Plants Update

Here's some pictures from today of the yard . . .



Sunflowers a last week Wednesday or so


Sunflowers today




And just some pictures from the rest of the yard and gardens. The corn has more then doubled, new starts are coming out of the ground with grass and beans and corn and . . .

Yard Progress

So I didn't get any before pictures, or pictures after the first plantings, but here is the Progress so far.

The front yard had grass in the past but it wasn't successful. So mom and I moved this well house planter out front and made a little flower bed (the picture doesn't do it justice, it's gorgeous), and we've planted grass and it is starting to come up ... in patches. :P In the corner next to the faucet mom planted hosta and a hydrangia plant. It should be very pretty.





Ok, I have a few before and after pictures, sadly they aren't very good due to the sunshine placement, but the next few pictures are of Tim's truck with the large load of bark. The front planter that is a little sad with some of the plants we got to put in around the front and back yard.





So I guess you can see the back yard, or the part close to the house before we landscaped it. :)



Front flower planter today. Ok, so those funny things sticking up are a flower (red poker)they just finished blooming, they used to be a bright reddish/orange flower. All those plants used to be small and they just keep growing and growing and it looks soo pretty. Again, the pictures do not do it justice.






The front of the house with some of the planters and hanging plants. Man, if you could see it in person . . . oh well :D Maybe I need to take pictures at the end of the day, sunset. hehe



Now some pictures of the back yard section. The two pathways still need cement between the pavers. We're going to be using red cement :). Oh, and basically almost everything other then plants, are things we found around the yard. Previous owners made the pavers (crude ones, but useful), we only got bark, dirt (lots and lots of soil) and plants (on sale) and seeds. :D



The corner flowerbed has several plants/flowers started from seed. It is a little sad looking right now because some dogs decided to dig a hole in the middle and burried lots of little plants with dirt. It should recover pretty good and when all the plants are grown with flowers it should be very pretty.





I was going to put a little narrated video on here, but couldn't get it to work. :(

This is the Blueberry and Raspberry garden. Blueberries are in the tires and are starting to take off. They were a root start. Raspberries are growing and in the middle are the seven sunflowers that I was able to get started from seed. They are getting BIG! :D Well if you could see them that is. hehe




The old dog pen/run no longer . . . now a veggie/fruit garden. The little bird house has at least two baby birds in it.



The small circles are different types of squash



In the big square bed there is garden beans, blue lake beans, okra, lima beans, cow peas and green arrow peas . . . we've already replanted seeds because some of the first plants didn't do well with the transplant and the heat. But new plants are starting again. :) The funny arrow like shaped bed has various cabbage and lettuces. Not sure that they are going to work well, but we'll see.



The taller rectangular bed has 5 or 6 different types of tomato plants growing. They seem to be finally doing well. The white hanging planters is from a tomato plant that we picked up that had five plants in one planter. They just weren't doing well and we separated them. Hoping the recover. They already have tomatoes and we picked one of them and will try it today. The black buckets are also tomatoes started from seed. We're worried that the type of soil we used in those pots might be to rich and the plants weren't big enough before transplanting. They aren't all doing as well. Praying they recover and do well. They have some of my favorite types of tomatoes. (hmmm . . . but I won't be here when they produce).

The other large square bed has radishes (for dad), broccolli, cucumbers, sugar pod peas and corn.



The two large circular beds have cantelope. Three little plants have started coming up. Had to replant seeds in these beds too just like the squash and beans.



So that's what we've been doing. :) can't wait to see how it all looks in a few weeks. :D

Exercise . . . Wieght . . . Loss? Gain?

Sooo, for the last few months I have been going to the gym and have been working out, swimming and just recently added a body sculpting class. The only days I don't go are Sabbath and Sunday, so wouldn't you think that I would start to see some weight loss or some down sizing in clothes? Well, apparently not my body, nope, it is hanging on to every last pound size. Though I will admit I am feeling like I am stronger and have the endurance again that I had. Only with all the workouts and body sculpting and yard work, I am SORE! :)

So though I am not seeing any weight loss I am getting all sorts of gains. My muscles are defining, the yard is taking shape (slowly), and I am moving in July to a beautiful place to start a new adventure. Hmm, I hope that my body decides to finally shed the extrra weight before the move. :)

Well, I am off to the gym for water aerobics with mom and then laps then home again to plant veggie garden seeds

Moving!!!

Yup, I'm moving. I am very excited about it . . . Back to the Pacific Northwest. Of course I will be on the opposite side of the state that I grew up on, but hey, it's more like home. Besides, I went to Academy on the Eastern side.

Well, ok, home is always where my family is at, however I am so thankful that God opened the doors for me to move back. :)

So I'll tell more later, too sleepy now but I wanted to share. :)

Peaceful Days . . .

So I have today and tomorrow off, then back to work Thursday and Friday. I'm glad though that I will not be working phones those days. My last few days on phones was a little . . .

People are hurting, and when they are hurting others because of it tragedies can occur. Thankfully, we were able to help someone prevent a tragedy, but man, it shook me up a bit. Suicide attempt, with knives . . . screaming . . . hysteria . . .

I am glad that today and tomorrow I am off. :) God has equipped me with means to deal with this job, but I truly hope He doesn't plan for me to be here for a long time. I would rather be helping people to prevent this type of thing from happening, then trying to send help when it does happen. Though I am relieved we were able to help and prevent that situation from escalating into the direction it was heading.

Thank you Lord for days like today :) Went to the gym and did aqua-size with mom and some other friends, took mom to lunch, came home and relaxed. Mom made a fantastic pot-pie, we made pumpkin pie as a joint effort and it turned out wonderful too. And the pups . . . crazy fun critters :) I love my dogs. :) Yeah, thank you Lord for today.

Contemplation

It's been over a month since my last post and a lot has happened since then. At work I have been moved from trainer to trainer, so my schedule has been different every week for the last month. I have learned a lot and there is so much more to learn. There is just so much information in being a call-taker and dispatcher. You could probably go to school for a few years for it and still need several months of one on one training. It is fascinating, exciting at times, boring at times and I have a whole new appreciation for the police, fire and ems units out there.

Now my schedule is working Sabbaths. I honestly do not mind working in an emergency service on Sabbath occationally, however I really do not feel it right to do every Sabbath. I have talked it over with my training supervisor and she is going to see what they can do, but I am now wondering what God may be wanting me to learn or to do. He led me to this job, opened the door, provided an income, even opened up Sabbaths for me. Now I'm back to having all Sabbaths for the next few months and I've been getting a feeling, or impression, that God wants me to trust Him and do something different. I actually think He is telling me see, I can take care of you anywhere, but you belong working with children and in ministry. I miss working with youth. I miss being a part of my church family.

I'm really confused and frustrated and my heart feels heavy, as if it is breaking . . . like I'm not quite catching on to what He wants me to do now. I need an income, and yet . . . Lord please give me a sign, show me what I need to do now. I've begun the process of applying to schools for next school year, but in the mean time I just ask that my friends and family keep praying about this situation and that God makes it very clear what I should do in the next few days/weeks.

It is such a lovely Sabbath, and I wish that I could be worshiping with friends and family today. However, I will go to the call center and be there and maybe make a difference in someone's life today for the better. :)