Good Soil...

Derrick has been working all week to install a fence around our backyard garden.  The problem with doing this in western PA is that our soil is absolutely terrible!!!  He had to dig almost 30 three-foot deep holes for the fence posts and it was grueling work.  There was so much rock in our yard, it's truly hard to believe anything could grow and digging that many holes seemed like an almost impossible task.  So after several  days of trying to dig the holes by hand with little progress, he rented an auger and he and Carter spent a good part of a day digging the holes using that.

I never gave much thought to soil until I became a homeowner.  Now it affects everything I plant in my garden and yard.  I have tried and failed so many times over the years to get so many different kinds of vegetables and flowers to grow in our rocky clay soil. 

Today, I planted some zinnia seeds with help from my little buddy Eva.  Though it will still be months until they flower, I look forward to those colorful blooms.  "Why aren't you just planting those seeds outside?" The other kids were sitting around the table watching me plant.  I explained that the seeds would get a better start in some good, loose potting soil than directly into the cold, hard ground.

Planting seeds and seeing the effect of good vs. bad soil reminds me of the parable of the farmer in Mark 4.  The farmer is scattering seeds on different types of soil and we learn the fate of each of these seeds.  Then Jesus goes on to explain what each one stands for.

Mark 4:13-20 (NLT)
Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Lawson, inside one of the 3 ft deep post holes!

This story is a solemn reminder, not just of the effects of soil on plants, but on people.  It vividly depicts the different pitfalls that so many believers of Christ fall into, and all the things that steal our joy, weaken our faith, and vie for our attention. 

Oh that I could be one of the seeds to fall on the good soil, and that my life could be one that produces a harvest.  Help my faith to truly take root, Lord, and let it be a light to many others. 

Consider the lilies...

Summer splendor....I truly can't think of a better way to describe it.  I've waited months for this...and finally it has arrived.  The flowers are now in full bloom.  The many months of waiting, watching, anticipating the glorious colors.  There is only so much I can do to prepare for this...I plant, I mulch, I weed, I water...but the plant must grow on it's own.  I can't force it along any faster.   I can't control the development of the buds or size of the flower or it's color.  I must let it proceed as God designed it to do.

Don't worry about tomorrow...consider the lilies

Oh that I could abide by that advice, cling to these promises, trust in His provision for me.  I take pause to consider a God that would pour so much effort and beauty in to a single flower and how marvelous His love must be for me?

Seek first His kingdom...



Before I begin to think about all the things I want, oh let me pause to think first on Him, for His plans for me, for His purpose for me even being here.

Kids Fest Day 1

 Matthew 6:25-34 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

25 Therefore I tell you, stop being [a]perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?  26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?  27 And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the [b]span of his life?  28 And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.  29 Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these.  30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?  31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?  32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.  33 But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Dinner plate Dahlia...it's HUGE!!

Productive...

 Ah, the harvest...

We long for this time of year to come for so many months...and then suddenly, it is here.  Plants that were dead for so many months began to show signs of life again as the spring weather warms the soil.  They have endured many weeks of fluctuating temperatures and frosts and heavy rains...but now, in spite of the pressures and challenges (and the voracious bunnies and chipmunks)..they are flourishing.

Now there is the daily job of picking our shiny red, delicious strawberries. Tonight, with the help of the girls, I picked 4 pounds of the berries...it's kind of hard to believe, really...right in our own backyard!

 Watching our garden plants go from dormancy or tiny seedlings to the harvest is a lengthy and arduous process.  For so long there is doubt... will they survive...will there be anything to show for all this effort?

Don't grow weary...

This message reverberates in my mind tonight as I contemplate the hard work we put into our flower and veggie gardens today...pulling weeds, tilling the soil to make room for many new seedlings, planting the tiny seedlings in neat rows.  This message reminds me too of my faith...of the need to tend to it daily, to pull up any encroaching weeds, to guard it carefully with a covering of prayer.

In due season, I will indeed reap.  I will not give up, though it's tempting at times to allow life to swallow up my resolve, my determination, my hope.  I look at the small harvest from today, and I am reminded that all good things take time.  Never, never grow weary of doing good...the harvest will come.

Hills and Valleys

Where do you set your eyes?

When every possible distraction is vying for your attention, your devotion, your focus, where do you finally settle in for the long ride home?

