Sunday afternoon fun

We used to LOVE working in the yard back when we had a yard. While living in Fort Worth, there really wasn't a whole lot of time for yardwork other than mowing, so our last "real" yard was on Concord Dr. in Conway, AR ... and that was a little over 3 years ago. One of the most exciting things about this move has involved a yard where the kids can just get outside and BE. There was some landscaping when we moved in, but we decided to do a little more and give our own special touch to our new home. Below is Emma planting "her" tree ... she is so proud. We thought it would be fun for the kids to each plant a tree and watch it grow. And yes, that would be Shelby "helping" her.

Next up is Noah planting his tree ... it has been shocking for us to see just how inexpensive landscaping/gardening can be here!! Some really nice pots for 20 bahts, or a little over 60 cents is one of the biggest bargain finds!!

We have a couple Golden Palms ordered and one of those will be Elizabeth's. Pics to follow when she gets down in the dirt! In the meantime, here is another picture of Emma planting some border plants in front of the lantana that was already there. We're kind of surprised she got back out in the yard after a "near miss" with a snake earlier in the afternoon. We've never heard her scream so loud!! She now knows to watch her every step ... we all do for that matter!

This tree was already there, but we decided to add a little something to it ... this is the before picture.

Work in progress....

We actually found begonias....

And this is how it ended up ... all 3 kids were knee-deep in this project (Elizabeth didn't make any of these pics ... something about her hair and clothes)! We think it turned out pretty good!!

When we left Ind!a, we gave away our plants, one of which was identical to the 2 below. We found these at a nursery for a little over $4 each .... and those big ole pots were even cheaper than that!! It's a little hard to see, but there's a wooden windchime hanging in the top center under the balcony. It's made from coconut and just makes the coolest sound ... but the coolest thing about it is that we found this hand-crafted treasure at a market for $1.80

This bed already had some lantana and a few palms, but it needed a little something extra. This is the before picture.....

....and this is the after picture. Noah picked out a couple smaller trees to add to the mix. We think his choice was perfect!!

The picture below, in some way, symbolizes new growth in our work-in-progress family. We arrived in this city 3 weeks ago today. In some ways, especially after a long week of language, it seems like it's been much longer, but when we think about all that He has allowed us to accomplish in such a short time, we really are blown away ... and SO encouraged. That He would be willing to use ordinary, broken people to accomplish His will is more than we can wrap our hearts around really. There are days when our hearts hurt so much for the family/friends we left back home, but we are absolutely certain that we are exactly where we're supposed to be. Thanks so much for your willingness to go with us. Whether it's a response to an update, a simple facebook message, a skype call, or most importantly, a conversation you have with Him on our behalf, you've got to know that He is using you to make a difference.