Busy times, good times...

It's been busy around here. The scent of blooming raspberries is in the air, and that is a catalyst for more activity around The Farm.

And there have been activities around more places than The Farm...

I told you, last post, that the graduation parties were next on our agenda. Oh the foods we ate in celebration! Make your own nacho plates -- I mean plate -- spicy, crunchy, savory.  Then, a party with coffee shop drinks complemented with one-bite brownies, tiny scones and miniature cinnamon rolls -- little cinnamon rolls you could just pop in your mouth, just one bite! It can be a problem, however, when you realize just how many "one bites" you have had. The last party was a meal with multiple salads -- must.try.them.all -- and pulled pork. And cake -- bakery cake...I really like bakery cakes...I'll have an edge piece, please.

Good times...good times...

And then it was Fathers' Day...more good food!

Strawberry harvest has begun, and that means STRAWBERRY WAFFLES!

With our not-so-secret ingredient that makes them better than your average strawberry waffle...

Yes -- ICE CREAM, not whipped cream...

I wasn't quick enough to get a picture before someone started eating, but you can see here that we put a nice thin layer of ice cream on top of the hot waffle, and strawberries on top.

It's WAY better than the whipped cream thing.

TRUST ME & TRY IT!

After all this deliciousness, we needed to have a late lunch. Caitlin made her now-famous rib recipe...

Her dad felt pretty special...and so did we, because he shared.

Then we all went and sat on the couches, and patted our full bellies, and played many old records that Dillon brought for our listening enjoyment.

It was a marvelous Fathers' Day.

In between the grad parties, and Fathers' Day celebrating, there were a couple of long days in the field because the sun was shining...We mowed, and mowed, and sprayed, and put wires down. And on the other days, we looked out the windows at the rain...and wished we were out mowing, or spraying, or putting down wires...But that's typical for June.

Randy's brother, Barry, and sis-in-law, Lynn, were in town for the week after graduation celebrations, so we used some rainy time for visiting, which is a very pleasant distraction from the gray skies that we tend to pay too much attention to at this time of year.

Saturday, we attended a beautiful memorial service for Randy's cousin Kathy who recently celebrated her 56th birthday, knowing it would be her last. A short month later, she is gone to glory...She will be greatly missed, but what a celebration of her life, her personality & character, her faithfulness. We rejoiced in knowing her, and rejoiced that she is safely home, and that she is enjoying the glories she anticipated.

If pondering that doesn't make one say, "so what if it's raining" I don't know what will...

I don't usually like to be so busy -- but I must say that last week was a week of blessed busyness...

And I'm grateful.