My camera came with me to weed the garden... or ...to the Weed Garden.

Am I  "growing a garden this year?"  you ask.

Nope.

Just weeds. 

But weeds make a good backdrop, don't you think?  Actually, I am finding dirt

beneath the dandelions and plantain which means there's potential for lettuce seeds

to make a home there one day.


Aloria found some quality dirt too...

...though apparently she wasn't thinking "garden soil" so much as "dessert".

(I admit it does kind of look like a truffle.  How disappointing.)

Maybe it wasn't as bad as I had imagined?

Whahoo!  Why you been holdin' out on me so long, Mom?  This stuff is verrrrrrry... organic!

And then there was this girl.

She was industrious in the garden with me, first making some dandelion soup:

Then moving into the wide world of Worm Wrangler!

I'm told that the one on the right there below,   is "the daddy worm".

I don't know much about worms, but I might have to agree with her. That big-daddy is definitely a whopper!

Waaaaaait a minute, what is she doing?  

"Carolina what are you doing?!!  Are you...    Yes.. yes you are." 

Yes she is - she is putting those worms in her pocket!     Eeeeeeek!!!!

Oh and Pill Bugs.  She collected whole families of these things today!

Do you call them  Roly Poly's?

Oh me.

There were others of course, scooting in and out of the garden depending on the

interesting-ness of our endeavors there.

Weed-pulling usually draw less of a crowd for instance, then actual seed-planting.

Do not be fooled by all this green.

It's either honest-to-goodness real weeds, or a couple resilient herbs that have put down roots to stay

- one verdant Lemon Balm is our happiest example and is often pruned back by some

Lemon-Balm-chomping specimen such as this:

More dirt or after-shocks from the last bite?

Well I guess I should be glad that we can grow such GREEN weeds here.  And tall.

Did you see our dandelions?  Ok.  Last picture, I promise.  Look at the stems on these things! Wow.

Don't know if I have a vase tall enough for those Sue, but luckily....

I do have my camera ;-)

He said he wouldn't buy one...

...Didn't need one... couldn't use one.

But he forgot to factor in his fondness

for his three strapping young boys

and four lovely little girls.

I guess there are other reasons to buy a quad after all.

Yup.

He's a daddy.

Beautiful Exhaustion

Hello Clark Kent - my very own Super Man!

Beautiful days
beautiful children
beautiful moments.

Not always easy, not always witnessed by a momma with eyes prepared to appreciate it
or ears tuned to hear beautiful sounds (which sometimes masquerade as noise)...

More than I'd like to admit, I'm in a hurry for the toys to be put away, the dirt to be washed off,
dinner finished, teeth brushed, cheeks kissed...  Some days - some moments - don't seem beautiful.
They seem plain ol' exhausting!

Here's the thing: exhaustion is not a sign of defeat.  
It's a byproduct of motherhood.
I wish I could remember that more often :-)

Exhaustion does however, bring forth whatever is in the heart.  No more needs said, does it.

Exhaustion and everything that goes with it is a perfect opportunity to draw near to the Lord.
He is the source of true rest. He is the source of patience,. He is the giver of joy, yes. HE is everything!
And He is the source of all these beautiful moments, precious children, and delights for all the senses.
To thank Him is to worship Him - it is most especially worship when it comes from a tired worn out
momma who wants to be more like Him.
I fail.
But there is always this moment now to do-over.  I'm so glad for that!

So today....
Beautiful sunshine, dandilions, swallows swooping through the eves trying to find a place to nest.
Sticks, dirt, butterflies, tousled hair and dirt under fingernails.  Noise.
Failure, forgiveness, grace.
Running, riding, skipping, splashing, digging, swinging, climbing.
Life.
Beautiful beautiful life.

What a privilege to be here for these people and  all  . this . life!



P.S.  No.  Those are not my Alpacas :-)

Popular Place to Be

Finally, sunshine warms the face of our cooler mountainside terrain and the robins have come!
The presence of Spring can no longer be denied when birds trill morning, noon and night;
and mosquito's swarm in all the damp hollows.
Here at Marvel Hill we aim to entertain more birds than mosquito's.  Perhaps especially
the mosquito-eating varieties of bird :-)

This week heralded the first heat of Summer.  Spring and Summer seem to arrive hand in hand,
and they show up all at once here in North Idaho.  As the green leafs out, flowers burst forth everywhere
and without much prior notice all my bugletts excavate their swim attire. Rainbows irrupt in the form
of gaudy beach towels and colorful clothing, and soon all vacant inches of the porch rail will be filled with
things needing to dry out.

Can it already be?

This weeks discovery:  The porch.

I spotted this upon my rather slow rising this morning.  My breakfast-maker served granola and yogurt in
the sunshine.  "Soaking up the vitamin D"  they say.

And then there is the new "wading pool". A sturdy new fixture that Daddy approves and which (apparently)
doesn't require aforementioned swim attire.  in fact, I believe number 6 took a dip after breakfast while yet
in pajamas!

What's life though, if not to live!

The porch has been a bright cheerful place for my coin collector to sort pennies lately.

I believe he found some good ones :-)

That Mr. Bryce... parking all his "Bikes" in a neat row - backed in, no less!

Girls.
I see a lot more of this in my future.  Girl talk while soaking up the vitamin D :-)

Our porch faces due South.  It is a morning and evening porch.  Not too desirable in the middle of
even a warm-ish day.  The sun really beats down on this southern exposure at noon.
That's the time for deep shade - maybe under a ceder?

But for leaning over the rail at dusk to purvey  the sloping backyard view, perhaps a refreshing glass in hand
and a friend for sharing it all with - perfecto!