North Shore Adventures

     This past weekend was one filled with sunshine, fun, and memories in the making, which naturally equals adventure. Luke was a state delegate so we headed to Duluth for the convention. My brother and sister-in-law, Ken and Abbi were also delegates, so they brought along my niece Mara to keep me company while they delegated. We had a good time.

The drive there was every bit a part of the adventure. I love this guy. 

Now I know Cruz is no longer running, but Ken, Abbi, and Luke went with the hope of bringing about some changes. Unfortunately things didn't go as they had hoped. 

Mara and I did a bit of exploring Friday evening, keeping it close to the hotel. One thing I will say about Duluth...HILLS!

 And what did we discover but the Statue of Liberty. My brothers got to see the real thing this past fall, so I thought I should let them know that I too got to see Lady Liberty. 

 Saturday morning Mara and I saw the delegates off to the convention and then hit the North Shore in search of adventure. We found it. I don't know how many times over the course of the weekend I said the words, "It's so PRETTY!"

 Cliffs and miles of lake make a pretty stellar combination!

 We found ourselves at Gooseberry Falls. 

 Then we found a nice pebbly beach and began searching for agates and sea glass. We had a decent amount of success

 By the time we turned around and headed back towards Duluth both Mara and I were worn out. It was great. The convention was over by Saturday evening so Ken, Abbi, and Mara headed home. But Luke and I had decided to make a weekend of it, so Sunday was our day to explore. We walked, climbed rocks, created beach sculptures and hunted for more agates. 

 This guy is my favorite.

 Mining for crystals in the side of the bluff

I particularly enjoyed sitting on the beach and sifting through the pebbles in search of agates and sea glass. I might still be there if Luke hadn't said it was time to go. 

 The treasure. 

 What an adventure. Happy Monday!

"Make your heart like a lake with a calm, still surface and great depths of kindness." ~Lao Tzu

Sunday Adventures

    Today I told My Love that I wanted to go on an adventure. It just felt like the sort of thing to do. And so, we took a long drive. Luke told me that I had to navigate and so we wound our way north and west of town. Winding dirt roads lead us through the gossamer green of the newly budding popple and birch trees. It was perfect. As we wound ourselves further into the woods, Luke mentioned that an old friend lived in the area and that he had a Swedish knife making business. We decided to stop in for a visit. We got a tour of the shop and a history of the business, it was fun. And now we are home and the grill has been fired up for some  BBQ and baked potatoes, a fitting way to end an afternoon of adventure.
    I hope your day was beautiful, sweet, and simple. But even if it wasn't, always remember that The Creator of Spring's Greenery is by your side, calling you to lean into Him. Trust Him with the adventure of your life. Happy Sunday!

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going to fast--You also loose the sense of where you are going and why." ~Eddie Cantor

Dig Your Toes in the Dirt!

      Sunshine and dirt are a truly wonderful combination and yesterday I spent pretty much the whole day enjoying them. The Lovely Keren Ruth and Mr. Ephraim came over and we got the garden started. Half way through the day our friend Irindee came over and so she got in on the fun as well.

 Right now it looks like we are growing carpet, but soon it will be beans, peas, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and herbs. We also have plans for a small strawberry patch!

Mr. Ephraim was a trooper, even though all the nature was a bit overwhelming at times. 

      And today is Mother's Day. I am blessed to have an amazing mom and a wonderful mother-in-law. Both of whom have done so very much for me. I am rich!

My Mama, Amy Jo

 My Mother-in-law Bonnie

Violets...One of the things I love about summer is that there are flowers in my house a lot more often. 

 And then there is this cuteness!

Happy Today!

"A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust." ~Gertrude Jekyll

Gardens, Friends, and Canoes

     Did you have a beautiful weekend? A weekend full of laughter, friendship, sweet babies, and sunshine? I hope that you did. My weekend was just such a combination of goodness.
     On Saturday, Luke spent 12+ hours in Alexandria. He is a state delegate so he was being all political and getting the job done. We get to go to Duluth later this month for the next step of the convention. I must say I'm looking forward to that.
   Anyway, on Saturday, the Lovely Keren Ruth and I hung out. We decided to work on getting our garden ready for planting. Luke had tilled it up for us, so we headed out to the farm for a load of home grown fertilizer(of the goat variety). Luke's dad and brother loaded the truck with a huge pile of manure and after lunch we headed back to the house with our niece Mara. We brought her in case Mr. Ephraim decided he wasn't into gardening. But he ended up sleeping almost the entire time, so we put Mara to work.

Jonathan was being anti-picture. Mr. Ephraim didn't mind the spotlight though. 

    Then Saturday evening, we had a get together with a group of friends. My sweet friend Emily hosted and she planned a "Great Race" for us. Each couple worked as a team to solve clues, get to destinations and complete tasks. It was a lot of fun. Of course, since Luke was being Mr. Delegate for the day, he missed out. So I partnered up with Emily's daughter Sunita. She is 5 and we had an awesome time. One of the tasks was to spend $10 dollars on something for supper. Sunita decided we should get macaroni and cheese and ice cream sandwiches and I picked strawberries. 

     On Sunday, we celebrated my sweet mother-in-law's birthday at the Cobb's(My sister and brother-n-law and their kids) house. They live on the Mighty Mississippi River, so after lunch we spent some time playing outside. My good friend Katy and her kiddos were there as well so Nettie and I enjoyed a lazy canoe ride. Lazy for us anyway. We made Benjamin do all the rowing. (Below Photo credits to Katy)

 Apparently Luke and Ax share a love of cars. 

     All in all, it was one of those simply lovely weekends that you feel completely satisfied with by the end of it. Happy Monday. 

"Busy is a choice. Stress is a choice. Joy is a choice. Choose well." ~Unknown