A few highlights...

At the end of August we were in Canada for a family reunion. Alfie took a day on his own to go climb a mountain.

We went out hiking together, too, and added an Inuksuk to a rocky shoreline. (Yes, Kristin, those are your pants.)

September found us camping in Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota. This was the view from our campsite right by a lake.

The wind on Lake Superior was very strong, creating great waves and causing the gulls to fly without getting anywhere. This is the same spot where we played in the rocks with the kids when Alfie's family came to visit in 2012. It was very different with the wind and waves!

I wanted to see waterfalls on this trip, so I found us some new ones to hike to before we headed north. Special thanks to bloggers who write about "waterfalls of the North Shore." You people are great.

A State Park waterfall

Chicago for Thanksgiving! My cousins have been asking us to come for years now, and this was the year it finally happened. A bunch of us went up to the John Hancock Observatory the day after Thanksgiving - only 39 seconds to the 94th floor. That is where Alfie had his picture taken with the penguins and we saw beautiful views of Chicago and Lake Michigan.

We've wanted to see The Bean in Chicago since it was created. It is even more beautiful than we expected!

My Uncle Frank took our picture outside the John Hancock Observatory.

In addition to our planned Christmas company we had some extra special visitors. Two pairs of cardinals had lunch together in the bush in front of our kitchen window on Christmas Day.

My aunts gave us a moose welcome sign for Christmas! It says "Welcome to Alfie and Maria's" on the sign he's holding. And there's our tree with an owl on top :-)

Snow Nessie

There was a really nice day the weekend after Christmas, so we got outside and built a Snow Nessie in our front yard. The neighborhood is enjoying it.

"These Are Written"

Just sharing a song we are enjoying right now... "These Are Written" by The Lockwoods

Gladiolus bloom

Spring! (now that it's June)

We have had a late spring this year, but now that it's June the lilacs are blooming and the hostas are filling in. Our hand-me-down strawberry patch is looking great already its first year at our house. I'm getting excited about having some kids over to pick berries... Picking season is coming! Hooray!

Look at all those future berries! Mmm...

Alfie's mom gave me this basket on one of her visits. I think this year's arrangement is my favorite of what I've done with it so far. Violas and petunias... lots of purple.

This Jack-in-the-pulpit was given to us by one of Alfie's customers. It has an inflorescence this year! Honestly I had forgotten about it until I went outside one morning and saw this. That was a fun surprise!

Last spring we brought home a clump of lilac from my aunt in Wisconsin. This year it's blooming!

Life, dancing, and the passage of time

Yes, it has been over half a year since my last blog post. Why is that? Life. Priorities. Pushing aside some things to make room for other things. It probably won't change much going forward, but you never know. Maybe I'll be inspired and have a flurry of blogs again at some point. I do expect to be here to share pictures after our trip to Canada for the big family reunion this summer.

These past few months have been interesting. Summer 2012 brought a free Zumba class to my church, which (to make a long story shorter) led to me becoming a licensed Zumba instructor in October so that we could continue having this class for the women. Picture me leading a Latin-dance exercise class. Oh yes, it's true. We have a lot of fun and it has proven to be a good avenue of women's fellowship in the church. People are connecting, and that is really the point. Although I have also lost 12 pounds so far this year. That is a very important sub-point. Our bathroom scale quit working years ago, so in January when the scales went on sale I got us one. How depressing that was... But seeing a scary number was the push I needed to count calories and get even more significant exercise. Two or three times a week doesn't cut it when you have a desk job.

"We're not 19 anymore," my friend says. What a difference a decade makes.

Red

One of this year's newest additions to the garden is a collection of canna lilies from my aunt. We made a circle plot for them in the front yard in the spring, and we have some nice blooms right now (pictures below). We also just planted a strawberry patch that was "free to a good home." Yes, an entire patch. (Really, enough for a few patches...) It's always fun getting plants from people you know!

of berries and family

Part of a great raspberry crop. Our plants are growing up!

We found time to go strawberry picking this year after missing out last year... Alfie washes, I slice and pack.

Our special visitors this summer! Dottie decided after a few days (and much effort of the part of the kids) that she didn't have to be afraid. She made friends with Liberty while she was having some crackers.

"Bob and Larry" -by Renee and Maria on the shore of Lake Superior

We all drove to Duluth one day to meet up with Joel and Renee and their kids.

Canal Park after watching a ship go under the lift bridge.

...for a friend's son...

I have a special prayer request for you today. My "brother" (in Christ & African style!) Fofana told me this week that his teenage son, Tee, will be having another heart surgery in August. For any of you who do not know the story, Tee has the same sort of heart defect that my brother died from when he was a baby. Tee, however, was born in a different time and was able to be saved. But he has had to have multiple surgeries throughout his life, and this will be his fourth time having surgery on the same spot. Repeated surgeries on the same spot get more and more risky. So please pray for Tee's health and this family's peace in the Lord.

Goon Day!

Happy Goon Day, Kristin!

I miss you, friend.
As you can see, the tree face looks great!

Spring

We got some more free hosta from a neighbor this year, and they are all looking great!

The feeders have been very busy with finches, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, bluejays, cardinals, doves...

Our lilac hedge bloomed in May and the butterflies and moths were loving it.

This swallowtail hovered around from bloom to bloom for about half an hour one sunny evening while I was in the garden.

This year's pink lily bloom has been awesome! They are just getting to be past their peak now.

One of our four clematis vines - lots of blooms this year!

Our newest clematis vine, just planted last year, is doing well and finding its way up the post.

