My father-in-law, a kind and gentle man with one heck of a mustache, worked many years as a coal miner in West Virginia. My children love to hear stories about the old coalmines and how their Pappy spent so much of his time underground digging up the coal that fuels the old trains and produces 99% of our state's electricity.

Family traditions are something I strive to keep alive year after year in our family. Whether they are traditions I have retained from my own childhood and have passed onto my children, or traditions we have started on our own, they provide a sense of family strength and identity. They're also a way to add some seasonality to life. Our family finds that it is so important to take time to acknowledge the changing of the seasons as it shapes how the next few months will look on our farm.

The sun rose up over the mountain, waking us from our slumber to start a really busy day. When you run a farm, home school, and are nine-months pregnant, every day seems to be an obstacle course with errands and a never-ending to-do list. Sundays are no exception.