The Garden is Springing to Life

I am thrilled to see that many of the seeds I planted a few weeks ago are finally beginning to show their lovely faces through the soil. All of the perennial plants look so vibrant and beautiful! Whoever once said that gardening is addictive was definitely right. There is something so wonderful about planting a small seed, or putting a small plant into the ground and watching it develop into a bountiful blessing. The apple trees are beginning to set out their leaves, the oregano is gorgeous, the strawberries look lovely, and I am just ready to dig in and get dirty, learning all about the adventures of gardening.

I do, though, seem to be retarded as of yet when it comes to starting seeds indoors. I do not know what I am doing wrong! It is so frustrating. C'est la vie.... I may just have to go buy the plantlings from the nursery or store for any plants that do not make it in my apparent lack of skills with indoor seedlings. I would LOVE to figure out broccoli, but that may be an adventure for another year. The broccoli we planted as seeds over the winter did actually come to a crown and it was delicious, but it was only about 3 inches across. If I don't get around to figuring them out by the spring, fall/winter does present a whole either opportunity! Thank you God for second chances =0). So, without further adieu, I wanted to share some quick pix on the garden and backyard so far. Contrary to potential belief, our backyard is a mess, lol. After watching the fabulous documentary on no-till, heavy mulch film, Back to Eden, we have literally loads of wood chips just waiting for us to get on the garden. It is taking quite a bit longer, though, to get the garden in order for the mulch, since we have to work with a massive hill in our garden plans. God has not seen fit to bless us with flat land at this point, so we must be wise and garden in raised beds. I pray that the day will come that we will live on a flat piece of land with plenty of sun! Until then, we will be doing our very best and leaving the results to God =0). And now, the pictures!

New growth on one of the apple trees...I think I may have over pruned this one. Whoops.... I am definitely learning as I go here!

New growth on the second apple tree. This one looks much better and has many more leaves. I hope we get a few apples this year! I still need to get a layer of mulch and probably some fertilizer around these trees.

This is the finishing cilantro from the winter garden. It grew so nicely, but especially flourished when the weather warmed up a touch at the end of winter. It will likely be setting seed in the next few weeks, in which case I think I will just let it reseed itself and stay nice and happy in that spot.

Doesn't this oregano just look happy! I didn't know oregano looked this way! It has a soft, furry leaf on it and smells divine. The plant looks so much better than last year, so I am excited to see how it does this season.

Here are the strawberry plants, also looking so happy for spring. I just received an order of 25 plants in the mail from Burgess Seed Co., which had some awesome prices, so I will need to get them in the ground soon. I do not think that the new plants, though, will bring a harvest this year. We shall see...I don't know enough about strawberries to know how they behave yet, lol.

My Swiss chard is loving the warming weather, though still cool. These are the plants from the winter crop. I haven't pulled them because they just looked so great!

This is a row of spinach beginning to say hello through the soil. =0)

And right behind the Swiss chard and next to the spinach are the sunflowers and pea plants beginning to sprout out of the ground. I hope that my plans for the two to grow in harmony works out! The plan is for the sunflowers to become the climbing poles for the peas. =0)

The grass looking plant in the front is chives, which I can't believe how big they got so fast! Growing like crazy behind it is mint. The kids love to come and pick this to eat.

And, last but not least, the rosemary plant. I think this bad boy may become a lovely and fragrant bush over time! Behind it, unseen, is a little sage plant that is enjoying the rosemary. Apparently they make a nice couple =0)

Here is the mound of wood chips waiting in the backyard...there is another just like it in our driveway.

And, the unfinished project of the season...the raised garden beds. Pray we have the perseverance and diligence to see this project through to the end before the end of the summer!

And, that is all. Are you planting a garden this year? If so, what are you planting? If not, have you considered doing any kind of gardening, like with containers? What is exciting you this season?

 

New Book Study Beginning!

This week marks the beginning of a marriage study that Mark and I are pursuing with some members of our church community, and I have to say, I am very excited.  I cannot say that we have done a deep marriage study since we have been married, although we have done several smaller, more surface stuff studies in the past.  This study, though, is a bit different.

The book we will be studying is called The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective. A few people I know have already read through the book in the past with rave reviews about its depth, significant, Truth factor, and help in hitting the proverbial nail on the head with what was really going wrong in their marriages. Of course, this is the book on the wife's side of the house, which of course is where I tend to lean =0) The men, though, will be right along side of the women reading through The Exemplary Husband: A Biblical Perspective, which I understand will be just as deep and hit at the heart as the wife's book.

 I am excited, though, because we certainly know for a fact that growth does not come without trials, difficulties, significant effort, and perseverance, and books like these help to provide these circumstances to force the growth forward. I am hoping to blog about the key points in the book that hit or affect me personally, which I hope will bring inspiration, encouragement, and conviction to those who are reading it. But, I more so would LOVE to have other people jump into this study with me and purpose before the Lord to establish a strong marriage that is literally made in Heaven. God does not take marriage lightly, and neither should we, so if you are willing to do the work and join this journey, I would love to walk it with you! Please comment below if you are in it and ready to take a wild ride with God.

