{Thirty-two}

The Lord has blessed me with another birthday.

A day to celebrate the beginning of me.
A day to rejoice for the life I've been given.
A day to live joyfully, expecting little & giving much.

Thank you Jesus for the life I've been given.
May it be used to honor You.
May my words & my actions be a testimony of Your goodness, faithfulness and mercy.
May I continue to grow and change daily.
May I be the woman, mother, wife, daughter, sister & friend You desire me to be.
May I be bold & courageous for You!
May my hope be unshakable.
May I be content & fulfilled with who I am.
May I KNOW that God calls me {beautiful}.
May I run toward the future with trust & excitement.
May I live to enjoy another trip around the sun!

{It's never too late to become the person you always wanted to be.} ~George Eliot

Rotten.

I wondered how long it would take for the
licorice, chocolate milk & french fries to ruin his teeth.

Looks like we'll be heading to the dentist this summer.

Heading Out...

of another school year tomorrow.

Year 10 of being an elementary teacher is about to be checked off.

{Crazy how time flies when you're having fun.}

Summer time ... here we come!

... and check out these babies that are changing daily!

the right road

This was the road I took tonight.
Doesn't look like much of a road does it?

Well ... guess what ...it is!

And my little GPS unit named Mason told me it was the one to take.

I didn't believe him.

He called his dad.

Guess what ... he was right.

Who would have thought that my 3 year old knew more about getting to the right field?!

Oh, the places he'll go!

Here is the baler that needed the twine we delivered.

and even in all it's "blurriness" ... I love this one.

And this is the road out of the field with the baler that needed twine. As I made my way around the edge of the field, I looked out on the horizon, and suddenly realized that this road that wasn't really a road at all ... but is used as a road by tractors and swathers... this road that I was on tonight had an amazing view of our old home on Farm 2 way off in the distance.

All smiles ...

and then some!

So... I've decided that I can never take too many pictures. Seriously, the days fly by & before I realize it, June is here and another school year is over ... and well, I just don't want to miss anything.
I've been emotional about my boys changing so very fast the past few weeks. I watch them sleep. I cuddle with them as much as I possibly can. I sing crazy made-up songs about tractors and bikes and books. I pack their clothes that don't fit any more in tubs and get teary. I catch myself wrapping their blankets around me when I sit down on the couch.
I watch & I smile & I feel a lump in my throat continuously.

and ... I continue to take pictures - hundreds & hundreds of pictures - because one day ...

~I'll be the one hosting the graduation party
~it will be me watching them drive away to college
~it will be me that won't hear the laughter or see faces smeared with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich they just ate
~I'll be the one telling young moms like myself that it goes by so fast & to enjoy each and every moment

So, until then, I'm just going to take as many photos as I can and treasure life as I know it NOW! And if you're tired of seeing these two boys of mine, well... you're out of luck because those chubby hands and cheeks, those big blue eyes, that tall skinny boy, the John Deere boots ... they're not going anywhere!

babies {edited}

How cool is this?!

I'm amazed each spring when I "catch" the hatching of these beautiful eggs!

seriously ... can this be any more amazing?!

It's Here.

The time of year when there is no schedule and even when we try to set one it just doesn't work.
The mornings are early and usually rushed.
(good thing we're all morning people around here)
Dinner is always late & has been cereal with fresh strawberries the past few nights.
The laundry is never done.
The amount of dirt inside the washing machine has doubled.
The yard is beautiful.
The flowers are healthy.
The cows are being moved to the mountains as I type.
The hay has been cut, rained on, raked, rained on again ... and has yet to be baled.
The garden is growing.
The orchard is full of "green" fruit.
The berries are out of control ... but I'm not complaining.
The school year is ending this week.

The life I know as mine is in yet another season.
A season of growth.
A season of change.
A season of beauty.

As I've blogged the last week or two, I've been at a loss for words. I've had lots to share, so much to say ... and yet, I've found myself letting my pictures tell the story. I've realized that sometimes it's better to say nothing at all.

What do you see when you look at these posts?

Do you see the emotion?
Do you see the day to day experiences of our life?
Do you see peace?
Do you see the busy pace?
Do you see the chaos?

Do you see what I see?

This season is a time for me to reflect. To dream. To observe. To be still.

To be still and quiet ... and KNOW, TRUST, BELIEVE and PROVE that He is at work ... and that He offers His best to all of us when we choose to believe.