I had an opportunity to do a little gardening on Sunday afternoon and as I stood to survey my front beds, I quickly realized that my bushes and trees were getting very crowded...that some things needed to be cut back and moved.  The first "victim" was the Japanese maple tree, which got a good pruning of all the low-hanging branches.  Next I turned my attention to a rose bush that was sandwiched between two larger holly bushes.  I marveled at the size of it.  Only two years back, I had dug this same rose bush up from it's first home on our hillside.  It was struggling to survive there and had only one rose bloom the whole year.  The year after I moved it, it nearly doubled in size and produced many beautiful and fragrant roses.  But here I was again, shovel in hand, ready to dig it up...and this time not for being scraggly and under-productive but for growing too fast!

I jumped down on the shovel with both feet to loosen the roots, knowing I was certainly not going to be able to salvage all of them.  I felt sorry for this poor bush that was going to undergo yet another difficult transplant.  I dug a new hole for it, down by the mailbox.  Next I used the clippers to prune it back...trimming off many of the growing buds that would soon have been roses.  It seemed unfair...inopportune...a shame....but without this pruning, it would have had an even more difficult time rebounding from the move.

As I spent a few hours with my hands in the dirt, I began to ponder the similarities of growth and change, of beautiful blooms and difficult pruning seasons....similarities to my life...to many of our lives.
I have experienced these amazing highs and desperate lows...I've grasped at the wind for answers...trying to understand...to cope...to somehow appreciate these seasons of life.  Sometimes I succeed...sometimes I flounder...but my rate of success is fully dependent on where I set my eyes...

I know what I'm "supposed" to do...just like that rose bush that will instinctively keep on growing, despite the trauma I've put it through...I will keep growing as long as I am able to grow.  Isn't that exactly what God wants for my life...to grow, to push with all my might even if I am only able to produce one meager rose in a growing season?

I heard a song today that reminds me of this journey...I serve a God of hills and valleys...but even in the deepest valleys, I keep my eyes on Him.

The Best Day of her Entire Life

 When the mail truck came into view this afternoon, my children screamed and ran towards the street, arms flailing, hearts racing.  A package was being delivered for Derrick's birthday, and they were SOOO excited to see what was inside.  And...well...you will probably never guess so I will just tell you.

Maybe I should provide a little background.  Derrick is an avid gardener and would also LOVE to have chickens.  But alas, we are not allowed in the township we live in...so last week when the kids were getting all crazy collecting worms in the driveway, we watched a few YouTube videos about starting your own worm farm.  I found the Red Wigglers (which are composting worms) on Amazon...and with a few clicks, they were being shipped across the country to our front door.

So yes, that was what was being delivered today.  I'm pretty sure our mailman thought we were all insane when the kids told him "It's our worms!"  Reese also told Derrick that today was "The best day of my entire life!"  Wow...

So tonight the kids were up until 9:30 pm with Derrick, working away on building their worm farm together.  It was quite the undertaking and they were loving every second of it.  Aren't you jealous now???  Happy Birthday a few days early, Derrick.  This one is going to be tough to beat.  hahaha

Growth Spurt...

 So I need to give a little shout-out to Derrick's always-masterfully planned garden.  We are in the peak of garden season here at the "Berad Homestead."  Unfortunately the cooler summer this year has totally stunted our tomatoes!!!  In spite of planting 40 tomato plants this year we are getting almost no harvest, much to our dismay.  I give so much credit to farmers who stake their livelihood on their crops, never knowing what the yield will be.  Even just having a suburban backyard garden is a ton of work (mostly Derrick these days).

It's exciting to look out the window each morning and see what has grown and ripened overnight.  The sunflowers have really sprung up fast, we have some massive lima beans growing on the deck, and I've been trying some new recipes lately that have turned out pretty well.   I made this Kohlrabi Slaw last night...this Parmesan Lemon Zucchini a couple days ago and this Quinoa Enchilada Casserole last weekend....YUM!

 Speaking of growing...I feel like I blink and the kids have sprouted up another inch overnight.  They are getting too big, too fast.  And, oh goodness, there is another one coming in about 50 more days, hopefully give a few.

Tonight the kids were playing with a box of little figurines and critters Derrick saved from when he was a kid.  Carter ran into the room with one, a figure of an Indian, and asked us, "What is this guy called again, a Minion?"

Look at the Kale!!!

Crazy asparagus...crazy kids...

It was a beautiful, sunny day for Mother's Day yesterday.  The kids enjoyed lots of time outside...so everyone was happy.  They wanted to get out all of the lawn games and Carter's first request was, "Can we play Bad Birdie?"  Bad Birdie...Bad Birdie...what the heck is Bad Birdie....oooohhhh Badminton!

