Happy Thanksgiving & End of November Views

Havenwood house has some new exterior colors this month. We are giving them a try; what do you think?

Post #202 - For the love of Blogging and my Readers

I meant to share this a few posts ago (for #200), but I have been rather caught up in trying to finish my succession planting series from 2011 before the bulbs really get going in this earlier spring! (So far I have done the Hill, Cherry Corner and the Shade Path... only three more to go... whew.)

Firstly, I want to say a big THANK YOU to all of my wonderfully encouraging and gifted readers from this past year!! You are scattered across the globe, but I have felt your warm wishes in Pennsylvania. I have so enjoyed the interactions that we have shared through comments and emails. It has truly been my pleasure to share a bit of our small garden "paradise" with you.

Peonies in June 2011

Wife, Mother, Gardener started a bit slowly at first, with only a handful of posts in its first year in 2010. My husband was the instigator from the beginning, and he finally assailed me a year later with pleas to beginning writing about what we were doing here in our gardening. It was his idea for me to write my first series of posts on our 2010 season in January of last year (see Part 1). Once I really got rolling in February, I have not looked back. So, I would also call this my one year garden-blog anniversary.

Blogging has become one of my major creative outlets: a place to put together both photos and the story of our garden and home-life.  So thank you to my Sweetheart for stretching me into it!

Also I want to say thank you to Donna at Gardens Eye View and Karen at Southern Meadows for mentioning me in their Versatile Bloggers lists! I so appreciate you ladies for all of your encouraging words this year, and for sharing your gifts in your wonderful blogs as well!

Here are seven things I hope to do better in my garden this year:

• Keep more seeds from damping off
• Grow more sun plants in our new sunnier backyard (more info on that to come... but so sad)
• Walk in the garden more and enjoy it!!
• Read a garden photography book and use it
• Think about stretching my plantings further in color and form
• Add more ornamental grasses!
• Have a garden party in early summer and add another in fall (more fun, yes?)

As another nonconformist, I am also going to bend the rules a bit. Here are some posts by other blogs that I have enjoy recently that you might also like to take a look at:

• Pam's English Cottage Garden - New USDA Hardiness Zone Map
• Brenda at Limestone and Maples - Who Cares what the Neighbors Think! - a piece on embracing our creativity and not letting our anxiety of what people think hold us back.
• Naomi at Out of My Shed - The no prune (well almost) method of tree training!
• Rosie at Leaves 'n Blooms - Why no Busy Lizzies this year? -  interesting post on mildew on impatients in the UK
• Christina at My Hesperides Garden - Snow in Italy!
• Bertie at What Ho Hidcote! - Snow - beautiful scenes from last year of this historic garden
• Donna's White Garden post
• Karen's Hellebores

I hope you all have some chocolate to enjoy today! I am going to try whipping some up for us this evening... perhaps you will want to try it too? Molten Chocolate Cake with Raspberries... yum. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

The best tree on our property...

Our Thankful tree from November

I had to take a few pictures to share before we took down our Thankful tree this week. My kids have loved this activity for November, and it has been infinitely enjoyable seeing what things come out of their hearts and minds. They woke up most mornings saying, "We need to do our thankful tree! We need to do our thankful tree!" But I think it was really me who took the most from it: a gentle reminder every morning not to take our life for granted, even with all of its twists and turns, sticky hands and dirty laundry. Everything is a gift from the Lord God after all.

We planted it in the living room by the girls door

You can guess my favorites :)

Thankfully, a reminder...

Anna, Logan and Grace lying in the grass in front of the Hill Garden last September.

   Our family went out for breakfast yesterday- a rare treat!  We sat at the table, my husband and I both working as fast as we could to keep up with the many needs of three young children.  We were consumed with cutting food, keeping the baby from dumping all our drinks, hoping the three-year-old would not yell too many times, etc. And though it was going well (meaning no one was wearing their pancakes yet), we were preoccupied with the working.

Three ladies at the table behind us began talking to our kids, exchanging waves with the baby.  Our kids were making their day.  At the end of the meal we heard, "What nice children you have! They are so well behaved."

      And I realized that I was working so hard, I was missing it again. 
                We were not enjoying the moment. We needed their outside perspective.

