A Special Gift

Shhhhh...can you keep a secret?  This is a gift for my husband.  He grew up in a farmhouse in south eastern Manitoba, a house that has passed from the hands of uncle to nephew over several generations.  Over the years the farmhouse has changed, the yard has changed with the removal of old growth and new growth.  But it still remains in the family.

Our daughters and I have heard endless stories of his siblings, of the farm animals, of the crazy dogs, of mowing acres of grass with the garden tractor and of many broken windows caused by games of hockey, football and baseball with the neighboring farm boys.

There aren't many photographs of the property but so many memories connected to it.  I am especially drawn to the history of that old home as I was raised by immigrants and with a father in mine management we tended to move quite a bit.  The roots that have been sown on the land of my husband's family feel a bit like mine now, too.

And though we've raised our daughters across the prairies I feel like we have begun to create our own roots in this town.  Living here for seventeen years really feels like a lifetime for me, and it definitely is for our children.  It's not easy to stay in one place...there are the ups and downs, the good and bad times...and yet the lessons they teach us are perseverance and community.

So, fingers crossed...I hope he likes it.