currently. {12}

currently | it's raining and gloomy. It's been raining for 4 days straight. Gloomy non-stop rain. It's so bad that places are flooding. The river is rising and if it doesn't stop, I'm pretty sure most of the river lots that my husband farms will be flooded. We are lucky as some places have had 7-8 inches of rain so it could be worse - thinking of those who's crops are already lost, whose basements are flooded, and those who are stranded as road wash out.

thinking about | getting organized. This stems from thinking of returning to school. My eight week placement and staying at my parent's house actually flew by, so I know that the rest of summer before school will too! I need to figure out the most efficient way to make school homework, spending time with Greta, time with my husband, and keeping this household together work while commuting 2 1/2 hours a day to school and completing all my assignments. So far I feel it means making freezer meals, meal planning, extreme time management, and reminding myself that I may just not be able to do it all (i.e. our house may be messy and laundry piles may heap - but if our bellies are full and my grades are good, we are doing good!). Happy that I secured daycare for Greta, so I will be transitioning her to the centre over the summer giving me time to get organized and those meals in the freezer.

listening to | the rain. Wishing it would just stop.

reading | blogs. Trying to catch up as the last eight were busy, I have tonnes of unread posts. I think I may just click all read on my bloglovin' and hope I haven't missed too much news!

watching | Homeland, season 2. I see this season is finally on Netflix - now if our internet would work for an extended period of time we may be able to enjoy it! (Ugh, bad part of living rurally is choosing between crappy and crappier as your internet provider...)

thankful for | so much. My husband who has said to enjoy the time at home with Greta for the next two months although we have to pay for daycare in order to ensure we have it for September. I really could find a job and work, but he supports the time want to spend with her, ensuring we will be fine. He works so hard to provide for us and allow me to follow my dream as I finish school. His support is unwavering, even thought I know he carries so much worry on his shoulder over finances. I hope that within the year I can help to lift that weight as I complete school, find a job, and can help us continue to live the life we dream for us, Greta, and hopefully another little one someday. I know I chose a good man. He reminds me everyday. xo

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"A portrait of Greta once a week, every week in 2014"

| silly girl |

Summer Bucket List 2014

After on of the longest and coldest winter in a long time I am ready to take full advantage of this summer.  I really have never hated winter so much as I did this year, not only because it was cold, but I think being cooped up with a baby made it feel ten times longer, and it was long to begin with! Plus last summer was spent at the side of an hospital crib and with the tiniest little babe for the majority of it, so I hope to soak up every ray of sun, beach it, eat al fresco, and just sit outside to drink it in as much as possible before I head back to school at the end of August.

So as I plan to take full advantage, I thought I would make a little bucket list of things I hope we will experience this summer and so when we summer is done I will feel like we took full advantage!

1. Visit the farmer's market. I can't believe I have never been to St. Norbert Farmer's Market! Well that's not 100% true, I have been on a Wednesday at the end of August, but never on a Saturday morning, when it's full of the best vendors and troves of people. I get most of my fresh veggies from my mom's garden so haven't really felt the need, but this year I hope to go at least once, check out the local artisans, drink lemonade, and soak in the sense of community that surrounds the market experience.

2. Take Greta's to the Zoo. Our local zoo is re- opening with it's new exhibit, The Journey to Churchill, in just a couple weeks and think that means we have to go check it out. I love the zoo, and all though our local zoo ain't world class, I like to support it because I am happy we have the luxury of one in our city, with reasonable rates (although this new exhibit brought about a fare hike, boo!).

3. Take a Family Road Trip. We have a wedding in Alberta this summer so we will be taking a road trip. I'm excited for Greta's first trip out of province. We hope to stop a few places in Saskatchewan, and then head on to Alberta where we will visit Drumheller and hopefully up to West Edmonton Mall! Finger's crossed that it doesn't result in being the last road trip for awhile!

4. Go to Gimli for the day. I think of this town as a little resort town just north of Winnipeg. I want to walk the pier, watch boats, eat ice cream, and soak up the sun on the beach for the afternoon.

5. Take multiple beach days.  We are lucky to have so many beaches in not too far distance here in Manitoba.  I hope to lay on the sand at St. Ambroise, Victoria Beach, Grand Beach, and somewhere in the Whiteshell a few times this summer.

6. Visit Matt in the field for supper. Harvest will come around quick enough, meaning long hours spent in the field and away from us, so we will go to him! Supper in the field are a very big portion of my childhood memories so I hope that I can help create those memories for Greta.

There are many more things like bonfires with s'mores, and summer fairs that I could continue to add to the list but I'm going to stick with these 6, because if I know one thing summer will fly by! Follow along on instagram (@prettyprairie) to see what we accomplish. I'll be using the hashtags. #krausesummer14 & #summerbucketlist.

What's on your bucket list this summer? I'd love to hear what fun things happen in your areas and what things make you feel you took full advantage of summertime!

Oh, and I will also be enjoying myself a few Pimm's Cups over the next few months! What's your summer drink?

