Summer Garden

Rosalind swinging and teething

When Aunt Becky came for Memorial Day weekend, she arrived just in time to help us start our garden. It measures 19'x5' in a raised bed full of lovely mushroom soil that we had delivered from "Mulch Man."


Lovely mushroom soil



Julien wields a spade

Julien and Tristan stopped playing with their dump truck and scooter and got their shovels out to help. We planted 5 tomato plants, 4 pepper plants, bush beans, pole beans, butternut squash, zucchini, carrots, and radishes. We also planted sunflowers, dill, basil, chives, parsley, green onions and thyme.


family planting

In the front yard, we made a small flower bed with the leftover mushroom soil, and while I was thinking what flowers I would plant there, I decided to plant more veggies and herbs instead! So it has basil, parsley, chives, green onions, carrots, radishes, cuccumbers, sunflowers and sweet peas. Not all of these have survived, however.


bunny fence


Growing garden 2


Growing garden 3

Time has passed since I started writing about this garden, and boy do things change quickly! We have a bunny family that lives next door under the brown shed, and they regularly visit the garden.

Originally, we had a bunny fence up to keep them out, but once the tender shoots were established, we felt it was safe to take it down. Now the rabbits help with the weeding: they eat the new grass and weeds that pop up between the crops, and they enjoy all the sweet clover growing in the lawn.


two bunnies

One morning I watched out the window while two bunnies appeared to be fighting one another. At first I thought it was a little bunny friskiness going on, but then I realized that one seemed to be up on hind legs boxing at the other one, who was trying to charge in on the other one's territory. I guess our garden's worth fighting over!

We also got some kind of grub-bug that got to one of the zucchini plants, but not before we got about 4 or 5 very nice squash. We've already harvested the radishes; they only take 21 days to mature! And boy are they spicy! So far it's been a delight to see the product of our hard work, and we're already evaluating for next year.


Radish boy


Sweet Rosalind

As we were outside working the other day, Enoch was stringing up the second planting of pole beans, while the boys pulled the last of the radishes. I basically manned the camera, and no one was watching Rosalind!


Rosalind getting in on the action

She got her first taste of gardening, and seems to be a natural. The days of keeping her happy on a blanket are dwindling, but I'm glad she's not a sissy when it comes to getting dirty.


A taste for the outdoors

Every morning during breakfast we read and discuss the Proverb of the day. Here's a few verses that have been reinforced by our living example in the backyard:



Enoch in the dirt
Proverbs 12:25 "The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered."
Proverbs 12:28 "he who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf."


flourish of green


Tristan's seeds
Proverbs 13:11 "He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues vain things lacks sense."
Proverbs 13:14 "A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, and the deeds of a man's hands will return to him."


Tristan shoveling smiles
And one of the boys' favorites: Proverbs 13:27 "A slothful man does not roast his prey, but the precious possession of a man is diligence."


Julien's seeds

Four Years Old

Here's a picture of Tristan when he was first born.

If you know Tristan, you know that this picture is proof that some things just never change.
Now Tristan is a big boy. We just celebrated his fourth birthday.

four years old
It was more like a birthday week, because his Aunt Becky came to visit from California for the weekend, bearing birthday and non-birthday gifts for everyone.

Aunt Becky/Rosalind

new outfits


Julien/Rosalind

We got to go hiking one day, and to Chuck E. Cheese another day, and we went to two different Memorial Day parades as well. (More on that later) And because she had to leave early on Tuesday the 29th (the actual birthday), we had a little pre-birthday party the night before with presents and cake.


cake and candles

brother and the loot

And then the package containing more birthday presents arrived from Oregon on Thursday, so it has been a very long and full week, especially for Julien, who has been having a hard time dealing with his brother getting so much attention.

package unwrapped


silly helmet

goofy boys

four dollars

The only person who seemed happy all the time was, of course, sweet Rosalind.


smiling baby


Rosalind on the floor

She was busy busting out two new top front teeth to go with the bottom ones, working on bringing her knees up to crawl, and deciding that she can sit up and eat Cheerios. A lot for one long weekend! No wonder I have only posted once in the month of May!

Patriotic Christianity

The following photos were taken during our local Memorial Day parade. The parade ended at the corner on our street. Although I had to stay home and rest while Rosalind was napping (poor me), The bands and the fire trucks were as loud as ever, and the boys were able to watch along with Daddy and Aunt Becky. Since there's so much space here, I have a few comments regarding "Patriotic Christianity" that I want to get off my chest, so here they are. By the way, your comments are welcome!


Memorial Day has come and gone, and my thoughts on the occasion are somewhat mixed. I have no problem with the purpose or reason for the holiday itself. I appreciate the people who have served our country and I find it totally appropriate to respect the memory of those who died serving our country. I enjoy parades and fireworks and the Fourth of July. I can even appreciate the parallels that can be made between those who gave their lives for our freedoms and Christ, who gave His life for our freedom from sin. What seems to get my goat is that we as American Christians seem to have married that concept to the point that our worship on those "patriotic Sundays" becomes blurred into a worship of God and country. To me, it feels wrong to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag in a Sunday church service. That's something I expect at a civil event or in a public school classroom, not at a time or place dedicated to worshiping the Almighty Creator of the Universe. I could even do without some verses of the patriotic hymns we sing, and especially without some of the more modern attempts to praise God for America. Call me unpatriotic if you must; my citizenship is in heaven above! I don't have any statistics, but I would venture to guess that most Christians in this world are not American citizens either, and frankly would be unable to make a connection based on Scripture for the purpose of patriotism in the act of worship. Comments and responses are welcome here...