A boy in his natural habitat

We have a seasonal runoff stream by our house, and the boys love it when it rains! 

Nice hat

 

Apple picking

A couple of weeks ago, a group of young adults from our church got together & went apple picking. 

Ethan & Asa

 

R&R in NH

We set aside some time over the Labor Day weekend to go to North Conway, NH for a quick vacation. We took the kids to Storyland, did some light hiking, and shopped. It was nice to get away from the pressures of work & other responsibilities for a few days. 

At Storyland 

At Diana's Baths 

Oreo aftermath

 

Before & After

We still have plenty to do, but our stone retaining wall is done and the front yard looks much more orderly now.


 

Stone wall progress update

Nope, we haven't dropped off the edge of the planet. It's been a while since I last posted anything! I've been busy though.

I finished stacking our fieldstone retaining wall a week or so ago. Here's what it looks like now. The total length of the wall (not including the steps) is about 60 feet. It averages 3 to 3 1/2 feet high in most places. Now we're in the process of filling the void left behind the wall with crushed stone & loam. 

Dandelions

 

Jack in the Pulpit

What an exquisite creation! Here is a fully-opened bloom. 

Photo shoot gone awry

 

Beech grove

God uses a lot of different greens during spring, and wow He uses them well.

The beech leaves are almost fully emerged here at our house, and they are absolutely stunning. It's interesting to see the contrast between the rugged, hollow, dying beech trunk and the vibrant youth of the hundreds of saplings that it has spawned.

Natural affection

Ethan, Asa, & I took a walk together in the woods today when I got home from work. When Ethan saw the violets in bloom on the forest floor, he instinctively picked some for his mom.

The Bible mentions the phrase "without natural affection" in Romans 1 and II Timothy 3. According to an article by Henry Morris on the Institute for Creation Research website, the phrase "natural affection" comes from a Greek word that denotes the "the natural love that members of the same family have for each other."

Seeing that love in Ethan this afternoon really warmed my heart.

Jack in the pulpit

I found this almost-opened 8-10" flower while clearing trees & brush from a portion of our yard. If I'm able, I'm going to try to capture some pictures during the different phases of the plant's summer growing cycle. 

Magnolia liliflora 'Ann'

I love to landscape. Last fall we got a really good deal on plants from the garden center where I work. We planted a magnolia on the corner of our house and it's just beginning to bloom right now. 

Asa's Uncle Kris & Aunt Sarah hosted a 1st birthday party today for Asa & their daughter Emma. Emma & Asa were born only a few days apart! 

Ethan & cousin Josiah played in the dirt at Uncle Kris & Aunt Sarah's house. 

Asa & his birthday cupcake

The next 3 pictures sort of speak for themselves.