Our Farm

When we pulled up to Lowes, Cap shouted, "A Farm!" He was so excited. This farm was full of pansies, snapdragons, dianthus, lilies and other beautiful flowers, but to my son it was a farm. The storage buildings for sale on the left even gave a 'chicken coop' feel to it. May be if we explored inside we could pick up those much needed eggs. There were various sizes of shovels and rakes and hoes. Bags and bags of dirt. What a farm we landed in!

We came home after spending $8 on flowers that needed some serious love. Cap did not care about the condition of these flowers and how they looked. I love that kids don't look for perfection. After nap time, we got hard at work. Separating flowers in pots, filling them up with dirt, and watering everything very generously with our blue elephant watering container. 

A couple of days later, we planted some marigold seeds. This is something my mom did with me and my two younger brothers every summer growing up. It is one of my favorite memories. So I of course have been eager to do this with Cap. After we put the seeds in the dirt and watered (and I mean he watered them!) he found the perfect spot in the sun to put his own little yellow pot. He sat down and said to me, "I will sit down and watch it grow." He was serious as he found his seat and stared at his yellow pot. I, of course, ran inside to grab a camera. 

The first picture is of the first day we planted flowers.

This is before his haircut. He looks SO much older with his hair cut!

The first spot he picked to sit and watch his flowers grow was 

actually where his left arm is, with a leg on each side of the wood. 

He takes his watering job very seriously as you can see.

Tongue out and all.

As much as he tried, he couldn't be serious forever. 

Still has some lunch on his face too:)

There are a few things we have taught Cap that I love and really stick out to me right now. Cap used to get so mad if I couldn't produce whatever tractor he wanted to see while we were driving in the car. It was constant. So we started telling and teaching him that to see cool things, you have to keep your eyes open. It changed the tone and mood of the car immediately. Instead of demanding, we started exploring (which he knows that word very well). He would even tell us to keep our eyes open too. We have now been doing this for at least 5 months!

The other thing is telling him he is STRONG and COURAGEOUS. This is a big one to me. While I was in San Angelo last August, my mom and I were at a cute little shop in the village shopping center. They had this huge canvas of this tree and on the side was the following verse: "Be strong and courageous...  The Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go." I knew right away in my heart that verse was for Cap. A couple of months had gone by since seeing that verse and Bryce was telling Cap he was strong and courageous. It took a couple of weeks before it hit me that we were both speaking that over our son. For a little while, when I would pick him up and tell him he was heavy, he would say "strong and courageous!" What a great thing!

The last thing that sticks out that I want to write is about adventure. Two days ago, Cap and I went to the front yard to wait for Bryce to get home knowing it would be any minute. Before he got home, Cap shouted "let's go on an adventure!!!." Music to my ears. I asked where he wanted to go on his adventure. He looked around and said, "Ummmmm....that way! Up to see tractors!" So off we went when dad came home on a family adventure and exploration. Cap doesn't think that a park is limited to swings and slides and sand pits. One of his favorite places to go is Ute Valley Park which is across the street and covered in trails, rocks and adventure! 

These are some things I just wanted to remember. My son IS strong and courageous. He is learning to keep his eyes and his ears open. One day when the Lord calls him to a dangerous life of adventure, our prayer is that he hears His voice and says Yes!