A Natural...

... at least that is what the owner and prima ballerina at the performing arts school says.  Of course, this mama couldn't be more proud!

Now... if my photography could do her justice we'd be set...

In love and recovery,

ThereO

Fruits of our Labor

Okay, well, I'll be honest... God's the one doing all the work.  He's sent the rain, He's sent the sunshine, and so far He hasn't sent too many bugs or weeds... so this is how some of our plants are looking this week....         The first strawberry for Princess...

Corn stalks for Rosebud...

Stinkbug's potatoes are looking good...

And it looks like Sugarcake may get some pumpkin...
Most of our other plants are looking good also but these are the best looking of the plots so far.

May God continue to bless our garden and have mercy on us city dwellers that haven't done this before.

In love and recovery,

ThereO

It's Official...

... I'm a HOCKEY MOM!  Watch out Sarah Palin (heehee)

While 3 of my 4 kiddos have been taking hockey classes for a few months now, my Stinkbug has taken the next step and is playing on a team.  Tonight was their 4th game and it was a blast, especially since they won 8-3.  Go, baby, go!

Growing a Garden - Update

After our planting session last week, we ended up with some pepper plants and blue boys that did not have a home.  Today I cleaned out some pots and planted our left overs.  Below is a picture of our garden storage.  I'm not a big Walmart fan but I did manage to find this there for $4 and several pairs of garden shoes for $1 each.
Princess's garden plot...    eggplant, zucchini, strawberries, onions
Rosebud's garden plot...   okra, watermelon, corn, stevia
Stinkbug's garden plot...   potato, corn, tomato, carrots
Sugarcake's garden plot...  pumpkin, watermelon, tomato, beans
I can hardly believe it has been less than two weeks since we put these babies in the ground!  I'm amazed at the growth.  Today, we added dirt to each plot and watered.  I finally managed to stake the tomatoes plants purchased from our community garden... another Walmart purchase - bamboo sticks, a whole package of about 25 for $2.37.

Time for a shower  NOW!

In love and recovery,

ThereO

How a Garden Grows

In the middle of February, God graced our family with the opportunity to participate in a community garden.  We joined about 5 other homeschooling families in this project.  From the first moment, we were hooked.  We have had the opportunity to plant seeds and seedlings, pull weeds, water, feed worms, pull bugs off plants and a variety of other things.  As we approached spring, we decided to try our hand at raising a few vegetables ourselves.

We purchased some packages of seeds, some dirt and some starter containers.  Within a few weeks, our seeds had sprouted and we were ready to get them in the ground.

We constructed four plots.  Each child helped to construct their own plot... we did 3 sides and dad finished up the fourth side of each one.

Next came paper and then organic soil.  None of the kids seemed too excited when they found out what was in the soil... lol!

Within a few short days, the beds were built and filled with dirt.  And the planting began...

God blessed our garden with LOTS of rain... so much rain that we were beginning to wonder if our little garden might wash away.  Not only is the garden still in place, all of the rain seems to be just what it needed and our sprouts are lush and green.  We'll replace some of the washed away soil and my hope is to post a weekly update on "how our garden grows."

In love and recovery,

ThereO

A Lenten Reflection

My Sugarcake is 5.  She asks the hard questions and she makes comments that can send this mama to the brink of tears from laughing.  She also has a gift for saying things which make me think that she is so much wiser than most adults I know (myself included).

After giving her bedtime hugs and kisses one night this week, she smiled and said, "You smell like church."  I know what she meant, the incense that lingered on my clothes and in my hair.  But in my heart, I felt something deeper.  The smell of church - the aroma of Christ.  That is truly what I want to have!

To exude the aroma of Christ, I have to completely absorb Him.  He has to fill me so completely that there is no where else for Him to go but back out into the world around me.  And as we approach the end of lent and the resurrection of Christ, I can see that I am much more filled of Him than I have ever been before and because of that, I know this lent has been fruitful.  But will His aroma still linger when lent has passed?  My prayer is that it will be so.

And so as I approach this Pascha, I pray that Orthodox Christians everywhere will not only experience the resurrection of Christ, but will also be filled with His aroma.  And I pray that in the weeks and months to come that others will not only be able to see Christ in my actions and hear Christ in my words, but that when I am near they will be able to say, "She smells like church!"

A very blessed Feast to you all!

In love and recovery,

ThereO

You Know You Have A House Full of Homeschoolers When...

You know you have a house full of homeschoolers when, in the morning, after a sleep-over, you hear, "Hey, let's watch the Discovery Channel!"