Greenhouses and growing in other ways too

 Everyday life can be tedious and challenging with the mundane combined with the difficult, and I'm not sure if the kids have a harder time facing school every day or if I do. We have been diligently working away at it, but some days are too beautiful and the mountains and forests compel us to explore. We also always seem to have one project or another that requires our attention, so I seem to live by schedules, calendars and alarms. 

We are in the process of putting up a greenhouse that we purchased from a nearby family. The beauty of buying things used is the fraction you pay for them off the original price. The difficulty in doing so is that you have to then be very creative in putting in back together since you cannot operate from original directions which no longer exist. We did label things as we took it apart, so that gives us a tiny advantage. :-) Today, we're digging the holes for the cement foundation. Hopefully, we'll have the project completed by the end of this week. 

The weather hasn't been working in our favor with the first snows of the season, but it has honestly been kind of refreshing, if not a tad bit too cold. I've taken a couple of ice cold hikes which are strangely invigorating and a couple nights ago Kelton joined me. We talked, prayed and listened to some of our favorite songs and when we got to the top of a hill we turned around to see a beautiful painting of nature. It was such a precious moment and I will hold that memory forever. 

Last week, we went down to Sedona for an afternoon to see the last of the fall leaves. It did not disappoint! 

I've been thinking a lot recently about how quickly a life is completed, how the days and moments gallop on. It would be nice if we had a pause button, but alas, we would no doubt abuse that privilege or allow it to distract us from what we should be about. So, I will endeavor instead to live each day fully. I hope that I can teach my children to look beyond themselves, outside of our household, to see others, to love others, to encourage others, to share life with others in the very real and meaningful ways.