The Generous Garden Project Field Trip

A few weeks ago our calendar held our last scheduled field trip of the school year.  I was excited for this opportunity for our kids to learn as well as serve at "The Generous Garden Project" but I wasn't completely sure what to expect.

We arrived at our scheduled time in a side parking lot of a small natural products store.  I was shocked as we saw what was tucked behind this spot we pass on a very regular basis.  Just blocks from our house this array of gardens, greenhouses, compost sites, chicken coops, beehives and  so much more is an amazing project that is working to fight hunger right here in our community.

GROW~GIVE~TEACH

As we began our time at the garden, Mr. Anthony (in orange) explained to us the plan.  70/30, that's the plan.  They give away 70% of produce grown to agencies in Greenville to feed the hungry.  The other 30% is sold to meet the cost it takes to keep the gardens growing. 

After a brief overview of the project we went to work.

Our younger kiddos went to the gardens to start weeding.

The older kids really dug in to separate and replant many many plants that were grown from seed and had become over crowded in their current containers. 

After sweating it out in the garden for a while it was time to tour and be educated.

We started in a regular greenhouse.

Perhaps my favorite was this aquaponic greenhouse.  Fish actually live under these plants that just hang in the water.  Once it is fully up and running this system pretty much takes care of itself while growing amazing organic produce. (Haleigh is getting a close  up look at the fish.)

The composting is really fascinating to me! There are several stages to the composting, but once it is in the final stage in the worm bins it is some of the finest fertilizer available, and the worms do most of the work!

 

One of the best parts of this "Generous Garden Project" is their desire to teach.  We learned about all these different ways to garden organically, sustainably, and easily.  We learned about aquaponics, greenhouses, worm compost, bees and even visited the chicken coop.  

It was a great day that inspired us to get our herbs planted and potentially a small vegetable garden. We are hoping to return to the Generous Garden to help harvest either as a group or just our family.  Its a great way to get our hands on and help those in our own community as we learn how to make healthy choices in gardening and serving.

What do you get...?

 when you have a three day weekend 

plus all these kids

 plus and obstacle coarse

 plus a waterfall hike

 

plus a lake with 

a rope swing

 a 100 foot water slide

 kayaks

 and canoes

 plus a movie night 

 plus Sunday morning worship focused on creating family mission statements

 plus family hikes

 plus more hiking

 plus lots of games

 plus a LOT of food

 plus a bonfire to wrap it all up?

A surprisingly great weekend, filled with sweet friends, lots of laughter, encouragement, memories and a plan to do it all again next year!!!

(Thanks Ben and Tracy for organizing such an amazing time!!  You all are the best!!)

Day 180 (but please dont' tell my girls :)

Two weeks ago I counted the official school days for the year to see if we were really as close as I thought we were.  We were actually a bit closer than I had earlier figured.  If we were to attend "Second Saturday" at Roper Mountain the following Saturday we could officially have day 180 in the book and be officially done!  But please don't tell my girls!  We have lightened up a lot.  There are just a few more math lessons for Haleigh to squeak out to complete her book.  Sophie is always willing to plug away a bit longer and I really couldn't let her stop while Haleigh is still going at it.  Then there is Mackenzie who will follow suit, if the girls are working in open math books you might as well just open her's too, even if she thinks it is just for fun.  It has been nice having a lighter load, a much more gentle schedule inside the house as the one outside the house seems to speed out of control with all the end of the year events.  

 

Our first end of the year event was probably one of the most special for me.  It was our Closing Ceremony for our co-op.  This was Mackenzie's first year to be part foundations and Sophie's last year.  My heart could almost burst at that reality!  But it is all good, actually it is all great! 

Sophie successfully attained "Memory Master" of all three cycles so she is stepping off the "Classical Conversations path" next year to explore her passion for drama and the arts before jumping into the Challenge program.  (She is already counting down the days for this new adventure to start.  I on the other hand am happy to soak up each and every summer day!)

 Haleigh also stepped up to the memory work challenge.  She attained Scripture Memory Master!! Exodus 20: 1-17!!!  We are so proud of her.  She did such a great job!!

Mackenzie loved every second of co-op this year.  Her tutor was her hero (and still is.)  Mackenzie  still sings random history songs throughout the day no matter where we are.  Her favorite is the Presidents song, even though she may skip a few here and there, within a week she has usually covered them all once.

I had the sweetest class of kids this year and I really do miss them already.  They taught me so much and made the year unforgettable. 

I am so thankful for our CC community and all the sweet families that made it such a special place to meet each Monday.  

I am also so very thankful for the encouragement and support we get from Mark.  He celebrates our accomplishments well, whether they are the daily victories or when big goals that take weeks or months are met.  When I am tired or questioning my abilities he is nothing but solid as a rock and reassuring that we are doing what God has asked our family to do. 

So blessed, so thankful, so excited for summer!!

Mother's Day, Taking Time to Stop

 Many Sundays, even though I know we should just be, stop all the "to do - ing" and observe a bit of Sabbath  I usually plow on through, taking advantage of the "school-less" hours to catch up with some of the many things I didn't get to during the week.  But not today!  Today it almost feels wrong to plow on through.  

Mark had to work today so we just chilled.  The sink full of dirty dishes,  no less than four baskets of laundry wait to be folded and then there is a school room that you really can barely walk into let alone teach or learn in, but stop we did.  After church we headed to Your Pie (Haleigh can eat a whole meal without any prep on my part) after a quick stop by Whole Foods we headed to the back yard to play and laugh.  We played croquet for a while, until the neighbor kids started peering through the fence to see if the girls could shift their attention to the gathering group of cul-de-sac friends.

Then I sat, in the sun with a dish of mango sorbet and looked at pictures from the past year and smiled.  The echos of laughter from the neighborhood kids playing and the sweet memories spurred by the pictures took turns gaining my attention.  Here are some of the pics that made me smile the most on this sweet Mother's Day that forced a Sabbath and time to look back and be oh so thankful for my three precious gifts!   

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!  I hope your day was sweet and I pray you will have a Sabbath (forced or not) soon to reflect on all of your blessings!