10 year anniversary

August 14th was mine and Jason's 10 year anniversary. We took a weekend trip to Charleston, SC (post about that soon to follow... or if you have been to my blog lately you know it may not be soon to follow). We left around lunch time on Friday and around 2:35 pm Jason quickly pulled into a rest area (if you have ever been to South Carolina you know that there is a rest area about every 15 minutes!). Once we stopped he turned to me and said, "Ten years ago today about this time we were married." So, we walk over to a shady spot under some large trees and sat down at a picnic table and at 2:41 pm (the exact moment Mr. Porter pronounced us husband and wife) we kissed. Isn't that romantic! Also we exchanged rings that Jason had purchased and had engraved on the inside. He had written me a poem as well and he read that to me. That evening we went on a dinner cruise in Charleston which was so much fun and then later in the hotel we looked through a box of wedding memorabilia that I had brought from home. It contained items like our wedding planner, napkins, wedding invitation, pictures and etc. It was sweet to look through it all and remember our wedding day.

The inscription on the inside of the rings is:

Sg. 8:6-7. That verse reads... "Set as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it."

This is the poem:

Flashes of Fire

The lines on these rings are jagged and strong

much like the lines of a fire.

We made our vows and sang our song

once awakened, our love so desired.

Taken us through seasons where easy to stand

other times so out of breath.

Now setting this seal on our hearts and hands

for love is strong as death.

Its flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord

jealousy fierce as the grave.

I've been given this flower to protect with the sword

and that I will all my days.

Many waters cannot quench love

though at times I've made it easy to doubt.

No amount of rain, no amount of floods

will overcome or drown it out.

I am thankful for my marriage and my husband. I am glad love so desires...

Plug for a friend...

My friend Kay is embarking on 2 new adventures...getting ready for a new addition to her family (baby boy #2 on the way) and starting up a new online business called Sew So Sweet (click the link to see her cool creations for kids). I have seen first hand the so cute baby gifts she has made for her many nieces and nephews over the last few years so I can give her creations a FULL endorsement! Also if you would like to visit her personal blog you can find that here! If you know Kay and have seen or received any of her great homemade baby gifts then leave a comment as to how great they are! I hope that you will visit her store (you will not be sorry) and Kay... I wish you all the best!

Garden

Well... it has been awhile since I posted last and boy has our garden been growing. I am sure for all of you out there who are garden savvy that you aren't surprised or even really impressed by this news. However for those of us garden newbies this is sheer excitement!

We have watched the sunflowers grow larger and larger almost everyday. It seems like each time we look out the kitchen window they have grown even taller. All the other veggies have grown quite nicely as well. We have had a few casualties (it took Jason a few days to learn to use the hoe) but for the most part our garden has been a great success.

For mother's day I received a potted herb garden and it has been fabulous. The herbs included basil, thyme, oregano, chives, cilantro, parsley and sage. Since mother's day we have added rosemary and a citronella plant (it really is suppose to rid off mosquitos). I have already used several of the herbs for cooking (recipe to follow shortly... OK well maybe not shortly).

Jason also started a compost pile. I don't really have a lot to say about that except... I save all the leftover scraps for it. I know you might be thinking WOW those Sessoms sure have gone green or healthy or something. Let me be the first to inform you that ALL of this growing and decomposing is because we are cheap not because we are trying to save the planet (although that is a nice plus).

It has been really interesting and quite honestly fascinating to watch our garden grow. It is not a lie when I tell you that we go outside every day to look and see what is new in the garden and it is also not a lie when I tell you that certain grown people in this house (who shall remain unnamed) have actually jumped up and down in excitement when the "veggies" started appearing.

So, it goes without saying that I think if you don't have a garden you should start one. It has honestly been a learning and bonding experience for our family. Isn't that precious...

Enjoy the pics!

And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth."

And it was so. Genesis 1:11

#2

For those of you who read my "25 random things about me" post, this was #2 (you thought this post was going to be about poop didn't you?).  Anyway, yes we finally got our garden started and it has been so much fun. We started this winter talking about and planning our garden and then as spring was approaching I honestly was having second thoughts.  I wasn't sure we could pull it all off... the tilling, planting, weeding, watering and so forth.  But we decided to give it a go. Along the way we have gotten some very helpful advice from many people and a really great book my g-ma let us borrow (although we have had it so long she probably thinks she is never getting it back... sorry g-ma).  

We planted corn, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers (several kinds), watermelon, sunflowers, zucchini and carrots (Jason did I leave anything out?).  And speaking of Jason, during this planting adventure I have seen a side of my husband that I didn't even know existed. I wasn't really planning on him helping me with the garden, I just didn't think it would be something he would be interested in.  BUT... it all started with him printing some graph-paper off of the computer (you read right) and making a map of the garden... to scale!  In the process we had to change some of the locations of the plants and silly me I said, "Lets just plant them wherever."  Apparently that phrase is some sort of garden blasphemy.  No he said, we have to redo the "map".  Did we switch places or what? (usually I am the one who is so anal)  Any who... 

Adele has really enjoyed the garden too and I hope that she learns a lot about life and the meaning of life and.... just kidding, I just hope that we get some good free veggies!  Seriously I would recommend starting a garden, it really has been a fun family project (check back with me after about a month of pulling weeds in the 90+ weather and then see if I still recommend it). 

Here are a few pics. 

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Rain, rain don't go away, Adele and her friends want to play...

Today ended very rainy.... but not dreary for us. We met our neighbors outside for some guitar playing (the boys), chatting (the ladies) and playing in the rain (the girls of course). Us adults sat under Jason's shop out of the rain while Adele, Molly and Rachel ran around in the rain and played. They had such a good time playing in the mud puddles, jumping on a very slick trampoline (I know, not really that safe), running from tornadoes (even less safe) and spraying each other with the water hose (why I am not sure considering it was raining). Needless to say they had a great time! I have very fond memories of my sister and I playing in the mud puddles in our driveway after a big rain... I hope that the girls will remember this day too.

What do you and your family like to do when it rains? Crafts, games, movies or etc. We have had a lot of rain lately so we might all need some rainy day ideas... after all you can't play outside in the rain every time.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:1-4