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it has already been a whopper of a month..and we are only 4 days in! On Monday, Adam left for the city again, leaving Hudson and I to watch the farm for one night. We made it through our days together and that night, I did a lot of thinking..
that night was the eve of my dad’s 2nd anniversary being gone and well, it wasn’t pretty. it wasn’t awful either but it was my chance to get some thoughts out while I was alone for the night..a kind of cleansing, if you will. It was needed and raw and actually kind of perfect.
then yesterday we all quietly remembered dad and felt the absence just a little more than usual. as my mom said, it doesn’t get any easier. but just like the precious two years leading up to it..we made it through. Adam came home from the city and we celebrated my dad with a dinner that reminded me of him and an ice cold beer..just what Daddio would have ordered himself 😉 it’s funny..so many people have made the comment that they wouldn’t know what they’d do if they were me and had lost a parent themselves (or another loved one). The truth is..you really never know until it happens to you. Everyone deals with loss differently..I choose to celebrate my dad’s memory often and grieve him quietly when a little darkness slips in from time to time. But mostly..we celebrate
then on Wednesday..I celebrated another year of my life. It wasn’t a milestone by any means but 31 is definitely something to celebrate! We spent a really lovely day together as a family on the farm. The weather turned the coldest it’s been in quite some time but the sun shone brightly with nary a cloud in the sky..I soaked every minute of it up! We went for a nice lunch, had a really yummy supper, I made a big wish before blowing out all 31 candles..
and then we ended our evening over at the theatre in my inlaws’ home. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better day than the one I was given today. It was me and my boys..all I ever wanted 😉
so yeah..a full week already..a full MONTH! And it’s only just begun!!
this week I watched the series finale of Parenthood (oh how I will miss it) as well as watched the movie, The Judge (have you seen it? Oh you need to!) for my birthday. then I sat down and thought about how these two shows were very similar in many ways..they revolved around the story of family and life moving forward and they’ve really resonated with me. As I was thinking about all I have taken in with those shows I also started to think about how these last 2 years have unfolded for me and what I have done for them. There were highlights and lowlights of each one but when I really think about it..I wasted them. I wasted a good two years of my life letting fears hold me back, worrying about what was happening in someone else’s yard and fretting over what somebody thought of my parenting, my actions, my words. All..wasted. And I’m not going to do it anymore. My time here is worth everything to me. My family..my boys..they are my world. And that’s all there is at the end of this…trust me
So here’s to not holding back. Here’s to loving without abandon and not apologizing for any of it. Here’s to living this one precious life for all it’s worth..
2015..you will be my best year yet..

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  • dawn - Hello Dawn, so good to catch up on your blog. I read all the way through and saw the new monthly feature you’ll be in, YAY!! So excited to see this and can’t wait to see more from you and the other ladies.
    So happy your birthday went well, how nice to be with your boys. Reflecting on the past/your dad is good too. Please know that I am proud of all you’ve done this year as a mom and the one before. You’ve had a rough two years and I think you handled it beautifully and just right. Enjoy this fresh new year and new start with no health worries and celebrating everyday.

    I do want to see that movie, will try to squeeze it in and I now wish I had started watching Parenthood. Thinking of getting them from the library and watching it from the start. Good tv/movies gives us things to think about don’t they. Love when that happens, same with books too.

    How wonderful that you had spring weather, smiled at your fresh new winter wonderland too. Nature surprises us, right.

    We are in deep snow and freezing temps now, COME ON SPRING!!
    Take care dear friend, love and hugs!ReplyCancel

today marks two years since my dad’s passing from colon cancer. time has gone so fast and most days it feels like he has been gone for what feels like forever, while other days he still feels “here”. I have his photograph in our home and i pause often just to think of him and wonder what piece of advice he could give me on my pathway thru this life.. lord knows I have wanted his advice many, many times since he’s been gone..
i celebrate his life eagerly today, and every day. he wasn’t a man who would have wanted any less. each day was a gift to him and he was sure to pass on that belief to everyone he’d meet. he was joyful..he loved life..and even in his last days he said he wouldn’t have changed a thing. how many of us could say the same?! lately i have been thinking of what i have taken from his death because, well, losing someone like that so early has to mean something, no? and no, I don’t have it all figured out..some days i’m merely scrambling to pick up the pieces of the day but what i do know for sure is that life is short..way too short. it’s too short to hold on to things from the past and its definitely too short to waste your time worrying about what might happen someday in the future. 
what i do know is that last night, i stood watch over his grandson while he slept in his crib, as I do every night..and i worried that hudson wouldn’t know his maternal grandpa and what i shame that was but then I realized that no.. my dad does know him and, through me, hudson will know who he was as well…a person of strength, love and light..
today I raise my glass to you daddio and i thank you for allowing me the privilege to have been your daughter. you were taken far too soon, although I truly believe no length of time would have ever been enough..

