Our peach harvest

All canned and ready to put up for a special day.

Well, I am so excited to be harvesting peaches again.  It is just so fun to have planted a tree only 2 1/2  years ago and to be able to gather a bountiful harvest from this tree.  We tried some fun things this year and we will see how they work out, adding a little sugar and cinnamon to the peaches just adds to the fun.  Unfortunately, the trees I planted at the same time have not had the same results.  One even died this year.  Very sad.  I have always loved growing my own food.  Several years ago we went to Hawaii for our tenth anniversary.  While there we brought home some of the yummy pineapples.  A friend had told us to cut off the tops and plant them.  In seven to ten years you would get a new pineapple.  Well, we planted two and they did wonderful for a couple year.  I got a bright idea to set them outside in the fresh air and forgot about them until the morning.  It had gotten quite cold that night and killed my beautiful plants.  So I decided to plant avocado seeds in their pots and see how that went.  Unfortunately a year later after they had grown significantly, I tried again to get them some fresh air and they also got left out and died.  Again I tried with some new avocado seeds.  They took off wonderfully and even survived a move.  They grew so big that I had to replant them.   When we moved to this house they were over 6 feet tall.  I put them in a sunny spot with lots of room and watched them fight for their lives.  Their 18 inch leave would grow and then wither and grow smaller and wither until nothing grew.  I was so bummed, I prayed over them frequently but they just stood there bare trunks.  What happened.  It finally hit me that I had placed them under a heating and air conditioning vent.  In the winter the hot air was blowing on them and in the summer they were chilled by the cold air till they could no longer take it.  Environment has a lot to do with how things grow or die.  It is the same for ourselves and our children.  What is the environment that we live and raise our children in like?  Are we allowing the outside influences to chill our hearts and theirs until we can no longer grow spiritually.  Is it sunny and roomy but unseen influences are creeping in and snuffing our joy and spiritual growth?  I had fun looking for verses on God opening spiritual eyes and would like to share them with you.  Acts 26:18 says Paul speaks of how God is sending him to the Gentiles to "Open their eyes, and to turn them from darknesst to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."  That is beautiful.  In Numbers 22:31 "Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face."  How powerful.  2Kings 6 starting in verse eight tells the story of Elisha and how the King of Aram had his armies surrounding the city Elisha was in to capture him.  The Lord sent an army to surround their foes.  Elisha's servant couldn't see God's army and cried out in fear.  Elisha prayed and his servants eyes were opened and he saw.  What a mighty God we serve.  This is such an encouragement.  May the eyes of our hearts be opened that we might see God better and be able to remove any and all damaging influences in our environment.   May God bless and keep you and cause His face to shine upon you this day.  Here are some fun picture updates.  Have a blessed day.  

Alicia

Here's our new little avocado and pineapple plant.   Between Isabella and the cat they have had some struggles but I pray they will take off now and grow and produce fruit. :)

Danika enjoying soccer

Me growing rounder every day.  It is a cute little ball but it will widen and stick out even more.  Glad to be through the first trimester and feeling so much better.