It’s hard to believe our farm looked like this just a few days ago…fog, brown, ice everywhere, relatively warm temps…

And then before we knew it, it looked like this:

Our barn disappeared from view of the house quite a few times!

I took this particular picture heading back to the house after feeding the pigs. They were hungry, so they didn’t care much about what it was doing outside. 🙂

We hope and pray that you were able to stay safe in the raging blizzard!

Our animals stayed nice and warm in the barns.

The larger pigs, the sows and boar, are big enough in physique that they don’t struggle much with staying warm.

Berkshires in general are a fattier pig and that definitely works in their favor on these cold Minnesota days!

They also snuggle up together in the straw with also definitely helps.

The younger pigs definitely appreciate the straw and the “piggy pile”. Here they are keeping warm in the straw I loaded into their pen just before the snow flew.

That one in the top middle sort of looks like he’s smiling, doesn’t he? 🙂

What’s in the farm kitchen this week

Every year about this time, I get requests from the family to make this creamy crab dip.

Paired with round crackers (like Ritz or a generic equivalent) this dip is irresistible.

And super easy to throw together in the crockpot.

Here’s the recipe:

Hot Crab Dip

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup salsa

3 8oz packages of cream cheese, cubed

2 8oz packages of imitation crab meat (flaked or cubed)

1/4 cup green onions or finely minced yellow/white/red onions

1 can of chopped green chilis (optional)

Assorted round crackers

Combine everything in a crockpot and stir well. Cover and cook on Low for 3-4 hours. Stir every half hour. You can speed the process along a little by heating on High, but stir every 15 minutes. I have turned to “Keep Warm” when serving, but it does dry out or get crispy on the edges when the lid is off for too long. Depending on how long your serving time is, you could turn off and let the crock keep it warm.

Enjoy! 🙂

Bible inspiration this week

We are right around the corner from the new year, 2026.

Even if you don’t officially make “new year’s resolutions”, generally most people like to look at the new year as a fresh start…maybe starting good habits or trying to forget poor ones.

Maybe getting to know Jesus more personally is on your list of “starting good habits”.

Whether you go to church every week or once a month or once a year, the most important thing is getting to know Jesus in your daily life.

It will truly change your life when Jesus is a part of it everyday.

Here are some ways that I keep Jesus in front of my eyes regularly.

• Our family has been working through a “Read the Bible in a year” plan. Specifically this one by Robert Murray M’Cheyne. That link is a PDF that we literally print off and it’s on the notes board in our kitchen. It has 4 readings everyday, but you can do 2 of them relatively easily if you don’t have a lot of time. We like it and it gives us a chance to talk about it as a family since we’re all reading the same thing everyday. I believe there is also the same plan digitally in the YouVersion Bible app, if you’d prefer that way. I see there also appears to be a way to have the readings emailed to you everyday too, if you prefer. I haven’t tried it, but it looks like it helps with having a good reminder to keep reading!
• I find it easier to keep attention sometimes if I listen to the Bible being read while my Bible is open in front of me. I love this audio Bible via Audible narrated by Max McLean. It’s not free, but it’s worth it for the listening experience. You can hear the Gospel of Mark for free here if you want to give it a try.
• If you enjoy digital, that YouVersion Bible app I mentioned is fabulous. You can sign up to get alerts everyday to read the verse of the day and hear a 1-2 minute devotion on it. The presenters are quite good.
• There are also many good devotional series/reading plans on the app. You can search by topic (like Love, Anxiety, Hope, Relationships, Prayer, etc). You can also read with another person who has the app, so it’s fun to keep in touch with friends and helps with accountability.
• One of my favorite speakers is Chuck Swindoll and I have the app for his ministry Insight for Living. There are many many recordings of his Bible Studies from over the last 50 years or so. He is especially gifted at bringing the truths of the Bible into everyday life applications. It is so interesting to me that the things he talked in the 70s are still very applicable today. There’s nothing new under the sun I suppose! I listen to these mostly walking or driving or sometimes just sitting at the table with my Bible in front of me, following along.

I’d love to hear which of these look interesting to you or which ones you’ve used and loved in the past. Let me know!

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.

Hebrews 4:12

Blessings to you in your spiritual journey this coming 2026.