Joy in the Garden

I have fallen in love with gardening. I love being outside in the fresh morning air. I love pushing my hands through the dirt to get the weeds out. It is such a blessing to me to watch life take off every year.

It all starts in my kitchen, on the cabinet when I put the tiny seeds in a very small amount of dirt, in a container called a plug. I wrap them in plastic wrap so they will stay moist and within days they begin to sprout. Then off comes the plastic wrap so they can feel the flow of air and life around their infant size plant stock. And down to the grow lights until they are transplanted.

At this stage the plant it called a seedling. These have seedling leaves. When they get their true leaves, their first set of leaves that look like what the plant leaves are suppose to look like, then it is time to put them in a larger pot were they will live until I place them in the ground. 

When I put them in the larger pot they are ready to journey outside to the green house.

The greenhouse protects them from freezing temperatures at night. And provides more intense heat than they would normally get this early in the planting season. Growing them this way gives them a headstart in the garden.

Our first year using this greenhouse. Last year I made a make shift greenhouse like protection over my picnic table.

Inside the greenhouse.

It has been a joyful journey falling in love with this process. I have learned lots of lessons on life though watching the habits of nature.

The joy of learning

I love learning, If I could have someone do all my housework and other responsibilities I would spend the day learning.  I would learn and study anything I could.  It wasn't always like that. When I was younger, especially as an older teen, I couldn't see the point to going to school and learning something I wasn't especially interested in. I knew it was for my own good, so I did some of it. Not all of it. I did a fair job and got C's and B's.

So if I could imagine for a few minutes what the perfect school would of been for me, it might look like this.  Grade school would be just as it was. I loved it.  I loved learning then. I know I did. (when I started first grade, I was so excited to have homework.  When I got home and sat down by my brother to do my home work, I must of made a comment that I was having fun, because he said something to the effect that, "It was NOT fun." I was young then, and I don't remember a lot from my youth, but I remember having this conversation very vividly, because I remember thinking there must be something wrong with me if I loved doing my homework, because my big brother, who I thought was very smart because he was older that me, did not like it.)

Then Jr. High would be different. There you would start learning more about yourself and what you where driven to do. You would get to take any class you wanted, and find your interests. And after a couple of years if your interest changed you would start at a beginning level for that subject.  In my school structure there would still be some instruction in core subjects, but not to intense, unless it was your passion, and you could excel in those subjects. In my school there would be lots of learning about yourself, how I think and how that affects my being, how it plays apart of who I become and how it plays into what I am choosing for life long pursuits.

I can just picture myself enjoying a myriad of things until I find just the right things, and because of who I am, I might of been in a lot of different classes.

High School would be accelerated learning on the subjects that are driving you, and you would know they are driving you. But it could still be a place to start all over at the beginning of a new path depending on how your interest are changing.

Joy With Grandchildren

Grandchildren Joy

Peter and "Papa"

It's always a joyful time watching "papa" with the Grandchildren.  Right now we have 4 beautiful grandchildren.

Evan

Evan born November 21, 2012, 

Peter's 1st birthday, born April 29th, 2014

Peter born April 29, 2014, 

Ivy Adele

Ivy Adele Pace, born February 19, 2015, 

Michael Charels

and Michael Charels, Born November 7, 2015.

My husband Michael recently discovered that these first 4 grandchildren's names make the an acronym EPIC. We have EPIC grand children for sure! :)

Joy in sports

Joy this past spring was watching my two youngest boys take up the sport of rugby.  It was so fun to watch them play. It made me remember how much fun it was to watch the older boys play soccer and basketball.  They had a good time and they grew to love the sport.  

                                                                           Daysen #27

Derek #26

The best part was the end of the season when two brothers came together as best friends. This brought the greatest joy of the rugby season!

Joy in the Plan of Salvation

      For some death may seem tragic and sometimes, considering the circumstances, it is.  But for me it is just the next step in our eternal progression.  There is a cute lady in our ward who tells us that tells us that her husband didn't die, "He just got transferred."  My friend's mother says that her husband "Graduated."  I agree with them.  Our next life is the next step in our progression.  This week my cousin, Steven Hawkes, passed away from the flu which lead to pneumonia .  He was only 62, so for his family who is just beginning the steps to the "next generation,"  this could be considered a tragedy at so young an age.  But for him I am happy, he lived in a crippled body and I am sure it was tired and ready.
 
    The funeral this Thursday, was wonderful!  The spirit was so strong there and there was a definite celebration of his life.  I got to ride up to Idaho with several of my brothers and sisters, which was definitely a major part of the fun.  We don't get together often enough, but when we do it is so fun to catch up with each other.  My brother Larry has a 12 passenger van so that was so wonderful that it made it possible to all ride together.

Steve's brothers and sisters
Steve is front left

Steven Hawkes

     My cousin Steve broke his neck while he was practicing high jumping during high school.  He had won the state wrestling championships a month earlier.  He was paralyzed and not expected to ever be able to walk.  He had his miracles and defeated the odds.  I have always admired him for this.

     I know that I will see him again in the eternal worlds. I know that we will all be together again and that our Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us.  This life is only one step in our progression. 

 

 

 

Chicken Little

To say that "the sky is falling" in the story Chicken Little, is exactly what you might think if you were to watch chickens for very long and observe their behaviors.  Last fall we bought our first chickens and I love watching them.  They are amazing little creatures and they have brought me a lot of joy.  I love caring for them and like I said, "watching them."  They really are fearful of something falling on their heads, unless it is oats and sunflower seeds and then they seem to go into a different zone and they go crazy happy picking at those little morsels of tastiness.  I go out into the yard and start shaking the container and they come a running.

We made a chicken run that they are in most of the time and that is where we throw our table scraps, raked leaves, grass clippings, pretty much anything organic.  In return they give us eggs and make compost for us.  I think it is a pretty fair return.  It is real amazing to put all that waste out there and watch them turn it over and over for us. They love digging through it to find any tasty bugs that they can.

I worried the fun would end when the weather got cold and I wouldn't want to go out and feed and water them.  However, I found out that I am going outside even on the coldest of days, the kind that I might not even go shopping on because it is so cold. It always feels so good to go out and get a good breath of fresh air, even if there is an awful inversion.  I love the briskness of it all.

They like to come to the patio window just for a look.  Maybe they like people watching as much as I like watching them. : )

What's even more fun is watching my cute little grandson find joy in them and be excited to go out and throw oats to them and hear him copy the sound they make.  Bawk Bawk Bawk

Christmas 2013

Christmas Joy

Christmas 2013

This was the best Christmas ever!  Andrew came home from his mission.  Garrett, Jessica and Evan came home from New Jersey, and we were all here for the first time in two years.  In order to get Jessica's family here all the other children gave up their Christmas gifts from mom and dad to help get her family here for Christmas. This Sacrifice from my children was very touching and helps me know where my children are spiritually.

 

The sweetest Christmas kiss ever!

Jessica told him to go kiss grandpa, but grandpa didn't get the kiss, he walked right past him.
Lucky Uncle Ben.