spring things

So far, my favorite thing about spring has been my quiet time in the morning. Out on the back deck with my mug of steamy coffee. My Bible and my journal. Listening to the beautiful songs of the birds, the clucking of the hens, and the hum of the alpacas. Just taking in all of the beauty around me ~ everything green, everything bright, everything bursting with life. Oh, yes, these moments have been some of my favorite moments of spring.

I've been reading through Hebrews, and it has been such an encouraging read. This morning's reading was chapter 11 which is affectionately dubbed as "the hall of faith." I underlined "by faith" throughout that chapter. This chapter talks about men and women of God who did wonderful things through their faith in God. They were no where near perfect. Their faith was not perfect, but they believed and trusted. I want to live my life completely by faith. Not by sight. Not by my own vision. But I want to live a life that is surrendered fully to God. Oh, I just wish I could explain my excitement of all that God has been revealing to me lately as I've been earnestly seeking Him. I just love Him so much and am so thankful for Him. I honestly don't know how people walk through this life without Him. He is my source of hope and joy and peace.

I almost have all of my raised beds planted. Oh, I feel so behind this year. I just keep tucking plants and seeds in here and there as I find a few spare moments. So far I've planted green onions, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, many divers of peppers, cucumbers, radishes, spinach, chard, kale, and many other greens. The herbs include dill (my favorite!), oregano, cilantro, sage, thyme, mint, parsley, and chives. I think that's all of them! 

We still have to till up our big garden. Brad and my dad have attempted to do that twice, but have had problems with the tiller both times. This past weekend, they realized that the tiller is too small for my dad's new tractor so it looks like we're going to have our neighbor bring his tractor over to till the ground for time's sake. I'm getting a bit anxious. It feels like we're really pushing the planting back from when we normally do it all. I keep reminding myself to just roll with it, as with everything else in life.

I finally finished up the Canyon Shrug after working on it for the last several months. It wasn't a difficult pattern at all! My handiwork time has just been very scarce now that we've focused our efforts to outdoor tasks. I like how comfy and soft it turned out. I might have to make another one in a different color!

Speaking of making handmades, I am really hoping to make Lily a few of these skirts. They're adorable and yet practical for my little rock-collecting girl. I found this pattern on The Purl Bee after seeing several other bloggers talk about it. It looks very easy which is just what I like and need. We also picked out some fabric to make her a couple of pairs of shorts. I have so many good intentions. Now I'm just hoping to actually see at least a couple of them to fruition.