I don't even know where this beautiful month of June has gone! But it has been a busy one - full of lots of wonderful summer activities. We had a very special Father's Day together with the kids, then there was a neighborhood branding, a neighborhood girls' birthday party, and quite a few get-togethers with friends and family. June has been a beautiful month with abundant sunshine!  We have even gotten quite a bit of rain, which has been such a blessing. We are truly blessed beyond measure. 

My clematis is beginning to bloom! Its glorious purple blooms are just starting, and I can't wait until it completely fills out. My scarlett runner beans are off to a "running" start, and it won't be long before they cover the trellis!

The clematis blooms are so vibrant that the pictures don't even do them justice!

It is now raspberry season! I picked the first ripe ones today. You can see the bushes are loaded! I have been thrilled to see all the native honeybees busily working the raspberries this year. The mild winter certainly enabled the bees to have an easier year, I think!

We enjoy watching the sunset from our back porch. The evening skies never disappoint!

A massive pot of chili for a gathering of dear friends we hadn't seen in many years. It was so good to have us all together, and chili is a great meal to serve a lot of people!

Some blooms in my garden - I like finding vintage metal pieces to use as flower pot displays.

I am enjoying my Pampered Chef Snackle Box! It has a couple of ice trays you can freeze and that keeps the food cold. It comes with a snapping lid that you can carry to picnics and gatherings. It has been wonderful to eat healthier at picnics and get-togethers!

A local town has a huge flag that flies above the downtown area. It is magnificent to see, especially when the wind is blowing gently.

Our neighbors held their annual branding event. It was such a beautiful day.

The mommas had to be separated from the calves, but they were let out into a field with lots of tall green grass, and that helped keep them content while they were temporarily separated.

Their tractor carried a hay wagaon that we were able to sit on and watch the branding.

Now... the mommas are not happy after they realize their calves were separated from them.

Our dear neighbor, 100 years old this year! She is the matriarch of this beautiful family that manages the cattle and comes out on the hay wagon to oversee the event.

The calves had to be herded through the chute to get the brand.

This little one looked like he was not too happy!

This was before the cows were let into the field without their calves.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

This is a non-fiction memoir of one woman's 21 years living in Ecuador.

Lorrie takes the reader on a journey from her arrival in Ecuador with her husband through the years of raising three children and experiencing unique adventures that stretched her faith. Life in Short but Wide invites you to experience the honesty of a cross-cultural experience that includes heartbreak and humour on a path that led to beauty and grace.

When Lorrie Orr looks at how God has shown up in her life, she is filled with gratitude for the faithfulness of God in times of shadow, questions, and joy. Her life is an illustration of how stepping out in faith can lead to a life filled with grace and beauty

You will learn how Lorrie came to use the phrase Life is Short But Wide in the story, and it will be profound, I assure you! You definitely want to read her story :)

The giveaway is only open to US residents. Please leave a comment on the post below letting me know you are entering the giveaway. I cannot send the book to anyone with anonymous comments, so please be sure to leave me a link to your blog or a way to contact you. The giveaway will be open for two weeks and will close on Sunday, July 19th, with the winner announced on Monday, July 20th. I know that you will be blessed to read her story, and if you are interested in purchasing her book, here is the link: Life is Short But Wide. 

Today is Canada Day, and I want to take this opportunity to wish all my dear Canadian readers a Happy Canada Day! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating! I was blessed to be born in Canada and to have enjoyed all the bountiful blessings of growing up on Prince Edward Island. I have wonderful family members and friends there who I love dearly! Wishing all of them a Happy Canada Day! 

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend celebrating the 4th of July, and our nation's 250th birthday! I have a dear friend who calculated how long she has been alive for the years' length of this nation. I did the math for myself, and I have been alive for 20.89% of the 250 years of this great nation! Wow! 

Sharing an old video I did some years ago of a collection of patriotic music. These are some of my very favorite patriotic songs! I wish each of you a blessed and special time celebrating Canada's birthday today, and the United States of America's birthday on July 4th! God bless you all!  

Happy Canada Day and Happy July 4th! 

Happy Memorial Day! We had a quiet Memorial Day at home this year as our semi-trucks had some big mechanical issues, and it took the entire weekend to fix them. I took this picture Sunday evening as the sun was setting - it was such a pretty sky. I am so grateful for the men and women who sacrificed so much for the incredible freedoms that we enjoy today! We remember their sacrifice with great gratitude! 

The lilacs are in bloom, along with my crabapple and bridal wreath spirea, and their blossoms are absolutely transforming my days right now. Every chance I get, I stop to breathe in the bouquets I’ve brought into the house or wander outside just to enjoy their fragrance. Why? Because they don’t last long. I only get to enjoy this once a year, and their bloom time is so short, just a week or two at most. Lilacs are my very favorite fragrant flowers, so I’m happily indulging my senses and sniffing away, lol!

Happy May, everyone! Finally, we get to hear Spring's announcement: "I have arrived!" Daffodils are blooming, swallows are swooping, wrens are calling, and tulips are blooming. Yes. Spring has finally arrived here in North Idaho, and it is cause for celebration! After winter, when the blooms begin to share their glory, it is cause for joy and celebration in our hearts! 

This year’s Easter season was especially meaningful and memorable in so many ways. Just this past week, Riley and I were out walking when I happened to glance up at the clear blue sky and saw an incredible cloud formed in the shape of a heart!

In that moment, I knew it was a special message from the Lord, a reminder of His love and how deeply He loves me, to create such a beautiful, fluffy cloud in the shape of a heart just to bless mine.

