Blue Nail Polish

Day 212/365
Today was a special day! It was the first day in over a week that Enavi woke up fever-free and feeling good. She has had a long, slow recovery and it has been really hard for her to be patient, but she did such a good job taking care of herself and getting lots of rest. I am so thankful that she is back to her smiley, bouncy self, and to celebrate we had a spa afternoon. We painted her finger nails and toe nails, played games and had fun just hanging out together while Jevin played at a friend's house. Tonight I got a picture of the smile that says, "I am so happy to be feeling better!"

Hosta Flowers

Day 211/365

Collage: Week 30

Collage: Week 29

Bumper Crop

Day 210/365
This is the story of a garden, a rather large garden planted lovingly ever year. The garden is planted with a variety of seeds, with hopeful, excited murmurs of the kinds of sweet goodness the cool earth holds for a summer harvest. Then this garden, which holds up its end of the bargain, gets neglected by varying degrees each year. This year, I have to admit, is pretty bad. The weather has been cool, rainy and just plain crummy and this garden has gone unnoticed for quite some time. Despite all of this, the garden still produces a mound of hot peppers for us to enjoy. Thankfully, there are also tomatoes, beans and zucchini. I see some spicy dinners in our future.

Fun with a Fedora

Day 209/365
Having a little fun in the yard with Jevin. :)

Fog in the Valley

Day 208/365

Purple Coneflower

Day 207/265
After spending most of the day yesterday in the emergency room with Enavi, it was good to have a day at home with little excitement. Enavi is still not feeling well: the fever, tummy ache and headache are hanging around, and she is still very sleepy. She has been able to keep liquids down, so that is definitely an improvement. We'll see how she's feeling tomorrow - we may end up back at the doctor's office if there isn't much improvement. Thank you for everyone's prayers, and please continue to pray for healing for her. It was a beautiful evening and I went for a quick drive towards sunset to take some pictures, which is when I found this small patch of purple coneflowers.

Hangin' in the ER

Day 206/365

Sick Day

Day 205/365
Poor little one! She's spent the past two days on the couch with a fever and upset tummy - she even dozed off this morning while watching a movie. Here's hoping she's feeling better soon.

Oreo

Day 204/365
Meet Oreo, our new bunny. We picked him up yesterday and got him all settled into his new home. The kids are so excited to have a pet bunny, and he really is a sweet little guy. He loved being outside today, exploring the grass and munching on some crisp Romaine.

Queen Anne's Lace

Day 203/365

VBS Trinity Necklace

Day 202/365
We are busy with Vacation Bible School this week. Today we made trinity necklaces during craft time and each color of bead represented one part of the trinity: white is for God the Father, red is for Jesus and silver is for the Holy Spirit. It has been so much fun talking with the kids about the one true God and His mighty power. I am thankful that we have this opportunity to meet more kids in our community and share God's love with them.

Wheat Take 2

Day 201/365
Another photo of the wheat in the field... I kind of like this perspective.

Epicnic

Day 200/365
Today I am sharing two of my favorite pictures from the Epicnic. Photo 1: Jevin, standing in the TARDIS outside of Deep Space. Photo 2: Our lunch - yum! Not pictured: chocolate cake, cream puffs and root beer floats. All I can say is that Epic sure knows how to throw a picnic in style.

Sting Ray Bay

Day 199/365
We took a trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo with Nana Sue and Grandpa Ken. We saw flamingoes, gorillas, chimpanzees, penguins, elephants, and kangaroos, just to name a few of the animals making appearances. We also stopped by the sting ray and shark exhibit and got to pet some of the rays. The kids were a little nervous at first, but once they got over their fear of sticking their hands in the water, they really enjoyed interacting with the sea life. Even Grandpa Ken pet a couple of the sting rays!

Fresh Sweet Corn

Day 198/365
We passed one of those road side stands today and they were selling fresh local produce, including sweet corn. The kids immediately decided to include sweet corn on the menu for tonight's dinner (which they were making) so we picked up a dozen ears. It's a little early for sweet corn, but we were not disappointed. We all happily gobbled down the juicy, sweet kernels.

Blue Mound Observation Tower

Day 197/365
We hiked through part of Blue Mound State Park and climbed both the east and west observation towers. It was a lovely afternoon to enjoy the park. Here are the girls, enjoying the beautiful view.

Ripe Raspberries

Day 196/365
Look at the beauties I found in our yard today - yum!

Collage: Week 28

Choose Your Own Adventure

Day 195/365
I used to love the Choose Your Own Adventure books when I was a kid. I would read each scenario in the book - there was something compelling about being in control of choosing the destiny of my fictional self. I have been picking up copies of the books when I find them at second hand stores and garage sales and now Jevin is hooked. I love hearing about the adventures he creates.

Golden Wheat

Day 194/365
I have wanted to take some pictures of this wheat field for a couple of weeks and tonight the conditions were just right: the wheat is almost ripe, a beautiful sunset, little to no wind, and I had time to sneak away before the kiddos were in bed. As I was crouching at the edge of the field, snapping away, I kept hearing a rustling sound. I started to get a little nervous, thinking some kind of critter was going to accidentally jump into my lap. I looked up and saw a deer walking slowly towards me through the wheat! Since I was down so low, it had no idea I was there. I watched it for a few beats, then I tried to take a picture without being seen, but I spooked it and it took off through the field. It was such an amazing moment, watching this lovely creature in secret, and I continued to marvel at its grace and beauty as I drove home.

Another Rainy Day

Day 193/365
We had more rain this afternoon, and the showers continued on and off into the evening. I know that I have shared several pictures of water drops on various things I've found outside, but I can't help myself from photographing the delicate drops again and again. I love seeing the tiny drops in magnified detail and I marvel at the way they shine and glimmer in perfect orbs. God's work is beautiful!

The Wheels on the Bike

Day 192/365

Collage: Week 27

Wildflowers

Day 191/365
I love seeing beautiful wildflowers on the side of the road and it seems like the ditches are exploding in color. I spotted these black-eyed Susans just down the road from our house and decided to stop for a picture.

Master Builder

Day 190/365
The master builder, surrounded by Lego bricks, hard at work early in the morning.

Yellow Lily

Day 189/365
I found these beautiful lilies in the garden today. They are so bright and sunny!

Spider's Web

Day 188/365

Reflection at Sunset

Day 187/365

S'mores

Day 186/365

Tubing

Day 185/365

Rose Lake Sunset

Day 184/365
A beautiful evening on the lake.

Dark Clouds

Day 183/365
It's beginning to feel like the rain will never end! It seems like everything is damp, leaking or muddy. The forecast says sunshine for the 4th of July, and I am looking forward to seeing the sun and blue sky while we celebrate at the lake.

Collage: Week 26

Collage: Week 25

Collage: Week 24

Radishes

Day 182/365
How is it July already?!? Today marks the halfway point in my Project 365, and I have to admit that is a pretty satisfying milestone. Another milestone, at least for our garden: we picked the first radishes today!