Moments | The Good Stuff...

It's been awhile since I posted... things have been crazy and May was relentless. Our little family had a lot happening in our lives - good and bad - and we seem to have come out on the other side with our smiles intact. Making it through especially trying times feels good - it's never easy, sometimes life throws a whole lot at you all at once, and it's a lot of work that sometimes can feel like you're just treading water. But... like I said, our smiles are intact and here are a few of the reasons why: May had us celebrating our 4-year anniversary at Firefly Fibers! The 4-year mark is quite the milestone and this last year has been our busiest yet. I am so proud of our little shop and am so lucky to spend my days working with such wonderful people that constantly inspire me. Many thanks to all of the awesome Firefly Fibers enthusiasts for the last 4 wonderful years and here's to many more!

This weekend was the high school graduation for Beaver Dam and our friends were kind enough to invite us to their son's graduation party. The company was wonderful, we met some great folks, hubby got to play Xbox games with some guys that were *gulp* half his age and didn't die first, and (as an added bonus) there were animals. These are just a few of them:

Not pictured: Frankie the pig, Otis the cat (who slumbers with Frankie), Picasso the angora rabbit, several chickens, and 3 dogs  - all of these animals stole my heart.

Today was also quite a day for "the good stuff". This last Christmas, my father-in-law gifted his 1969 Dodge Charger to hubby. Yeah, kind of amazing, right?! After months of waiting, today was the day it came home with us and it is one beautiful car. Here's hubby driving it on our way home today:

There's sure to be more about this car (and more photos) in the near future, so stay tuned.

Along with this fabulousness, we also launched CustomFit at the shop (more on my first CustomFit sweater is coming soon), I cast off another Journey-along project (there will be a fun giveaway happening this month), and we have some really awesome stuff on the horizon at the shop (that *always* makes me happy).

Cheers and I'll be back soon! I promise...

Inspiration | I have never...

I love winter, but this has been a trying winter and I'm ready for spring. Each year, I anxiously wait for the first snowfall, but it's just been too cold this year. I moved to Wisconsin from North Dakota and Minnesota, so I'm familiar with cold. Very familiar. I know this winter has been trying for a lot of people, so today I feel like sharing a little inspiration to keep us moving forward. I hope you enjoy!

Meet my amazing friend, Caleb. He's on a journey - a 365 day journey of exploration of self-discovery. What is that all about, you ask? Well, here it is in his own words:

"When is the last time you tried  something new?" It's a question most people have to think about before they can answer. For any number of reasons, we often rely on the familiar and avoid exploring the unknown... But that's not me. I'm tired of the routine. As a result, I decided my 30th year would be one of new experiences. I intend to see, learn, or do something I have never experienced each day over the next 365 days. In what is bound to be one crazy experiment, I hope to take away as much as possible from my 365 day journey of exploration for self-discovery.

This exploration began on his 30th birthday - Monday, May 13th, 2013 - and today is day 278. That's a lot of "never's" to experience. Kind of crazy right?

... I  intend to do something I have never done everyday, and to post a photo of my daily "I have never..." on this blog.  I realize it will be difficult, and I know it may not happen.

I for one, had no doubts that he would make this happen - if anyone can and would do this, it's Caleb. Here are some of my favorite highlights:

This is Michael. He got away before getting his haircut.

Caleb had Daniel and the Lion at his house for a concert.

Ireland has now moved up on my list of places to visit.

And random acts of kindness.

And then... for a little fun, there's a pole dancing class.

A food "never" is always intriguing and tempting for me - even stomach.

I admire Caleb's open-minded approach to each "never" and being able to follow along has inspired me and makes me realize I should be doing more. Often the "never" is something that one probably would NEVER experience in their lifetime, but we can changer that. Admittedly, I feel like I just don't have time, but really, shouldn't we all be making time for new experiences?

You can find Caleb's 365-day journey at never365.blogspot.com - take a look and I hope you follow Caleb as his journey continues to close in on day 365. Maybe you'll even find a little inspiration for a "never" or two of your own.

~ Many thanks to Caleb for sharing his 365-day journey and for his permission to share his photos.

With a heavy heart...

My Joey has had quite a presence with his own group of fans online and in person. Sadly, this last Thursday evening we said goodbye to our beloved Mr. Joey - the best boy that any mama and papa could ever ask for (and then some). I posted our news on Thursday evening on Facebook and since then I've been so very comforted by your kind words and *hugs* online and in person at the shop. You have all helped keep me glued together - thank you.

Our home is quiet without Joey and life will feel clumsy for awhile, but I know Mike, Logan and I will find a new rhythm as time goes on. My heart is heavy and words are difficult, so I'll close with a photo that makes me smile and reminds me of how wonderful the last 12+ years have been because of one seriously amazing dude.