part 2

Adult Do's

Make your bed. It gets your head in the right place in the morning. And getting tangled in bedsheets is stressful and unnecessary. Like that time I woke up underneath my fitted sheet. I just don't know.

Thank you notes. Adults are grateful beings. Send them often. I semi collect them and buy a new box everytime I go to TJ Max.

Lock the door when you go to the bathroom. Especially in office type settings. This is important.

Be nice to your body. Diet coke- not a snack. Banana- snack.

Adult Don'ts

Don't buy a new box of thank you notes every time you go to TJ Max. Maybe just, buy some when you are about to run out.

Don't have 27 voicemails that you have not listened to sitting in your inbox.

Don't use your laptop as a coaster.

Do not live in denial of things like court dates, the weather, and bank account balances. Confront your fears. Knowledge is power.


We're all learning, you see.

love,
farmwife

adulting

What does it mean to be an adult? I have been pondering this question as I have been muddling through some sort of pre-mature quarter life crisis. Or very mature, depending on how you look at it. I have been reading a hilllariousss book called Adulting by Kelly Williams Brown. I was drawn to it based on the fact that I love it when people make up words, and can make me laugh while at the same time instilling me with valuable life lessons and things.  Although I feel like I am struggling through a couple of things I don't feel the need to whack a look at me sticker on (if it isn't enough that I am here blogging instead of doing homework) , here are some things that have helped me transition from spastic teenager to young adult headed somewhere good probably.

1) Realize that the more you like your choices, the less important it is for other people to like them. Just  "unapologetically like the things that you like", because "those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind". If it feels like I am stringing together large amounts of inspirational quotes without giving credit to the author, you are correct because that is what is happening.

2) Live intentionally. Make to-do lists. Have a plan. I have a vision of what I want the decor for my house to be, and I don't care if it sits bare for 3 years as long as the end result is "the vision". Sometimes on my to-do lists, I put things that I am definitely going to do anyway, like eat breakfast, so that you can check it off and feel good about yourself right off the bat. You can do it!

3) Define the "somedays" and the "i'll do it laters". This is tough. When I say to myself, "oh i will do it later", I have been making a conscious effort to schedule that later, and usually that is a bugger, so I end up just doing that thing right then.  When is your someday? When is later?

4)  Save your money. Again, something that I have not perfected. At all. Never take advice about finances from me. Take it from my hubby,  I do.  But lately I have been trying to convince myself  ( thanks to hub man) that "All you need is less". Because guess what, a dollar saved is a dollar, and a dollar earned ( after taxes & tithing) is about 60 cents. 60 Lowly cents people. Save your cents.

Again. I am no authority on maturosity or practices of highly effective individuals, even though I have read that book, too- I am just on my way to being a person who doesn't startle their coworkers by arriving to work on time.

loves,
farmwife

smitten with kittens.

So here are two of my poofy loves. I was trying to get better photos of them to help them find their forever families. Little siamese, as you can see, was not thrilled.  They were however pretty enthused about the box that I carried them around in. I believe they thought it to be some kind of magic cat transporter. They kept on crawling back to sit in it as if to say, " Where to next ya big human!". Even the mom cat decided to sit in there looking at me all expectantly. "Lets go!".  Um they are adorable.  The end.

new things & stuff

SPRING! I thought about spring cleaning but the task was too daunting so we just moved instead. False. We did move. But I spring cleaned till I dropped. You never know how much stuff you actually have until you have to carry it in bus bins next door. Seriously though. SO  MUCH. Life lesson #104 : Have less stuff.

The new house is lovely, I feel extremely blessed. Between the new house smell and the dishwasher I am pretty much in heaven, if you recall how for the last two years I have been washing our dishes by hand. My father in law described me as a little girl in a new play house. Very accurate. It's so fun to arrange things and clean a house that actually sparkles when you shine it.

Other new things on the farm are the 10 kittens that happened in our shop 5 weeks ago! 2 momma cats had babies a day apart from each other.  I could not have made up cuter kittens in my mind. Long haired siamese babies? Are we kidding? All the sudden my black farm cat just starts birthing designer breeds, you know? It is pretty fantastic.

I am still plugging away at school ( read: getting really fed up with it and staying up late each night to finish at last!!). I got my student teaching assignment! I will be in the 3rd grade and I am really excited to start a new adventure!

Elliott and I have been working in the garden and orchard! This week I hacked away at monster weeds in order to even find our dwarf trees. It's like the secret orchard. All hidden. With weeds. Hopefully with some spray and my hoe we will be able to tame it down over there, but the garden is looking nice and showing promise! At least the seeds Elliott planted... they are you know, sprouting and doing plant stuffs, while mine just, you know, want to hide out in the ground for longer. Totally normal I am sure.

so here is to secret orchards and kitten overload! And blogging again!

baby shower.

My Jamie pal and I threw a baby shower for our sweet friend Bailee over the weekend. I was so excited and had a blast putting it all together. 

I got the darling banner from shopsweetlulu.com, as well as the stripey straws. What is a party without some good ol' cardboard stripey straws these days? I baked the goodies and hoarded the tin buckets from around the farm, and Jamie the craft mastermind was behind the decor and darling invites. She is kind of a craft genius. I have become obsessed with tiny floral china plates that I found at goodwill, and between the two of us we had enough to eat our treats off of. Fancy shmancy. Food just tastes better off real plates. Especially ones with darling little flowers.

 Alsooo it was my momma's birthday this week. Doesn't she look young and fabulous?

And I cannot get enough of my Rachey baby. Ever.

1 year

Last weekend was the 1 year anniversary of Elliott & I. On our first date we went to the laser light show at the grand coulee dam. I remember just laying there looking at the stars and talking with him, and he asked me what I want out of my life. I remember stumbling for an answer. While I couldn't put my finger on specific things then, I am almost glad, because although I never imagined I would end up here, what I have now is more than I could ever ask for.

There is something beautiful about marriage, the way it softens your rough edges, forces you to be more patient, forgiving, and willing to sacrifice for the other person. I won't say that marriage is easy ( we are both a 10 on the stubborn scale) , I will say it is rewarding.  I have never been more fulfilled, more happy, or more in love. Even after a whole year waking up next to him is my favorite part of the day- as I think it will be forever : )

10k's

I ran a 10k this morning with my running buddy for life Jamie. Whenever I ask myself why I like to race I can't come up with a good answer besides... why not? While I placed second in my age group today (7th  or something overall),  I placed first in largest badonk among my running buddies pictured below.   I finished in 50 min some seconds. I chilly day in June it was. Perfect for running. Sad for my garden.

Last time I ran it in 49 min and some seconds and placed first.   I thought for sure I would beat it today since last race had a huge hill and I just felt slow!  Oh well, there is always the next race. Yes, I am addicted- an endorphin junkie I suppose. Or maybe I just like an excuse to wear awesome spandex pants.

We are now owners of geese. 5 of them. Big white ones. I don't really know how it came to be, but there they are, all large and feathered in the giant  habitat that Elliott put together for them. I think I would enjoy the experience more if we would have got them when they were babies so they would follow me around as though I were there mother, rather than just walking around scaring poor Melly dog. I will take pictures when I am in the mood to do something reckless and irresponsible ( i.e. approaching a flock of angry geese)

xo,
kayla