The Little Things | March 2022

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“The Little Things” is my blog version of IG stories...these seemingly ordinary daily moments make up our beautiful life! *Click the images to enlarge & scroll*

“I hope you find, as I did, that happiness comes from noticing
and enjoying the little things in life.”
- Barbara Ann Kipfer

Family: We love taking family walks…even though it’s still quite chilly here in SD! All you have to do is put alllll the clothes and hats and scarves and mittens on and get out there! This particular night though, we were freeeeezing anyway because the wind was so strong. Oh the prairie! Still thankful for the wind in our faces and time together.

Bella Boo: Look at this beauty. She turns 18 this week! Every moment is a gift…as we prepare to say goodbye to her for her summer at camp and then as she enters the great big world as an adult! She’s working 2 jobs and still rock climbing 3-4 times a week. She’s quite an amazing human.

Kitty: Another kitty pic. Becuase…fluffy cuteness. I cannot resist the sleeping cat face. What kind of monster are you if you don’t love cats? LOL

Visiting: We stopped over at my sister’s house, as we do often….so thankful to have them close.

RV: We are toying with the idea of putting our beloved and beautiful RV on the market. If you or someone you know is a serious buyer, shoot me a message for the details! 45 foot, remodeled diesel pusher. 2 bunks + King. Live in it full time and travel or just park it where you want it and enjoy the view!

Fenced in: I love the IDEA of free range chickens. But on a practical level, it’s annoying. So we’re re-doing our chicken fencing area…instead of free ranging our entire 21 acres, they are going to be “confined” to 2-3 acres around the big red barn instead. And my flower beds will be SO much happier. And no more stepping in chicken poop every time we walk about the door. Woo!

Jump: Sisterly fun on the spindles. Someday, we hope to have goats again and then we’ll use these spindles for them! Until then…they are for Matt’s shooting range.

Grown up: She got all dressed and ready to head out and say hello to Grandpa and Ama (who are living in their fifth wheel on our farm while they look for a house). And she looked all grown up. And then I got sad because all of my babies are grown up. -sob face!- But thankfully they all still like to cuddle. :)

Cousins: Lucy has been babysitting and spending lots of time with Eli and Maggie…this particular pink burrito was quite adorable.

Green: I still drink green smoothies! No better way to get 2 huge handfuls of greens in your body. I know many of you found me all those years ago for my original green smoothie challenge…and I’m so thankful you’re still here!

Coffee: My mom and dad came to the farm to watch the girls while we went to our Leadership Retreat in Phoenix! We grabbed coffee with them before they headed out of town. I hate saying goodbye…but know that we always see them so soon! And that’s why we live close!

Generations: Three to be exact! DNA is cool. :)

Gym: Every other week, the girls go to the gymnastics academy for a homeschool open gym. This particular week was combined with the adorable littles…they always have a blast!

Leadership: Speaking of Leadership…we were in Arizona for 4 days with our top dōTERRA leaders and loved every minute! So great to see everyone.

Meals: We love and value our family meal time…and make sure to always have a candle or 3 or 4 lit. I got some new cloth napkins that made me happy too! Lucy is super detail oriented and makes sure everything is lovely!

Ama: Emma and Ama doing art and making bookmarks…so good to have her here!

The Little Things | February 2022 (Week 3)

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“The Little Things” is my blog version of IG stories...these seemingly ordinary daily moments make up our beautiful life! *Click the images to enlarge & scroll*

“Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things.”
- Frank Clark

Doughnuts: This girl is the master of the gluten free doughnut. She whips them up so fast and they are ridiculously delicious. Lucy is the one who loves to bake all the things. And we all get to benefit! Recipe here!

Staredown: Prince and Matt going eye to eye. He wouldn’t move off the truck so we could leave LOL! I never thought I would say it, but I LOVE these sweet cats. We have 4 “barn cats”, but 2 are wannabe house cats. They come to the doors daily to get treats and snuggles. And when it’s -35 degree windchill, I just can’t help but to open the door and let them in for a bit!

Demolition: The main question we get lately is “what are you working on now in the house?”. And this is it! We’re working on the upstairs, which is where Lucy and Emma’s rooms will be. It’s been a massive undertaking (just like the rest of the house!)…gutted to the studs and then rebuilding it back. I’ll be posting more before and afters soon!

Abundance: The chickens are finally laying more eggs! It’s pretty common for egg laying to slow down in the winter, especially if you aren’t adding supplemental light, but we have 33 chickens and would only be getting 3-4 eggs. Now we’re getting 14-16 a day. It could be because we got rid of our messy troublemaking ducks (remind me that I never want them again!)…and now they can’t stress the chickens out any more. Or…they just love us and want to give us eggs. Either way, I’ll take it!

Frosty: There is a water drain off area in our front field and the other day I was down there skating around on the ice with Lucy and Emma…and the moisture in the air had created these amazing little icy shapes! They were so dainty and delicate even in the harshest of climates. God makes the best art!

