Underwear Dance: The Remix 2

Elliot is starting some potty training, so I thought I'd pull this video of Ezra out of the archives.

First Bouquet of Summer

Dark Columbine, Yellow Baptista, Hosta leaves, and Corkscrew Willow branches.

Now that it is spring, I'm missing our yard in Grand Rapids.  Since we lived in our home there for four summers, I learned which plants bloomed when, and gathered similar bouquets each year. 

Baptista is one of my favorite flowering plants, along with pink and white peonies.  They bloom the same time of year (now) and look beautiful together in a bouquet - the indigo purple against the deep pink.  The one here is from my garden in Grand Rapids (indigo baptista).  It would be three years old this summer.  It bloomed beautifully right before Elliot was born (June 1, 2010). The peony bloomed behind it, on the other side of the fence.

But, change forces creativity. The yellow baptista below was brought to Iowa from Michigan, by request, shortly after we moved by a good friend.  It was planted in front of the parsonage last summer.  It is even prettier than the indigo baptista.

I've never been a fan of columbine (the dark maroon). They've have too "modern" feel for my taste.  Kind of how geraniums remind me of grandmas.  But I've changed my mind. On both of them, actually.

I never like missing opportunities to share some inspiration.  I was so pleased I brought one to my aunt too.

Real Simple

On Monday Brian and I went to Drakesville, IA (an hour trip from Osky) to visit the green houses in the Amish communities.  Good prices and beautiful scenic drives. After a wet, rainy weekend, it was  laundry day for a lot of people in the communities we drove past.  I asked permission to take this picture of an Amish woman's laundry line, which was beautiful in the sun.  A beautiful picture of simplicity.  My laundry line looks a lot more complex than this.

Pet geese in the greenhouse.

Yesterday we went fishing, and caught moss.  Very thankful for little gumboots that rinse off easily.  Having children has taught us to enjoy the process, and not just the results.

These cows watched us catch moss.

We enjoyed welcoming my cousin home from a college in Michigan by having a meal together at her house.  Ezra asked, "Do we all live here?"  There were some extra cousins staying too, which made for a lot of kids!

Talking bow hunting.

Relaxing together after supper.

These words of wisdom were hanging by the kitchen sink.  After visiting the Amish communities on Monday, and my aunt and uncle's house this weekend, I was inspired to hang them by our kitchen sink too.

Grandma Barb visited from NW Iowa last weekend too. We are thankful to live closer to both our families and extended families.  Time with family is priceless.

Sunset on the farm pond.

CONTENTMENT

Learn to like what doesn’t cost much.

Learn to like reading, conversation, music.

Learn to like plain food, plain service, plain cooking.

Learn to like fields, trees, woods, brooks, fishing, hiking and exploring.

Learn to like life for its own sake.

Learn to like work and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your job as well as it can be done.

Learn to like the song of the birds, the companionship of dogs, and laughter and gaiety of children.

Learn to like gardening, carpentering, puttering around the house and lawn, and being creative.

Learn to like the sunrise and sunset, the beating of the rain on the roof and wind and the gentle fall of snow on a winter day.

Learn to keep your wants simple.  Refuse to be owned and anchored by things and the opinions of others.

Learn above all to make God the most important part of your life.

Pictures from My Phone: Railroad Bridge Edition

This weekend we are staying at my mom and dad's cabin.  Brian has a "pulpit exchange" in Osky, which means he'll be preaching and evening and a morning service on Sunday here.  Since he is pulling a few sermons out that he has already preached, he took the week to plan his sermon calendar through Christmas, which helps him plan ahead and gather ideas for sermons and worship throughout the year.

It is also cold.  But never too cold for a ranger ride.  I don't like taking my fancy camera on the ranger... while trying to hold three boys.  There is also a lot of mud involved with any activity this weekend since everything is wet. 

So I took some pictures with my cell phone.  Not an iphone, not even a new phone.  I washed my phone in the washing machine, so it is a used phone from a friend, circa 2007 ish.  As Chase Jarvis says, the best camera = the one that is with you.

So here are the results:

The Middle Child

Has a hard time adjusting to the season change.

Almost picked a Tulip last weekend, illegally...behind the Scholte house.

Loves his gumboots, and his fork lift.

Wooden Shoe Rather Be at What Cheer?

Warning: This post is long, and the title may or may not have anything to do with the content of this post.

Tulip Time weekend in Pella was beautiful!  A day of sunshine during Tulip Time with friends and family is better therapy than any big-city spa.  I guess I've never been to a spa in a big city, so I'm just making a guess.

I admit I took lots of pictures.  Everything was beautiful: the parade, the funnel cakes, friends, their kids, lots of children, dutch letters, picturesque Pella, the royal court, the floats, the dutch costumes...just beautiful. 

Dutch Letters.

I have no idea where this picture came from.  I apologize.

My favorite color of all the Tulips blooming.

It is always meaningful to stand for the veterans in the parade.

Wait, where did this picture come from?  The streets of Pella can't be safe with this around.

This looks more like Pella.

Busy eating a special treat from Tulip Time before the evening parade.

Pella Opera House, shortly before the night parade started.

Street scrubers preparing the streets for the parade. Everything thing must be scrubbed clean!

