Our Growing Garden

The garden has been doing fabulously! The weather has been nice for it. And hopefully the deer and squirrels will leave all the vegetables alone. Two years ago, the squirrels totally stripped our corn, but since then the squirrel population has gone down around here. Probably because most of them died trying to eat our corn. =)

we've got broccoli coming out our ears!

our first harvest of peas

the onions are there in the front. the bush beans we had to replant (I think the seeds were too old) but they're coming up now

the tomato plants are getting big but haven't produced any tomatoes yet,  though I really don't care cause I don't like them anyway! Ok, I like the salsa Mom makes with them.

little zucchini squash and summer squash are coming on! Zucchini bread, here we come! =D

the corn is higher than my waist now! (the earliest planted, that is. we planted more later, which is about 10 or 12 inches high.)  I remember Pap saying that it's good if your corn is "pocket high by the fourth of July" but that was for PA, of course!

I tried to get the whole garden from the deck

 The two white boxes behind the garden in the above picture hold the latest additions to our "farm"--bees. Dad has been wanting to get bees for a while, and he finally did a few weeks ago. They won't produce any honey for about a year though. They have to build their hive or something, I guess. I don't know! But he has enjoyed "playing with the bees" as we call it. =)

He looks like part of the Klu Klux Klan with that white hood on!

He has to keep them supplied with sugar water.

Fascinating.

A praise and a recipe....

Yeah, I know. A praise and a recipe have nothing to do with each other! But...

first of all, the marriage amendment for the North Carolina state constitution passed yesterday! Praise the Lord for his people who faithfully voted according to His Word!

And here is a random simple little recipe that we got from Melinda. It is so cool! (At least, I think it is! =) ) We call it "cake-in-a-cup." It takes:

• One box cake mix (flavor of your choice)
• One box angle food cake mix
• Two boxes pudding (flavor of your choice) 

Stir the mixes together. Combine three tablespoons of dry mixture with three tablespoons of water (or milk) in a coffee mug or microwave-safe dish. Microwave for one minute, and there you have a fresh, hot, individual little cake! Top with whipped cream or ice cream. Store extra dry mixture in a container for later. So yummy!

Pray!

On May 8th, next Tuesday, we have the opportunity (I say "opportunity," but it's a shame we even need to vote on it!) to vote for an amendment for our state constitution defining legal marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Pray, pray, pray that it will be passed! There has been good support for it, but also some against it. It's unbelievable how corrupt our society has become!

     "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did changed the natural use into that which is against nature:  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."                         ~Romans 1:24-32


This isn't just an "alternate lifestyle." This will ruin our country.

"America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."      ~Alexis de Tocqueville

God calls it an abomination in Leviticus. God hates it, and God doesn't change!

School Pictures

Last Wednesday--yes, I'm a week late.. naughty, naughty, I know--we went over to our neighbor's to take some pictures in front of their azalea bushes. Our azaleas are past their full bloom and have begun to fade, and the neighbors were kind enough to let us use theirs. They turned out pretty well, I think. And cheaper than going to a photographer's! =)

I love black and white pictures!

Isn't it Nifty, Look Who's Fifty! Part 2

Melinda & Andrew and Paul & Priscilla came home the weekend of Dad's b-day for a surprise visit. Well, it was supposed to be a surprise. It's hard to put anything past Dad! He found out the Friday morning, but oh well.

Daniel made this banner for Dad

They all arrived Friday evening, and we stayed up past ten thirty just chatting. It's been a long time since all of us got together! For those of you who don't know (though I don't know who doesn't know) Paul and Priscilla are expecting! She's due October 22, I believe. They don't know what it is yet, but they're going to find out when they can. We're all excited about being aunts and uncles, and Mom and Dad will be grandparents! (that's hard to believe!)

eating ice cream and watching Hogan's Heroes!

Random pics....

Melinda, ever the English critic, critiqued some papers Nate and I had written. (At least she told us nicely how bad they were! lol... jk!)

Mom and I had done most of the cooking before they came, but we just had to put some pies together Saturday morning.

Mince meat pie, maple nut pie, and pie crust cookies (made from leftover pie crust with butter 'n' sugar.... delicious!)

of course, we had to have some fun with our instruments!

Dad fixed the AC on Andrew and Lindy's car

The guys went to some pawn shops in the area to look at guns and such

Dad opening his gifts

And, as always, we had to get a pic of all of us. (Bear wanted in too!)

Isn't it Nifty, Look Who's Fifty! Part 1

Dad turned 50 last Thursday, the 12th, and we have enjoyed teasing him about how old he is now!! =) On Wednesday, the day before his b-day, we had a small party after church with all the church family. We had a bigger surprise planned for him over the weekend, but I'll tell about that in the next post, part 2. Anyways, two other guys in our church also had birthdays that week, so it was kinda a combined celebration. But because Dad was turning 50, Mom did some decorating in black.(lol) And we had cake with chocolate and vanilla ice cream!

Mom got this candy-card idea from a family member, but she modified it a little to fit what candy bars she could find!

(Yeah, right!) =) 

Mom made and decorated the cake. It was delicious! (Thanks Aunt Betty for your GREAT recipes!)

The Birthday Fellows!

A Time to Plant

     Well we've finally gotten the garden started! We didn't plant all of the corn yet though; we'll put more in later so it won't all be ready at once. So far we've planted: corn, onions, peas, bush beans (can't wait for fresh green beans!!), turnips (or rudabagas I guess they're called), tomatoes, broccoli, and summer squash. Zucchini squash will hopefully be added soon, and maybe watermelon, I don't know. We didn't have much success with that last year. Hopefully this summer won't be very dry!

Dad tilling the garden

The flowers are beginning to bloom!! I love spring!

the azaleas are so pretty!

the crape myrtles are being a little slower

more azaleas, and whatever that yellow-leaved bush is

and more azaleas!

the first rose!

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