His greatest gift of love was given over 2,000 years ago on the cross, where He died for me. And yet, even today, His love continues to reach me in the most incredible ways. It is in the little gifts, these quiet, beautiful moments, that make my heart sing, because in them, I feel His great love for me.

We had so much fun celebrating Danielle's 30th birthday together! We did some shopping and ate lunch together. I bought Danielle a fun St. Patrick's Day headband.  Danika loved the headband and wanted to wear it too! 

She wanted to be just like her beautiful Momma!

Danika loves to shop! She found a teddy bear almost as big as herself to carry around!

And when she got tired, she found the perfect bench in the toy section!

It was such a fun day! Danielle and I were talking about her 30th birthday. Danielle said she feels old, and I said I feel old too! Where have the years gone?! But we are thankful for every year the Lord has blessed us with, and that is how we have to look at it :) 

We had a windstorm come through our area, and after it passed, Riley and I took a walk to check on our acreage to see if there were any downed trees.  Thankfully, there were none! That is amazing, considering how long we had the winds, and so many around us lost trees.

When we got home from our walk, I realized I had dropped a glove, so we had to retrace our steps, and finally found it just as I was about to give up! Right on the road, not long after I had stopped to put them in my pockets. I prayed as I walked, asking the Lord to lead me to the glove, because I had walked all over our property, and there was not enough snow to retrace my steps. Thankfully, the Lord answered my simple prayer! Not a big deal, but a small prayer. Answered! Thank you, Lord!

Springtime is making its entrance! Happy First Day of Spring!

I went ahead and started some seeds! I counted out on my calendar 12 weeks to our first frost date, and that is the first week of June, from March 18. So these seeds will have plenty of time to grow before planting time comes. We can't plant up here until the first week of June due to late frosts that we often get.

My Pampered Chef order has arrived! OOOH so exciting! I was able to get some new dishes!

I absolutely love these cream-colored dishes. They have gently curved edges with a beautiful glaze, and are just so pretty.

A recent meal prepared for some guests - I made chicken fajitas (using the seasoning recipe found in my cookbook). It was all so good.

I will share the recipe for the chicken fajitas below. I cooked these fajitas in the oven, such a simple and wonderful way to make them! I usually double the recipe below and keep the seasoning in a jar to use as needed.  FAJITA SEASONING MIX:  6 tsp chili powder 3 tsp paprika 1-1/2 tsp cumin 1-1/2 tsp garlic powder 1-1/2 tsp onion powder 3 tsp dried oregano 3 tsp salt 1 tsp cayenne pepper 3 tsp sugar (optional)  Mix all ingredients together and store in a glass jar. Use 1 pound of meat per 2 Tbsp seasoning.  Chicken Fajitas: Place 1 pound of thin chicken breasts (slice breasts in half if thick) into a bowl. Stir in 2 tbsp fajita seasoning and 1 Tbsp lime (or lemon) juice. Mix well, cover, and let marinate for several hours in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, heat the grill to 400 and grill chicken until done, about 10-15 minutes. Slice chicken into thin bite-sized pieces and serve with heated tortillas, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.  Beef Fajitas: Place 1-2 pound skirt steak in a bowl with 2 Tbsp fajita seasoning and 1 Tbsp lime (or lemon) juice.  Mix well, cover, and refrigerate to marinate. When ready to cook, heat the grill to 400 and grill until done, 10-15 minutes. Slice steak and serve with heated tortillas, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

After my last post, where I lamented the lack of winter that we've had, I believe the Lord heard my prayers {smiles}. We have had several rounds of snow ever since I posted that! We needed it so badly! I know many are disheartened by its late arrival, but come August, we will be so very thankful for this badly needed snow that we've gotten! Riley and I are beside ourselves with joy! Unfortunately, it is too wet and sticky to ski in, and most of it melts by the end of the day - even so, early in the mornings, we get to walk and enjoy it! 

This year, Spring's arrival isn't nearly as anticipated as it usually is. I don't remember having a winter like this with such a scarcity of snow and cold. Now, I can hardly believe that the clocks have jumped forward, and Spring is making its appearance! We are still getting heavy frosts, but with no snow, early spring blooms will arrive soon! The skies have been amazing, my sweet kitty Ash joined me on an evening walk as the sun was setting. She and I both were so amazed at the skies! 

Oh, the sunsets the Lord has been painting the skies with lately! This was His Valentine to me this week! Isn't it special! Riley and I were walking one evening as the sky's colors began to shift into this grand display. Oh, the wonder in my heart, and the praise on my lips to the Lord for His sweet blessings that come to me just like this. 

Sharing The Things We've Learned...

In my last post, I mentioned that I wanted to share a post outlining all we have learned while attending Cardiac Rehab after Dan's heart attack, as well as our own research and what worked to allow him a full recovery and return to work with no restrictions! So here it is! Just warning you... this will be a rather long post! You might need a healthy snack and a favorite beverage! 

The last three months since Dan's heart attack have been filled with doctor's visits, travel to Cardiac Rehab, and doing all we can to get as healthy as possible, together.  All of this work was in anticipation of a required test (an echocardiogram) that would determine if Dan could go back to work. 

In my last post, I mentioned how excited I was that we were about to get some snow... now I know many of my readers don't care for snow at all, but you know how much I do LOVE the snow. Last week, the snow began to fall. It hasn't been a whole lot, we perhaps have about 8", but still, it has arrived! 

Happy New Year 2026! I know we say it every year, but it seems the year slides by faster and faster. I am not sad to see 2025 in the rearview mirror. It was a good year in many ways, but it has also been a difficult year. So we look forward to the New Year of 2026, and whatever it may hold, by faith we know that the Lord will be with us and all is well.