Our Garden Adventure

Well, it's been a few weeks since we started our little garden. Some things are taking off, while others are non-existent...
 Here are our containers of herbs and peppers.... looks like the basil (or cilantro, we forgot which) is coming up, but the peppers are MIA.... So I planted more seeds today and we'll see what happens..

my little tomato plant... it gets some yellow flowery things, but no tomatoes to be seen.

the little 'stick'  in the pot underneath the tomatoes is a raspberry 'bush'... not sure what is going on with it since I don't know what it is supposed to look like as it grows. I guess I should research that, huh?

Our onions seem to be doing ok....

the green beans are good too, though I am seeing some of leaves looking

 like they are getting eaten by bugs? not sure...

our carrots are nowhere to be seen, so this morning I planted some melon seeds. Again, not sure I was supposed to do that, but figured I had nothing to loose...

the summer squash is looking good, but the okra hasn't showed up.

 I think one of the problems is that we put our box garden too close to the fence and

 part of it is not getting full sun..  But I planted more okra among the squash this morning to see what happens

our peas are doing pretty good, kinda competing with the green beans!

So, over all, I guess it's working out. We are definitely learning as we go.

On an unrelated topic, here is a picture of my birdfeeders in the backyard.

 I have 5 of them....

I am not exagerating when I say I fill them up in the morning, and by evening they are empty!

It is crazy! I feel like word got out that there is a 'bird seed buffet' in my backyard

that all the birds are talking about!!

We have a lot of black birds right now and I am not fond of them. I wish I knew if there was a specific bird seed that they don't like so I could discourage them from coming. They are overpowering the cardinals and finches.... :(

Nassar Manor Update

It's been a while since I have updated on Tom & Rachel's victorian house renovation... winter slowed things down.

But the weather is now much better and they are at it again!  Tom decided to hire a friend contractor to do the roof and siding of the house. That is a pretty big project.

Tom went ahead and asked his friend to build their new porch. It is beautiful!

And since his friend is on a roll, he is also installing the new windows... here are a couple of them

they are really transforming the house!

Rachel's dad is visiting from Florida this week to lend a hand, so he and Tom were working under the house with the plumbing and stuff. In the mean time, Rachel tended to burning the trash, old wood and junk they found in the house.

Oh, and this is their dog Buttons who has been gone for 4 months!

He showed up the day before with a girlfriend! haha

I helped Rachel a little with the burning, and Fred's part was to work on some

old/dead trees in the property. He LOVES to use his chainsaw!

here is a short video I was taking of Fred. He was attempting to cut down a pretty good size tree

(the one down in the picture above)

I said I wanted to catch anything funny that I could send to 'funniest videos' 

He stopped cutting because he didn't think he was getting through the tree, so I stopped taping.

THEN, the tree starts to fall and Rachel hollers "Fred look out!" as it was coming down his way!

So I totally missed it on video... here he is starting to work on the fallen tree... haha

Like I have said in the past, this is a GIANT endeavor on Tom & Rachel's part.

But it is pretty interesting watching the progress. Rachel would LOVE to be in the house by this Christmas. Prayers would be appreciated!! :)

My kids are MIA

I haven't heard from my kids in a couple of days. Usually I can see something on facebook to let me know they are 'alive and well' and so I don't necessarily need to speak with them to not worry. Especially Steph. We USUALLY speak every day either on chat or text or in a phone call. So when I don't hear anything from her in a day 1/2, my mother's side starts to worry and make up all kinds of awful things that could have happened. I am trying to change that. My kids are adults. They have their lives to live.
But it sure makes me happy when I hear from them, when they tell me how they are and what they have been up to. I feel included in their daily walk....

So then, is this what God goes through when we get busy with our lives and don't take time to talk with HIM daily? Of course, God is perfect. He isn't going to get paranoid and wonder if something bad has happened to us. But I do feel that is pleases HIM to hear from us, when we share with HIM how we are and what we have been up to. 

I am guilty of getting busy, and the next thing I realize is that I haven't spoken with God lately. I have prayed at meals and maybe even said a quick thank you prayer at night. But not REALLY spoken with HIM.

I have often heard that one starts to get a glimpse of how God feels about us once we become parents. It's so true. How we burst with pride at our kids accomplishements, big OR small. How our hearts break when we see them make mistakes with their lives. And how we want nothing but the best for them, will give our lives for them.

I also know that the love I have for my kids pales in comparison to how much God loves them. So, in those days when I don't hear from my kids, I pray. I may not be there with them, but I know God is, and that is all they need!