the FUN to-do list

Friday night I was sitting on the couch thinking through my Saturday. I was supposed to go with my dad to a writing seminar, but we had gone on Friday which suddenly left my Saturday wide open. I started making a list: sort through kids clothes, tackle the laundry, hit the kitchen, put Easter decorations away.

I sat there a little longer and thought about how I wanted to try making pot stickers. So I wrote that down. And how I would love to spend time reading a book.

It was then that I started a brand new to-do list. I decided I would only write things that I actually wanted to do. Things that would feel restorative. So I wrote the list above and went to bed so excited for my Saturday. I got up and got ready to take my morning walk at Stair Step Forrest (our county park nearby that we adore) and by the time I got in the car the whole family wanted to come along. I got the stuff for pot stickers at Cub and began my quest for the perfect homemade pot sticker. When the kids went down for their naps I knew it was my time to take a blanket and pillow out in the yard to take my own nap. I skimmed through a poorly written book and started a new book. And I ordered the bird guide my cousin recommended to me.

Interestingly, after dinner, I got a second wind and cleaned the kitchen, started some laundry and gathered up the Easter decorations. And I was happy to do these things, mostly because I had done other awesome things all day long.

This Fun To-Do List felt indulgent. It felt caring. It felt fun. And I can't wait to write another one for another weekend day. I'd probably add a hot bath and baking cookies the next time around.

bird songs

Four mornings in a row I have gotten up and very first thing, taken a walk outside. One morning I was struggling to get myself out of bed, but I could hear a bird in our oak tree. And I knew there were all sorts of surprises for me, if I could just get myself out there.

That morning I saw that our tulips are all nearly four inches tall. And I heard so many different birds. One in particular, the one I had heard while still inside, was still calling but I could not find it in a tree for the life of me. I heard it, but could not spot it.

So I came in the house and googled minnesota bird sounds and that is when I found this incredible interactive page with minnesota birds and their bird songs.

Friends, I believe this puts me in a category of bird watchers, bird enthusiasts and general dorks. But let me be the first to say, I have found that usually the dorkier the activity the more life-giving, awesome and rewarding it is. (I would name examples here, but I don't want to offend more people groups than necessary...)

Anyway. I'm officially a bird watcher. In high school I had to take a test on bird calls, and now I wish I had paid more attention. But I did remember having to purchase a bunch of field guides for that class, so I came in looking for my Peterson's Field Guide and was so sad when I could only find my trees and wildflowers field guides. I'll have to purchase the Bird Guide next.

Promise me you will visit this site (and download flash if you don't have it...I had to). When you click on a bird, it plays its song. So prepare to spend a lot of time clicking on all of the birds. Today Ivar came in and was so excited that he had heard a bird singing. He tried to mimic it for me and we figured out that it was a red cardinal. And the happy bird that calls me outside each morning is a black-capped chickadee singing it's two tone whistle. I'm a total dork, I know. But come on! God has all of this music playing for us, if we'd only have ears to hear!

wake-up walks

Sunday morning Rory and I woke up early to a neighbor dog barking and then he remembered, "there's a blood moon! let's go out and see it. I'll make coffee." So at 6:20 I got out of bed and we stood in the kitchen waiting for the coffee. It was then, while reading more about the blood moon on my phone that I pieced it together. The blood moon would peak at 6:43 on April 4th. But was April 5th.

So there we were, bundled and ready for a morning walk. We still went out and enjoyed a full white moon on a very crisp Easter morning.

It turned out to be the best way ever to start a day.

I had recently read of a movement starting called the 100 day project where lots of people online are committing to doing something for 100 days. I like these sort of efforts but hadn't landed on what I might do until we were out looking for a blood moon on easter morning. We didn't find a red moon, but I did find a glorious day waiting for me to enjoy. The birds were singing, the trees were still and there was fog on the horizon. It was stunning.

So I made a goal: I want to get up before my kids and take a walk. Just to get outside and have some personal time before my day begins. There isn't a distance or exact time of the morning I'm aiming for. The goal is to get outside and go for a walk.

Rory is nervous about the 100 days part, but that's also not the goal. I'm not going to be legalistic or defeated if I miss a day. And I'm not actually participating officially with the online movement. But I do want to feel accountable to something so I decided to track this on my instagram account. If you want to follow along with my daily #wakeupwalk (or even join in!) be sure to swing by my instagram page.

oma zina

Zina is my sister-in-law Lisa's, mom. She moved to Minnesota a few years ago and we are so lucky she did. You might remember Zina from other posts, like when she fried up our pumpkin flowers (I still think about them and can't wait for pumpkin flower season to come!) or when she brought all of her bee keeping equipment that her husband used decades ago. Every time she comes she brings bread for the chickens...loaves and loaves that have been delivered to her apartment from a bakery that doesn't sell day old bread. My chickens love her.

When Zina comes to my house, stuff gets done. She helps in the garden, she folds all of my laundry, she washes all of my Easter dishes. I can't even explain how magical it all feels. Lisa is the same way. They came on Saturday to drop off the ham and then stayed to fold four loads of laundry, run three loads of laundry and help set the Easter table.

And definitely the most meaningful, she prays for my kids every single day. She's such a gift to us.

Happy Easter!

Every Easter Sunday growing up we would say a responsive reading at our church that my dad wrote. And every Easter Sunday since I wake up with these words in my head:

He is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!
He is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!
People of God, whom do you seek?
Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified one.
(then there's a whole middle part that I seem to have not memorized...)
The grave could not hold him.
The cross could not contain him.
And nothing will ever be the same!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Today I actually got my hymnal out to look up my favorite Easter hymns. Made me think I should make a set of hymn cards for Easter. I've always meant to make a set for Christmas...

This was my third year hosting Easter and I think I'm getting the hang of it! It helps greatly that I have a family that brings almost all of the food. What a dream. This year I decided to throw some brunch items into the menu, but it ended up being a crazy amount of food. We could have had twenty more people here and I think everyone still would have been fed and full. I'll adjust for next year. Oh but I love hosting for this day. And I love decorating for Easter. Everything becomes so colorful and cheerful. I got three bundles of tulips at the grocery store and and used peeps again for the place cards. Some peeps were partially eaten by the time the guests arrived, thanks to my sneaky children, but I still like using them. And this year we made an Easter Egg tree. My mom always cut a lilac branch the week of Easter, put it in a coffee can filled with rocks and water and by Easter it would have green leaves. Ivar and Elsie loved having an Easter tree and even put the eggs on themselves (I later spread them out onto more than one branch).

Elsie told me she wanted to be "a pretty pink princess" for Easter, so I splurged and got her a new dress at Target. She wore it proudly all day long, part of the time with her winter coat on while in the house... The kids loved hunting for their Easter baskets (hidden in the same places as last year) and really loved the outdoor egg hunt with all the cousins. Auntie Lisa led the pack outside and later we had everyone taking a turn at chopping wood with the ax and walking across a slack line tied between to trees.

Most people got in a nap at some point in the afternoon as the rest of us sat and talked and ate our way through the nine desserts to choose from. It was a really nice day and made for a lovely easter.

I'll end with my favorite moment...finding five family members talking theology in my downstairs bathroom while visiting the awkward adolescent chickens. Of all the rooms in my home, who knew the downstairs bathroom would be the hub of conversation and togetherness!