Princess dressing the part

Our Camo Queen 

can clean up quite nicely…

A few weeks ago

our teens got all "gussied up" for their

Home School groups 

"Spring Formal"

or 

Prom

if you will..

they had a LOT of fun!

Princess is standing with her 

BEST buddy ever,

her Big Brother!

Who really is SO big now..

C.S. is about 6'5" !  

He is SUCH a wonderful young man…

He and his sister

 both had SO much fun 

dancing the night away with all their friends! 

and what a GREAT crowd of friends!

they have ONLY the 

very VERY best of friends..

we adore these young adults!

Such a lovely special night,

one we will always remember..

Our wonderful blessings

are growing up..

and all together too quickly!

Machine Man enjoyed having his lovely girlie

at his side…

I am so thankful for their wonderful relationship,

their witty banter

and frank chats..

so there you have it,

our Camo Girl

can clean up

just fine

and dress her part 

as a daughter of the KING

with no problem

Chicken love

we love our Chickens

Buddy REALLY loves 

THIS Chicken..

This is Lady Jane Grey…

and SHE is our bestie..

our best layer

and our sweetest cuddlier

not all chickens will want to cuddle with you..

they generally are NOT the most..

"cuddle-E"

of creatures..

just saying...

meandering… back in time

The other week, we found ourselves on a road….

a road that had attached to it a memory…

Machine Man was CERTAIN he knew that road...

and he simply MUST follow where it leads…

being that avid adventurer that I am,

I did what I do best..

I encouraged the need to follow!

first it's a left turn…

then a right…

then a left

then miles and miles and miles…

then a big fat

?

then thinking…

finding that space in your brain where the memory LIVES…

only to turn here,

and there

and a name of a street catches your eye

and it all comes back

EVER so quickly..

the trees are bigger

more houses here and there

some look run down

some look SO new..

and suddenly

or not so suddenly

we found

that the road led to 

 THESE swings...

and this lake..

which led to 

 a call to a cousin

and 

to his mom

and

 brother

and

lots laughter

and stories for the boys

because 

THIS was the site of 

summertime fun 

at an great Aunties place as a 

wee lad..

and this was the shop

where soda pops sipped

and candy were purchased 

with brothers

and cousins

that was the view of the lake

and the view that lives so vividly in his mind…

of memories with his father

who recently went home to glory

and memories of little brothers

and big cousins

and grandparents

and aunts and uncles..

and childhood..

 long shadows cast on the long road

that led to the little house 

on a hill

where they all 

huddled and slept

awaiting YET another 

great day of play… 

away from the city life

out here in the wonders of 

Wisconsin lake life...

memories…

wonderful memories…

sometimes

it's worth it, to travel

the adventure... of 

going down that 

memory lane..

have you 

had a memory adventure lately?

early spring walk about

mornings can still have such a chill to them

the air is crisp

and the ground is saturated

the colors springing forth are vibrant greens

but there are remnants…

little reminders

bits and pieces of last year

making their last stand

before they finally fall to the floor of the field

and forest

and get swallowed up

with what is bursting forth

we've been doing work on the forest this early spring,

felling trees

carving trails

staking firewood for future seasons

yet seasons gone by

try to hold on

as if to say

don't forget me…

don't forget I WAS HERE!

don't forget how we laughed…

how I rustled in the wind...

and the living water it flows forth on Blessings farm…

full of an abundantly cold and snow packed winter,

one that held it's ground too long…

kept us shackled to our woolen ware 

and clinging to our steaming mugs 

longing for spring

but yesteryear demands to be counted

everywhere we walk…

new life is springing forth..

but the old growth..

it can be seen everywhere

It is in the pod of last year

that we find this years seed for planting…

yes 

in last years forgotten

we find our promise of a new tomorrow…

in nature

these little reminders from God are everywhere…

and will not be so easily forgotten

thankful to Jesus for the reminders…

of yesterdays gone by

of Opa

and Oma

and most recently

of our dear Grandpa…

who has also gone on 

we miss you all so much.

thankful for these little reminders…

and of the little hands and little hearts 

learning to hold

such very precious 

very BIG 

very important things…

yes

so very thankful indeed

blazing new trails...

It has begun!!!!!

the men have started blazing a new trail!

yep.

and I am SO excited!

The idea is to do the perimeter of the property,

so we can weave trails 

in and thru to the center trail

that we've already completed...

it's an exciting project

and it sure would be nice to finish BEFORE the summer heat..

but..

i dunno...

so thankful

for GREAT friends

who enjoy playing on the farm with us!

Tree gardeners are just the BEST

an outing for the birds

free ranging birds after a long ugly winter

is turning out to be VERY funny

they are absolutely TERRIFIED

of going far from home..

they just keep walking the perimeter of their

aviary

oh these the huddled masses..

ducks

hens

guineas

so silly

GTO to go...

Adding some Goat to the Farm

means loading up this beauty

onto Mr. T's trailer

and hitting the road…

no milking this sweet ride

she's a little gruff

but she's a real hottie

and each of the kids LOVES her

Princess was THRILLED to be the one

to drive her up onto the trailer

driving permits are 

so 

very  

thrilling

so are super cool

muscle cars