DIY - Raised Beds

A project on Mom's to-do list for a while has been some raised beds for her to expand her new found gardening habit. I like to build things and since Mom has to put up with housing my business, she gets what she wants. I also realized I might be able to offer them to some of my clients and this would be a good test run. With the winter being slow and Matt & Dad available to help, this time of year was the perfect opportunity.

Before we could install the beds we had to cut down a couple maple trees in their backyard. This also had been on the to-do list because they were getting quite large and competing with the turf a little too much. So we got the two trees down and chipped up right before it started pouring rain.

We then got started on the bed frames. We had to work in the garage since it was still raining. It took the rest of the day to build the first one. We did the second one in half the the time the following day since we knew what we were doing. Cook also stopped by and offered a hand. 

The raised beds are constructed out of landscape timbers with the final dimensions of the beds being 8' x 4' x 1'. They are held together with 1/2" rebar. A closed loop of 1/2" drip irrigation lines the inside of the bed with eight 1/4" lines extending from the main line to the middle of the bed with 2 GPH emitters at the end of each line. 

I was very pleased with how they turned out. We may add some more if she gets a large vegetable operation going.

Matt and Dad cutting up the tree. Dad is a little more safety conscious than us.

Chipping up the limbs.

Makeshift work station.

The first layer.

Getting it square.

Future home of the beds. The white in the background is the wood chips for the fresh cut maples.

Drilling the holes for the rebar.

Hammering down the rebar for stability.

Putting on the drip irrigation's main line that goes around the top of the bed and will attach to the hose.

Moving the beds into place.

Leveling up the beds. We put each one over the new stumps so they'll now be hidden.

Adding in the drip lines with emitters. Each emitter is rated for 2 GPH.

Installed.

Christmas in Georgia

Our Christmas travels began this past weekend. We made the trip to Griffin, GA to see my dad's side of the family. I had some free time so I made this little family tree instead of explaining who's who. The party takes place at my Aunt and Uncle's house. Everyone on the tree except Matt was able to make the trip. We always have a great time with family. Uncle Bob always has some project going on around the house so every visit there is something new to play with. This year was the new playground in the back yard for his grandkids. Fortunately he built it to withstand adult weight so I could play too. The next addition to the playground is a zip line.

Doug

Cori & Kate

Alexa

Rob & Alana

LONG FAMILY TREE

(Names in green are married into family)

                                                              W.C. - Ann (Both Deceased)

                                                                /                               \

                                                   Linda-Bob                            Joe-Delana

                                                  /           \                                    /         \

                                  Alana-Rob         Kris-Jacob         Rebecca-Brett     Matt

                                    /        \            /        /     \

                              Kaitlin   Doug   Corrine Alexa James(due any day)

My 1st cousins once removed are all under the age of 4. So when they are awake there is always plenty of activity. Each visit it takes them a little while to get use to me again. Fortunately it is taking less and less time. So by the end of breakfast we were friends again. Kaitlin and Cori are who Rebecca and I spent most of our time with since they can communicate back and don't wear diapers. We played with blocks, colored, built trains, and watched Toy Story 2. The action was non-stop most of the day. In our many conversations throughout the day the thing that continued to stand out was their imaginations. Everything about them, their toys, appetites, attention span, and bodies are all so small. The only thing not small aside from their loudness, is their imaginations. The simple games with the toys that didn't amount to much in my view, were intricate designs with endless possibilities. Listening to what was going through their heads was the most fascinating thing of the weekend. I know I often think of children having simple minds, but in a way it's not that simple. Jesus often referred to having 'faith like a child,' 'becoming like little children,' or 'the Kingdom belongs to children.' Does he want me to have a more simple mind? Or is he wanting me to not limit my view of him? We were made in God's image, including our minds. We come into this world closest to complete innocence that we'll ever be and the sin nature begins to immediately take over, and without the grace of God, our sinfulness would take us further and further from him. I'm thinking our mind does the same thing. We come into this world with no problem of comprehending God. Why are children so receptive of the gospel? Some would say they don't know any better and are just gullible. But after spending time with children and attesting to what's in the bible, I would say it's just the opposite. As children our minds are the least removed from its creator. So their acceptance of God is not ignorant faith, but a natural fitting piece to the puzzle in our minds. Why are the Narnia and Lord of the Rings movies so intriguing, even to adults? Perhaps they speak back to our childhood norm. As we grow without Christ, we try to fill that piece with everything else and forget how we were originally designed. So as we grow and become more 'learned' and less 'imaginative,' I think we are devolving from how our minds were originally formed.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matt. 19:14

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. - Matt. 18:1-5

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. - Matt. 11:25

"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, " 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" - Matt. 21:16

The Transition of an Era

We're now in Birmingham, but it doesn't feel like home, even though I grew up here. It took me nearly 6 years living in Starkville and gaining a wife to finally call it home.

We finished packing up with little room to spare in the uhaul. Dad and I cleaned out my office on campus. It would have been such a nicer feeling if I was actually completely done with my thesis. I went with Megan to transfer our utilities over to her name. We then went to our final meal at La Terraza with my parents, Rebecca's mom, Megan, and the Franci.

We said our goodbyes. The girls shed some tears. It was a sad moment in the parking lot of that Mexican restaurant. We knew this day was coming for many months, but it didn't make it any easier. It makes you wonder why you are moving. Our standard response about being back often is as much of a reassurance to ourselves as it is to everyone else.

Starkville has been great. I never thought I would have grown as attached to it as I have. As much as I like Starkville, Rebecca and I both feel its not the best place to base our respective businesses out of. To me Starkville has always felt like a holding pattern on life. Its a city of people in transition, so the things you grow to love are also in transition. The biggest of those being friends. Most of my friends have long since moved away. The one set of friends who have made the college and married transition with us is the largest reason it has been so hard to leave. Living in the same apartment complex gave the true feeling of community that let a friendship bloom unlike any other. It was rare for a day to pass without one of us going to the others house to catch up on the days events. Boredom was not an option with friends just 100 yards away. So David and Emily, since you two are some of the few who actually read my blog, Rebecca and I just wanted to say we will truly miss you guys. The Lord has provided us with so much already in Birmingham we know he will take care of the friend department too, however it is hard to ask for replacements, because we wouldn't want to replace you. So where ever we may be, its never 'goodbye', just 'see you later'.