April 30th

Sunday, April 30th, 2017

My heart is so so full.

A Night To Remember, a prom our church put on for students with special needs, was tonight. Hundreds of volunteers have been working for months to pull it off, and all they asked of us and the community was to show up for grand march and cheer on the kids as they arrived.

After working for ROAW and knowing how amazing of an event this is and how much it means to the families, I couldn’t wait to go. So Paul and I got there fifteen minutes early and there was no more room inside the building! The overflow had lined the outdoor awning all the way out to the parking lot! This was the best picture I could get because of all of the people! Emergency response vehicles lined the driveway, lights blazing, people were holding signs, th DJ was rocking.

Then the kids started arriving, and to see their excitement was so so amazing. Each guest of honor was paired with a “host” (a volunteer high school student who stayed with each guest all night), and they were dressed up as well. I assumed most had attended the high school’s prom last night.

I’m not ashamed to say that I fought back tears the entire time.

When our pastor approached us during the grand march, I asked “is it too early to sign up to volunteer for next year??” So so amazing. This community, this church, has an amazing heart.

April 29th

Saturday, April 29th, 2017

As I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, Paul and I love to cook.

Our church did a marriage series this spring, and our pastor talked a lot about how love is an act not a feeling; how an excellent way to show each other love is by serving one another. Cooking I think is one way we serve one another. Neither of us really likes cooking on our own, but when we’re in the kitchen together we love it. Tonight was Carnitas!

April 28th

Friday, April 28th, 2017

Summer sunsets are one of my favorite things.

The colors, cloud textures, vibrancy. Our house sits on top of a small hill facing south west, so we have a spectacular view for sunsets. But this one was taken on the road last night on our way to small group. So so lovely.

April 27th

Thursday, April 27th, 2017

Paul came home last night, and I had a successful show today, so we celebrated with some sparkling pear cider.

So yummy!

April 26th

Wednesday, April 26th, 2017

I believe I wrote about these nifty desk calendars in a previous post, and here they are!

I am so excited about them! Completely free-standing, these handprinted 5×7 double-sided cards tuck into a simple wood block base, and are a wonderful non-wall-hanging option.

I spent quite a bit of time and effort designing these babies, and I’m so jazzed with how they turned out!

April 25th

Tuesday, April 25th, 2017

The light this morning was so so lovely.

Some days I struggle to create decent images, and then some days it’s a struggle to choose which I should use. Today was a process of elimination because of the light. And I can tell it’s going to rain as the animals were out in force this morning. (Confession: I’m going to cheat and post a second image at the bottom of this post because I’m that indecisive.)

Remember when I posted a month ago about the Sandhill Cranes and how I leave them alone when they’re nesting? Well I had another reminder yesterday.

As I was washing dishes last night after dinner, I watched a Sandhill Crane attack a Canadian Goose out in our front field. He flew in and landed on top of this unsuspecting goose; they literally tumbled, and the goose frantically struggled to fly away. I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped. They are extremely protective, so he must have a mate not far from there that is nesting.

So when that same crane was standing in the same spot this morning, this scaredy girl stayed within the safety of her car when taking pictures. 👍

Here was the other contender for today:

April 24th

Monday, April 24th, 2017

Good morning from the farm!

Its very early in the day for me to post an image. I normally try to wait until the end of the day so I can post either the best story from the day or the best image. But I was excited to see her this morning.

Paul and I have a trail camera out in our woods, and we’ve seen a couple of pregnant does around. We’re hoping they stick around, as we’d LOVE to see fawns.

So when I went to feed the horses this morning, and both of the ladies were in our back field calm as could be, I was pumped. I may go buy corn today to help provide them with extra protein and to encourage them to stick around.

To give you some perspective on how far she was from me, here’s another view:

April 23rd

Sunday, April 3rd, 2017

Sorry I only have a phone photo today.

I’ve been really fighting myself on including phone images on my blog, but I’ve accepted it as a part of life. Sometimes my actual camera just doesn’t make it out, but again, that’s life.

Today was wonderful! My grandma and grandpa normally snowbird in Florida and come back to Minnesota for the summer. However, because my grandpa had to be placed in a memory care facility in florida (which is why Paul and I were down there a few weeks ago), my grandma has decided to stay down in Florida permanently. She came up to visit over Easter and our main project was cleaning out her house up here to get it ready to put it on the market.

She did a great job. Sorting through all of those memories and keepsakes in only a couple days was an enormous project, but she did it.

So when my dad mentioned that she needed some landscaping done, I volunteered. My mom was never a big gardener so growing up I never had much exposure to it; I’m only realizing now just how much I love flowers and plants. Paul and I tackled dividing our Tiger Lillies a couple weeks ago, and I loved it! So when I spoke with grandma and she wanted plants dug up and moved, I was excited.

I loaded up my car with landscape fabric and mulch, plugged in my headphones and cranked KTIS, and spent the afternoon moving and dividing plants. I browsed a local greenhouse and bought flowers for potted plants, and grabbed some planters. It was so relaxing! Can’t wait to go back once the plants have started to really grow and bloom!

For reference, here’s the before:

April 22nd

Saturday, April 22nd, 2017

The weather today was a picture-perfect spring day.

70, light breeze, and not a single cloud in the sky. All of the animals were feeling it. Walking out to the woods today to check the trail cam, the geese were honking, ducks chattering, red winged blackbirds (pictured) singing. Turkeys lurking.

You hear a lot of people say that the woods are quiet and tranquil, but in my experience, it’s one of the loudest, busiest places to be. If you stop, close your eyes, slow your breathing, and listen, the woods come to life.

You start to understand that the song birds set the tone for the woods. They are the first to sound the alarm that you, a predator, are there. The sounds die down. The animals hunker down, they stop moving. Then after a few minutes of your silence, the song birds begin to sing and the rest of the animals begin to move again. Everyone depends on one another. The dynamics of the woods are amazing; I love being a part of it.

April 21st

Friday, April 21st, 2017

You guys, I’m serious about this turkey.

Everyday. I see her everyday. I hike out, and I think I’ve finally got her, and she’s three steps ahead of me. I just want ONE PICTURE. Maybe I’ll have to pack a lunch and sit in the blind all day tomorrow.

On a less frustrating note, look at those greens buds on those bushes!

April 20th

Thursday, April 20th, 2017

“When nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” Harriet Ann Jacobs

I was up at the farm this afternoon helping my mom spread mulch in their landscaping when I noticed this beautiful tree. A Hydrangea Tree. Just on the edge of blooming, these fuzzy buds had an incredible array of color and texture in them. I love this time of year!

April 19th

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017

For me, a messy office means a productive office.

Rain makes for motivation at A Borrowed Likeness. The printer has been running, calendar designs are taking shape, metal prints are ordered, paperwork is being completed. God is on the move, and so am I!