view from our windows this morning.

"Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,

and backward, but I do not perceive him:

on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;

he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.

But he knows the way that I take;

when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

My foot has held fast to his steps;

I have kept his way and have not turned aside.

I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?

What he desires, that he does.

For he will complete what he appoints for me,

and many such things are in his mind."

// Job 23:8-14, esv

This video.

This pie.

This project.

This craft.

Another afternoon at Presque Isle

Earlier this week we were able to spend a perfect afternoon at the lake...the water was warm, the sand wasn't blisteringly hot, and the humidity was low enough that we didn't even notice it. :) We know that we probably won't make it up to the Peninsula too many more times this summer, so we're trying to make the most of every opportunity we can to enjoy the sand and water and kites in the sky. :)

Spencer

Spencer turned 18-months old this week. Life with this little blonde-haired, brown-eyed boy has been a true gift, one that I take for granted every day. He is so full of energy and life and curiosity, and is forever climbing as high as he can, always taking risks, trying to do everything the big boys do. He's learning so many new words, but still likes to communicate to us with the [too few] sign-language signs that we taught him [melts our hearts!]. He gives the best kisses, loves the water, has the biggest sweet tooth in the family, and pretty much likes to do anything and everything he isn't supposed to. ;) We call Spencer "the boy-wander" since we have to keep our eyes on him every waking moment lest he disappear to the road or the pond, or somewhere new and exciting to explore...those are his favorite places. He adores the chickens [he calls them the chicka-chicka-chicka ;)] and could stand near the fence watching them for hours! Picking and eating blueberries is also a favorite of his. :)

These last eighteen months have just flown by for us. I know that all too soon those dimpled fingers and cute baby-face will grow into a little man, and I want to make the most of every moment I have being a part of this little boy's life, watching him grow and enjoy life and learn of Jesus and love Him with his whole heart...

how our garden grows

Earlier this spring we planted the largest garden that we've ever planted [which we admit isn't nearly as large as many gardens we know of, but it's quite big enough for us!]. We spent weeks preparing the soil in our backyard, marking rows, planting seeds, building a fence to keep the animals out, and constantly watering [and weeding...]...and we've been able to enjoy more and more of the fruit of our labor this week: lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, and green beans for a start! Although it's a whole lot of work, we love the beauty in the process of taking nothing but seeds and soil and making something pretty amazing that we can enjoy. And the simple joy of harvesting produce grown by our own hands never seems to get old. Our most favorite to watch grow are the pumpkins...Inspired by Farmer Boy [I've been reading it to the kiddos], we're even attempting a milk-fed one! :)

Benjamin is four!

Today Benjamin Joshua turns four years old! We can hardly believe how quickly he has grown from a bald-headed little baby into a dark and handsome little man. :) "Bennie-boy" [as he introduces himself!] is definitely an all-out farm boy, dirt and all! And we sure love him to pieces. :) Happy Birthday, Ben!

early autumn

It's still the middle of summer here...and trust us, we'll be enjoying all the best that summer has to offer for another couple of months yet. We're pretty happy about that, since the summer months seem sooo short around here in comparison to all those long, cold, winter ones! But this morning when we woke up it smelled like autumn. It felt like autumn. Autumn is my very favorite time of the year and I may or may not have put my moccasins on and dug around in the cupboards for pumpkin to make some pumpkin cream cheese bread to celebrate. And enjoy with an extra-hot chai. While wearing a sweater. Tomorrow it will be summer again, but today we're enjoying an early autumn! ;)