farm!
It’s funny that at both the start and the end of the year, winter reminds us that homestead life is rarely convenient. Frozen water buckets, extra trips outside to break ice, and hauling water in sub-zero temperatures became part of the rhythm. It added time to our mornings and afternoons, but also reminded us how lucky we are that I work from home and can bend our schedules around the animals who depend on us. And honestly, the goats at peak fluff make it worth it.
Spring and summer rolled in with their usual mix of excitement and exhaustion. Garden plans were made long before the ground thawed, and seed catalogues were browsed while snow still covered everything. Gardening always feels like its own emotional cycle — the anticipation, the effort, the patience, the joy of fresh snacks straight from the garden, and then the mad dash of harvest season and preservation. Every year I swear I forget how intense it is… and every year I do it again anyway, except bigger!
This year also came with plenty of learning curves. From managing an extremely successful kidding season resulting in eight healthy, bouncy, adorable kids, to managing all of them and having a very successful milking season. We did much better with our livestock guardian dogs, and we learned (sometimes the hard way) that growth often comes with a little chaos. Ronin and Shogun matured before our eyes — beautiful, massive, white fluffballs who keep us on our toes just as much as they protect the property (as long as they stay on the property!).
But 2025 wasn’t all chores and responsibilities — we made space for fun, too. We said yes to more nights out, more music, more time with friends. Concerts became a highlight of the year, and some surprised us more than we ever expected — especially Alan Doyle, who completely blew us away. Those warm evenings, standing shoulder to shoulder with friends, music filling the air, reminded us how important it is to step away from the to-do lists once in a while.
We also experienced Beer on the Bridge for the very first time — one of those “why didn’t we do this sooner?” moments. Good drinks (not only beer), good company, and a sense of community that made us feel even more rooted here than before.
And one of the biggest joys of the year was welcoming visitors from the West Coast. Hosting friends and family, sharing our little slice of homestead life, slowing down together, and making new memories on familiar ground made our home feel fuller in the best possible way. Plus, we ate a lot more lobster… can’t go wrong there!
There were quieter moments too — enjoying having a fire in our chiminea more, listening to the trees sway in the wind, sitting on our bench swing on warm evenings, looking over the flourishing garden and counting fireflies. Walking through the woods, admiring the fall foliage and marvelling still that this property is ours (we might have gotten lost, but not for long!). Snowy mornings, cozying up in the house with our coffees before chores. Homestead work slowing as winter settled in, evenings that felt calmer and more intentional. Time together, without rushing toward the next task.
We even stepped away from the homestead entirely for something rare and special — our first real vacation since moving here. Witnessing Addy’s sister’s joy in marrying her best friend, reconnecting with family, surprise reunions, visiting chosen family, lots of laughter, and time away reminded us how valuable it is to pause. Those memories carried us gently back home, where chores were waiting, and life on the Funny Farm picked right back up again.
Looking back, 2025 wasn’t about big milestones or dramatic changes. It was about settling in. Learning. Adjusting. Finding our pace. Becoming more confident in this life we’re building, one season at a time.
Thank you for being here — for reading, following along, and sharing in this journey with us. Whether you’ve been here from the beginning or just joined along the way, it truly means more than you know. Here’s to another year of muddy boots, full gardens, fluffy goats, great music, good drinks, and finding beauty in the everyday.
See you in the new year. 🤍