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!
And we did have quite a celebration last week - a birthday celebration. Ryan turned 28 (how can it be!), and we had a big day here. The guys teamed up to play airsoft games outside on our 10 acres all day, and Alanna and I cooked up a huge roaster pot of chili with all the sides and fixin's.
Alanna made a homemade ice cream cake, and a gluten-free Buttered Coconut Cake. SOOO good!
And by the end of the day, this entire roaster was emptied! Lots of men with hungry bellies, and chili was the perfect meal for them.
We've been enjoying time on our back deck! A neighbor and her dog stopped by for a visit, and we enjoyed a cuppa tea together.
I spent time with Danielle and Danika this week. Danika and I made sourdough biscuits together. She is a big fan of homemade biscuits!
My tulips have bloomed! Hooray!
Alanna and I took a walk together with Baby Clara. The day was warm! All of a sudden, we are having temps in the 70s. It felt so good!
Baby Clara and Gramma took a bit of a nap together after we got back from our walk. Precious times together!
More tulip blooms!
Our precious neighbor turned 100 years old this week! Miss Irene is a treasure, so sweet and knows everyone. She has a large family, and there was a huge turnout on Saturday to her 100th birthday party. What an incredible milestone! She still lives in her own home with her daughter who lives with her, and son and daughter-in-law who live on the property. They raise cattle, and she stays very involved with the farm. Incredible people, and we are celebrating this incredible milestone with them!
My rhododendron has bloomed! Oh, the joy! Such colorful blooms to behold.
My forsythia, planted several years ago, is just now blooming this year! I'm so excited!
A sunset we enjoyed from our back deck recently. We are blessed here with such incredible skies!
On our morning walk this morning, I took this picture! Dan walks with me on the weekends. We walk 2 miles together. I praise God for His goodness that we are still together, walking, and enjoying His creation. I have so much to be thankful for!
Wild phlox is growing abundantly everywhere.
I am thankful for this season of abundant color, new growth, and rich blessings of the Lord. It seems like all of creation sings in Spring! The birdsongs are amazing to hear, the bees are buzzing, and the frogs are croaking. The chickens are happy foraging in the growing grass and chasing the bugs around.
I am thankful for this season of abundant color, new growth, and rich blessings of the Lord. It seems like all of creation sings in Spring! The birdsongs are amazing to hear, the bees are buzzing, and the frogs are croaking. The chickens are happy chasing the bugs around. We have heard that bugs and ticks are expected to be bad this year, so I am letting the chickens out in the evenings to forage, and hopefully get a head start on keeping the critters away.
I hope that you can find some time to sit out in the sunshine for a few minutes - soak up that precious vitamin D and let your body smile. Just enough sunshine is good for our bodies, but not too much of course (and that goes for many things!) We have a week of amazing temperatures ahead - 70 degrees most days this week! Perfect weather. I plan to enjoy every minute of it. I hope the weather is pleasant and beautiful where you live, and if it's not, I hope you can at least find a ray of sunshine to enjoy.
Thinking about sunshine, I found a video I made some time ago about Heavenly Sunshine... I think you will enjoy it.
So very much to be thankful for! I'm rejoicing with you, thinking of you and Dan walking together. Spring temps, flowers, sunshine and family are all such gifts from our Lord. Your neighbor is pretty incredible too!
The sunshine has been in abundance and Spring growth is thriving. I'm heading out soon to mow our acreage. I'll need to make sure and use my sunblock today. We've had lots of chatter about the weeds, too. :) What fun celebrations and get togethers you enjoyed. What a nice living arrangement for your 100 year old neighbor. Being able to live in your own home with family to help is such a blessing. Enjoy those sweet baby times!!
Thank you, Marilyn, for sharing all these tremendous spring blessings with us here! It seems that we are ages beyond daffodil blooms and dandelion debutantes, and we are now realizing that summer is in full swing here in Georgia. I'm so grateful for this journey back in seasonal time that you've shared here, dear friend. Blessings!
Such happy photos of memories you have captured with your camera! It is so good to read all your wonderful news. Attending a 100-year birthday is amazing! So good to hear you are enjoying the flowers and walks and time with family. God bless!
Wonderful reasons for celebrations! So glad to see you getting Spring color after the cold winter. And the babies have grown so much. Spring is renewal time and only He is worthy of all praise for this.
We are getting plenty of rain here lately, but I am thankful we are not in drought. We have had some warm days and then there are days like today when it was quit chilly out there. That's so wonderful to have so much blooming, we are enjoying our Iris right now. I enjoy when we can have the doors open to let in some of that fresh breeze! Hope you have a wonderful rest of May
We have snowflakes falling this morning here in Northwest Wisconsin. I love all the photos of the flowers, our tulips are blooming and I just love them dancing with the daffodils. I enjoyed all the photos. I loved your shout out to your 100 year old neighbor, what a blessing. Carla
How wonderful spring has arrived in north Idaho. We are in the thick of it here too. Oh, how very special that your neighbor turned 100! You don't see that that often. Baby Clara looks so sweet sleeping on your chest. And what a cute picture of Danika helping out with the homemade biscuits. Those sure would be good with a dab of butter, jam, and a cup of tea. Birthday wishes to Ryan, and what a nice celebration you had. Chili is the perfect meal, as it's filling and delicious. The buttered coconut cake sounds Yummy! Your red tulips are coming along beautifully. I have been wanting to visit the creek after a busy trip with the family, and your post with all the wonderful colors of spring has inspired me. I wish you blessed May days, Marilyn.
