This week

This week is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. (Exodus 12:14-17)  This has become such a special time for our family.  It is a time to reflect on the beautiful way that God has designed his Word and creation to teach us and guide us.  His times and seasons, (the Feasts and Sabbaths) hold so much meaning. (Did you know that the Last Supper was a Passover Seder?)  Yes, the Feasts are treasured by the Jewish people. But for those of us who know our King Yeshua Jesus, there is a depth and mystery to this design.  We are thankful for the grace to learn and to grow in following God's commands.  We are thankful that the Law is not death to us but it is instruction and a picture of God's care for His people. 

As we prepared for the Passover (Pesach) and The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah) we did follow the Jewish tradition of getting some Spring cleaning done!  The idea is to follow God's command to get all of the leaven (yeast, baking soda, baking powder, ect...) out of our home.  So the kitchen got a good deep cleaning.  This has fallen in perfectly with my need to nest!  4 weeks and counting!!! 

So we have cleaned our physical house and have been concentrating on doing the same in our Spiritual house.  To remember the sacrifice that was made by Jesus on the cross, to celebrate that the grave could not hold him, to thank Him for giving us the gift of not being afraid to live his Word out full force. This is the Passover season.  This is the feast of Unleavened Bread.  We are so thankful.

I love this.  Please listen and Praise HIM for all of His goodness in this season and in all seasons.

Our house is different this week.  I pray we can be different everyday.  But for this week....

My kiddos have unleavened crackers with lunch instead of our usual bread.

My precious husband has taken on the burden of cleaning the things that I can't.
 (Gravity is not my friend these days.) 
Under the stove is a mass of leavened crumbs and other nasty stuff.  Thank
you my love!

We cook with strange ingredients.

We eat the "Bread of Affliction" daily to help us remember his body that was broken for us. 

We turn the bread box into a fruit box!

We bake up awesome and unleavened things like macaroons and Passover Brownies.

Most importantly, we give praise to the One who saves us.  We use this time to rejoice in the fact that God's plan for salvation began long before the cross.  He is the Lamb that was slain from the foundations of the world! (Rev 13:8)  His grace is given to those who believe.  From Abraham, to the Israelites on the night of the 1st Passover, to those of us who call on Him today.

IT'S A...?

Precious Father we thank you for giving us the blessing of children.  Please make us good stewards of that blessing.  Keep us captivated by these little treasures so that we will never forget how important this time is or how fortunate we are.  Thank you most of all for hearing the prayers of a little girl who desperately wanted a baby sister.  You are truly a God who sees hearts.  

The faces...

 

We had some exciting news to share with our kids.  So we took them to the park and had them sit on the grass together.  As their daddy was telling them the news, I shot pictures. 

Here they are waiting patiently.

Levi split, so we just told the big kids. 

Here's the shock!

Now the awe.  Except for Zadook.

Now the jubilation.  Except for Zaddok.  He didn't seem to be processing the information.  As few seconds after we took this photo, Zaddok said, "What did you say?"  Poor guy.  He hadn't heard what his daddy had said and was trying to figure out why everyone else was so excited.

This photo was taken right after daddy repeated the news, "Mama has a new baby in her tummy!"  Zaddok got it that time.

They were so excited!  We are all so excited!

Dog pile mom and the new baby!

When Jolie came to me to get a hug, I looked down at her and she had big tears pouring down her face.  I was afraid she was upset.  I asked her if she they were sad or happy tears.  She assured me that they were happy!

Sweet girl!  The only problem is that she is sure it is a girl.  She wants a sister so badly.  We are praying for a healthy baby but also that the desire of Jolie's heart, to have a sister to share her life with, would be recognized.

What blessing we have! 

Lots of blessing.  Thank you Father for the blessing of children.  May we be good stewards of that blessing. 

My sad/happy day.

I am in shock.  Summer is over.  While my garden is still in production, my babies aren't going to be here to help me harvest.  They will be part of a classroom.  Just another kid.  Even though their teachers will love them, they won't know how truly wonderful and special they are. 

They won't know just how precious and tender Jolie's heart is towards others.  They won't see the sweetness in Asher's somber and serious way.  Their hearts won't fill with joy at the twinkle in Zaddok's eyes.  I mourn this loss.  I will miss my babies. 

 But the excitement they feel makes up for my hesitation.  They are so ready to be part of that classroom.  They can't wait to be one of the kids.  And they are so excited to show the teachers every reason why they should love them! 

This is the hardest part of parenting.  Letting them be who they are apart from us.  We know that everything we have taught and prayed covers them.  We pray that their hearts are guarded and that their spirits are protected.  We hope that they have a really wonderful experience. 

"May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.  May the Lord give you Peace."

Matt took this on his way home from work. *sigh*

Have a sweet day my babies. Mama's gonna cry a little. Then I'm gonna go get a coffee with only one child by my side.

At least he is stinkin' cute. 

This is the corn we grew this year!  Isn't is cute?  Thanks Papa!

We have been blessed with a good production of cucumbers.

Our girls have been busy!  I saved them to make some breakfast casseroles for the freezer.  Great easy school morning breakfasts.

Thanks for sharing this day with me.

My garden is going to overtake me.

I work so hard every year to get my garden to this point.  It is now fairly self-sufficient.  I water, pick and weed a bit but it seems to have a life of it's own.  It is a fabulous break from the compulsive attention that had to be paid early in the season.  This season has been especially challenging.  Heat, wind, more heat and no rain.  It's been brutal.  But with lots of mulch and selective watering.  We have done okay.  Abba has been good to us.  I say a prayer of wonder and thanksgiving every time I step into the garden.  The rest of the world is dead and brown but this little piece of land brings forth life.  What a picture of His Faith.  Our striving means nothing without His blessing.  I give praise to the Everlasting!

Basil and dill.  There is a Simon and Garfunkel  song in there somewhere.

This is a mystery plant.  What in the world is it.  It grew up in my bed of lettuce so I let it grow.  It is taking over.  Can anyone tell me what it is?  No flowers, just vine and leaves.  It looks like morning glory a bit but no flowers.  HELP ME!

Itchiban eggplant.  It has small fruit but is mucho productive.  Anyone have a good baba ghanoush recipe?

Bell peppers how I love thee.  The peppers have LOVED the heat.

My beans have produced nothing.  Huge beautiful plants, few blossoms.  The blossoms we do have are dropping off.  Darn the heat.

Cucumbers!!  Slicing and pickling.  They just started producing and I am a happy girl.

Look at these blossoms!  I should have tomatoes like crazy, right?

Wrong!  This is what they do right before they fall off of the plant.  Come on
heat!  Give us a break!

 These are called Mexico Midgets.  That is as big as they get but they are our only
 producers right now.  Boy do they produce!

Awwww, I love this place.

This is the front garden.  We have been very blessed with squash.  It is yummy!

Okra!!!  One of my favorites.  I love to eat it raw, right off of the plant. 

This was the front garden in June.  Cute and organized.

This is the front garden now.  Good grief.  But I am not complaining.  I am praising!

Maybe, if we are patient, we might just get a few melons out of the deal!