Dear April

Hi April!

Wowie! We had lots of outside time this month and I was the HAPPIEST person. Something about being outside just brings out the childlike side in me. 

My favorite part of the month was going to Holland Ridge Farms TWICE! Once  on opening day with Kyle and then the following week with my parents.                            

I spent lots of time outside and it was the very best. I saw so many pretty tulips and lots of nature walks. 

We intentionally went to find the Allarie dinosaurs and I couldn't have been happier to see them. They were such a neat art installation in Allaire state park! 

Easter was quiet and perfect. Exactly how I like it. And  the Easter bunny left me an egg hunt too! Love traditions! 

I got a great Dr.'s report from my gastroenterologist and it made me really happy. 

I spent a bunch of days climbing at Gravity Vault. The was is still kicking my butt  but I am still loving it. 

I also did something I normally don't do- I took a mental health day and I didn't feel guilty about it. It was perfectly timed and I was able to come back to work the next day bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to work. 

All month I felt focused and productive which was a nice change of pace. Prior to this month, I was struggling with that a lot. 

One thing that kicked my butt that I wasn't expecting, my allergies. They were so so bad! I ended up going to Quick Care twice because I was worried it was something else! I guess all that time outside really contributed to my allergies. Ha 

Overall it was a great month! I can't wait to see what May has in store for me! 

[[Spring is proof that there is beauty in new beginnings-Matshona Dhilwayo]]

Letting Myself Have Grace

This post is more of an open letter to myself, letting me know that its okay. It's more of streams of thoughts than anything really and a reminder that I can't do everything. I will get things done, maybe not in order or in a set time period but they will get done and I will be proud of what I put out there.  Perhaps this is something you need to hear too? 

\\\ Giving myself grace with posts

\\\ I can't do everything

\\\ I try really hard but it doesn't always happen

\\\ I concede that I did my best and sometimes, my ideas don't always pan out like I think they should.

\\\ I'm still writing back posts from November to February. Will they get done? maybe, but not any time soon. I have to let myself know that is okay. 

\\\ I am really passionate about my posts for May and I am going to try to get those out in a more timely fashion but I have learned about myself, I do things on a weird time line. Does it look like everyone else's progress? no, but that is okay because grace. 

[[The timing is always perfect. Never rushed, never late, always on time]]

Diary #28

I love this month's photos. I spent a lot of time outside and it made me so happy. I cannot wait for the weather to be nicer even more consistently so I can spend more time outside. 

Let's start with the left over photos from March...

I was so excited to first in line to see the train go by.

bright mornings

Admiring the sights

Sunrise 

Rumple Bear and Luca protesting me being away
I see where I get my creativity from

On to April's photos...

Trying to find my spark in crafts again...

Golden Shell

Chess in Barnes and Noble

A Sunday well spent

Waiting for the doctor

Found some new friends

Allaire Dinosaur

Nature selfie

if you look closely, you will see a dinosaur

Joy in unexpected places

pure magic

An ALASKA license plate. 

pretty 

Easter fun

Bun buns

office selfie

Holland Ridge Farms

Sea of Orange Tulips

Picture Perfect

Sky's the limit

Joy!

Got myself a set of wings

Found on a walk

sunset

Mom and Dad

How precious are they?!

I think I got all 8 million tulips in the photo, perhaps one or two are missing.

LOVE them.

<3

Wandering through the tulips

Gosh this was a great month. 

What did you see this month?

[[The day I decided my life was magical, there was suddenly magic all around me- Marabeth Quin]]

WGJ vol. #28

Another month, another fun playlist. I have to admit, some months the playlists come together really quickly and effortlessly and other months, I am struggling to find new music. This month, it was pretty seamless to get this playlist together. WAHOO! I have had these song on repeat all month and they have gotten me into SPRING- you know that feeling, you want to drive around with the windows down (but you don't because pollen) and you want to spend time outside, that's what this playlist elicits from me. 

