My Favorite Places

We visited my parents farm yesterday, and took the kids for a walk to explore and pick berries. I always LOVE to do this, as I love the beauty of the outdoors on their farm and pastures. Abbie, Jacob, & Taylor. Looking for tadpoles - found some too!

A view of my parents farm.

Neat old barn and the interior view of it.

Freezing Cold Weather - My Goodness!

Brrrr . . . my goodness is it ever COLD outside . . FRIGID COLD! I had -23 below zero this morning on my drive in to work. Yes, I had to venture out regardless of the outside temperature (I work at a hospital, so the doors are open 24/7/365). Not only is it that cold, we also have wind, with windchills reaching -40 to -50 below zero! I literally ran from the parking lot to my work entrance this morning to get inside to the warmth.

Needless to say, I took this photo of Abbie and Jacob sledding a few weeks ago when the temps. were quite a bit warmer!

All the area schools (actually most in the state) are closed today. Mike works construction and the project his company is working on is still exterior work, so he's off spending the day at home with the kids. (I'm secretly hoping they're driving him nuts, but I know ~ shame on me for thinking such)!

I love the winter scenery, but I really do not like this frigid cold!! Hope everyone is staying warm! :)

Snow Fun

I took these photos on my drive into work last week, overlooking the frozen lake.

We had quite a bit of fluffy snow last week. Jacob loves being outside, but this was really the first time he's been out to play in the snow . . and as you can see, he didn't like it very much after just a few minutes. Awwww.

Reflecting . . .

I took this peaceful photo a couple of mornings ago on my drive in to work. I cross a lake I live nearby daily, and had to stop as the sunrise was beautiful with the clouds and slight bit of fog atop the water.

Looking at this peaceful photo I now reflect upon how fragile life is. A child I know has just lost his brother to suicide at a very young age. Not only has he lost his brother, but his mother also passed a couple of years ago due to the same reason. His family is broken and he has gone through so many hardships in his short life. My heart breaks as my thoughts and prayers are with him, that he may overcome his grief and deal with all he's had to endure in a positive way.

Please keep your loved ones close and let them know just how much you love them. Live your life to the fullest each and every day, and let your love shine upon those those close you.

My Favorite Views

I just love to spend time at the family farm where I grew up. My parents have a lot of farmland and a few great pastures with nice meadows. Here are a few of my favorite places.