A Winter Letter
Dear Winter,
I forgot how much I missed you.
After living in Florida for the last five winters, I forgot how much I missed having real seasons. How much I missed my fur coats. How exciting it is to go to sleep with the anticipation of snow overnight and to run to the window to check in the morning. I forgot how good it feels to stay home in pajamas with nowhere to go. To cook. To be together. To make a pot of chicken soup and keep a fire going while the snow falls. To shovel the steps and play outside.
This weekend, we built a fort with Sante for the first time. Blankets everywhere, lots of laughing, lots of squealing as he crawled through the “tunnels.” He thought it was so funny that mommy couldn’t fit with her big belly. I can’t believe we’re just weeks away from being a family of four. I’ve found myself thinking so much about how fast the last two years went by…
What keeps standing out to me, though, is how peaceful this property feels.
I felt it the first time I came here in the summer, and seeing it in winter has been just as special. A friend visited a few weeks ago and said the second she turned down the driveway, all her stress disappeared. That’s exactly how it feels to me too.
Especially in the snow, there’s a certain kind of silence. We’ve been spending time outside- petting the horses, looking for ducks, coyotes, birds, and deer. It feels grounding to be so connected to nature again.
I read something recently about seasonal depression that really stayed with me. The idea was that maybe winter isn’t meant to be fought against. That the heaviness so many of us feel this time of year isn’t a failure, but a signal. A reminder that we’re being asked to slow down, to rest more, to turn inward instead of pushing through as if it were summer. There is a lesson to be learned from nature. Nothing flourishes and thrives all year long.
I’m someone who’s usually chasing big goals, moving quickly, always looking ahead. And this season, especially while pregnant, feels like an invitation to do the opposite. To rest more. To soften the pace. To stay present where I am. I’m doing my best to embrace that, even when it feels unfamiliar.
This weekend reminded me that winter isn’t something to rush through- it’s something to lean into. A season that asks us to slow down, to stay close, to be present in the quiet moments that pass too quickly if we’re not paying attention.
Sometimes you don’t realize how much you miss a feeling until you feel it again.
Before I sign off, I have to put you on to our family’s latest obsession: The bone broth hot cocoa from Ballerina Farm. And I know what you might be thinking, because I was skeptical too! Bone broth and hot cocoa do not sound like two things that go together. But somehow… they do. And we really can’t get enough.
I love it because it really tastes like hot chocolate, but it’s made with clean ingredients and has 25 grams of protein per serving, so it’s basically a protein shake. We mix it with local whole milk and it’s chef’s kiss. Sante loves it too! I mix a little bit into his milk and he runs around asking for “chockey milk.”
It’s so good that its currently out of stock, if you subscribe to my email newsletter, I’ll be sure to update you when its back so you can try!
We’ve been drinking it out of the mugs I just picked up from CB2. I love the color, shape, and texture. They are modern and elevated, but at a really good price point.
I also just ordered the Ballerina Farms sourdough starter kit and am officially committing to learning how to make bread this year! Hold me to this, but also wish me luck LOL. Let me know if you try it 🤍
With love,
Brittany