June 4

June 4. Today was the day Alfie and I met Emily when we visited our friends at the NICU.

June 4 was also the day my brother died, at about six months old, before I was born. When we visited Emily I thought about him, and as we took a picture of her with her parents I thought about how all I know of Michael is photographs, like this one. Many pictures of him are with lots of tubes and whatever else obscuring the view of him. My mom has told me that NICU nurses commented to her on her great ability to see the baby and not the tubes. Many people cannot get past the tubes, they said.

Technology. Today there are easier ways to capture a movie... Emily's younger siblings get to see her alive, though they never knew her when she was alive on this earth. That is special.

I do not feel sad about my brother dying. I have seen the pictures of him with tubes, and I have heard the stories of the constant crying from pain. He died and I have hope that he is now with Christ, with no more tubes, and no more pain. My mom has a sad moment sometimes, remembering what he went through, but she says they pass quickly because she knows he is in heaven. Her sadness is replaced with great joy.

Someone asked me once, "Do you ever wonder why your brother died of a heart defect and then you were born healthy?" I live because God allowed me to live. I woke up this morning by the grace of God. I made it home from work by the grace of God. I could wonder about those things just as much! But I don't, because God is sovereign, and my faith and trust is in Him and His plan and His timing which is beyond any human understanding. All I can do is pray for wisdom and grace to live the life He has given me in a way that brings Him glory.

Be Still, My Soul

Be still, my soul! the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul! thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul! the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul! when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

(written in 1752 by Katharina von Schlegel)

In memory of Emily Grace on her birthday.

Anniversary weekend

Last weekend was our sixth wedding anniversary! Alfie took Friday off and we headed up to Duluth for some time away. The weather was great on Friday, so we went hiking at Jay Cooke State Park first thing. Saturday was snow/rain so we stayed in for the morning at our lovely villa, then went to Canal Park for the Art Hop, and finally a wonderful meal at Va Bene. Sunday before heading for home we did the Lester River trails.

View from the swinging bridge at Jay Cooke

Sunning on a tree... There were lots of moths out and about. We saw a pine marten this trip, too. It crossed the trail in front of us, stopping to stare for a while before disappearing into the woods.

Staying warm by the fire at Mountain Villas

Lester Park trails - we thought of you when we took this picture, Kristin!

Down by the Lester River at "the shallows"

One-woman cello orchestra

We went to see Zoe Keating in concert last night at The Cedar. It was amazing. One of my favorites was "Escape Artist." She creates her sound by layering many tracks of acoustic cello.

Wall Hanging

Kristin made this for me! Mr. and Mrs. Otter hanging out at the sea... :-D

Compassion

Both of my sponsored children have birthdays in June. I'm thinking about it now because I need to write soon to get a letter to them around the time of their birthdays. The one I've had the longest (Daniela) is turning 14, and the other (Murni) is turning 18.

It's hard to believe they are so old. Daniela has been mine since she was 5... She's gone from having letters written by her mom, to starting to color me pictures on her own, to practically being a professional artist she draws so well now. She's been writing the letters herself for years now, and it is encouraging to read of her faith in Jesus and her joy.

Murni would normally be exiting the program soon as she becomes an adult, but it is my understanding that I will get to sponsor her longer because she has a hearing disability. We'll see. She is not a Christian, but she hears about Christ through this program. I pray that God will open her heart soon.

First Fire of the Year

Our high yesterday was 80F. Yes, it was March 16... and yes, it was in Minnesota. Unfathomable.

So we had our first backyard fire of the year! A bunch of people came over, we roasted marshmallows and hot dogs, and had a splendid time.

The fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter, and is about as ample at one season as at another.  It is as well for cheerfulness as for warmth and dryness.  ~Henry David Thoreau

To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world.  ~Charles Dudley Warner

The Sunbather...

She does enjoy a good sunbeam... And she's finally learned to follow them across the room. *smile*

Strawberry Cheesequake

Dairy Queen came out with Blizzard-themed ice cream cakes. That was when Alfie and I realized that there would one day be an ice cream cake without chocolate, and when we saw a picture of the Strawberry Cheesequake cake a couple years ago, we knew we had to try one sometime!

We've done something other than get each other cards for Valentine's Day the last few years, since the really good cards have gotten more and more expensive. Last year we went to Izzy's. This year Alfie got me a Strawberry Cheesequake cake! Ah, Maria-friendly ice cream goodness...

Hmm.

It's not that I've lost all interest in blogging.

Often there will be something I think of to share, but then I either never get to it or I decide against it.

There are three things I really enjoy blogging about. You probably know what they are... Travels, gardening, and house projects. I thought about why that is. All three of these things lend themselves to good photo opportunities - I like blogs with photos. All of these things are of general interest - easy ways to share a little of our life to stay connected with the extended family and far away friends, who are my primary audience. And, they are all mostly happy or at least exciting, entertaining, or funny things.

So here's the thing. We haven't gone anywhere since the Washington trip in the fall. It is winter, so the garden is dormant. And the only fun house project we've done in some time was putting a pretty film on our bathroom window...

I do have one funny anecdote. Dottie got her teeth cleaned yesterday, and when I brought her home her mouth was still numb, apparently. She was trying to drink and it was evident that she couldn't tell where the water was in the bowl. Then she was trying to eat, and when she came away from her food dish she unknowingly had food all over her chin. She went around like that for a while. It was cute.

But I don't have a picture.

So. If you have any idea what I should blog about during the bleak midwinter, leave a comment. Have you checked our blog and seen no update for weeks on end and thought to yourself, "Why don't they blog about ____," please share.