Here it is, WGJ vol. #28

WGJ vol. 28

Try Losing One- Tyler Braden

Blessed & Free- Kane Brown, H.E.R.

dancing in the kitchen-LANY

something special- joan

Humble Quest- Marren Morris

Ride WIth You- Brandon Lay

Where We Started- Thomas Rhett, Katy Perry

Stereotype- Cole Swindell

God Made Airpalnes- Jason Aldean

Falling Out Of Love- Filmore

Even on a Bad Day- Austin Burke

Great Romances of the 20th Century- Taking Back Sunday

Bass Pro Hat- Thomas Rhett

Simple As A Song- Thomas Rhett

Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)- Ell King, Miranda Lambert

Steam- Leon Bridges

Everyone She Knows- Kenny Chesney

Bet On Me- Walk Off the Earth, D Smoke

When's It Gonna Happen- Tenille Townes

Sweetest Pie- Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa

When You're Gone- Shawn Mendes

Diamond In My Pocket- Cody Johnson

With You I Am- Cody Johnson

She Had Me At Heads Carolina- Cole Swindell

Wild as Her- Corey Kent

Girl Like Mine- William Michael Morgan

Want That Back- Brett Eldredge

Young- Jonathan Hutcherson

 Listen Here

[[Music speaks when words fail]]

A trip to Holland

Back in 2019, my family and I took a short road trip west and we found ourselves in the middle of farm land, right here in New Jersey. We were in Upper Freehold at Holland Ridge Farms, a U-pick tulip farm that was super impressive to see.  We loved Holland Ridge Farms and we talked about it often.  We were in awe how many tulips were plants and blooming. It was truly a sight to see. 

These are some of my favorite photos I've taken of my parents in 2019 at Holland Ridge Farms:

In the years since our first visit, Holland Ridge had offered fresh cut tulips to be delivered, tulip bulb boxes and fresh cut lily delivery. My family took advantage of all these offerings and each time we got a delivery, we were consistently more impressed. It was such a nice and cheerful thing to receive. We sent them to our family that couldn't make it to Holland Ridge. They were always surprised and impressed with the beautiful blooms they received. 

Their social media page had been literally blooming with the progress of their tulips all winter. Holland Ridge Farms planted 8 MILLION tulip bulbs this year and they said it would be their biggest year yet. It was an impressive sight back in 2019 and I couldn't wait to see what 8 Million flowers looked like. I couldn't fathom the planning and the organization that went into it. 

Holland Ridge released flex tickets back in January allowing you to go whenever you chose when they were open. I jumped on these when they were released and I had been patiently waiting until April to use these tickets. 

I had the opportunity to go TWICE. I was in flower heaven. Kyle and I made the trek to Holland on opening day right when they opened then I went a week later with my parents during the week right when they opened. The drive to the farm was neat; the further you drove west, you couldn't believe you were still in New Jersey. (That is probably one of my favorite things about New Jersey- there are so many diverse areas- City, suburbs, farm lands, beach.) 

Both times I went to Holland Ridge, I saw different things which I think was the best. The flowers were the show stoppers, literally. There were rows and rows of all different kinds of tulips and in every different color you could imagine. It felt like the fields went on forever. I loved how Holland Ridge realized this is a very instagrammable place- they added "photo spots"  this year all over the farm. If you search "Holland Ridge Farms" on instagram, you will find such vibrant and pretty photos of tulips and all the fun photo spots. 

Wandering through the fields, looking at all the different colors and taking in the beautiful views made for a perfect day. Both days I went started off kinda cloudy and with our sunglasses on, it looked dull. After leaving Holland Ridge and taking a look at the photos, I couldn't believe how VIBRANT everything looked. I was in awe. I was so happy how these photos turned out. I cannot wait to see them printed. 

Even though the tulip bloom season is very short (about 2-3 weeks depending on the weather) it was totally worth the drive to see. 

Here are some of my favorite photos I took at Holland Ridge Farm:

Day 1

Day 2:

One of the things I wanted to do was to recreate a photo that was taken in 2019. 

2019                                                                          2022

I think I was able to capture almost the same photo 3 years apart. Life has changed so much in these three years yet somethings remain the same-the color of my shirt/jacket and the length of my hair. 

Holland Ridge, you are amazing. Thank you for being so pretty and creating so many memories that I will cherish for a very,very long time. 

Check out Holland Ridge Farms Here. 

Did you get a chance to go to Holland this year? Show me your favorite photo in the comments! 

[[Every flower blooms in its own time]]