So... I have planted some of my seedlings over the last week into my Earthboxes and raised beds. I have the green beans and different varieties of dried beans planted too. I started my 3 sisters garden... only two are actually growing corn yet - all the rest - not growing (wonder what that means? Ha). The new strawberry bed is gorgeous with lots of blossoms and fruit growing (yes, I do know you are supposed to pull those off, I thought I would see what happens if I don't - that and I was out painting for days on end when they set all their blossoms.) I am still waiting on Gurneys to ship my sweet potatoes to plant. um, hello.
The dang deer have come by and eaten 4 tomato plants and a pepper plant, before I figured out it was them (they bit off a pepper plant and spit it back out, I guess they only like my tomatoes- because they left all the pepper plants alone - Stupid deer, they are all in the nightshade family) They have not touched the eggplant or the easy target seedlings out there either. Again, stupid deer.
Other than the deer, it all looks pretty good out there. Still have to make a little more Mel's mix and plant a few more things. I need to pick up some cheap flats of marigolds for the raised beds and exterior of the garden, need a bit more plastic and mulch. and I probably need to put out roach motels for the stupid wood roaches that like to eat the fruits of my labor in a few months. they are already living under the earthboxes - ew. I have some volunteer melons (I think) coming up in the compost pile. I will let them go and see what I get!
We have been so very busy preparing paperwork for adoption.
Here is where we are at.
The Lord has really put it on our hearts to adopt in the school-age range. I still want to adopt a baby, but we are going this direction first and we will see.
We will be hosting 2 school age girls (siblings ages 13 & 14) for 5 weeks this summer. They are from Latvia. We are already processing our paperwork and getting our passports and dossier in order to pursue an adoption of these 2 girls. They are very sweet, straight A students, who happen to be very musical, each plays an instrument and sings. We spoke many times at great length with one of the women who interviewed them personally at the orphanage and we all agree this seems really good and pretty perfect for us.
Ordinarily, Chris and I would have the total say so in something like this. We had been looking at a website of pictures and bios of children available for hosting. Talking and praying about it, waiting to decide. However, I was out painting one day, and Chris had been talking and praying with the children about it all and they texted me that they wanted these two girls... I called them and was like "what??" I thought we were headed for a younger brother, one who fell between medium and small. :) so I thought; Leave it to the Lord to give me a hard right turn. :)
The whole 2 sisters thing from Latvia was really Medium and Tall's decision. Medium said (many times) "we have to adopt those two girls". His heart got tugged pretty hard about the older children ageing out of the orphanages, and he thought it would be cool to get these two first and then go back and get a younger brother. Out of the mouths of babes.
So... we will host them for 5 weeks. And then go get them permanently. It takes 3 trips to Latvia to complete an adoption. So please be praying for supernatural travel funds. Even if we get a grant (prayerfully more than one) for the adoption funding, the Travel will be a huge chunk of change. The Lord said He would provide completely for our adoption and we believe it.
The first trip (after hosting) you go to Latvia and stay for a week or two and bond with the children and ask the court for guardianship. Then they come home with us. Then we make 2 trips back with the girls (because they are old enough to speak in court) to finalize and pick up embassy paperwork. The last two trips are about 4 days each.
Yes, It is a lot of travel. But once I get the freedom to post pics of them... you will see why our hearts were drawn to them in the first place and why they are so perfect to be Clausens. They had the cutest ideas of what they wanted to do in America while looking for a family to love them forever. Visit an american school and the history museum and maybe a farm (& swim). Besides their musical giftings and sweet spirits, they look like the Swedish side of my family with a bit of the German Clausen genes thrown in. Absolutely beautiful. I cannot wait for you all to meet them. (and all the children had totally different bios)
and now, I must go and fill out more papers for grants, and updating our homestudy for international and remember to write myself a note to order 3 copies of our marriage license and silly little administrative details like that.
and I totally neglected to post pictures of my recent paintings... wait til you see how incredible oil paints are for me. So colorful and rich.
The Tall, Medium and Small are fine... growing and Super brilliant. of course. :)
Though, I did a poor job of bending the rods.
and yes, that is a tiny little tomato transplant in the earthbox behind the broccoli!
