it's a beginning...

i know it doesn't look like much, but it is a beginning.  and it is "home sweet home".  

piles of dirt, evidence of the basement excavation

cement truck and pump truck, pouring the footings

 the footings, upon which the foundations of the house will rest.  

See, I lay a stone in Zion, 

a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;

the one who trusts will never be dismayed. 

Isaiah 28:16

The rain came down,

 the streams rose,

 and the winds blew and beat against that house;

yet it did not fall,

because it had its foundation on the rock.

Matthew 7:25

although these footings will soon be hidden, first, by a cement floor, and then a wooden frame, walls, and a roof, they are the most important part of the house.  silent and invisible they will hold firm keeping the walls strong and straight.  when the winds and rains come against the house (and they will come), i will be warm and snug and safe inside.

what is the foundation of your life?  are you trusting in things that shift like the sand?  money?  easy come, easy go! your job?   the economy is so unreliable.  people?  they can let you down.  they're only human, after all.  but if you have Jesus, you have the firm foundation.  He is the cornerstone that Isaiah was referring to in his prophecy.  trusting in him will keep you from being dismayed when the circumstances of this world rain down on you.  i am praying that if you do not know Jesus as the foundation and rock of your life, that you would come to know him.  He is the one who will give you peace during the storms in your life.

everyday gift:  a firm foundation

prayer in the morning

But I, O LORD, cry to you:
in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Psalm 88:13 ESV



this has been my place for my quiet time and coffee at our temporary house this summer. i can't believe how cool some mornings have been, even in july. i take an afghan, my coffee, flavored with vanilla caramel, and my Bible outside on the little patio to read, pray, and enjoy the singing birds.

praying for today:

*uncle ron, in ICU with a serious infection.
*the boys' safety while away at camp.
*progress on building the house; safety for the workers.
*mom and dad as they forge a new relationship.

thankful for everyday gifts:

*my blue chair.
*the chickadee on our bird feeder.
*the beautiful view behind the new house.
*the incredible love and grace of Jesus.

critter feeder

well, i know they are called bird feeders, however....

mr. raccoon seems to think i put this picnic out just for him.  he knocked the lid down into the weeds and stuffed himself with birdseed, completely emptying the feeder.  between him, the army of squirrels, and the chipmunk that stuffs his cheeks to bursting, i can not keep seed in the feeders!  

and they are sooo bold,  down right brazen about it.  i have tried to shoo them away from the window only a few feet from the feeder, but they just glance up at me and continue gorging themselves.   only if i actually walk out onto the deck will they run off, hide behind some tree, and return the moment i am back inside the house.  i just do not have time to guard the feeders.

i think the answer is to change the name of the feeders from "bird feeders" to "critter feeders".  after all it is cheap entertainment! 

everyday gift:  all creatures great and small 

another view of horse camp

S was a good sport. although he could have had plans to play with a friend during B's horse camp show, he wanted to come and see what she had learned. he really is a nice brother. but after an hour of watching the girls circle the arena and lead their horse through the cones and over logs, he was getting a little bored. was i done with that camera, yet? he wanted to know. he found some more interesting subjects to photograph...

"hoof prints in the sand"

"haybales"

"___"

i love his creativity! and his kindness toward his sister!

p.s. more pictures of the horse show to come...

everyday gift: a sense of humor

follow-up

i just wanted to post a quick follow-up about C's mission trip. 'thank you' to those who supported him with prayer or a monetary gift! he had a wonderful time. they came home exhausted and were in no mood for a group shot.  so this is the best i could do to document their return:

unloading the trailer

it was so neat to hear C tell about the work they did during the week. i think his favorite project was helping a pastor of a church in a very needy part of the city. they cleared out an old warehouse to make more room for the food pantry and clothing ministry that he runs there. another day they helped a single mom in his congregation move to a new apartment and clean the old one. the laundry he brought home gave testimony to his other jobs of yard work and painting with dirt, stains, and sweat. you'd think C would be glad to home...but he was wishing he could have stayed another week. i do believe his love language is the 'gift of service' and he really spent his week loving.

everyday gift: showing God's love through service

a pony for our pasture

we had an exciting fourth of july weekend! we picked up a pretty little pony for B! it is really only on loan from a friend's farm, but it is the perfect pony for B to learn with. if we do get her her own one day, she'll know just what it takes to care for it.

meet princess lolly! i am told she was named after a character in the game candyland. she is a welsh pony and is very friendly and gentle! B is in love!

fitting lolly to her saddle and her new rider

mark is almost as excited as B... i think, deep down inside, he is really a cowboy! i love how this has become a father/daughter project! mark has really been involved with her, researching horses and learning about their care and training. it truly warms this mother's heart to watch them.

everyday gift: a pony in the pasture

my little herb garden

with all the busyness that goes along with moving, my herb garden was very neglected. it is looking terribly overgrown and abandoned. i do hope the new owners will be able to see the potential. i did give it one good weeding earlier in the spring and planted a tomato plant, several green pepper plants, and some onions. i knew when i planted them that i may not reap the harvest, in fact, i hoped i would not, because that would mean we had sold our house and would be busy building the new. but i couldn't bear to leave without taking a few starts. i potted them so i would be able to take them with me to our temporary home and then to the new house.

they really appear quite happy in their traveling home!

in my herb pot: chives, chamomile, lavender, thyme, oregano, bronze fennel, parsley

and dill volunteers popped up as well!

my pot of shady plants divided from my garden.

butter and eggs (top), mini hosta (right), variegated red fern (left),

and shooting star (back, not really visible),

also in the pot, hens and chicks

everyday gift: fresh garden herbs

scrambled eggs???

the coop at our old house, the fences removed. the girls were accidentally let out of the coop on the morning of the big move. so we had us a little chicken chasin' party to get them all back in the coop. what a fiasco!

the coop being loaded onto the trailer after the the stilts had been cut and the skis attached.

successfully loaded onto the trailer

the chickens takin' a joy ride! LOL!

the coop in its new, temporary location .

and i am happy to report that there was no noticeable decline in the egg count.

everyday gift: adventures in moving