Every single time I come to your blog my spirit feels lighter and my heart is thankful and happy I "know" you. I would LOVE to visit Idaho someday. What a beautiful Spring you are having so far. Family and neighbor visits are a true blessing. I hope I look as good as your neighbor when I turn (hopefully!) 100! My goal was to live to 104 (no idea why that number but i was around 15 when I told my parents I was gonna live to 104) but I want my mind to stay sharp so......Or Jesus to come back in my life time..that would be so awesome! How is your arm/hand doing?? I was praying for you to heal well. Have a wonderful weekend!
Beautiful, beautiful photos and I miss that area so much. Your family is wonderful and so close. That is a true blessing. How fun to help celebrate the 100th birthday for your dear neighbor. That is an amazing number of years and to still be so active is a gift. Blessings and hugs, Betsy
What a wonderful post! Happy Belated Birthday to Ryan! The celebration looked so fun and what a comfort to have so many loved ones to participate and enjoy it with you! I am so thankful Dan is still with you, and I know you cherish every minute of those walks. May the Lord continue to bless you and Dan and your family, sweet friend. Sending much love to you, in Jesus' name!
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So very much to be thankful for! I'm rejoicing with you, thinking of you and Dan walking together. Spring temps, flowers, sunshine and family are all such gifts from our Lord. Your neighbor is pretty incredible too!
ReplyDeleteThe sunshine has been in abundance and Spring growth is thriving. I'm heading out soon to mow our acreage. I'll need to make sure and use my sunblock today. We've had lots of chatter about the weeds, too. :) What fun celebrations and get togethers you enjoyed. What a nice living arrangement for your 100 year old neighbor. Being able to live in your own home with family to help is such a blessing. Enjoy those sweet baby times!!
ReplyDeleteMay is off to a wonderful start in your world and I think that's wonderful! So much to celebrate and so many smiles and sweet baby faces!! Lovely!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marilyn, for sharing all these tremendous spring blessings with us here! It seems that we are ages beyond daffodil blooms and dandelion debutantes, and we are now realizing that summer is in full swing here in Georgia. I'm so grateful for this journey back in seasonal time that you've shared here, dear friend. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteSuch happy photos of memories you have captured with your camera! It is so good to read all your wonderful news. Attending a 100-year birthday is amazing! So good to hear you are enjoying the flowers and walks and time with family. God bless!
ReplyDeleteWonderful reasons for celebrations! So glad to see you getting Spring color after the cold winter. And the babies have grown so much. Spring is renewal time and only He is worthy of all praise for this.
ReplyDeleteWe are getting plenty of rain here lately, but I am thankful we are not in drought. We have had some warm days and then there are days like today when it was quit chilly out there. That's so wonderful to have so much blooming, we are enjoying our Iris right now. I enjoy when we can have the doors open to let in some of that fresh breeze! Hope you have a wonderful rest of May
ReplyDeleteWe have snowflakes falling this morning here in Northwest Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteI love all the photos of the flowers, our tulips are blooming and I just love them dancing with the daffodils.
I enjoyed all the photos.
I loved your shout out to your 100 year old neighbor, what a blessing.
Carla
So many wonderful Spring things in this post! The flowers, the get togethers, the cuddles with the grandchildren! All delightful and enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful spring has arrived in north Idaho. We are in the thick of it here too. Oh, how very special that your neighbor turned 100! You don't see that that often. Baby Clara looks so sweet sleeping on your chest. And what a cute picture of Danika helping out with the homemade biscuits. Those sure would be good with a dab of butter, jam, and a cup of tea. Birthday wishes to Ryan, and what a nice celebration you had. Chili is the perfect meal, as it's filling and delicious. The buttered coconut cake sounds Yummy! Your red tulips are coming along beautifully. I have been wanting to visit the creek after a busy trip with the family, and your post with all the wonderful colors of spring has inspired me. I wish you blessed May days, Marilyn.
ReplyDeleteEvery single time I come to your blog my spirit feels lighter and my heart is thankful and happy I "know" you. I would LOVE to visit Idaho someday. What a beautiful Spring you are having so far. Family and neighbor visits are a true blessing. I hope I look as good as your neighbor when I turn (hopefully!) 100! My goal was to live to 104 (no idea why that number but i was around 15 when I told my parents I was gonna live to 104) but I want my mind to stay sharp so......Or Jesus to come back in my life time..that would be so awesome!
ReplyDeleteHow is your arm/hand doing?? I was praying for you to heal well.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Such beautiful pictures and your granddaughters are so adorable! Happy Birthday to Ryan!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful photos and I miss that area so much. Your family is wonderful and so close. That is a true blessing. How fun to help celebrate the 100th birthday for your dear neighbor. That is an amazing number of years and to still be so active is a gift.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and hugs,
Betsy
The birthday celebration looks good - the menu sounded great! My daffodils have sadly finished already. It's getting too warm.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, thanks for sharing this happy month of May with us. Family and neighbors, children and chickens, yummy food and a whole lot of joy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post! Happy Belated Birthday to Ryan! The celebration looked so fun and what a comfort to have so many loved ones to participate and enjoy it with you! I am so thankful Dan is still with you, and I know you cherish every minute of those walks. May the Lord continue to bless you and Dan and your family, sweet friend. Sending much love to you, in Jesus' name!
ReplyDelete