Aaaahhhh ...

finally Saturday.

I've been dreaming of dirt.

Was starting to be a problem ... that dreaming stuff.

I really do love the fact that seed packets have so many seeds, but how many pepper plants do I really need? Tomatoes? Cucumbers?

They all got transplanted today into larger containers.

Ran out of containers and moved on to paper cups.

Whatever works is my motto around here.

I think I moved 24 cucumber plants. Do you think I'll have enough of them?

Last year I learned something new. There are different types of cukes. Special ones for pickling cucumbers. I went ahead and picked what I had, but this year ... we're trying several varieties. The fingers are crossed. I'm thinking about piping Mozart out to the greenhouse come June 1st.

I'll share my tomato learning curve another day. I would like just one decent size tomato this year. I'd be thrilled that I made it that far! Enough to can would be just the cat's meow, but one would make me proud.

While I spent a few minutes playing with dirt ... Jari got out his big boy toy and worked on clearning some more stuff. Oh my goodness. It is quite the pile he's moving. Sort of the pile of trees after clearing and putting in a new septic the other summer. We are seriously going to need a riding lawn mower when this project is done.

My tulips won't grow much bigger than this. Isn't it just a shame? I'll never see a tulip bulb out of this plant. Sooner or later (should Lowe's ever get their stock in) I'm going to move this pathetic thing and fill in with Hostas. Tulips might just be in the same category as the tomato around here.

Buds are on trees everywhere. It is just awesome!! I love this time of year. Wrong. I love all times of the year. The birth of spring and green is really one of God's most amazing miracles. We have a party here 2 weeks from today. I'm betting that when I go to post pictures from it ... they'll all be green. (Full of mosquitos too .. but it comes with the territory.)

Does one ever tire of capturing their children's growth? I doubt it. The child tires of the mother behind the lens. I don't know that the mother ever tires.

This one hasn't shouted STOP yet.

This evening we spent with a houseful of friends. Eric and Katrina lost their baby today. God lent Levi to his parents for several brief hours and then called him home to Heaven. Our hearts ache for the entire family. I believe that God has a reason for everything we go through in this life .. perhaps is isn't ours to understand the reason ourselves. With every trial he sends comfort and strength to continue on this path we walk. 

As we left to go home this evening, I was watching the mountains being wrapped in the clouds that surrounded them. How blessed we are to go through life with such a wonderful support network of family and friends. At times we may feel like we are that lone mountain. Standing and weathering the winds and storms of time, sometimes so ravaged by sadness and loss. The winds change, the seasons change and always there are the clouds. I think I might prefer to think of the clouds as the angelic realm of friends who surround us ...