Hello Reader,

Our family is on the last leg of our two-week road trip through the mid-American states. We've seen big cities, small towns, lush forests, rolling plains, state capitols, national parks, expansive rail yards, and tiny homesteads.

Through it all, we've gained a deeper appreciation for the wonderful and diverse country in which we live. We are thankful for all the founders and the farmers, the teachers and the preachers, the pioneers and the engineers, the scientists and the soldiers who worked so tirelessly to build America and make it great.

And we are especially indebted to the military men and women who gave their lives fighting to preserve our liberty and ensure America remains the land of the free and home of the brave. So, with Memorial Day right around the corner, that is the topic I've chosen for this week's link list. Enjoy!

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Lincoln's Gettysburg Address - the printable my kids & I used to memorize Lincoln's tribute
• ​In Flanders Field Poem - the beautiful World War I era poem
• ​Military Anthems - theme songs foreach branch of the US Military
• ​One Life to Lose Coloring Page - features Nathan Hale's famous quote
• ​Ultimate Sacrifice Coloring Page - features the words of Jesus in John 15:13

What I'm reading this week:

We listened to Laura Ingall's Wilder's On the Banks of Plum Creek on our way to visit another one of Laura's old homes this week. Sadly, it wasn't until we got to DeSmet, South Dakota, that we realized we'd driven right past two more of the homesteads mentioned in the Little House books, including the Ingall's home on Plum Creek! Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed this third installment in the series, and hope to finish a fourth before visiting her home in Independence, Kansas, later this week.

Progress on last week's goals:

I've been hitting on all cylinders this week -- I've ✅ taken it easy, ✅ enjoyed my family, ✅ made lots of wonderful memories, and ✅ posted pictures from a few of our stops to my Instagram account.

Personal goals for this week:

• Load a few more photos to Instagram
• Complete our tour of mid-America
• Unpack our bags and put everything away
• Restock the fridge
• Clean out the pantry
• Catch up on mail/ email

That's it for this week. I'm keeping things short and sweet (again). Hope you'll take time over your long weekend to remember the brave soldiers who gave their lives on our behalf. God bless!