Yes, every drink could have ended up in my lap - but it didn't! Yes, Anna could have shouted in her excitement until they all wished we would just leave - but she didn't!

Not only were there no disasters, but there were smiles... moments to sit and cheerfully help them... moments to draw them close in a hug...

So, I am writing this as a reminder to myself of what I long to cherish and enjoy now, 
   not just in 20 years when they are gone.

And I am writing it to brag on my kids, whom I love more than I can say,
   and because you all have reminded me too... they are a blessing!

trying to keep on counting...
thankful for...

• Anna-rosie-posie who wakes up singing "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" at the top of her lungs in the morning... every morning!
• little girls who squeal at pancakes with chocolate chips
• baby boy waves and shy smiles
• Grace who has officially grown another 1/4 inch tall since last week
• three mommies past their season that loved on our children
• eating food cooked by someone else 
• sisters who like to play together
• school posters covering my walls because they are learning!
• Judy, who reminded me of the lesson of thankfulness again at the end of the day
• Olivia, for being here again to help us do life this morning
• my husband, who likes lots of hugs in the morning

the garden in december

  


Enjoying the new season...


                  the clean, fresh snow...





the quiet renewal of what is hidden, dormant...

                       knowing that the green will rise again... 
                                   
                                          Spring will come.  

 Today... I need to take hold and be thankful for other small, beautiful moments in life...

• hanging the gold christmas balls above the kitchen table 
• ...while all three squeal about the ones on the floor
• toddler masterpiece of tangled ornaments
• trip to the post office accomplished
• mail bound for South America
• baby laughs
• warm, dry place to run
• garlands with lights and gold ribbon
• The Parable of Joy and Scribbling in the Sand, both by Michael Card 
• Jesus' delight in a party

"The feast, or party, is part of the foundation of Christianity.  Here at Cana, Jesus performs His first miracle, so it could be said that our faith, in a sense, began at a party.  Early in the history of the church, times of fellowship resembled parties, or love feasts... How could a group of Christians coming together not resemble a celebration? Even as the Christian faith began at a banquet, so it will come to completion at a wedding feast."                                                          From pg. 42 of Parable of Joy by Michael Card

 

A mama's regrets and redemption...

     Last night as I went to sleep and my mind had room enough to play back the moments of the day, I remembered the sharp words I had spoken to Grace, my six-year-old at lunchtime... and the way we had hurried through the morning without hugs or greetings... and that we rushed to nap, rushed to meet with church friends, and rushed home again... then to bed with only a half kiss.

And then I remembered seeing small, reproachful glances... the look from a soul who knows she is being brushed aside, not valued.

And it was then, on my pillow, that I realized:  I had never stopped to enjoy her... to hug her long... to appreciate the wild imagination that fills her head...

I had not seen the bright blue eyes that beam when her mommy loves on her.
They were not there yesterday.

And the Spirit softened the stone. 

"I want to love better tomorrow.  To let her know that she has a mommy who cares, though not perfectly. To not be so caught up in my self-centered life that I miss more moments to share in her life."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     This morning, I woke up not really remembering the regrets of last night, but feeling a sense of commitment to loving Grace better today. Very briefly, I thought that the time to start would be during our school lesson in the morning, and maybe by just spending some time snuggled reading together instead of trying to plow through a math lesson as we have been doing everyday... but  

I promptly forgot all about spending "special time" as the day accelerated on.

Then, as Grace and I sat down to reading, writing and arithmetic, she asked in her quiet voice, "Do you think maybe... um... we could sit on your bed and read our chapter book together? That is really fun." 

And I told her that the Spirit was alive in her heart because He had already told mommy that is what we should do together this morning... but I forgot.  And she reminded me.  

Thankful today for things like:

• the return of shining blue eyes
• sorrow for short, pointed words
• wanting to try again
  
• a new day with fresh white snow
• a six-year-old who loves to listen to chapter books
• ... and to play in the snow with her little sister
• a baby who is mesmerized by the christmas carolers
• an extra rug for all the wet, snowy boots to sit on
• Christmas tree light to type by
• twice re-warmed, white rose tea
• hands to help me move three small children through the snow and into the car (thanks, emily :)
• quiet napping house

Winter wonderland...

 The hunt for our Christmas tree this year took us
                                                  beyond our own garden

             into the wild 

and the beauty to be found there...