Way too Much to Do

I'm working a a virtual diary of my yard improvements. I took on the biggest challenges these last 4 or five weeks. Harvesting dirt to fill my vegetable garden box, putting in weed barrier, plants, and mulch.  Cleaning around the fence to plant tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers was another back breaking venture.  I also tackled my flower bed.  A huge area almost as long as my house.  It has been weeded, mulched and a few new perennials added. 
.

Space next to the back door.

Last night I started looking around at what more needs to be done.  It is unbelievable to me the neglect of this property.  My plan was to hand pull, place weed barrier and mulch.  There are tons of Hyacinth bulbs that I plan to harvest and replant with my daffodils.

Looks so junky....I think this area is important for me to fix up

The plan here is the same as the above as well as adding fill dirt, replace the lattice and scrape and paint the porch.  I need to replace the stairs, but that us something beyond my skills.

The Hosta is very healthy

The Hosta needs to be thinned, weeded between and the fence line cleared....there are places like this in every nook in our yard.  I made the decision to lesson my stress to have a clean yard, that I would weed eat many of these areas to groom them up and I can do more detailed work at my own pace, remembering that anything not finished by the end of fall, I can continue next spring with much less to do. We are leaving for Georgia in 10 days and me and dmy little guys are staying for a month.  I think that adds to the stress of wanting to complete these projects.
One thing that I have noticed about my compulsive personality is when I get started on a project I do not want to stop. When I am not working I am thinking of what needs to be done next.  I noticed yesterday just how neglected Jesse was.  I put the tools away and played with my son.  We drew on the sidewalk and I stayed with him while he jumped on the trampoline.  I got the idea to draw on the trampoline.  Jesse loved that.

Mommy does love Jesse...so very much

I feel rather stressed because the things I do to be a good housewife, makes me a bad mother and when I neglect chores to spend time with the kids I feel like a bad housewife.  I do have to find balance.

Jesse

Cupcakes at Grammy's

I don't know which my son loves more.  His Grammy or her sweets! Doug has been taking him to see his parents on Sundays for several months now.  I am so glad he has such a bond with her.

Fun in the Sun

A couple of weeks ago I went to a MOPS luncheon with my new friend Kara.  One of the ladies that go to it announced she was moving to DC.  I got an email from her offering a child's playground.  I am really excited to get it for Jesse.  It is something we couldn't normally afford.  Doug is going by after work to get it.

Day Off or Off Day?

Sitting in my sun room gazing out the window I can admire my work.  From here I can see the vegetable garden and the new bird feeder in the back yard.  I put in another four hours last night. finishing the the flower bed, vegetable garden and hanging a bird feeder, planting a hummingbird trumpet and planting daffodil bulbs. I have about 50 of them I harvested on Saturday. We are running low on mulch again...I suppose I need to pln yet another trip to the dump.
Although there is still so much I want to accomplish, I plan to take  the day off from my yard.  My two younger sons have nasty colds and they are just miserable. The only problem with enjoying the out doors is my neglecting the inside of the house.  I am the only one who cleans so it is constant battle.  Doug has gone to do our grocery shopping. One chore I am grateful he took on. He is now home, groceries put away and I am thinking of taking my sick little love up for his nap.

The Story

All of these lines across my face

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true...I was made for you

I climbed across the mountain tops

Swam all across the ocean blue

I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules

But baby I broke them all for you

Because even when I was flat broke

You made me feel like a million bucks

You do I was made for you

You see the smile that's on my mouth

It's hiding the words that don't come out

And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed

They don't know my head is a mess

No, they don't know who I really am

And they don't know what

I've been through like you do

And I was made for you...

All of these lines across my face

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true...I was made for you

~Brandi Carlile

It's Five O'clock on a Saturday

I keep hearing that line of a song over in my head.  I have been awake since five am. I laid in bed for about twenty minutes, a little prayer time, reflecting on how blessed I am and admiring the beautiful two year old boy sleeping next to me.  I came downstairs and worked on the kitchen. It is looking much better and now I am sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying the splendor of quite time alone with my thoughts. It dawned on me, I am happy without any effort. That alone is a blessed gift from above.
I spent quite a bit of time in my large flower bed yesterday.  I like working outside. Especially during Jesse's nap time.  It gives me time  to ponder on things, pray and feel accomplished. When I take a pile of over grown rubbish and turn it into something beautiful I feel I have done something of worth my family and friends can enjoy.
As I was weeding I thought how that garden is like my life.  I was once content and my spiritual life pure. I am not sure what happened, but the beauty began to be choked out. It had become overgrown with weeds of worry, sin, oppression and depression. But, God is always faithful even though I am not always faithful to him. He is a gentleman, he will not force himself on me, but wait and love me through my pain and mistakes.
As I was pulling weeds I thought how like problems, sins and situations in our lives, are similar to the weeds I was ripping from the ground. Some weeds can be pulled and that is the end of it.  Others however come back and have to be dealt with again and some have to have the root totally dug out or you'll never be free of it. I have one problem in my life I cannot seem to dig the root out.  I have given it to the Lord and I do not feel I have taken it back, but there is a piece of it somewhere deep that I cannot seem to destroy.  I have also discovered that when gardening perennials, they don't stay where you put them and multiplies in a way that some of the plants have to be destroyed to make the garden beautiful.  That makes me think of the Lord's pruning.  Not sure if He is trying to "weed" anything from my life, or just reshaping me to look more like him (can you think of anything more beautiful?) and trimming for health and growth. I have learned that I cannot sit on my dairy air and become more of the woman I want to be.  It takes pruning, digging, pulling, planting and watering. Prayer, Bible, time alone with God, learning more and more about my savior, reaching out to others and reaching up to him is what I need to do.  Sounds complicated, but it is not. It is one breath and one step at a time.

Getting Stronger

I have been the most productive that I can remember being in a long time.  I always wanted to keep busy. Kids, housework and occasional part time job. Since summer has graced us I have been out in the sun daily.  Starting with harvesting soil from my woods to fill our garden box, preparing ground around the box, cutting grass, planting, two trips for mulch, one half load and yesterday a full load that I had to unload alone. Making a new flower bed.  Starting to retake the large flower garden.  Me and my wheel barrel have been working overtime.  Then there is Jesse, meals, house work and laundry.  There may be many adjectives that can describe me, but lazy is not one of them.  Jesse is right by my side, riding in the empty wheel barrel when I go to get more dirt or mulch and riding with me as I use the lawn tractor. Since I have stepped away from so much facebook I have discovered how wonderful time with my son is.  With all this work I have built an amazing amount of muscle.  If I would stop eating like a teenager I might would lose the fat.
Although I am majorly sleepy, today I plan to weed more of the flower garden. My cucumbers and tomato plants really don't look very good.  I planted them on the hottest day yet.  The cucumber burned and the tomatoes are sun bleached. I may go to Earley's Farm Supply today and see if I can buy some new ones. The temperature has dropped majorly.  It would be good to get them in the ground while it is overcast. Jesse loves going to Earleys, running around the nursery and seeing the baby ducks and chicks. Last time we were there we went into the Country Cupboard and bought Jes a doughnut too.
My newest venture is trying to start a women's fellowship.  I am gearing it to my community and wanting to reach the "burnt stones" that have been hurt or angry and left church and the unchurched Christians that have never been planted.  I am afraid of that because of my frailties I will not succeed. But if God is for it then who can stop it?
Yes indeed busy is good...making our house our home. Falling in love with Jesus has lifted me to a place where I can be in love with my husband and our life again. 

bird sanctuary in our front yard