"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."
-Anne of Green Gables

Look what came in the mail yesterday!!!

{insert my joyously excited shrieking here. Except it's silent. Because I only get excited and scream on the inside}

Just to be clear, this is not a review. No one gave me this book so that I would tell you how great it is. 

This is just me, being excited.

The truth is the first time I heard Emily speaking about what her book was going to be, I was blown away. Like a flood of life rushing over me, her words expressed my heart and for the first time it really hit me: I'm not the only one. This isn't just me. She feels like I do!

Even now, that realization brings me to tears. 

For me, though I've only read the first three pages, the book has already been a huge gift in my life. 

I'm sure all it has to say will be wonderful and even more amazing, but right now, just knowing this story exists has been incredible. 

Knowing I'm not the only one, that changes everything.

And only three pages in, I'm seeing the depths of my heart put into words. I can't even think of words to describe how freeing that is. 

Somewhere along the way, I got the message that salvation is by faith alone but anything after that is faith plus my hard work and sweet disposition. I lived most of my life under a system I designed for myself and I labeled it The Gospel. As a good girl, every choice I made was dictated by a theology of self-sufficiency. Life was up to me, and I was prepared to get it right.
And then Jesus.
There isn't any other way to say it. Jesus makes it safe to walk out from under that system. We have a God who sees and cares and notices. He will not come undone. He remains un-overwhelmable.

-Emily P. Freeman

You can buy the book here.

(shopping for bridesmaids dresses for my wedding. when we were children!)

It takes a long time to grow an old friend.

-John Leonard

Every year for the past 16 years of my life, following right on the heels of my own birthday is the birthday of my dearest friend.

We met at summer camp when I was 14. She was 12. That seemed like an enormous gap in age then. But as years passed the gap became insignificant.

The wonderful thing about a friend you've grown up with is that you know all of each other's stories. Sometimes you even remember the other's stories better than your own. 

I love that we've got so many shared stories. High school, weddings, newlyweds, mothers… Through changing seasons of life there's been the confidence that the other will always be there.

Such a gift!

On my birthday she sent me a text saying we've now known each other for more of our lives than we haven't. Wow.

If someone had told me that summer at camp that this girl was the one I'd talk to almost daily a decade and a half later I would have laughed and told them they were crazy.

I'm so glad God's plans for my life are so much more amazing than I could ever imagine!

That's the title Miss A kept using for our vacation to the land of cows.

Visiting my sister and her husband on their family cattle ranch is of course always an adventure.

I'm sure there's a lot I could say about it, but I thought I'd just give you pictures instead. 

The views are never-ending, and amazing. Everywhere you turn there's another beautiful glimpse of God's creation.

A long awaited and much anticipated reunion between best friends finally happened.

The view from my bedroom window.

Miss I was the early bird who got to try something no one else did.

Makes your back yard feel awfully small, doesn't it?

We hung out PW style and experienced our first branding. Interesting, entertaining, and completely unnerving all at once.

The girls broke in their new sunbonnets, a gift from Grammy.

We took the quads out to play in the sprinkler.

Had lots of time like this. (It looks so much more peaceful in a picture because you can't see the mosquitoes!)

And of course had our time around the campfire with marshmallows and a guitar.

It was a wonderful "adventure", and a sweet time with family. So thankful we have such a fun destination available for retreat!

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

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