Playing in the yard

I thought I would post some pictures of us playing in the yard on Saturday! A lot of family have not been able to see our place so I thought this would be a good opportunity! Grandma Mumma blessed us with a new camera since our old one broke so we went right off to taking pics!

Daddy and Owen on the bench next to the pond.

Owen standing on the fence line by our driveway. The fences around here are a real cool "western" design that I have never seen anywhere else. These fences are all around us and are the dominate fence structure here- they are beautiful!- if I can say that about a fence!

Daddy and Owen playing on the lawn with the mountains as the background, and also the fence :).

You can see our "little house" in the background. I know a lot of family have not been able to see it yet. We are so blessed to be able to live there and are so incredibly grateful!

Owen playing with the wagon handle. You can see Glory Bowl in the background (the tallest mountain closest to Owen). It is a big back-country ski spot. I hope we can hike up it this summer!

Greenhouse Fun!

The last few days my sweet neighbor Colleen, her two girls Sadie and Elisa, and Owen and I have been working out in the greenhouse. It is so much fun to be able to plant seeds and watch them grow from little things into fruitful plants. It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor." We worked hard (well Colleen was the one who mainly worked hard) to clear out the old plants, to put into the soil mulch and compost, to loosen the soil, to plant the seeds, and then to be diligent to water the seeds. However, all we really can do is sit back and hope the little seedlings sprout, grow, and produce. God is the one who gives the growth. As we labor here in Jackson we are to teach the Word and love people- but ultimately God is the one who will give the growth and he should be the only one receiving the glory for it. For, "he who plants nor he who waters is anything"- I pray we have this perspective. That we can truly say we work hard watering and sowing all so that God can cause it to grow and receive all the glory. I'm a glory stealer and deserve to be cast out- yet God is gracious to me through Christ. Gracious enough to even give us rewards for our labor- although it is only because of his work on the cross we are even able to labor. How good He is to us!

So aside from that little tangent analogy I will post some pictures of our adventures in the greenhouse! These pictures are all copyright Colleen yet she was gracious enough to allow me to steal them from her blog!


Sadie and Owen had a great time playing in the dirt. Sadie kept herself quite clean and Owen went right to the mud.


We obviously had a hard time keeping Owen from eating the dirt. He had a binky in to help keep the dirt at bay but what can you do? Can't keep the boy out of the dirt forever!! :)


We planted numerous pots with various flowers and herbs. Some of these, like the sunflowers and a few poppies, are going to be transplanted outdoors when the warmth has returned for good.



Our neat little labeled rows compliments of Colleen's organizational skills. If it was left up to me, well, let's just say it wouldn't look this nice!



I thought we could do a little comparison between Owen's first mud experience and mine. I think we can see where he gets it from!

Our Place

Lecrae

There is a new artist that I just can't stop listening to. He's the best Christian rapper that I've ever heard and thoroughly biblically solid. I thought I'd post a few video clips of his songs. "Take me as I am" is not the official music video but I just love the song. The others are the official videos.


Take me as I am


Praying for you


Jesus Muzik

Long Time

So, I realized that it has been quite a while since I last posted and a big part of that is that a lot has happened! So, let me try to give a little recap of the last couple of months!

I (Sera) started my last class to finish my major, American Literature, on February 9th. It has been good to read and study the works of a lot of American works. Dr. Horner (a Literature professor at Master's) would always talk about the benefits of reading widely for the Christian walk. Through it I've been able to expand my grasp on the way the world thinks and how this translates into what they live for. All the different authors had worldviews and ideas/convictions they tried to portray through their writings. Many of them hit rock bottom at the end of their life and it was evident that these worldviews did not give them the hope and peace of a relationship with the Savior. It reminds me of Romans 1:21-22 "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools..." and Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." True wisdom only comes through the fear of the Lord and it is sad to read men and women who didn't have the hope of trusting in Him.
I do enjoy the class very much. My teacher is a very "cool" guy! He is a rock-star on the side of his teaching career. He has a myspace from which I pulled this picture! Not many people have a literature professor who looks this cool!

I started my class just a week before Owen and I left for Florida to see Mima, Papa, Tias Vanessa and Vivian, Tio Steven, and cousin Xavier! We left February 17 and came home on the 2th! We had a super fun time and it was so good to have everyone be able to see Owen! He loved all the attention! The pictures are of Owen with Mima and Papa when we went out to eat and with Xavier in the shopping cart (with the fun car attachment) at the grocery store!


We came home again for a few days and then flew to California on the 28th and didn't come home until March 14th!! We were able to see Grandma and Grandpa Mumma and Stephens, Great Grandparents, and Auntis and Uncles! Owen became very accustomed to new places and just loved seeing everyone! Below there is a picture of Grandma Mumma with Owen after he fell asleep playing the drums and Grandma and Grandpa Stephens with Uncle Logan and Andre and Owen!


Matt had a great time with the other men on the team at the Shepherd's conference and game home with a lot of books and encouragement! He was in California at the conference from March 1-7. They drove there with the rest of the team and came back with an outreach team who helped with many church-planting things!
When Owen and I came home on the 14th winter was starting to dwindle away and there is now no snow on the ground in our yard! The geese, swans, and ducks are back and swimming in our pond and everything is turning green! Owen is getting closer and closer to walking and starting to really discriminate with "ma-ma" (or "na-na") and "da-da". We are starting to plant things in the greenhouse and everyone is just very ready and excited for spring!!