Scrap Lumber

"Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood..." Genesis 6:14a

1. No, we're not building an ark.
2. I'm pretty sure it's not gopher wood.

We are, in fact, building shelters for the soon-to-be newest members of our family: goats! Eric has been researching different breeds and has decided on Kinders. They are good for meat and milk. For starters, we'll have one buck and two does. The kids will follow!

This photo shows a pallet from the flagstone and the pieces of an old play fort our neighbor disassembled. Stay tuned for photos of the finished product.

Count Your Blessings Monday

It's Monday and time to post another blessing. Marci started this weekly tradition and I'm loving it!

Check out her website to see who else is counting their blessings.




My blessing today is my incredible, very capable husband Eric. He's level-headed, street-smart, not afraid of hard work or learning new skills, self-disciplined, self-reliant, can read between the lines, knows how to work with people, puts butterflies in my stomach, and is my absolute best friend. My husband is perfect for me!!

When I started praying for a husband, my prayer was bold and quite descriptive as far as character was concerned. However, if God did bring me this kind of husband, was I the kind of wife to compliment such a man? How arrogant of me to pray for my dreams to come true if I wasn't willing to change. Well, God heard that side of my prayer and did some mighty work on me, as well. When God brought Eric into my life, there was no question that this was the man God had planned for me. And there was no question that I was the woman God had planned for Eric. We knew within the first three hours. Neither one was playing games. He had his list (actually written). I had mine (mental). As we talked that first time, we were checking off pertinent items.

In the end, he proposed on the second date and I accepted. We were married five months later and continually see the fingerprints of God on every part of our lives. We will always be newlyweds!!

A major milestone

"So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days." Nehemiah 6:15
Wall? No - patio. Elul 25th? Close - July 21st. Fifty-two days? HA! Not quite - I'll let you calculate!

But...the largest part is done!! It's finished!! Woo hoo!! This day was a long time coming. I know the entire patio is not finished, but the most difficult and labor-intensive section is complete!!!!! And all joints and muscles are still functioning quite nicely. :)

Here's the view from our front door. Quite a lovely sight!

Giants of Flagstonia

Another Friday and that means Show & Tell. When you were in school, don't you remember how excited you got when that day rolled around? Kelli has restored this timeless pleasure - check out everyone else's Show & Tell.

"(For only Og King of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was an iron bedstead; it is in Rabbah of the sons of Ammon. Its length was nine cubits [13 1/2'] and its width four cubits [6'] by ordinary cubit.)" Deuteronomy 3:11
Look at the size of these stones! Not quite as large as Og's bed; but giant, nonetheless!! No wonder it we only got half way the other day.

I'm 5'6" and both of these guys are taller than me and 90% of the rocks are taller than them!! If it wasn't for that tractor, who knows how we'd get those rocks moved into place. You should hear the grunts and groans when the rocks need to be lifted for leveling! Each lift takes a moment of mental preparation - for the guys. Of course, I can't help. Who would take the pictures?

(Just kidding - I think Eric would wring my neck if I didn't help.)

Hitting the half-way point!

"So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work." Nehemiah 4:6

Paula's paraphrase:
So we built the patio and the largest patio area was joined together to half its design, for the people had a mind to work.

Here's a shot of a hard day's work. If you look closely, you can see the drains which I've already posted. Now turn around and look the other way.

Yes! More gravel and more sand!! Apparently we did not order enough. Actually, we did order enough for the initial lay-out. But you know how it goes. You get started and realize, "Hey, if we did it this way, it would look so much better." Ideas are spilling out left and right and before you know it, you've run out of supplies. But one thing I know - when it's all said and done, you'll know it's a patio! That's for sure!!

Listening to the rain

"Now with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God...onyx stones and inlaid stones, stones of antimony, and stones of various colors, and all kinds of precious stones, and alabaster in abundance." I Chronicles 29:2
It's raining here in the NW. Imagine that! But what a great opportunity to show you the beautiful rocks we find in the dirt. When everything is wet, the true colors really come through. This is one of the drains we put in the patio. If you look closely, you can see water dripping off the end of the rain chain.

It took me nine months to realize this, but God still shows Himself in the rain. Sound funny? Let me explain. When we lived in KS, we got rain once in awhile. The thunder storms were incredible, to say the least. In fact, thunder storms are my all-time favorite weather phenomenon. To see the awesome, controlled, deliberate power of our Lord would certainly make me appreciate His grace and mercy.

Thunder storms have a beginning, a middle, and an end - just like watching a play performance. The rain in the NW has a hard time figuring out which act we're in. It seems to be perpetually caught in the first act. There is never any climax. Occasionally, I will hear bits of thunder and get all excited that we're moving on to the second act. Then I realize it was just an airplane! So, I settle back into my seat prepared for a long performance.

Since being in the NW, I have come to realize a longer play is OK. An anti-climactic play is OK, too. Not preferred, but OK. God still shows Himself from the treasures found in the dirt to the numerous bird calls to the long-lasting blooms that seem to be frozen in time.

Count Your Blessings Monday

Another day to point out my blessings.

Marci started this and I think it's a great idea!






My blessing today is my son. This photo was taken in November 2003. At that time Adam was 16 yrs and just a few inches taller than my 5'6". Now he's 6'5" - maybe even a little taller! When we moved last year, he stayed in KS. And he's still there! I miss him, but I know he is in God's care.

He has seen hard times, experienced heartache, made poor decisions, and turned in the wrong direction for comfort. Haven't we all?

I believe God has designed a ministry for each of us according to our talents and life experiences. Who can effectively minister to those in trial? Only those who have lived through that trial. God continues to preserve & protect my son. Through his experiences, Adam is being prepped to minister to "the lowest of these". I'm OK with that. I've always been OK with that.

My prayer is that God would continue to send ministers to Adam that can walk with him step-by-step, that Adam would recognize the hand of God preparing him for future ministry, and that Adam would empty his soul of himself and allow to God to fill him beyond measure - conquering all doubt. My tears are of joy in hopes of the fruit yet to come. One day Adam will allow God to do mighty things through him.