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Thimbleberry Jam

Posted on 11 August, 2017 by rachel

If you’re like most people, you’ve never heard of Thimbleberries. You won’t find them in a store, and they probably don’t grow where you live. Thimbleberries are similar to raspberries, but only grow in the Keweenaw peninsula of the upper … Continue reading →

Posted in Food Tagged Canning, Jam, Thimbleberries

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I'm choosing to notice and appreciate more this season. Grumbling about the snow comes more naturally, but all of my complaining isn't going to bring spring any sooner. So I might as well settle in and look for the good. ⁣ ⁣ Today's list: an hour outside with just my big kid. Kitten mitten puppet shows, sunshine, and more sled runs than I can count. ⁣ ⁣ What are you appreciating today?

For the past few years, Bob has had a trade show the first full week of January. We have a couple of days after Christmas and New Year, Bob leaves, and it's The Mom Show for a week. ⁣ ⁣ We always survive, with much thanks to help from our families. And we're always, ALWAYS grateful to see him walk in the door at the end of the week. ⁣ ⁣ I tell you that to say our new year is slow to start. In many ways, it feels like today is our first day back into routine after the holidays. We're getting back to a regular schedule, normal meals, and not as much time in the car. I'm ready. ⁣ ⁣ January 1 is arbitrary, friends. You have 365 days (366 this year!) to start something, stop something, make a change, or declare a do over. You aren't behind. You didn't miss it. You haven't failed. ⁣ ⁣ Today is just as good a day as another to create the life you want to live. Here's to making it happen! #preachingtomyself

SLOW // our house moves at a pretty glacial pace. Most days, our living room looks like this. One kid is in her fort. Another is collecting things in a pot from the play kitchen. The last kid is fiddling with the dress up shoe she found. ⁣In other words, they're doing nothing and everything all at the same time. ⁣ We move slowly, spend a lot of time at home, have lots of space for play, and I wouldn't have it any other way for them. ⁣ ⁣ Do I get bored? Sometimes. But I know when they're older and we have practices and lessons and places to be and more things to fill our calendar, I'll miss these slow days at home. ⁣ ⁣ [Thanks for the prompt, ⁣ @hopewriters!]

OPEN // one of my goals for 2020 is to write more. I want to open a journal (or a post draft) and write words more often. ⁣ ⁣ @bobs_the_word gave me this lovely little journal for Christmas. Each date gets a page, there are a few lines for each year, and space for 5 years. ⁣ ⁣ So far it's nothing profound, and I don't expect it ever will become such. But in 5 years, to have a book full of our little moments? It'll be the best. ⁣ ⁣ Here's to opening the book, the blog post, the story slide, and appreciating the lovely, normal days all the more because I took the time to notice them. ⁣ ⁣ [Thanks for the prompt, @hopewriters!]

LIGHT // where I live in Michigan, we typically have 4-5 months of snow each year. We'll very likely have snow 3 months from now, and it's fine, I'm fine, we're all fine.⁣ ⁣ Honestly, it isn't the snow that makes winter difficult for me-it's all the overcast days. The gray, the dreariness, the lack of sunshine and blue sky. It gets to me! ⁣ ⁣ But this year? We've had such a strange winter and have had so many days full of light, long shadows, and sun streaming into the windows. It makes everything feel more tolerable! ⁣ ⁣ Today, I'm grateful for the sunshine, for these 3 kids, for our sled, and for the beautiful place we get to call home. I'm crossing my fingers we'll have a winter full of light like we had today!⁣ ⁣ [Thanks for the creativity prompt @hopewriters!]

NEW // it's a new year and a new decade!⁣ ⁣ My word for the year is CREATE, and for the first time in a few years I've set some tangible, project based goals for the new year. I want to try some new things and make new things and do new things.⁣ ⁣ After having Julia and the twins, I'm so excited to be back in a phase of my life where I can dream and have margin make good on those dreams. ⁣ ⁣ I'm filled with such optimism for this year, and can't wait to see what it has in store. ⁣ ⁣ I'm tagging along with @hopewriters in their 7 day creativity challenge. Click the tag to play along!

I love a good excuse to decorate some cupcakes!

Guys! I opened an etsy shop! Link in profile. I have peg dolls+buckets+rings, and these fun stacking bowls and plates. Check @theintentionaltoybox out on etsy!

It's Advent! I love this time of year, but the pressure to do all of the (complicated, time consuming) things is so real. So I have a couple of resource ideas for you to make these next few weeks meaningful without sacrificing all of your free time. ⁣ ⁣ For you: super brief daily devo in my stories. I'm using the weekly advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. I don't pretend to be very profound, but I hope they'll be bite sized reminders to quiet your soul and remember that our heavenly Father loves you so much this season and always. ⁣ ⁣ For your kids: head to @gatherandgrowco to download their advent reading guide. We did Day 1 at lunch and used our children's Bible and it took about 2 minutes - perfect for tiny people (s/o @emilyamccord for the rec!)⁣ ⁣ Anything you're especially looking for to this month? Honorable mention to @shereadstruth if you want to go a bit deeper. Their studies are always fantastic!

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