Gearing up the Garden

A couple of summers ago in Corn, we ventured into some gardening with varying degrees of success.  We tried a little version of some garden favorites last summer, with really no success. Between the heat and my total lack of enjoying most aspects of keeping up a garden, we grew mostly grass.

But, it is that time of year again, when the notion of gardening and planning what we’d love to go out and pick and eat, grabs hold of us and makes us try again. In Corn, we put down weed barrier fabric to keep the weeds at bay and placed some straw on top for mulch to keep water in. Didn’t do that last year, and definitely knew that I need all the help I can get! Lazy gardener; yes, I am.

Both boys have brought home plants from school. Sam has a cabbage plant to grow in ten weeks. We are ambitious enough to try to win a $1000 scholarship from Bonnie Plants. Unfortunately, only one third grader from the whole state of Kansas will be chosen the winner. We are as good gone, but when college roles around, we’ll know we’ve tried everything to finance it!
We’ve already had major bug set backs. Dellen planted a pumpkin seed in his class and it has grown so well. That is until we nearly broke it in two carrying it around at the book fair after parent teacher conferences yesterday. Ai Ai Ai!We’ve also planted cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, an assortment of peppers, cilantro and rhubarb. Our raspberry and blackberry bushes are growing great right now as well.The boys were such great helpers this afternoon. Dellen planted this whole wheelbarrow full of flowers himself.Meanwhile, Sam was planting all the onions. I am so proud. I gave some instructions to each of them, and then let them have at it. I didn’t check back in on their projects until they were finished. I am proud of myself for giving them the independence to get a job done. And that they did – great jobs! We used our own compost soil too!

Need to get the straw placed on it still, and water away now. I hope we’ll have some harvest for our efforts. Maybe third time is a charm!

Emma Creek

Well, since my half marathon in October, I really tapered off from running through the winter. Maybe, I’d run once a month. At the end of January I went back out to see if I could start thinking about dedicating myself to another half in Wichita this spring. I knew right away my heart wasn’t in it. I did focus on going out to jog some for exercise and work myself back up to running 3 miles. It really was amazing how quickly I got out of shape after all that agonizing work.

Lately, I’ve been jogging on that beautiful trail nearby. It is refreshing. I leave from my house and have my route. I’ve grown through that call to run journey last year and I benefit greatly from it still. In February, I put some local 5Ks on the calendar and this morning was the first one!

It was only six miles away and didn’t start until 9:30. What a luxury! Russ and the boys came to cheer me on. What would only be my third race, was by far the shortest and I was probably the most nervous going into it. In the last month, I’d taken about a minute and a half off of each three mile run. My goal going into the race this morning was to jog the entire time and complete it in 35 minutes. I’m slow but I’m doing it!

It was cool, but that was perfect! What a glorious day to run. And while I was nervous to know so many people there and run in front of my family, it all turned out great. The course was beautiful. I was constantly being passed, but in the end I crossed the finish line in 33 minutes!! A massive personal record for me.

Overall, there were 1115 female runners, joggers, walkers. I came across the line at  279, and finished 35 of 109 for my age division. The youngest gal was 7. The oldest woman was 94 and she walked the entire course with her walker in 1 hour and 18 minutes! I’m still amazed how energizing a race can be and the positive atmosphere around the event. I’ve never been an athletic sort of person, so there are many misconceptions and anxieties that I am working through. Great day though! Thanks goes out to my special guys for taking me and cheering me on and waiting ever so patiently for me to cross that line!
I had just passed this lady in blue about ten yards back. I guess I’m going to have to think about running past the finish. I think I just see the line, cross it and feel thankful to be done.

April Visitors

We were absolutely thrilled when Bob and Marilyn e-mailed to arrange an overnight visit with us. I have known them since I was in 3rd grade when I became best friends with their daughter, Sheryl. They have been such a blessing in my life and the lives of my family. We enjoyed dinner at a restaurant we hadn’t been to before and also coffee/breakfast at the nearby coffee shop at the college campus we live close to the following morning. We were sad to see them leave.

Thank you Bob and Marilyn for sharing your lives with us and being such Godly examples in my life! Love you!

Happiness

Happiness is time spent with family and friends.

Happiness is travel.

Happiness is celebrating life.

Happiness is rejoicing in a risen Savior!

 

We made an extremely quick trip to Colorado to celebrate a special birthday. We were able to spend one night at each of my parents’ houses and partake in fun Easter traditions. We colored eggs at my mom’s. I’m glad we got some pictures from Grandpa’s phone, although not of everyone. My silly camera battery wasn’t charged up. Uncle Ryan was able to come by for a visit Thursday night. Yay! While driving through Castle Rock on the way to my dad’s, we were able to eat some ice cream with my bestie, Sheryl, and also see my grandma in the nursing home. I think I’ve managed to see Grandma about four extra times than I thought I would in the last year. Each time is a blessing for which I am grateful.

Saturday was a fun day of celebration. It was a special birthday for Mom/Grandma and my sisters and families were over and we enjoyed some cousin time and an Easter egg hunt and birthday fun.

Our nephew, Corwin, gets the joy of living so close to grandparents and he has some rituals that he partakes of when he visits. He asks Papa for a tractor ride every time he goes there. Of course, my boys loved loved loved it. I remember loving those times as a child myself. Cory has a special fondness of watching the wheels go round and round. Absolutely mesmerized even when they aren’t spinning. That Friday had been terribly windy, but we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect weather day on Saturday. The kids had so much fun hunting eggs filled with candies! I even got a little sunburn on my face and arms. We helped Grandma celebrate her birthday that afternoon.  The girls had put together a special book of pictures from her life. What fun!

Happiness is love.

We are always having to leave everyone before we want to. But 7 1/2 hours in the car playing the license plate game (we saw 30 states and a plate from Canada!) and listening to The Hobbit on audio awaited us.

That next morning (Easter) the boys sang in an Children’s Easter program at church during both services, and then we enjoyed Easter dinner with a family from church. We were grateful for the invite and enjoyed our after noon together.

Happiness is hope.

 

Romans 15:13 NLT

“So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in Him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Psalm 25:4-5 NLT

“Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You.”