Our Brilliant 21 Month Old Boy!

Canon reading Russian

He's brilliant!

Insights from a Squash Vine...

Squash vines are "protectors".  They will hurt you.  There are spiny leaves and stems that make it hard to work around them without gloves on.  I know they're there to protect the plants themselves, but they inadvertently protect the weeds around them, too.  They unknowingly cover and defend the very thing that is set on destroying them. After being pricked a number of times, it would be easy for me to give up and let the weeds take over -- but I can't.  I go back everyday and pull the weeds.  Some days, when I forget my gardening gloves, I come away with tiny stickers in my hands and I have to soak them out with warm water -- but I still go back.  Doesn't the squash vine realize I'm doing this for it's good?  Hmmm...Then it struck me...sometimes I'm just like that squash vine (insert smart comments here...).  Sometimes I'm prickly and spiny.  Especially when it comes to the weeding process.  When God sends others to pull weeds in my garden, I go into protection mode.  And even though I know , unlike the squash vine, that it's good for me, I still seem to protect the "weeds" that want to choke my growth.

Are you like these vines, too?  Do you protect things that will rob you of a great life?  As long as we choose to be prickly when others come to us in love, we will be choked out by the weeds.  But, when we consciously make an effort to be teachable, we can keep being transformed into the image of Christ.  I pray I keep learning from these squash vines.

A Rough Day for Little Guy...

Yesterday was a rough day for our little guy.  First, he had an encounter with a very hard part of the tractor.  He's got quite a knot on his little head.  Then...after he was calmed down and that episode passed, he managed to sit down in a fire ant mound.  Now, he has ant bites all over his hand and legs.  He was a sad boy.

My Herb Garden...

Here are some pix of my "herb garden".  I'm a bit disappointed in the Rosemary, but the Basil, Thyme, and Oregano are doing well.  I'm hopeful these will be useful in my kitchen very soon!

The Floria Garden Adventure Continues...4-22-10

Many that know me, know me to be a "princess".  I have been called "high maintenance", "girlie", "in-doorsy", among other things...I love to get my nails done.  It's one of my favorite things to do for "me time".  The past few weeks have wreaked havoc on them.  It's not that I haven't wanted to get them done, it's just that my nails have looked mostly like the picture below since the garden went in.

Pulling weeds and digging in the garden has quickly become one of my favorite past-times.  The sense of accomplishment is exhilarating.  When we see the plants push up through the soil and began to spread out, it's pure joy!  Stay tuned for more garden pix.

The Floria Garden Adventure Continues...somethings up!

Here are some pix from the garden this morning.  It's so exciting to see the progress God is making.  ;-)

      

    
                                                           

                                              

Quote for the day...

Happiness is the sauce of experience in pleasant circumstances. Joy is a recipe for all deep happiness and contentment that works with any ingredients. ~ Bram Floria

(btw...I "stole" this from my husband.  He made this comment on a friends Facebook status when they asked this question: "How do you define "joy" and "happiness"? Do you see these two as being interchangable or distinctly different? Can you have one but not the other or is one dependant upon the other? I have my ideas, lets hear yours.")