Greta's Garden Party

For Greta's first birthday we had a garden party theme.  I decided on a garden theme, as I wanted to celebrate how much our lit' peanut has grown, and so the garden party was born!

I was hoping I would share a post that was photo-heavy with all the details I put lots of time into, but sorry to tell you very few photos were taken just due to being rushed and then too busy to think about photos - I really should have dedicated someone to grabbing some photos for me, but that didn't cross my mind till around gift opening time.  I'll tell you, planning a party while not living at home during the week, being busy with my fieldwork placement, and with unwanted rain in the forecast all week was quite stressful!  The weekend prior to the party I had most things prepped and decided, all that needed executed the Friday & Saturday before the party was food prep and prepping of the yard (grasses etc).  All of Saturday was busy but very productive, and that evening while I was making room in the fridge for the dessert, I injured my toe (my whole large toe nail detached from the nail bed -- don't ask how, just know I'm accident prone). Let me tell you that is painful! So the rest of the evening was a right off as I rested and controlled the pain so I could get a descent night sleep.  I feel like it only made the next day worse, we woke up to rain, and so I rushed around and prepared to bring all my party plans indoors, our house it not function for large groups so I was so stressed of where I was going to put the 25 adults and 12 kids (most under 4)! Well we made it work, not fulfilling my ideal plan for all my details and as people started to arrive the sun began to shine and therefore they got their food inside and headed to the yard and deck to eat and let the kids eat, guess things have a way of working out.

Anyways, enough of my babbling, what's done is done and I have many more birthdays to host and work out all the kinks. Here are some photos and a little info on some of the fun details!

I worked with Carli of Perfect Salt Design again for the invites & and a banner (which unfortunately never got photographed) - like always she did a great job and I was so happy how well they set the theme for her party!

For food we served sandwiches (chicken salad, hame & cheese, and PB & J), potato salad, pasta salad, veggies and dip, and fruit.  We also had a lemonade (which was to be served at the lemonade stand but ended up inside without all the details. The veggies were served in "garden planter boxes" and the berries in berry baskets for more of a garden-y feel as well as the sandwiches were served on a garden tray lined with greens while they were labeled garden style with a marker placed in a terracotta pot filled with moss.

Dessert included birthday cake and dirt cups with gummy worms (which I never got a photo of).  The birthday cake I made my self, it was a simple white cake with lemon flavored polka dots inside and lemon curd filling with a lemon cream cheese frosting, wish I had gotten a photo of the inside, as it took me 3 trail to get it right, but here is a photo of it waiting to be eaten.

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Overall, the party turned out excellent and the afternoon weather was perfect as the kids played in the sandbox, blew bubbles, and threw around some balls.  I had sheets available for people to sit picnic style as they relaxed and watched the kids play.

Hard to believe our little girl is ONE!

Hope you enjoyed the little peek into Greta's garden party!

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"a portrait of Greta once a week, every week in 2014"

| in a field of dandelions |

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"a portrait of Greta once a week, every week in 2014"

| first birthday smiles |

| birthday party time and a taste of frosting |

Greta is ONE!

The saying that the days are long but the years are fast feels so true today.  I can't believe it has been a year since lil' Miss G come into our lives. In some ways it feel like just yesterday I was sitting beside her isolette in the NICU day in and day out, and other days it feela like a distant memory.

Over the last few days, I have been reflecting on that time. Thinking back to how unexpectedly, she enter this world at just 2 lbs 7 oz, so itty bitty it's hard to remember her that small. Her first breath was probably the hardest one she'll ever have to take, but her little body didn't waiver, yet persevered and with each day the breaths got easier and she got a little stronger.  I still see that strength in her everyday as she is feisty, determined, and I believe as she gets a little older stubborn may be a word I'll use to describe her.  These are not bad traits - as I look at them as traits of a fighter, one who has taken on this big world and with a strong-will is determined to conquer it no matter what it takes.  I often wonder where she get her strength, as at times I feel weak thinking back on how my body could not carry and care for her as long as it should have, but then I am reminded that her early arrival made me stronger as well, and I would not have be handed that experience if I wasn't stronger enough to handle it.  The experience taught me love, strength, compassion, and support that I am so grateful for and that has shaped me into the woman and mother I am today.  

Greta is truely a blessing, our little pearl from heaven that was sent to remind us just how precious and fragile life can be, yet if you surround things in love and nurture it with grace it can blossom into the most beautiful gem you've ever seen. Although it seems like the first year has gone so fast I am looking forward to the coming years as we continue to watch her strive, grow, and develop. She is most certainly on her way to becoming a little lady, the apple of her father's eye, and my little side kick! As she grows a little more independent, I will recall the days spent with her lying on my chest or cuddles in my arms - and cherish the moments those cuddles are still wanted.  

Here's to a year, sweet girl, looking forward to many more years of memories. 

xo

p.s. Greta's Garden Party birthday is this Sunday, following over on Instagram for sneak peeks hope to have a post next week with some of the details.