How does your garden grow?

Well, our vacation to Hawaii has come to an end.

Right this minute, I sit with a much need glass of red wine at the hand-hewn table.  Marlene sits across from me, flipping through her much beloved address book while Greg sits in the much beloved green reclining chair reading his book.  The Little Missus is upstairs sleeping deeply after a night in the air.

Indeed you read that correctly, a night in the air.  We took the red-eye flight back from Honolulu last night and arrived back here to Washington at 6 am.  We survived the flight, needless to say, but I might not sign-up quite so easily for a red-eye the next time. . .  no, in all seriousness, it went pretty well.  Sweet Tirzah was asleep for a touch of time in that over 5 hour flight.  The rest of the time she was tossing and turning and so desiring to be asleep, but she just couldn't get there.  But she wasn't beside herself crying, so in my book, that made the flight a success!  We had a family friend meet us at the airport and drive us back home.  The whole family climbed in the perspective beds and slept for about 4 hours to help with dopiness.

But before we went and fell upon those sweet mattresses, we had to take a spin in the garden and what glory awaited us there!  To behold the new growth over these past 10 days!  It is a miracle!

Wildflowers!

More wildflowers!

I will harvest the Calendula tomorrow morning: they are just glorious!

Our Carrots

Potato corner

1 Giant sunflower on the left (we planted more but only 1 germinated) and then little sprouts of beans that we planted before we left

Beautiful wildflowers!

Gorgeous peas!

Our first harvest from our garden!  That was the absolute best thing: coming home and pulling off a pea to enjoy

The first harvest!

Returning home also meant yet another week of deployment complete.

9 weeks done!!  Praise the Lord.

I was so caught up in the adventures and moments of our vacation time in Hawaii that I did not do the blessing of the day for our weekly deployment chain.  But, as I look back upon the week,  I am see time.  Intentional time.  Time together as a family.  Time gathered around the table under the patio awning playing Banangrams.  Time to give as a family to others: to our hostess and also to several other military families who stopped to say hello.  Time to rest and replenish.  Time in the sun.  Time with a very special friend Lauren from Wheaton who is stationed with her husband in Hawaii.  TIME with my husband.

Yes!  Indeed, I spent time with my husband on the phone, the most that we have spent since he deployed over two months ago.  I was able to talk with him 3 times in 2 days!  His voice sounds better and better every time I talk with him; sounds like he is getting into a routine with his platoon and they are really working well together.  He says they weigh every  decision and make every move with extreme caution.  He isn't able to tell me many specifics of his time over there.  Most times he just describes it as "crazy" and "I just can't wait to tell you everything."  One small story he was able to say: he and 4 other men were kept in their stryker for 7 days in a row!  "Our feet never touched the ground. . .  needless to say I got to know those guys really well."  It's hard to believe that actually happened and I truly can not wait to hear the specifics of his time of service.  But just to imagine 5 grown men being in this type of vehicle for one week straight without leaving is just incredible.

This is just a picture off of google images of a stryker.  This is the vehicle that Daniel has been traveling in and from which he does his missions.

Our last pictures from Hawaii to come tomorrow on What I'm Loving Wednesday. . .