..forever and ever..my daddy you’ll be..

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  • Mary Palumbo Collings - What sweet memories of your dad ! My dad died of colon cancer on February 2 many years ago, way to early too. Love your photos, so glad that Hudson is recovering so well…ReplyCancel

Friday night we enjoyed a golden hour so lovely, I actually believed Spring was around the corner. We went out for a walk and put Hudson in his still-too-big rubber boots and tried to show him how to splash in the little puddles..it felt like a dream and I absolutely soaked every minute of that evening with my boys up..

and then we carried on with our evening routines until, eventually, we fell deep asleep..
…and woke up to Winter
yes I knew it was still January and yes I knew we were still in the midst of Winter..but for 2 glorious weeks it felt like April around here and, I have to say, I was getting quite used to the ‘no jacket required’ weather! But it has now been snowing for 24 hours straight and things are looking a little bleak here on the farm once again..

… well, the Spring-like weather was fun while it lasted…hello old man Winter, once again…

Posted in farm life , photography , the week in farm photos
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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new project that I am beyond excited about!! This past fall I was contacted by Lisa, a fellow Saskatchewan farm wife/photographer about creating a blog circle in 2015 that would invite you all in to our world as farm wives in the Canadian prairies. Her first email caught my attention immediately and I have been excited for this endeavour ever since! And now that 2015 is here, I welcome you with open arms to the Farm Life Inspired Series!

Each month, on the last day of the month, we will be sharing an insiders view of life on a Saskatchewan farm through our lenses. Our collaborations span from my Southwestern corner of Saskatchewan to the Southeast and Central areas of our province. Our hope is to give you a unique perspective of real working farms and daily farm life from across the great province of Saskatchewan! You will see a range of monthly topics in the series from prairie landscapes, to farm life, gardening, recipes, farm house, kids and of course the farm’s furry critters!
*I will be making some changes on my blog this month to create a new page for these monthly collaborations, so be sure to look for a link in my sidebar soon *
I moved to our farm in the Summer of 2011 from Alberta and had no idea how much this lifestyle would change me. My roots are now dug in deep to this land we call home and I am proud to call myself a farm wife living in the ‘land of living skies’. When we go back in to the city to visit my family, I feel myself yearning for the quiet of the country. The drive home that entails concrete giving way to the open fields feels freeing and ever so inspiring. Our life is simple yet beautiful. We work hard and we love every minute of it! 
When asked what it is about farm life that inspires me – my answer is always the same. Its the simplicity of it all. Living out here you get to witness mother nature at its prime. You can witness a sunrise for miles without interruption, you can tend to the lives of your animals and teach your children where there food comes from, you reap what you sow and you grow the food that feeds the world…I find every day out here to be a blessing worth photographing.
This month we are each sharing one photo that shows how farm life inspires us. For myself, this photo is absolutely a favourite from this past Fall. It sums up life here on our farm for me..which is witnessing a beautiful sunrise right after I let my chickens out for the day. Scenes like this one inspire me to capture our lives here on the farm whether its a walk with my boys down a country road, handing out treats to my lively flock or soaking up the sun drenched fields of a harvest afternoon. Farm life on the prairies is so uniquely beautiful and I cannot wait to share it with you through this collaboration!
Thank you all so much for joining me here today, I cannot tell you how honoured and excited I am to be a part of this group of wonderfully inspiring farm wives! Speaking of which, please join me in welcoming our next contributor in the Farm Life Inspired Series – Laurie Johnson
Posted in farm life , Farm Life Inspired Series , January , photography
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  • Crystal - I live next door in Alberta and I’ll be following this series to learn more. Your photos are beautiful! Happy February!ReplyCancel

    • Dawn Cosgrove - Hi Crystal!! Thank you so much for joining us!! Can’t wait to show you what all we have in store this year!!ReplyCancel

  • Linda - Oh wow Dawn i love all of your photos but this one is spectacular.ReplyCancel

  • Naomi - this is a far cry from our Australian experience. Thank you for the glimpses into your world. It’s certainly a sight to see. Bless.ReplyCancel

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