Fencing, and Thatching, and Trees! Oh, My!

OR.....

Dinner, and Cleaning, and Diapers! Oh, my!
(I could pull off multiple posts in this theme)

 I haven't blogged much about all the service that has been rendered for us in the last couple months (not to mention the last year). Not because I'm ungrateful for the giving hearts in my life, far from that. I'm actually overwhelmed with gratitude for all the ways people have reached out and served my little family and for all the ways they continue to as well. It is not always easy to be on the receiving end of service when you'd rather be the one giving it. If you haven't ever tested this theory, trust me, it's true. Even still, I know prayers are answered through other people and how could I ever begrudge or turn away when my own are answered? Thankfully, I can't.

Fencing (not the sport, ha)-

 Our property borders 4 houses because it's an irregular shaped lot at the back of a culdesac. Three of the four houses are fenced which left us with a back strip needing fence (65ft) and also up to the house on the sides. I'm not sure how this project came about or who even started it but one day a friend showed up ready to dig holes and get started on a fence. Tears. And lots of them too, a fence to corral my outside loving toddler? Priceless! He's in heaven too.

The kids helped dig the post holes and set them in concrete. They love to work outside and have been so excited to have a fence. They have been learning great lessons in service. I'm grateful for the many chances we've had to talk about all the service given to our family. I don't ever want them to forget how kind people have been to us and how kind they continue to be. It's ongoing tender mercies around here.  

 The boards went up while the big kids were at school but Owen didn't miss a trick (neither did Reed). He watched them for two days (they came and went, it didn't take that long). He could hear them out there and would stand at the window and watch them work. Reed called them his friends and went out and 'helped' a couple times.

Thatching-

A friend came to me and said he found a service project for the Deacons- thatching our yard. I knew my yard needed some TLC last year but I didn't do more than mow it weekly and weed eat it monthly (haha). I had a baby, he demanded my time over the half green grass.

 Reed with one of his heroes and best bud (never mind the 8 year age gap), Fletcher. Every kid had a rake and worked really hard for an hour.

 You would not believe the amount of dead grass they raked up, this picture does not do these piles justice. They raked the grass into piles like this and then moved them onto pieces of tarp and into the back of a pickup. I was shocked when I saw the bed of the pickup.

 It was completely full! Along with 4 very full black garbage bags too. Good riddance dead grass, maybe our sprinklers will actually water the lawn this year.

The scout leaders brought a little fire pit and they roasted marshmallows with the kids before they left. I'm so, so grateful for this service. One that was needed and one that I would not have done on my own. I'm not even sure it would've crossed my mind until half the yard was struggling to turn green.

 Trees-

Today our friend showed up with trees for our yard. He and the kids (two of his, all 5 of mine) planted three trees. One in the front (a flowering pear) and two in the back (maples).

It has been humbling to be on the receiving end of so. much. service. In our church we are taught to serve. We are taught to help those hands that hang down and we are taught to bear one another's burdens. We are taught that through service, we grow closer to Christ and find our true selves in the process. We are taught that when we serve others, we are also serving our God (Mosiah 2:17). I am here to tell you that this is exactly what people are doing for my family. Dinner (our church loves to feed people too, have you noticed?), cleaning, kid watching, all sorts of yard work, laundry, phone calls, encouraging texts, diapers, hugs, amazing examples and most of all love for each one of us. Loads and loads of love.