Year In Review: A Homemakers Perspective

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A homemaker’s year in review—reflecting on faith, homeschooling, homemaking rhythms, and lessons learned while raising a family with intention.

The end of a year has a way of slowing us down and asking questions we didn’t plan on answering. It arrives quietly — somewhere between Christmas dishes and folded laundry — and suddenly we find ourselves standing in the middle of our own year-in-review. Not to create a highlight reel, but to remember what actually held us together. This isn’t a polished recap video or a tidy annual report. It’s a pause in a dim kitchen, barefoot, honest — looking back on the year we lived, and letting it remind us what truly matters as we step forward together.

Homemaking doesn’t lend itself well to summaries. There are no clear metrics, no tidy wins to track, no year-end email that captures the weight of a thousand small decisions made out of love. The work happens in fragments — in mornings that blur together, in late nights, in conversations that change a child’s heart without ever announcing themselves. And yet, here we are, at the close of another past year, feeling the pull to reflect.

So this is me, offering a spoken-word pause — an annual review not built for social media, but for the women who are still standing in the middle of the work. The mothers who don’t need best practices, but reassurance. The homemakers who know that the most important things are rarely the loudest ones.

As we step toward a new year, this feels like the perfect time to look back — not to measure productivity, but to name faithfulness. To remember where God met us with gratefulness. To gather the lessons we’ll carry into the coming year, and to acknowledge that even the unseen days mattered more than we’ll ever know.

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Before we walk through this year in review through the lenses of homemaking, faith, homeschooling, and motherhood, I want to pause and name the moments that stood out — the ones that rise to the surface when I think back over this year.

We welcomed baby William just twelve months after baby Waylin. Two babies, back to back, folding themselves right into the rhythm of our family. That alone reshaped everything — our pace, our priorities, our prayers. And then, in the midst of it all, we did something we’d never done before: we took our first-ever family vacation to South Dakota. Wide open spaces. New memories. A reminder that life can still hold wonder even when it feels full to the brim.

Those were the highlights. And in between them… was life. Ordinary days stacked one on top of another. Meals made. Tears wiped. Lessons learned. Nights survived. Everything — joy, exhaustion, growth, stretching — packed tightly into our home and our hearts.

Psalm 127:1 (ESV) says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Looking back, I can see His hand not just in the milestones, but in the middle — in the quiet faithfulness that carried us from one moment to the next.

So as we continue, we’re going to look at this year the way it was actually lived: through homemaking, faith, homeschooling, and motherhood. Not as separate compartments, but as threads God wove together — shaping our family in ways we’re only just beginning to see.

Homemaker Rhythms & Daily Life: What Worked and What Didn’t This Year

Homemaking looks different for everyone, and yet, in its quiet rhythms, it’s one of the most powerful ways we shape our homes, our families, and even our own hearts. Some homemake full-time, immersing themselves in the flow of daily life, while others carve out moments in the cracks and crevices between work and outside responsibilities. No matter the season, homemaking is never small work—it’s a labor of love, a calling, and a ministry in its own right.

And this past year, I found that keeping it all in perspective meant finding a system that could hold our life together without drowning me in detail.

One of the biggest shifts for me this last year was moving away from my big homemaker planner and into a simpler task-list system. The planner isn’t going anywhere — it will still be available in 2026 — but my season demanded something different. Fewer pages. Less pressure. A system that could flex when new babies cried, meals burned, or plans changed. That change alone felt like permission to breathe again.

Meal planning followed the same path. Less novelty, more nourishment. Repeating meals. Familiar rhythms. Food that grounded us instead of overwhelming me. In a world constantly selling new systems and best practices, choosing “boring” felt rebellious — and holy.

And speaking of nourishment, I’ve learned that some things we make far more complicated than they need to be—like sourdough. Actually, it’s not something new that I’ve learned, but it’s something I like talking about! It’s not as intimidating as people think. A few simple steps, a little patience, and suddenly you have bread that not only tastes incredible but also nourishes your family with healing, whole grains. It’s actually very ilttle hands on time. The hands-on time for my all-purpose sourdough loaf is probably about 5 minutes total. Of course, there is the fermentation time and learning when those 5 minutes come into play, but once you have a system, it’s so easy. Incorporating these kinds of foods into our daily meals doesn’t have to be a chore—it can be a quiet act of care and intention.

Speaking of sourdough, one of the sweetest surprises of 2025 was seeing my all-purpose einkorn loaf become my most popular recipe of the year. It’s simple, reliable, and a true everyday win — the kind of bread you can come back to again and again without overthinking it. And while it may not have been the most popular, my sourdough breadsticks were hands-down my personal favorite recipe I created this year. They felt like a small joy tucked into an ordinary season — proof that sometimes the things we love most don’t need the loudest applause to matter.

One of my hopes for 2026 is to take it a step further: milling my own grains. To me, that feels like the next level of honoring the work of my hands and the food we put on our table. Of course, what I really want is a beautiful wooden MockMill, but I’m exploring some alternative options that are definitely more budget-friendly. It’s about creating meals that feed both body and soul, and finding joy in the small, faithful rhythms of homemaking.

Our homestead told the truth of this season, too. Gardens failed — again. Three babies in less than three years will do that. William and Waylin are just over twelve months apart, and my priorities shifted sharply toward survival, rest, and presence. I simply couldn’t maintain the gardens the way I once did, and instead of fighting that reality, I finally learned to name it honestly.

