Weekend Highlights

My weekend plans dramatically shifted around 2 in the morning of Friday night when I realized 1) Nora was sick with a fever and 2) it's 2 in the morning and I'm awake.  We still don't really know what she had (has?). Her only real symptoms were a fever and being extremely tired.  A virus?  Teething?  Not sure.  Anyway, despite my poor little girl being so sleepy and lethargic all weekend (and my fun plans of going up north with friends canceled) there were still some highlights...

~ Okay this isn't a highlight but she feel asleep at table... could she be any cuter
~ Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day.
~ To make up for my canceled plans Ryan offered to go get a load of pea gravel for the garden.  Anything that involves shoveling, rocks and the garden is, for me, equivalent to taking a handful of anti-depressants.
~ During one of Nora's long naps I spent a blissful two hours in the garden doing just that.
~ In the evening I spent more time out there with the two big kids planting kale, lettuce, and beets.
~ On Sunday the rainy morning gave us the opportunity to be lazy by the fire reading our new library books.
~ In the afternoon Grace and Jackson had a swimming birthday party with a friend from the play.
~ This morning Ryan's work right down the street offered us the opportunity to have a slow start back to our week.



Nora still isn't back to herself yet but today her fever was gone.  Hoping by tomorrow she's back to her cheery self.

This Year's Garden

I hereby declare that this year's garden is going to be hands down the best garden we've ever had.  Now that Nora is finally old enough to play happily in the sandbox (for more then 5 minutes) I have been thoroughly enjoying hauling wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of large stones up to the garden to make 4 new large garden beds.  This feels incredibly satisfying as now the fenced in garden is completely filled with proper beds.  Even more satisfying was discovering one of the huge compost piles I'd forgotten about that I made two years ago now full of nutrient rich usable compost.  

The chickens have been so happy rummaging around in there that I haven't even planted anything yet (which is late for me).  I figure their grub eating might help my odds (for the best garden to date) so I'm letting them rummage around for just a bit longer.

Truly nothing makes me happier then being outside in the garden this time of year with my shovel and wheelbarrow.  No bugs, perfect temperatures and so much possibility awaiting.

On Earth Day

{photo by Grace}

Hope.  That is my word for today.  I have shed many tears and thrown many fists in the air over the last several years in regards to the care (or lack there of) of this here planet of ours.  But lately I have started to feel something else.  Something new.  Hope.  Yes, it is true, in many respects things are worse then ever.  But... but, when I look closer, I can also see something else... good things.  Good things everywhere.  Small pockets of earth where people are making a difference.  Like tiny flowers sprouting up everywhere, that you can barely see unless you get down right near the ground.  Little seeds of hope.

Easter Morning

That's Better

Thankfully the snow melted quickly and we could get right back to (the real) spring.


Like fence walking...


Sandbox digging...


Apple tree budding


And (most importantly) garden digging.  Yes, that feels much better.

Easter Eggs With Grandma Lee

A Lovely Spring Day in Minnesota

In case it isn't obvious by the snow, yes it is (literally) freezing out.  And yes, my kids are crazy (which clearly has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the fact that I am raising them in a ridiculous state where May flowers are brought in by April blizzards).

Weekend Highlights

~ An overnight at Grandma Lee's and watching my kids play and ride around on bikes with all the neighborhood kids just like I use to do when I was little

~ My new books, especially this one, I am so inspired

~ Spending the afternoon at Katie and Kris's new house with family and friends

~ Enjoying a day at home with just the five of us- playing in/cleaning the barn and family painting being my two favorite things we did

~ Ryan and the big kids making fish (that they caught this winter) for dinner- so yummy

The River

We decided to take our spring break this week since it appeared as though spring was finally going to show up.  Thankfully the weather predictions were right, it has been beautiful.  We all have sunburns right now, that's how beautiful.  We have spent almost every minute of the last few days outside- jumping on the trampoline, making garden plans, catching minnows in the pond, digging up rocks and sitting in the sun.  Tonight while Grace was at dance the rest of us played at the beach.  It was so wonderful I somehow had a complete brain lapse and we were 15 minutes late to pick up Grace.  Must be spring fever.

Weekend Highlights

~ Ryan having a snow day on Friday (yup, there was a blizzard)
~ Watching a movie (Cinderella) something we rarely do, with the two big kids
~ Going on one last winter hike
~ The sun (on Saturday) shiny and warm
~ Getting the trampoline set up
~ Going swimming and out to dinner with friends
~ More sun today
~ Getting the yard cleaned up
~ Sitting in the hammock in the hot sun
~ Ice cream on the deck
~ Butterfly sightings
~ Happy chickens

First Tooth!

What Else We Have Been Up To

Drying flowers


Learning letters


Writing a book


Making homemade pizza...


with the whole family


Making inventions


Painting


Putting on shows (and make up)


Going on rides at the Mall of America


Celebrating the spring equinox (by taking a hike through the snow)...


where we found a raccoon living in this tree (and now we visit it regularly)


Crochet class (Grace and I)


A date (Meritage- awesome)


And last but not least, school work