My FAVORITE kind of post to make!!

A post about the happenings of just everyday life.

We keep life full, but the things we choose are purposefully thought out.

It’s the little things that add up to BIG things – so we try to make sure the things we are doing and not doing are lining up with the goals we have for our family and children and grandchildren!!!

The three youngest kiddos (and Addie and I!) have chores everyday to keep up with the things of our home.

This is something I am so glad I was taught about as a young Mom many years ago!!

It just takes the stress out of house keeping and makes our home company ready anytime!

Lane, Tate and Eliza are at the age where they know their chores, do them well, and hardly ever have to be checked on anymore.

Don’t you just love how efficient Tate is in this first photo??

Carrying down his clean laundry while also dusting the stairs, ha, ha!

Speaking of keeping up with things around here – the first weekend of May it was finally warm enough to clean up outside and get ready for summer!!

The guys power washed the deck and patios, Tate, Eliza and I cleaned the garage and outside furniture, the guys got the mowers ready, and they also installed a new basketball pole Blake and I had bought on date night!

The bird restaurant finally was taken down as well, which meant it was time to pull the snowflakes off of the sliding glass door windows.

It was a very productive day and SO nice to get ready for the change of seasons!!

School continued on throughout May!

We will also have a couple days a week that it will continue on through the summer.

It just makes starting full-time school in the fall SO MUCH EASIER.

Eliza had a piano assessment in May, passed, and moved up to level seven!

Now she and Tate are at different times for their piano lessons.

Her lesson went from 15 minutes a day, to 45 minutes a day!

Tate is not far behind her – his assessment will be this month.

We are going to need to get an electric keyboard once he moves up, because they both will need their own place to play during that 45 minute lesson a day.

I never really considered what piano lessons would be like in our daily routine, or had an idea in my mind of what we could achieve!

We seriously just jumped in two years ago this month, and have never looked back!

Tate and Eliza have had ZERO frustration in this learning process and have loved their lessons and practice times VERY much!!

How cool is that???

It is exciting to see where this will go and what they will be able to do one day with all the hard work they have put into this!!

After Eliza passed her assessment (first photo), I got the things she needed printed and laminated and she started level seven the next day!

We spend A LOT of time outside!

We wait so long for this weather – who could blame us!!

Twin Oaks is a sweet place to be, inside or out.

The outside of our new building has been finished and our GOATS ARE HERE!!

Back in May, they were still working on the outside of that building.

It turned out PERFECT.

You will have to stayed tuned to June posts for a photo of the building completely finished, roof and all!

We spend a lot of time at our library!

Of course with Lane working there, that makes sense, but we love books and love to read too.

It is a wonderful thing that the children enjoy reading!

I hope they keep that passion all of their lives like I have!

Friday night date night has changed!

Blake and I now have two or three sidekicks with us for date night!

I am not complaining!!

But I do think Blake and I should find another time to look at each other once a week, ha, ha!

We have fun with this younger trio of ours!

And they get to watch the sunset over the river with us!

Don’t worry, we buy them ice cream too!

Hymn Sing is still a once a month blessing.

It has been more hit and miss for most of the families as of late – and I miss the big joyful noise we all could make together!

It is still SO fun to be at our friend’s place once a month – one of my favorite places to be!!

We were in charge of dessert for May – strawberry peach dump cake was a big hit!

I am blessed to spend time with some sweet friends when we can!

One of my absolute besties and I met in town to take a long walk on some trails one Friday morning.

It started to rain right as we headed out, so we went and had coffee instead!

I cannot tell you how important it is to HAVE FRIENDS!!

Here is the best thing – I have friends from SO many seasons of life, places we lived – and we are all still friends!

So thankful!!

We had some appointments in May – as always.

The eye doctor rechecked my eye and all is stable!

I also had a yearly blood test check-up and all was great!

Sadie had a vet check-up too!

Lane has had some orthodontic appointments as well – the photos appear in the order of this list!

I am always glad when I can check all of these things off my list.

I was sad to notice that our large flour crock was cracked on the inside.

I had to throw the whole thing away!

I threw away the other two as well after looking at them closely and seeing how chipped up they were.

We have had them a LONG time and use them daily!

I do not have many more May photos of Miss Saige Grace, but just a few.

Just look at all her hair!

Someone grabbed a photo when Chad got to hold her for the first time too.

I have a cute one of Aspen and Chad too!!

Those grandchildren love their aunts and uncles so much!!

Ready for some food photos??

All those people in all these photos need to be fed, you know!!

Many times a day, ha, ha!

I am feeling inspired in the kitchen again these days – I have some yummy plans for June!!

But look at all this yummy stuff from May –

I have a confession to make.

I take WAY too many photos of the sky!

Is this really a bad thing though??

I think not!!

At least photo storage is now digital, right?

Can you imagine the boxes of printed sky photos I would have?!

I LOVE THE SKY.

It just says “God is with me” every time I look at it!!

Please take time to look at the sky too!

That was 20 photos of the sky in May and I only chose my favorites, ha!

Ok, it might actually be a problem!!

Addie Mae took this last photo below and I love it for SO many reasons.

First of all, everyone else was in shorts, t-shirts, and barefoot that night.

Notice my winter clothing.

I am clearly a pint low of something inside of my body – whatever the stuff is that keeps you warm!

Also, I did not even know that Addie was there!!

She captured a photo of me doing what I love – and I was totally lost in it as well.

Is taking photos of the sky just a mid-westerner thing?

Maybe, maybe not, but I bet the muck boots are!!

THAT WAS A LONG POST!

If there is anyone reading this, you all are crazy!!

Just kidding.

I just can’t leave anything out though, you know?

All of these things are BIG awesome things to me!

It’s the little things that are BIG things!!

I hope you all see the big in the little, and are enjoying the season change too!!

Happy June, everyone!!

SUMMER IS HERE!!!