The Vine and the Branches

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

John 15: 1-4

This summer Brandon, Matney, and I have been enjoying many goodies from the first garden we have planted as a family (last summer we didn't plant as Matney was still a baby). We have all enjoyed spending many hours in the garden - Mommy and Daddy to enjoy the fruits of our labor and Matney to enjoy the dirt between her toes. I have to admit that growing your own vegetables and canning or storing them for the winter is very empowering and therapeutic. After losing my two Grandmothers within weeks of each other this spring, I have often found solice outside and in the garden or my flower beds. Grandma Janie loved to garden and Grandma Leota loved to eat from the garden (she wasn't really in to dirt!). Many of my childhood memories come from gardening at either grandparents home or canning with my dad. I also have many memories of rock picking at my parents house as it seemed Dad's garden grew rocks in the winter and it was up to Abby and me job to pick them out.

(Matney trying her first piece of fresh corn straight from the garden)

One of my lasting memories comes from gardening when one summer Dad made Abby and I pick rocks upon rocks and the pick green beans and break them. We were so sick of green beans that we finally stopped stringing them and just dumped them in the bowl. We taught Dad a good lesson when he canned the beans and started to eat them. A bowl of beans and strings is no good! After that I don't think Dad planted green beans for years.

We have had squash, cucumbers, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and peppers galore. Brandon wanted to make pickles so we attempted a batch one Sunday afternoon and it was all we could do to wait 2 weeks to try them. They turned out great so we made a second batch to last us for quite a while. I have chopped tomatoes and stored for the winter and we spent last Friday evening shucking corn and freezing it up as well. Thanks to Papa G for helping us clean the corn - it was a nice pay back after all those years of truck beds full of corn to clean.

This year I had Brandon buy peaches when they were for sale in town and I spent one Saturday morning skinning, boiling, and preserving them to enjoy all winter long. I was daunted by the task at first but then realized once I got started that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I am looking forward to many cobblers throughtout the winter.

As the garden is starting to fizzle out for the year, we already have plans in our mind for our garden next year. As we work in our garden and pick the fruit, I am reminded that God has provided for us and he is the true gardener. We are his fruit and through Him all things are possible.

16 months

My beautiful Matney,

It is so hard to believe you are already 16 months old (actually tomorrow but Momma has a crazy schedule tomorrow). You are changing so much each day that Momma and Daddy almost can't keep up! Since this mom of many hats often forgets things, I wanted to be able to look back and know what you were up to at this time in your life.

• In the past month you have become much more vocal and have many new words to share with everyone. You are like a parrot when it comes to repeating something that we say, but when we ask you to say "I love you" you just look at us with a very ornery look on your face.


• You are getting good at putting more than one word together and your best phrase by far every day is "bye bye Daddy" as we leave each morning with a cute little wave thrown in. You are also very good at saying "all gone" and "no more" in the right context.


• Your most recent trick in the last month was grabbing a diaper, opening it up and then laying down in the floor with you legs in the air; just waiting to be changed.


• You love your baby doll, Molly. Most every night you lug her around and want to wrap her up in her beebe (blankie) all night long.


• You do not let your beebe get too far out of sight and Momma will never make the mistake of forgetting it at school again on a Friday afternoon--that was a long weekend.


• You love to help me close the dishwasher and dryer when I am doing house work and if you don't get to help you sometimes get a temper.


• One of your new found loves is to reach up as far as you can in to Momma's makeup drawer and start dragging things out. (I am just waiting for the day there is lipstick all over my house)


• You have become quite the dare devil in the swimming pool often racing to the slide or attempting to jump in all by yourself. The first time you did this, I am pretty sure you took a few years off Daddy's life and mine but now we know to stay close to the edge and help you.


• You love your cousins and can say each of their names. And they love you! You are their sister cousin according to Grayson.


• At your 15th month appointment you were still in the 25th percentile for weight and height and your head was in the 75th percentile.

You have so many more qualities and things that we love about you but I cannot put all of them in to words or we would be here forever. You are the most precious gift I have ever been given and love each moment with you more and more.

All my love angel baby,

Momma