A fact you really don't need to know about me that again may or may not have anything to do with this post.  My maiden name, "Boender" means "scrub brush" in Dutch.  I met a family while visiting Denver who calls their dog, "Boender" because the dad had grown up being called "a little Boender" when he got in trouble.  And, a foreign exchange student at Dordt (from the Netherlands) laughed in Philosophy class when he saw my last name was "Boender."  Apparently it was slang for a naughty word.  I'm guessing my Dutch ancestors would have been the street scrubbers, but I'm getting off track...)

My FAVORITE part was Ezra excitedly getting me a Tulip during the parade from the Bloemen Waden.  He willingly gave her a kiss on the cheek for his gift.

Alright, so maybe this truck is from Pella...maybe it's my newly married little brother's. Maybe I stopped on your back porch for a while to rest.  So what is with the sticks in the back?  Not exactly Pella-esque.  Nor the mud oversized tires. Or the rust.  Or the fuel tank.

Poor truck, parked in the middle of pretty Pella. It must feel like it is a misfit, like it should really be parked on a dirt road, where it would be appreciated for it's well-used, utilitarian qualities.

Well, I have the place for you: the flea market at What Cheer, IA.   You'll find lots of welcome faces who will appreciate you.  I certainly did.

The parking is cheaper than Tulip Time.I was there at 7:00 am, so my spot was free. 

My earliest memories of this place are watching The Statler Brothers in concert at the grand stand. I was probably ten-ish.

If you haven't heard of the Statler Brothers, its about time you should be introduced.  You should Play this Song:




Like a good Dutchman I'm too cheap to buy much, but pictures are free.

 Oh Look!  A first cousin to Kurt's Truck.

I liked this a lot.

 These reminded me of my brother Mike taking me trapping to the Muchikanic Creek during snowy months.

 I loved all the Native American items.  They give me goose bumps.

We definitely aren't in Pella anymore. I liked this fence thing.  Look, the back end of another truck.  See Kurt's truck, you'd fit right in.

 Geodes,  Iowa's state rock.

This guy was so neat.  He knew so much about geodes, and since it was 7:30 in the morning and not many people were their, he had some time to talk.  He insisted I take a picture of his biggest find from Clark County, MO. 

These would be neat screwed on an art piece of some sort.

Something for dad.

Or you might find something that reminds you of grandpa.

I have no idea what these are, or who would buy them.  But they look like Kurt's truck.

In case you need something to do with your cowboy boots.

I really liked this.  Sort of that retro-vintage appeal.  Oh, and look Kurt's truck - a twin brother in the background!

This was $400.  An IH 806.

Probably cheaper than Tulip Time delft.

I liked this window and it reminded me of my weekend at Tulip Time.  The salesman insisted that this wasn't his best window though.

This was his favorite.  I told him I wouldn't pay $300 for this, and that I wasn't into poker that much. 

These were priced at $15.  Good deal and would look nice for shabby chick wall decor.

I drooled over these.  I love fiesta ware.

And these...

I thought about buying this for my brother Mike, to make him feel better about getting his dozer stuck this week.  Really stuck.  Mud up to the top of the tracks stuck.

This would look nice in Brian's office.  Though not very reverent.

I took this picture to maybe print and hang in the boys' room.

A baby carrier - just like the baby parade at Tulip Time!  Needs some restoration.  It would probably feel like Kurt's truck next to all the other antique baby carriers at Tulip Time.

This is my take home buys.  The little fork lift has a crank for the hoist. 

I also bought this.

Just kidding.

I had a hard time leaving the flea market.  I drove slowly out of the free parking spot and drove down the Lacey black top highway back to Jasper County.   I think I could have spent all day looking at interesting things and talking to people with stories about things and about themselves and their unique habits of collecting things - some crazier than others.

So I stopped along the Lacey black top to take a few more pictures.  This is great Uncle Cornie's old farm, and the barn boards reminded me of my new sister-in-laws need for them (the one with Kurt's truck parked in her driveway, who was also in the Tulip Time Royal Court a few years ago).  Her dad is going to make her a hutch out of old barn boards if she can find them.  Maybe these will work.  Nice spot for family pictures too.

Uncle Doug's field, freshly planted.

This sign reminded me of Brian and I's wedding reception, where the picture at the header of our blog was taken.  While I was taking this picture, Uncle Bill drove by in his electric truck.  he was probably thinking, "who is that crazy person taking a picture of a road sign?"  It was me, Uncle Bill!

I like these "battling barns" along the highway, like bulls fighting.  Old barns are funny the way they start to slant before falling in, kind of like Kurt's truck.

Then I noticed that this sign was in front of them, and it reminded me of the street scrubbers at Tulip Time.

I finally made it home, excited to give the boys their "new" toys. 

Here's Kurt's truck again.  Sticks in back for added effect.

Wooden Shoe Rather Be at What Cheer?

I think I'll print this picture on stretched canvas for my new sister-in-law to hang by that barn board hutch.  Just so she won't miss the truck.  I know it is almost your one-year anniversary, but welcome to the family, Mrs. Boender.

I just hope your at your house next time I stop by.  Oh, and I think I threw a dirty diaper in your recycle bin, which I thought was a trash can, which was sitting next to Kurt's truck.  Sorry about that.