Yard Project: Raised Veggie Beds!!

We often refer to our house as Ellis Orchard, because of our two prolific fruit trees in the backyard. Now, however, we will have to start refering to it as Ellis Farms. This weekend we built and planted two 8' x 4' raised vegetable beds. (By we, I mean Cliff.) It was a project, but fun to do and the finished product is awesome! So in a few months we will harvest: tomatoes, sugar snap peas, brussel sprouts, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, celery, onions, bell peppers, 2 varieties of lettuce, blueberries, strawberries, rasberries, and blackberries.

Of course in order to grow veggies, you need soil. We were surprised to learn how expensive dirt is to have delivered to your house, so being the deal seekers we are, I got on CraigsList and found free dirt. Not only was the dirt free, but the guy was also willing to deliver it to us. Now that is a deal! So, Thursday afternoon, we came home to a very large pile of dirt. Emphasis on VERY!

The next morning we laid out our boards, and then Cliff made the raised beds. Gunner was a huge help as you can only imagine. :)

After the bed frames were constructed, we staked and leveled the beds, and then made them very sturdy by screwing the frame to the stakes. Then we filled the beds with dirt, compost, and finally with the veggies! We can't wait to harvest our crops.

Swan Lake

Yesterday, because I have a very kind, loving husband, we went to see the ballet, Swan Lake. It was so beautiful and incredible to see such precision. Even though I knew the music because of years and years of ballet class, I didn't know the story of this ballet.

Essentially, it is about a prince who must get married. He falls in love a woman who is a swan by day and a woman by night. Then he is dooped into believing he marries his love, when in fact the local sorcerer plays a switcharoo.

Thanks, honey, for loving me enough to endure the ballet!! I appreciate that you went without one complaint and a lot of smiles. I'm a lucky girl.

Good Friday and Easter Services

Our church, Mars Hill Church, is streaming the Good Friday and Easter services live! Check it out.

http://www.marshillchurch.org/live

In the Word

For pretty much my entire life, I've neglected reading my Bible. My laundry list of excuses included....

-I'm too busy.
-I don't have time to read.
-I don't know where to start.
-I can't get up even earlier than I already do!
-I'm tired when I get home from work.
-etc., etc., etc., blah, blah, blah...

My desire to read my Bible does not stem from a religious desire to earn God's love, because that is not possible; it comes from a response to the call to know Jesus personally and in order to know Him, I have to spend time with Him. What better way to do that, then to read His Book?

Since February 1, I've been reading my Bible just about each morning. It is a treasured start to my day that really prepares me for eight hours filled with 30 children.

Cliff suggested that I read through the Bible in a year. (He knows how much I like to make lists and check things off to feel a sense of accomplishment.) I've tried this before, but this time around, I prayed that God would give me the desire to seek Him each day, and He has. So, with my Daily Reading Plan in hand, I gave it a go. I've currently read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and have just started Deuteronomy.

My prayer is that I continue to meet with Jesus each day. By God's grace, so far, so good.

Oh how fast they grow...

I guess dogs and kids both grow so fast....can you believe Gunner is 10 months old? He is also huge! :) He has been a great addition to our little family.

Christmas Cards

I love coming home from work, especially this time of year. After letting the troops out to potty in the back yard, I race to the mailbox to see the Christmas cards that arrived! Then, while Gunner and Tucker compete for my attention, I read each word of the letters and enjoy those charming picture cards.

I also love sending cards...hopefully yours arrived safely! :)

Delicious...?

I am continually amazed at what a nine month old lab will eat. You might think that Gunner would be interested in steak, fresh fruit, and chocolate...and you'd be right. But with a little discipline or an attempt at it, we've managed to make sure that he doesn't jump on the counter or eat off people's plates. Yet, he finds the oddest items to ingest.

This morning was no exception.

Each morning, I hop in the shower after dragging myself out of my snuggly, warm bed. Only to be greeted by two overly energetic creatures, tails wagging. In the 10 minutes I'm in the shower and Cliff is in bed, we trust Tucker and Gunner to behave themselves. Usually, all is well, and Gunner relaxes in the steamy bathroom on the bathmat. This morning though, I got out of the shower and things were too quiet. Well, except for the munching sound I heard coming from the living room. Hmmm????

Getting dressed as fast as possible, I went to investigate. My dear, darling marshmallow colored lab, who truly has a "puppy dog face" was eating a RAZOR!!! A RAZOR! Of all things to find in the house, what drew him to an old, green woman's disposable razor! And don't think for a second that he ate the handle...oh no! The handle was intact. The head of the razor, metal and all appeared to be in the gut of my creature! Because I'm the fabulous dog mother that I am, I wondered briefly how he had managed to eat such a thing and of course how he would poop that out without completely demolishing his inner "duct work." Then I just assumed that after eating a million tree branches, socks, foam from Tucker's bed, rocks, a basket, and I'm sure more, that he'd be just fine.

So that is the assumption that I'm operating under. If that doesn't end up being true, I'm sure our vet will enjoy a very expensive visit! :) Oh let's hope not...