If I had to pick one thing to be an icon of raising children on a farm, it would be a pair of knee-high rubber boots.  You just need them to walk around in the mud and manure, to do chores, to wade into puddles, and any number of other important kid activities.  And each child gets a pair as soon as he or she can walk.

I came upon these prints yesterday and they just made me smile.

I found these two sets of footprints just a few feet apart, testament to the investment a daddy made in his little daughter by including her in his activities.

This life God has provided us is one we cherish and appreciate.   But in the middle of everyday life it can be so hard to take the time to let the little ones join in when it’s so much faster to do things alone.  We strive to keep the big picture in mind, though.  In the end it will have been more important to spend the time together and suppress our perfectionism than to have square corners and spotless floors.  The bent nails have their own value.