The first time I raised monarch butterflies, I was amazed throughout the whole process.

The teeny tiny caterpillars who depend completely on their leaves of milkweed. The big fat caterpillars who munch through their milkweed so loudly I can hear it. The chrysalis inside the caterpillar. The glimpse of black and orange wings through the clear walls of the chrysalis. The butterflies’ first flutter, first flight. Their migration.

That was 9 years ago, with Matt. Matt had raised monarchs before as a child. He was just as enthused to raise them as an adult here at the farm.

Since then, there have been more seasons, more butterflies. Ellie was born. Matt died. The cycle of life has continued.

This year, Ellie and I continued our monarch tradition.

We collected caterpillars and milkweed. We even collected two eggs and successfully hatched them. We found more caterpillars and added them to our nursery. We released butterflies. Found more caterpillars. We started in July and finally released our last butterflies at the end of September.

I documented our monarch journey this year as it was happening. You can share the magic in this series.

We ended up with a record 32 butterflies.

The number is phenomenal. We have never had so many monarchs. Part of me fears this flurry reflects a last gasp before the population truly collapses. A larger part of me hopes that this is a sign of resilience and strength. Or maybe it doesn’t have meaning, and it’s just life.

Life is a cycle. It is amazing and hard and magical and special. Seeing it up close through the monarchs is powerful. It reminds me to fully appreciate my life. Not take my time for granted. Do my part to support those around me. That I am part of something bigger.

Watch our monarch journey.