Day 9 -- The Back 40

I know some of you out there are "winter-haters" but I do have to admit that I absolutely love winter.

The more snow the better.

Today, I was reminded of my love for the winter outdoors while I was traipsing through my grandparents' property in Clare, Michigan.  It is, in fact, 40 beautifully wooded acres that my grandpa bought for a ridiculously low amount many years ago. 

I have many memories of the back 40:

My grandpa with Breslin on the John Deere, 2007
When I was small, my grandpa used to haul my brother and I around in his rickety old trailer as he drove his big John Deere tractor around picking up wood to burn in his wood furnace.  To this day, the trailer has a license plate that reads "World's Best Grandpa" nailed to its back.

When I was a bit older, I spent countless hours running around building imaginary castles out of my grandpa's deerblinds and fighting villians valiantly--with sticks.

In high school, to keep up my mileage for cross-country, I would run along the trails.

And today, I watched my little boy drag his sled up and down the tractor's deep wheel treads made in a foot of snow.  I breathed in the crisp winter air and marveled at the beauty of the setting sun shining through the trees.  I smiled as my boy ran through the snow at full speed in his boots and snowpants and went in and out of the same deer blinds I played in as a girl. 

I was so thankful for a chance to remember the special times I had visiting my grandparents and to share this beautiful place with my own kids.  I hung out with my grandparents a lot as a kid, so it meant a great deal to me to recall some of these experiences, especially on such a magnificent winter's day.
Thank God for a visit to the Back 40!

Lord, thank you for the beauty of winter.  Thank you for special places that boast of your greatness and bring to mind wonderful memories. In your name I pray, amen.

Comments

Kristin said…
ok ok ok ok.....nice post, glad you had a great time with your grandparents, and the old memories.....but I am STILL A WINTER HATER.
December 29, 2010 at 11:08 PM
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