Scotty B: We were so heartbroken to hear about my Uncle Scott’s sudden passing a few weeks ago. Around our house, he was known as “Bob Scott”. He was an amazing man, an encourager to so many. He was funny and warm and smart and beyond enthusiastic about life. He will be incredibly missed. Please say a prayer for his wife Deanne (my mama’s sister) and his 3 daughters and their families.

Family: We headed to Iowa to go to the funeral to celebrate his life. It was good to be surrounded by family and even amidst the suffering and sadness, there was laughter and smiles. And lots of memories of Scott.

Guardian: This is Maggie’s typical stance. The great pyrenees in her brings out the guardian mentality. She loves to WATCH and make sure no one dangerous is approaching the house :)

Banjolele: Emma is always on some sort of stringed instrument…and this is her latest love. The banjolele! It’s a mix between the banjo and the ukulele. She picks things up so quickly…I love having so many resources and classes at our fingertips. The internet can be pretty cool.

New: Bella bought her first car…all by herself! She has been saving for several years and she finally has it. She has wanted a Subaru since she was an 8 year old living in Boulder…and it now it came to be! It’s even in her favorite color…GREEN! What a cutie. We’re so proud of her…oh the places you’ll go my child!

Ladies: Fluffy butts out eating the meal scraps! They usually won’t come out if it’s super snowy, but they will for yummy food! It’s been SO cold this week, so they have been spending a lot of time in the barn. Oh spring…PLEASE come soon!

Workin’: The girls have chores to do around the house…and firewood is important to stock and stack in the winter! They are getting so strong…it’s awesome to have the help.

Click: Bella and I watched The Social Dilemma a few months ago. She started to question if being on social media was worth it…but was hesitating. I made a deal a deal with her…that if she would get off of all social media, then I would get her a vintage film camera. It took her about 1 second and she reached out her hand and said ….”DONE!”. She’s been having a blast snapping photos. She is putting all of her time toward her new blog! Go and check it out at www.thelonesol.com. She would love it if you would say hi and comment over there…she’s a fantastic photographer and writer! Be sure to check out the post about her leaving the socials!

Mornings: My morning view…every morning Matt and I read the Bible together and pray while we watch the sunrise. So thankful for his leadership and love.

Love: Speaking of my Matty…it was his 44th birthday on the 21st! And we had a blast celebrating him!

Worship: Matt is starting to help with worship at our church…so good to see him diving in to his passions. It lights my heart up to hear him play and sing with the girls.

And that’s a wrap!

The Little Things | December 2021 (Week 5)

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The great doing of little things, makes the great life.
- Eugenia Price

IN BETWEEN: The last week of December is my FAVORITE. I love the weird in between of nothingness. We did a lot of sitting and watching the fire. Watching the snow. Reading, talking, sitting. Deep rest is not valued in our culture…but I’ve been learning a lot about rest this year. Grateful to have a lifestyle and space that allows it.

SILLY DOGS: Our dogs like to go in and out and in and out…all day long. We used to have a dog door in Texas…but it’s so cold here, we didn’t put one in. Maggie (the chocolate lab) has some Great Pyrenees in her…which means she sits at the door like this all day and “guards”.

READERS: My eyes have been getting “older” and I finally broke down and tried some readers. It’s like a MIRACLE. LOL! Everything is so much bigger! Do you have a favorite frame or brand? Tell me!

BAKING: So.much.baking. We’ve had fun baking breads and cookies and soft pretzels and all the things. It’s the best on the cold days.

GRIT: Speaking of cold days…the chores don’t stop when it’s cold. Even when it’s 30 below windchill…the girls still have to bundle up and get out to the barn. I’m thankful for this opportunity for grit and perseverance to grow in their hearts and minds. Being uncomfortable is not to be avoided. It’s ok to be uncomfortable and push through. To do hard things.

FREEZE: This is what our door looks like when it’s January. Brrrrrr. And so pretty.

WATERCOLORS: We do tons of art around here…and we love watercolor. I purchased a great online class called “Watercolors for Rebels” with Josie Lewis. We’ve been doing it together. So much fun.

COOKING: Lucy LOVES to cook her own meals. Her favorite breakfast is eggs, sausage, avocado, broccoli, and toast.

BUILDING: Bella helped Matt hang the rest of the shiplap in the upstairs bedrooms…so fun to see them working together. She’s STRONG! And…it’s coming along! Getting closer and closer to being able to paint up there.

LEARNING: Emma has been taking lots of Outschool classes…she loves the drawing classes and in February she starts a ukulele class. If you use my link, you’ll get a $20 credit to try your first class. We’ve had such fun exploring all the options! We’ve used it for math, reading, art, music…so many things.

GROWING UP: Bella is always off doing her own thing…that usually means a trip to town to go rock climbing, grocery shopping, coffee shop sitting, library browsing, or to work. I love seeing her find her way in the world…practicing for when she’s on her own. So very soon. I’m not crying, you’re crying!

SISTERS: My sister and her family live just 30 minutes away from us! This was us on New Year’s Eve. Partying hard until 9:00pm. ;-) We’re WILD.

CELEBRATION: Toasting 2021 with some sparkling apple cider! Onto a NEW YEAR with new possibilities. Sounds good to me.