As I said in my last post, I've been working on my green thumb the last few years. And as I've developed my gardens--veggie and flower--I find I want ALL the plants. Please tell me I'm not the only one who loves to go walk through the garden section at Home Depot or Lowes and dream of having this or that flowering bush or plant.

Spring has been stunning this year. I don't know if we just had enough cold over winter, or what, but everything that has bloomed in middle Tennessee has been abundant and gorgeous. And each comes in its own time. Have you noticed?

Any gardeners here today?

As soon as things start warming up and blooming around here, my fingers itch to get into the soil and start digging. I haven't always been like this. For a long time, I couldn't have a garden of any kind. But since we settled in this house three and a half years ago, I've enjoyed having my gardens in the back yard. My loving husband dug up the raised bed areas and helped fill them in with frames and fresh soil and compost. And we've reaped lots of squash, green beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, and cucumbers since then. The kids love helping, too, which is always fun.

​But it's also a lot of work.

I'm one of these people who can't do the same pattern over and over and over again. I'm talking crochet or quilting or sewing or anything. Even when reading, I like to mix up the historical and contemporary and other things so that I'm not reading the same things back-to-back much.
Why?
Well, I mean, there's all those different patterns out there. Why not do a different one each time?
But, I also like to challenge myself. Sometimes too much.

Here's a tip.

If you ever feel your faith is weak and needs a boost, talk to a four-year-old about God.

Why?

Let me give you some examples of conversations my son has been holding lately. And he talks almost constantly, so this is only a sampling. :-)

My favorite pair of jeans has bit the dust. Almost literally. One day they were thinning out and showing some fraying in spots. The next day this. A hole. And the next time I wore them, I had even bigger holes in both legs.
I know some people would tell me these are now in style. I see girls with rips and holes in their jeans all the time. I, however, have always believed that if I'm going to wear jeans, I want them to cover all of my legs. And if I want parts of my legs exposed, I'll wear capris or shorts. Rips make me think of things worn out.
Like my favorite pair of jeans.

I love this man so much. When I agreed to do life with him, it's a decision I've never regretted, nor will I. That being said, he's not "my everything."
Are you shocked?
I scroll through social media and see people posting about how their guy is "my rock," "my life," and "my everything." And I cringe. It's not that they aren't being sweet. I just think that's a good way to be let down.

It's finally Spring, and I don't know about you, but wildflowers have a special place in my heart. It's always a little sad after the first time my husband mows the yard (although not for the same reasons it's sad for him--that he'll have to do it every week or so for the next six months). Our yard goes from patches of white and purple to ... well, green. Not quite as much fun.
There's something special about seeing the colors start to pop up in clusters up and down the street. And the best part? No one has to plant them. They come up all on their own. There are even verses in the Bible about how "even Solomon in all his glory wasn't arrayed as some of these." Weeds, y'all.

Easter is special to many of us. And for various reasons. I like it almost more than Christmas, to be honest. I love finding little goodies for the kids' baskets, sewing up a new dress/outfit for that Sunday morning, trying to find a hat to wear, and hiding eggs. 
In our family, it's usually the first weekend my daughter and I paint our toenails because it's finally warm enough to wear sandals.
And then, of course, there's that extra feeling of celebration in the air as more people talk about Jesus. While it should be an all-year feeling, we all know that doesn't happen. So, it's nice to see so many people happy to talk about Him, even if only for a weekend.

Every night, we gather our two children on the couch, read a Bible story, sing some songs, and then say a prayer together. But before the prayer, each kid gets a chance to say something he or she is thankful for from that day to include in the prayer. This works two-fold. It helps them remember good things from the day. And it reminds them that everything good comes from God.
Well, as you can imagine, with a six- and four-year-old, the answers can be varied and/or monotonous some weeks.

Forty years ago, on March 27th, my parents were married.

Forty years.

In this day and age, that's practically an eternity. But it's also a goal. Forty and more. Because I've had the example of their love and marriage my whole life, as well as the marriages of my grandparents (more than 66 years in one and more than 50 in another), and the marriage of my in-laws, who would've hit 40 years if she'd lived that long. I want a love like that.