A word of caution: As was wisely stated in the first meeting for this study at our church, it is critical throughout this study that the sharing time does not turn into a gossip session (i.e. he said..., he did..., I can't believe..., etc.) We must all be sure to speak about our personal experiences and how things affected us (i.e. we had a fight and after it I felt...) We must be sure as wives to always be seeking ways to uplift and polish our husbands in front of others, as well as in our own minds. This brings honor and glory to God, no matter what the condition of the husband. Make this commitment right now that you will not engage in husband bashing or gossip of any kind. Comments made that violate this condition will promptly be removed.

That being said, please feel free to share what God is awakening in your heart and the things He is revealing to you. It is always amazing when God removes the veil again and teaches us something new. Each of our testimonies help to give glory to God, so I pray that everyone feels safe to share. I look forward to getting to know you better, and reading through your comments.

Who's Burden Is It Anyway?

Last night a friend and I met to discuss the book we are reading, "Large Family Logistics", which is an excellent book for aspiring homemakers for families of all sizes. I came to the gathering with a burdened heart, because I have really been struggling lately to keep a calm and patient demeanor towards the kids when it comes to their morning chores, specifically. I feel like every morning when the kids wake up that I am constantly on them about their timeliness, diligence, and thoroughness, which essentially means I am in drill sergeant mode for about an hour before we have breakfast, which does not really set the stage for a fun and productive school day. When I find myself yelling multiple times in the morning, it is guaranteed to put me in an Eeyore mood (as we like to call it here), and this usually takes me a bit to get out of, not to mention constant talking to God for help.

So, last night I brought my concerns and troubles up to my friend and we discussed helpful ways to get through the problem, determining if I was loading too much responsibility on the kids with their respective chores, which did not seem to be the real issue, or if they did not have enough time to get their chores done, which was again not the real issue. So, as I sat there a bit baffled as to how this situation could be amended, my friend hit the nail on the head. To paraphrase, she essentially told me that it sounded like I needed to help them own their choices and actions more. For instance, if our children were going to school out of the home and they woke up super late, did not move diligently in the morning time, and missed the bus, I could either allow them to miss school for the day and take the absence, have them find their own ride, or pay for the gas I would have to spend to get them to school (obviously this is more applicable for the older child, but I think you get the idea). What this does is separate the parent from the responsibility that should be on the child and puts it back into the child's hands. The important thing for me as the parent is to follow through with the natural consequences of their choices. It was the exact revelation I needed, thank You God!

So, this morning, armed with a new intention and understanding, I read my Bible as the kids woke up and eventually started with their chores. As I heard them become distracted by things, or argue about this or that, I remembered that ultimately their choices did not have to affect the flow of our day, but would only affect the way their days went. With this in mind, I just went along with my bible study and the went along with their chores. And, you know what, they did move forward with things, all be it maybe slower than I would have liked. A bit later, when Lily was slowing down quite a bit and I knew her lack of diligence would affect the family, I let her know that I expected the dishwasher to be emptied (ones of her chores) by x time and if she did not have it done by then she would need to pay me $1 to do her chore for her. She had not been too motivated by seeing the clock and working towards beating the expected time, but this idea of having to pay me really got her action in gear. Needless to say, she got the dishwasher emptied in record time!

The rest of the morning went about the same. I really focused on remembering that their choices are not a reflection of me or my burden, but theirs, so I need to just correct, encourage, and exhort as needed, no emotional attachment needed. It was a much better day than I have had in a while with the kids. They were no better or worse than usual, but I was not so emotionally invested in things, which was really nice. I remember once reading about parents who get too involved personally in their children's school work, projects and such. Like when a father does the volcano project for his children, instead of letting his kid go through the ups and downs of learning the project themselves. It is kind of like that. Except, with homeschooling and life in general, everything is like this, so it is very important for me to remain the teacher of my children, allowing them to learn lessons, even if it means getting the proverbial F once in a while. Is it hard to do? Yes. Does it often mean a bit more work on my part? Yes. But, it is a necessary part of guiding and teaching them to navigating through there time in this world. I am encouraged though. God is strengthening me in this journey and solidifying my resolve to see things through to the end, even when it gets hard.

One of the most significant and importance benefits that I have come to understand about homeschooling is that the kids and I grow together. Yes, we must endure one another's human failings on a daily basis, but we also get to regularly practice humility, repentance, patience (i.e. long-suffering), and self-control. It is the fulfillment of iron sharpening iron, with all the flames and sparks that come with it.

For any other homeschooling family, or Christian parent, I just want to encourage you to keep moving forward in the journey. I'm sure there will be tough days, or even tough seasons, but continue to seek the Lord for guidance and purpose in the fire and He will deliver. Does that mean the trial will be removed? Maybe, but not always. But, it does mean that He will provide the answers needed to make to through the trial. We must always, though, be ready to answer in obedience to His guidance, immediately applying whatever truth He reveal to our hearts. Remain in Him, and He promises to remain in us. Let's keep our eyes on the Lord!