For the last couple days, we had the rare privilege of spending a little time with our brother and sister, Erik & Shannon. It wasn't nearly enough, especially with our crazy schedules that keep us away from morning until night. But it was still a joy to get a few minutes in with them.

One of our first stops: Sweet Cece's. 

If you live in Franklin and like frozen yogurt (and a thousand different topping choices), this place is delish. It hits the spot on a sweltering Nashville summer day like Sunday. 

{Choosing the toppings.}

{Yummo.}

{The contemplative yogurt eater. :)}

{The camera's-too-close-to-get-your-whole-face yogurt eater.}

{I'm not sure what to title this yogurt eater. A little serious if you ask me.} :)

{And this yogurt eater is wearing a very familiar expression.
Translation: "You should be studying."}

So after our trip to yogurt heaven, these three set off for a picture-taking adventure in downtown Franklin.

As for me, I was banished to a table on Main Street to study for my final exam the next day.

See this sad face? 

It's gone today.

The hours (ok, days) of studying paid off with a very high A in my first Anatomy class!

Thank you, JESUS!

The end.

In the garden.

It's the perfect summer morning ritual.

Wake up, throw my glasses on, and hope the neighbors aren't watching as I trudge barefoot in my pajamas through the dewy grass to check on the garden. What we hoped would yield "just one tomato" (our expectations were a little low for the first time around) has become a veritable jungle of roots and vines and, most recently, fruits.

{These pictures taken early this morning.}

I lift up the net and separate some of the vines in hopes of finding new growth. This morning alone, I picked no less than 5 pounds of yellow squash - and it's still very early in the season. God's hand is so evident in this incredible growth. All we do is water and wait; He does the rest.

I must say, there is nothing like shopping from your own garden in the morning, and serving it up for lunch just a few hours later.

Delectable.

Celebrating new life.

Last night we celebrated the upcoming birth of Baby Bohler (a girl!).

Cannot wait to meet her on August 13 (or whenever she chooses to come...)
:)

The weekend in pictures.

A quick trip to New Jersey

(overnight, in fact)

... to document this adorable couple as they tied the knot.

Newby farm.

The buttons are bursting off my overalls just about now...

I am one proud garden mama.

Look what I found hiding in our garden this afternoon...

I guess all of the composting, digging, weeding, coaxing, praying for rain, and waiting is beginning to pay off.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate the first official day of summer. 

What Saturday looks like.

Laundry.

Cooking, kind of. A rarity these days.

Admiring the garden.

Our first little bell pepper!

Anyone know what the above plant is? We can't seem to remember, but it's growing wild.

Yellow onions.

Potatoes.

Mulching. (Ok, actually that was just Shawn.)

Studying (of course).

Loooving my newest Etsy find.

Taking curly-hair pictures in the reflection of the bus that's parked in our driveway.

And now... off to teach people to paint!

(Happy Saturday to you.)

Raw treats.

I have to give my mom all the credit for introducing me to this recipe. It's a raw vegan dessert (which makes it dairy-free), and it's also gluten-free and sugar-free. It tastes a lot like oatmeal raisin cookie dough bites to me, but I've seen it called Walnut Raisin Truffles or even Walnut Raisin Fudge.

Whatever it is, it's delicious.

Here are the easy peasy steps.

Your ingredients:

Raisins

Coconut (preferably the kind without added sugar)

Walnuts

Scoop out 1 cup of walnuts and dump it into your food processor.

Grab 1 cup of raisins and do the same.

Pulse a few times to mix.

Then let it blend for about a minute.

Amazingly, it'll begin to clump together and have the same exact texture as cookie dough.

Pull out 1 teaspoon of dough and roll it in your hands.

Then pour some coconut onto a plate.

And roll the little ball around until it's fully coated with coconut. 

You can also use carob chips, cinnamon, or any number of coatings to change it up a bit. This made about 15 teaspoon-size truffles, which is plenty because of their rich flavor.

Enjoy!