1st grade {after the fact.}

Our reading theme this past year was "Reading is Radical." Lots of tie dye. =)
We started out the year with an all-district (elementary schools) dance party! It was fun, but definitely a little crazy!

These directed drawings are always some of my favorite things. =)

Halloween parade through downtown and the local nursing home...

It was COLD that morning!!

Thanksgiving feast...

3rd grade buddies sharing a project they created...

Building towers (Science unit on Solids/Liquids/Gases)...

Best food drive mascot EVER!

17 years.

My Facebook post on our anniversary... 

On this day I thought marriage was all love and happiness and a fairytale. 17 years later, I know that marriage is work. There IS love and happiness, but there's also CHOOSING to love, even when things aren't happy. And choosing to LOVE each other even when there are times you don't really like each other. It's choosing US over everything else. And 17 years later... I still choose us. ❤ ‪#‎ichooseus‬

 {17 years. #ichooseus}

And Corey's Facebook post... (He's hilarious. Just ask him. He'll tell you how funny he is.)

17 years ago, she was the luckiest girl in the world...

We're working hard on this marriage thing lately. Trying to make it more of a priority. Trying to spend more time together, just one on one. Realizing how easy it is to take your spouse for granted and not always give them your best. And realizing that we want to give each other our best. But it's not always easy. He may have asked me last night if I could change my love language to something different, since he's really not that good at speaking mine. At least he's aware of what it is, right? =) 

It may not be easy. It may take some work. 

But it's worth it. 

Here's to 17 more years... 

smidget.

We haven't had the best luck with cats out here on the farm. At one point we had 8. (And that was before Smidget was born!) Now we have 2. Most of them we blame on the coyotes or a big owl that lives out here and perches on top of our barn or garage. Two were cars. We've gotten pretty used to it, but losing this little one definitely hurt the worst.. 

Both Simone and her kittens were supposed to be outdoor cats. But Simone really wanted inside. We would let her in to snuggle sometimes, but she always slept outside. Then she had two kittens right before Thankgiving. And it got crazy cold. Only 1 made it. It didn't take long for these two to get moved inside.

Smidget was spoiled rotten from Day 1. No doubt about it.

I do own other sweatshirts, I promise. This one's just my favorite. And apparently I wear it a LOT. 

We found this little kitten everywhere. The sink... the dishwasher... inside cabinets... the washing machine... the bathtub... the toilet. (That's a good story!)

You are missed so much, sweet Smidget. I think I took it harder than any of the kids. They are all quickly becoming farm kids. Me? Not so much yet. 

But so, so glad that we still have this momma cat around. (Although I'm not sure what will happen if she has kittens again...) 

And I've never noticed her one gray toe until this picture! =)