This past holiday week, all three of our kids made their way back to the farm, although not quite at the same time.

Our house is cozy, which is a charming way of saying that once the kids bring their significant others, we can’t comfortably fit everyone under one roof.

So, their visits were staggered.

Stephen arrived first with our granddog, Hughie. Stephen stayed overnight, while Hughie extended his vacation with us for a few more days.

Then William and Bella came to stay, and we celebrated the birthdays William and I share in August.

We were born exactly 40 years apart, which makes it very easy for him to remember my birthday!

After they left, Kathryn came for a few days during a break from classes in her graduate program.

Even though Steve and I are empty nesters now, we’re very fortunate that our kids still want to come home as often as they can.

They’re all busy building lives of their own, of course, which makes the time we spend together feel even more special.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you may remember that William is a car enthusiast. He has taken up repairing and restoring cars as a hobby, and he always seems happiest when he has an engine to tinker with and a problem to solve.

You may also remember that Steve and I hit the jackpot with the neighbors we found when we moved here.

Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming, and we feel especially fortunate to live next door to Laura and Wendy. They’ve invited us to special events around town, introduced us to interesting local people, and helped us feel like part of the Cape May community.

When Laura learned about William’s love of cars, she generously gave him her late brother’s tools and a Snap-on tool chest. As if that weren’t already an incredible gift, she recently gave him Wendy’s mother’s old car.

The car needed some work, but that only made it more appealing to William. It was the perfect first fixer-upper. I think he felt as though Christmas had arrived in August.

People often talk about the importance of having a village.

I understood the idea, of course, but I don’t think I fully appreciated what it could feel like until we moved to Cape May and started Seashore Flower Farm.

Our village includes neighbors who welcome our family as though it were their own.

It includes local business owners who invite us into their spaces, friends who recommend the farm, and customers who stop at the flower stand, attend a workshop, purchase a subscription, or simply take a moment to tell us how much the flowers brighten their day.

A small farm doesn’t grow through the work of the farmers alone.

It grows because people choose to show up for it, again and again.

Every bouquet you bring home, every newsletter you open, and every kind word you share helps us continue doing this work.

You’ve supported more than our little flower farm. You’ve helped Steve and me put down roots and create a life here.

This holiday week, with the kids coming and going, Hughie underfoot, and William admiring his new project car, I was reminded of just how fortunate we are.

Our house may not be large enough to hold everyone at once, but our village certainly is.