links for you

It's been a long week here. The sun keeps going away for long stretches at a time and I feel as dreary as the day. But I am thinking a lot about big things lately. I don't feel like I have much to say yet, so until then, here are four links that have been huge blessings to me this week.

This helped me so much, changing my perspective on finding our calling.
I love this thought on goodness and mercy.
A great piece on making small changes.
This made me laugh.

the racecart

This weekend Elsie joined her brother in the racecart at Menards and she was so, so proud.

In other news, if you look below this post, you'll see my awesome husband has added the buttons so you can share a picture or a post on your facebook, twitter or pinterest. And, you can hover over an image and pin that image directly to your pinterest page. How fun is that?!!

the soul sisterhood

My friend Amanda works as the middle school youth director at her church. A few years ago she created the Soul Sisterhood Retreats, weekend or week-long camps for girls. They focus on cooking, sewing, crafting, journaling, building deep friendships with one another and to be empowered in their unique identity in Jesus.

The retreats are intentionally small in size...limited to only 15-20 girls per camp. There is a camp grandma who is there simply to love the girls. There is a camp cook who helps the girls make and bake all the goodies they will eat all week. The counselors are just a bit older than the girls and there to serve as mentors and role models. The camps meet at a farmhouse just outside of the cities. Elsie and I get to help lead a Mother-Daughter retreat in August. We are very excited.

This summer I am going to be guest posting on The Soul Sisterhood's blog. I will be walking through a journaling process as we look at our own lives as if they were the pages in a really good book. What is the climax we are working towards? Who are the supporting characters in our lives who are actually supportive? Are there plot lines we need to walk away from, is there something else we are being called towards?

I would love for you to join us this summer in walking through this writing process. The blog is geared towards tweens and teens but readers of all ages are welcome. So come on over!  Click here to join in the Soul Sisterhood summer series: Living your Life as a Great Story. Your first assignment awaits you!

ivar quotes

I walked into Ivar's dark room this morning and he told me from his crib, "Mama, turn on my curtains."

Later Rory was asking Elsie, "Can you say dada? Dadadadada" And Ivar looked at Rory, "No. She can't."

And finally, as I got ready to change a diaper for Ivar he told me, "It's a real big stink bomber."
And it was.

May reflections/ toddlers and gardens

Oh man, what a month. Remember the foot of snow we got at the beginning of this month? How bizarre. Followed by one of the rainiest springs ever. The field by our house hasn't even been touched yet. It has been a terrible and sad year for farming.

For us, this rainy weather means that every single sunny minute is reason to get the kids outside. We have been celebrating each lovely day, had a few picnics already and are soaking up all of the green that surrounds us. I said to Ivar recently, "Remember the snow? Now it's all green!" He replied sing song, "Ohhhhh."

A few reflections from the month of May 2013:

Elsie is a toddler.
This is huge. Ivar didn't walk until 18 months, so I wasn't ready for Elsie to become so able so quickly. But a lot has changed in the last week. She now can pull herself up to a standing position on the couch and in her crib. She's done with her exersaucer, johnny jump up, rumble buns, baby gym and everything else that meant we had a baby in the house. At the moment she is playing all by herself in the living room. I can hear her talking and laughing and making loud noises. She is a joy.

The attic crawl space is a bonus storage room.
I have been nervous to use this space because we can hear mice in the ceiling sometimes. But I have reconciled that this is what Rubbermaid's were made for and as long as it is in a sealed tub, we should be good to go. So all of the baby gear and baby clothes and Ivar clothes and maternity clothes have moved into this space which has made a whole lot more room for tools and garden stuff out in the garage.

Our garden is going to be awesome. 
Rory is at it again. This garden is going to amaze and I can't wait. My Aunt Louie told me that she doesn't plan a single thing the whole month of September because that is canning month at her house. I took note of that. As I watch Rory's garden grow I am well aware that the work he is putting in on the front end will be my work on the back end and I'm ready for that. I am currently checking out lots of books from the library with canning recipes. I am especially excited about a recipe for a pickled veggie mix you put on Italian sandwiches. Anyone have a favorite canning recipe?