The pigs were another lesson in humility. One was an escape artist — determined, clever, and relentless. Eventually, we had to butcher her early, and she was small. The other four weighed less than the two we kept from 2024, which, on paper, doesn’t look like success. But we chose a different butcher this year, and our freezer is fuller than it was last year. That alone reminded me that outcomes don’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes faithfulness looks like adjusting, learning, and continuing anyway.

We also lost two geese this year, which is a bummer because we really are remembering why we love having these larger birds around. It was the same when we had the turkeys. Larger birds have so much personality and are great at protecting the smaller birds. Just because we lose more than we wish, doesn’t mean it’s a failure, it means it’s a lesson in growth.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesastes 3:1 ESV

This was a season of simplification — not failure. A quieter rhythm. A year that didn’t shine, but sustained us.

Faith in the Ordinary: How God Met Me in the Middle of Homemaking

If I’m honest, my faith rhythms mirrored my homemaking ones this year. Faithful — but often rushed. Consistent — but sometimes hollow.

One conviction the Lord gently placed before me is not new, but it is persistent: I tend to treat Bible reading like a checklist. I get it done. I check the box. And then I move on, sometimes unable to recall a single thing I’ve read. It’s efficient. It’s disciplined. And yet, it often lacks delight.

This coming year, I’m doing something different. I’m using Tricia Goyer’s How to Create a Legacy Bible as I walk through my Bible reading plan with a new legacy Bible for my oldest son, Wyatt. Slower. More intentional. Less about finishing and more about forming. I want Scripture to sink into the cracks of our days, not just skim the surface.

Psalm 1:2–3 (ESV) says,

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water… Psalm 1:2–3

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7

I want that kind of rootedness — not productivity disguised as devotion.

If you’re looking for something similar, I want to invite you to my 2026 Bible reading plan and prayer plan. This feels like the perfect time — at the edge of a new year — to choose depth over speed, presence over pressure.

Faithfulness in homemaking rarely looks flashy. It’s not a viral recap video or a polished year-in-review video. It’s opening the Word again after a sleepless night. It’s praying while folding laundry. It’s trusting that God meets us in repetition, not just in big milestones.

Our Homeschool Year in Review: What Worked, What Didn’t, and What We’re Adjusting

If I had to name the favorite part of this year-end recap, it would be homeschooling.

Switching to Gather Round in January of last year was, without exaggeration, the best homeschool decision we’ve ever made. We studied Reptiles, Forest Animals, the 4th of July Mini Unit, Vikings, US History 1, and The First Christmas. We also used Letters + Numbers with my preschooler and kindergartener.

What worked wasn’t just the curriculum — it was the posture it invited. Learning together. Fewer divisions. Less pressure to perform. More conversation, more curiosity, more connection.

There is no compensation program with Gather Round. No affiliate link. This is simply gratitude. God placed this curriculum in our path at exactly the right time, and it became a powerful tool for our family.

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…” Deuteronomy 6:6–7

Homeschooling this way reminded me that education isn’t just content delivery — it’s discipleship.

We’ll keep adjusting next year, of course. But this homeschool year in review is one marked by peace, joy, and renewed confidence — and that matters more than any perfect plan.

Lessons Learned as a Mom & Homemaker This Year (What I’m Carrying Into the New Year)

If this year-in-review report had a rally cry, it would be this: This is the year to invest in your family.

Not next year. Not when things calm down. Not when the world feels safer or quieter. Now.

The world isn’t getting better. But God is still faithful. And He is still calling mothers to raise children who know truth, who love goodness, and who are willing to fight the good fight.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord… Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.” Psalm 127:3–4

Arrows are shaped slowly. Sharpened intentionally. Released prayerfully.

This is a great opportunity, even when it feels heavy. Even when your days feel small. Even when you’re part of a “small team” inside your own home.

One of the most profound lessons this past year came from working on my Fruit of the Spirit YouTube series. Spending time with each fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—wasn’t just teaching for my audience; it was teaching me. You’ll hear me often say that I’m mostly preaching to myself with anything I write or record. I started the series as a way to take away decision fatigue after William was born. Having 9 pieces of content already decided for me was quite helpful.

I realized how often I try to rely on my own strength in the chaos of homemaking, and how much grace it takes to reflect these fruits in the ordinary, messy moments. I’d like the word of the Fruits of the Spirit to reshape how I approach my days, my children, and even myself—with more patience, more intentionality, and a deeper awareness of God’s work in the little choices. I’m still a work in progress, but I really did enjoy the exercise of doing a video for each fruit.

If you want to walk through it with me in more depth, the accompanying Fruit of the Spirit devotional book is a beautiful way to do just that. I loved putting together the book and adding photographs, devotionals, and recipes. It was definitely my favorite project of the year!

We don’t need better subject lines, smarter ai experiments, or curated email newsletters to do this work well. We need faithfulness. Presence. Courage. Homes anchored in truth.

As we step into next year, may we remember that homemaking is not background noise to real life — it is the main content. And this quiet, unseen work may be the most important highlight reel of all.

What you’re doing matters.

Looking Back With Gratitude, Moving Forward With Faith

As this reflection on my year comes to a close, I don’t want you walking away with a checklist or a polished plan for next year. I want you walking away steadily. Grounded. Certain that the quiet work you’re doing inside your home is shaping eternity, even when no one is watching.

The world will keep chasing louder wins, faster systems, and shinier stories. Let it. We are building something slower — and stronger. One prayer at a time. One meal. One lesson. One ordinary day offered faithfully to God.

So as we step into the new year, don’t underestimate what’s already in your hands. This isn’t the background of your life — it is the work. And by God’s grace, it’s more than enough.

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