Last weekend, it finally warmed up enough for us to spend some longer stretches of time outdoors! It felt amazing! The sun shone for most of Saturday, so we brought Sophie over to my in-laws' farm and she got to try out her new rain boots in the farm yard! As I watched her run around happily, it struck me that the last time the weather was this warm (last fall), she wasn't even walking much yet! So that fun afternoon spent exploring outside ushered in a whole new era for us: Sophie-girl now gets … [Read more...]
Soybeans at Sunset (+ a promo code!)
These long summer days here in southern Minnesota are absolutely gorgeous...and the sunsets are equally stunning! Nowhere else have I seen this much golden light at magic hour, with such a beautiful expansive horizon! It's safe to say that the horizons and the light are one of my very favorite things about living here. The other night, on one of the longest days of the year, Bjorn and I hopped in our truck and rumbled down dirt road after dirt road until we got to our own soybean field. … [Read more...]
The Biggest Vacuum You’ve Ever Seen
We had some really nice weather a couple weekends ago - that mild, spring weather that reminds you winter can't have a grip on you forever! :) Bjorn wanted to get a good amount of our stored soybeans (from last fall's harvest) shipped out to a soybean oil plant, so he and his dad worked hard on getting those beans loaded and driven up to another town. I went with Bjorn after school one Friday to pick up a Vac-U-Vator we were renting for the weekend's work. Before then, I had had no idea … [Read more...]
Our chickens are all grown up!
Remember when Bjorn and I got 31 little chicks back in February? And remember how we kept them in a box (and then a cage) in our living room for a while? :) We got so used to their little peeping coming from their box in the other room - it was kinda sad when we moved them out to the farm! They've been living at my in-laws' farm for a few months now. They're 4 months old and have definitely outgrown that awkward "teenager" phase! I've always loved the stripes on Barred Rocks, and now that … [Read more...]
The puppy we’ll pretend is ours :)
Today is a good day. Not only because it's Friday, and not only because I'm sharing some super cute photos of a precious puppy (who doesn't like Fridays or puppies?!)...but because it heralds a weekend of celebration with family! My sister-in-law Amy graduates from veterinary school in Iowa tomorrow and we can't WAIT to celebrate with her! Amy is a year older than my husband and me, and it's been such a blessing to get to know her more over the years. I never had an older sibling growing up … [Read more...]
Our Chicks: 7 Weeks Old
Our 31 little chickens are doing well! They're over 7 weeks old now and they're looking a LOT different from their first photo shoot and their pictures at 3 weeks! They're getting a lot more adult-like every day! It's fun to see them ease out of that more awkward teenage phase. It will be fun once we figure out who's male and who's female (we had ordered a "straight run" since the all-females runs were sold out and it's cheaper to just get an unknown mix). I'm hoping for … [Read more...]
Moving the Chickens (An Evening at the Farm)
If you weren't aware, Bjorn and I have had baby chickens living in our living room for the past few weeks! By the end of last week, it was time for them to move out. :) They've gotten old enough that they aren't as fragile, and they surely need more space now! This whole journey has been so much fun. Our baby chicks arrived in a box at the post office back in February. We brought them home, put them in their new box with a heating lamp, and taught them how to drink water. They grew … [Read more...]
Our Chicks: 3 Weeks Old
Our 30 baby chicks are still doing well! They're relatively used to us as we do daily life around the house, and we're used to their cute cheeping coming from their box (now a cage) downstairs. They sure are cute, although sadly they'll be transitioning into that awkward, less attractive phase soon. :) So, a few days ago I grabbed a couple of them and forced them to do another ultra-fun photo shoot with me...which may or may not happen again due to the amount of squawking, flapping(!!), … [Read more...]