Meet baby Oliver.
He belongs to Lisa and Adam and is loved so very much.
I just shot what he did. How he moved. When he slept.
It was perfect.
Amtrak passengers – now boarding with service to Chicago. This past weekend my mom and I were two of those passengers. I had an engagement session scheduled in Chicago for Monday. And instead of driving like I have done in the past, I decided to take the train in from Grand Rapids. It worked out perfectly. Easy boarding. Comfortable seating. Wonderful service. And the added bonus of skipping the hectic Chicago traffic. Yes please.
- My mom and I decided to make a mini-trip around the engagement session I had scheduled for Monday. We headed into Chicago a day early and arrived back home last night. It was lovely. We spent three days wandering around the City with no set plans. In my opinion, just what a vacation should be.
- I had my first experience booking a hotel through hotwire.com. They received two thumbs up from me. My mom and I booked using the hotwire hot rates, meaning you are guaranteed the lowest price but the hotel name and address are hidden until after you book your reservation. I will admit, I was a little nervous but it turned out wonderfully. And lowest price it was – almost a fourth of the cost of the regular room rate. Definitely will be booking this way again.
- While I was out of town Brian finished the roof of the chicken coop. Whoo-hoo. It now is complete with shingles and looks much nicer than it did with a tarp.
- Our flower beds are really taking off. It is so exciting to see them grow this year.
- Brian and I laid out the plans for our garden this year…what we will plant and where. I cannot wait to get the seeds into the ground.
- I have had some wonderful sessions this past week that have left me feeling very blessed. Blessed to be able to do what I love.
- I totally bought a pair of buddy holly glasses with clear lenses. Yes. Yes I did. They are fun and funky.
- About the above mentioned comment…when I walked in the house wearing them Brian shot me a smile and an eye roll. He loves me.
- Mango tea is really delicious.
- Can you believe it is already the middle of May? I am still trying to figure out where April went.
- Our white chickens finally have their adult feathers and are old enough to run loose with our red chickens. So far they are not getting along. Nooooooooo. I was afraid of this.
- And lastly, I am seriously in love with hanging clothes out on the line to dry. Nothing beats the fresh air. Plus, I do not have to keep cleaning out the lint screen in the dryer. Nobody loves that job. At least I don’t.
Many smiles. Ashley.
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Everything about Carlee and Nick had me smiling.
Many smiles. Ashley.
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Sweet couple + beautiful weather + one of my favorite locations = happy happy me.
Many smiles. Ashley.
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Growing up, books were always around me. My mom would read to me anytime I asked. Forts were built in our living room where I would spend the day flipping through them. I adored school book sales. And then there were the special Friday night occasions of being able to select a brand new Berenstain Bear book out of a drawer, curling up in my mom’s bed and drifting off to sleep. I am so thankful and happy to have books in my life. Even now I adore sitting down to read. Visiting the library never gets old. Running my hand over all the new titles at the book store…love. Call me silly. Crazy maybe. But to me reading – books – are so powerful. They let you imagine. Learn. Get lost in. Create. And so today I say thank you to my mom. Who helped to teach and show me the joy of reading.
- This week I dusted off the old bike and have decided to do my part of “going green”. When simple errands (outside of grocery shopping) need to be done, instead of driving, I will be riding my bike into town. We live about six miles outside of town, which I have totally deemed doable on a bike. I have been doing a few practice runs on the backroads.
- With tonight’s freeze advisory being posted Brian and I decided to go out and cover up the ole’ strawberry beds. They just started flowering this week and we do not want to take any chances. Strawberry jam must be made.
- A while back I was talking about wanting to find an old record player. And thank you to my grandma we now have one. It is finally up and running. Love love love it. Classic bluegrass is now streaming out of the Folkema home.
- No matter how far technology will develop I cannot make the switch to a virtual calendar. I do believe I will always feel the need to write and have in hard copy a datebook. Besides…I can doodle in the margins if I so choose.
- So Dexter has found something fun to do now – curl up and sleep in the blanket basket. He hops right up and in. The joys of comfort.
- Brian and I really disliked our latest home project…having to flip decking boards around. Last summer we applied a decking stain to our front porch that did not go so well. The quality was horrible. The color icky. And the boards were extremely slippery when wet. The only solution…flip each and every board over. Ugh.
- Today I had my first newborn session of the year. It was total bliss.
- Saturday was the 138th Kentucky Derby. What a thrill to watch – even if it was only on t.v. I can only imagine being there in person.
- And lastly, I am loving all of the recipe ideas on Pinterest and last week I decided to try one of them out. Garlic Monkey Bread. I ended up modifying the recipe a bit and made my own dough instead of the using two cans of buttermilk biscuits that the recipe called for. Nom nom nom. Brian and I gobbled them up within minutes and had no room for the main course.
Many smiles. Ashley.
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by ashley folkema
3 comments
Samantha - Ahhhhhh! How adorable is he!!!
Julie - Love love love!!! <3
Laura - Bravo!