Yes, this is my kids with a stalk of asparagus that is taller than Sienna!  (In Carter's right hand...it's skinny)

No, in case you were curious, today was not any more relaxing than Saturday.  Another trip to the Pediatrician for Sienna for a severe allergic reaction to the penicillin she's been on for 16 days now...crazy itchy hives all over her body...still two ear infections...another new antibiotic...an oatmeal bath  (which she pooped in) to try to ease her discomfort.  I raced to get the tub cleaned,her dressed, and get the kids fed and ready for a trip to the dentist for Carter and Reese.  I sent them upstairs to brush their teeth and heard Reese screaming...she came down and the whole side of her head was blue.  There was blue toothpaste all over her hair and even in her ear.  I just got Carter a new tube and I guess he squeezed it a little too aggressively and shot Reese with it.  Ugh!  The final straw was being welcomed home by dog poop on the dog bed...oh yea...it's a been a super-relaxing very fun day here!

Indigo Bunting at our feeder!

Yes I did cry in the car earlier...no I will not be drowning my sorrows with a drink of wine at dinner...(dang pregnancy!)   I know they never said being a parent would be easy but seriously, this is insanity!

We dig dirt...

Spring is in the air!!! We spotted some little daffodil and tulip shoots in the garden today.  The sunshine and mid-60-degree temps really made us all feel a little more alive again too.

Today also marks Sienna's 18-month-old milestone.  I can't believe we're 6 months away from 2 already.  Time really does fly.  I probably won't be quite as sentimental about my baby growing up so fast since we'll be right back in the trenches again shortly after her birthday.  

 The kids saw Derrick out in the garden late this afternoon and all wanted to help him dig in the dirt.  Whether he wants it or not, it's looking like he'll have lots of "help" in the garden this summer.

Of Stink Bugs and Solar Systems...

Just when you thought you'd seen it all....well not actually...I'm well aware there are billions of types of insects...but isn't one variety of stink bug enough??  Apparently not, meet the harlequin stink bug...pretty, eh.  (pretty stinky that is!)  And see her lovely eggs...the second photo is a little more in focus, but they are actually pretty amazing with swirls of black and white like zebra stripes.  So amazing they were smashed to bits after I photographed them.

 But in all seriousness, when you think of the variety of insects alone, it's enough to leave your mind reeling at the marvelous creation we are a part of.  So much intricate detail is just astounding to me.

Now onto our "little" project for the day.  Saw a hanging mobile in Pottery Barn kids...$44, this is my own version, courtesy of some eager little painters I know named Carter and Reese.  They were soooo excited to paint all the planets.  I'm hoping it turns out OK...not sure yet about how we will hang all of them, but it should be pretty cool.  I was looking at a photo of earth from space to see how to paint it and it was hard not to just stop and think...WOW...just look at the gorgeous planet we live on...look at the vast expanse of space and how it all fits together with such precision.  Look at life on our planet, the way it spins just the right distance from the sun to support life...I could go on and on in my very unscientific marveling, but it does give me reason to pause, amidst the Styrofoam balls of color and be thankful yet again for so many things we take for granted each day...

The sights and smells of summer

 Have I ever mentioned how much I love summer?  Ha...I know, it's a little like a broken record.  Let me just take one minute to toot my own horn here...my flowers look SOOO good this year.  OK, there's my minute...now I will make an admission...all I did was dig a hole in the ground and stick them in in the spring...the rest is good old nature.  I do love looking out the window and seeing these beautiful dahlias though.  I'm sold on dahlias, I've never had anything grow this well in my yard before.  I may just have to plant even more next year!

Our pastor was talking about our uniqueness as human beings today, and just how mind-blowing it is that every person has a different, completely unique finger print.  I feel equally impressed when I stop to admire the things in nature and realize how intricate, delicate and beautiful they are, such as the petals on a flower. I do not do this nearly enough...take a breath, pause from the busyness of it all, and appreciate the beauty that surrounds me.

We've been plowing through the peaches in the last week.  Made some peach jam, eating lots of them fresh of course, and tonight I made these grilled peaches with cinnamon honey butter, which I thought were quite amazing!

First attempt at growing roses...smells amazing!

Lazy days of summer

 We're trying to take advantage of every day of summer now...it seems it is coming to an end all too quickly.  I can't believe we're already more than a week into August.  The days have been very cool for this time of year, so we took advantage of a warmer evening to break out the slip 'n slide.

The girls were helping out in the garden.  Check out our sunflowers, super tall (probably 9 ft.) corn, and monster butternut squash!!!  Can't wait to cook that thing up.

 Sienna really enjoyed sitting on the slip n slide while the kids zipped by her.  She is not afraid of anything!

 When Derrick got out the weed whacker, the kids were instantly mesmerized.  I took advantage of all three of them sitting together, as you can see.