Pics and more pics!

Here we are in Boise. With our own Boise address again. What a ride. And the theme of life right now seems to be, grace. Undeserved. We have so much more than we deserve. Know what I love? Besides that, which one can't help but love. When we moved to MT, we needed to, needed to bad. So, I loved everything I could love about being there. We were blessed there and how could we not be content?! Then when we began to be ready to move back, God waited for the perfect timing, and once we were finally able to, no looking back. We miss friends, yes, but we are thankful to be back. When we rest in God's timing, all is well. I never wonder if things could have or should have been different, and that is a blessing indeed. I have always wondered about the little house we lived in before we moved to MT, if I hadn't demanded my way, I am sure God had the perfect house waiting for us. Instead I had to hate the very thing that I demanded and then learn the hard way to be thankful. Have you ever watched a child throw a fit over something silly and had to smile to yourself. Yah, toddler=me, smiling and shaking his head=God.

Not a great pic, but here is the before(right) and after(left) pics of the dining room chairs. John shortened the tall backs and put cushion and nice upholstery

Lovely dogwood tree blossoms. I read once that God calls to our hearts with beauty. So very much understood that with this tree in full bloom. You know when something is so beautiful it brings almost an ache to your chest? And pictures of things aren't the same as in real life. And isn't there a lesson somewhere in there about this life being a reflection, just a reflection in a mirror, even a shadow would you believe, of the real thing? I thought once, what's wrong with a reflection? Its just as beautiful? But now I see, as with a picture, it is lifeless, without warmth. Not the real thing. And so, this life is just a shadow or reflection of the real thing to come? Whoa. WHOA.

First project in new Boise house - dining room. Slighly disturbing red wall gone, old battered up table painted, chairs all made-over. Oh, and red curtain replaced with sheer. Ahh, such a nice place to gather my fam for dinner! Planning to put the blue that is striped on the chair, on the wall. And tossing around the idea of built-in cabinet along wall...? And John is going to build a loooong bench seat for the wall side of the table, its going to be cushioned and have the upholstry to match the chairs, can't wait! :)

 

Look at my firstborn son. LOOK AT HIM! He is not a child. He is heartbeats away from... adulthood, manhood, out-on-his-own-hood... leaving me. There is that ache in my chest again. Can I say for the hundredth time, its so hard being the mama! As much as I love it and am so, so very thankful to be the mama, I am blessed more than I even can comprehend, its both life and sorrow to the mama's heart!

For years now I have been growing my desire for a garden. We had space in our yard on Jackson St before we moved away, but I had no strength for it. So many women do it, grow veggies and babies at the same time, not me. By the time I was about ready to start a garden, we moved and then it took me another couple of years there to start to think about it again, but the yard wasn't big and wasn't great for gardening. We were going to put in a few raised beds though... and then we moved, again. And this house has a ready to use garden plot, fenced in and piped for watering! Yeah! So, the Man spent a morning prepping it for us, I wish we had a before pic, it was full of weeds and a mess. He tilled and tilled, tilled in good stuff and smoothed it all into a ready canvas!

I told him when he does stuff around the house for us, its sexy. He likes that. ;-)

We are starting small this year, I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. Three tomato plants, an early, a late, and a small roma. A jalepeno. A red bell pepper for the girls, who ask for them so they can just cut them up and eat them. One cucumber plant. A row of green beans. A row of lettuce. Carrots and white onions. I will add another row of carrots every few weeks, as the packet of seeds instructed, so by the end it will be a little more full. So exciting!

My girls, who are already turning out better than me, thank God, were in the dirt helping, which I love! I told them I grew up with gardens, Nana and Papa had a lovely garden in Great Falls, but I don't think I stepped foot in it. They also had beautiful landscaped yards every where we lived, earned with much time on their knees in the dirt. And I never helped. So sad. Ellie took pics and drew out the garden for me, I am keeping a gardening journal, and she was right in there planting, as well. Love it, love it, love it!

Garden updates to follow!

Have a beautiful Summer!