Whew. The first week back getting back to business around here and it feels good. Like, really good. Slowly, but surely I feel like we are finding our groove which is making all the difference (if you missed where I have been you catch up here and here). I just do better when I am busy. Of course, it walks alongside this new normal that our family is now living, but I will take it. Another edition of Casual Friday for you, but first… how have you been? What do you have planned for the summer? I want to hear all about it so make sure and leave a note below.

Normally for these Casual Friday posts, I gather up some latest favorites, something I found inspiring, my favorite photo I took during the week, and even some life updates. However, this week was full of life updates in posts and life has been rather quiet and slow. So instead I wanted to share with you my favorite photos I took last month when I was away.

Ever since we moved to Nashville back in the summer of 2019, we wanted to go berry picking. It’s not something we ever had the opportunity to do living in Arizona and it was just one of those things that we had on our list. Something that was such a quintessential southern thing that would give us a taste of the life we envision for our family. A life of living off the land, growing our own food, cultivating the homestead we have plans for. However, shortly after moving here the entire world lost its mind and everything shut down. So last summer, the local farms that I looked into were not allowing “you pick” for berry season. So as the summer months approached this year I knew we had to make it happen. 

Then we ended up in the ICU and I remember Blair specifically asking me if we would be able to still go strawberry picking. I told her we would keep our fingers crossed. Luckily, we were able to catch the tail end of the strawberry season out in here in Nashville shortly after getting back home. Blair was dealing with edema and still a bit swollen from the fluids from several days in the hospital, but we made it happen. And it might have been the best thing ever. For real though. The most simple of things, but because of what we just went through it was purely magical. The weather, the beautiful farm, the drive down there – it was just perfect.

The only unfortunate part was that Dad was not able to join us. However, the fact that Grandma was still here and able to join us more than made up for it.

If you ever find yourself in Nashville, Tennessee in May then make sure and stop by Batey Farms to pick yourself a bushel of strawberries. You haven’t lived until you have eaten strawberries right off the vine.

And make sure and give us a holler – we’ll bring the baskets!

(All photos shot with my iPhone 11 Max Pro and edited with my presets using the free Lightroom mobile app)