Nature Does It's Thing... around the world!

I've always had a weakness for growing stuff...  Even growing up in a rather dry climate with limited water....  I was always trying to coax some miracle out of the dirt. 

That's what these things are - miracles!  We heard last week about when we give thanks for our food to remember that we can't even create a green bean!!  (From nothing that is...)  God put the miracle in the seed, and we can grow it, sure.  But, could we create one?  Nope!  So, we give thanks for our food.  We need miracles.  We depend on them, and I enjoy them.  A lot!

In Australia, I took quite a few pictures of flowers and beautiful foliage.  Even though it was Fall time for them, actually just beginning winter, there was beauty all around us.  I will spare you the majority and share just a few...

 I know this picture (above) isn't particularly beautiful, but I took it because it is Aloe Vera - just growing right in a nook under a deck.  Just like - wild!  This is a wonderful healing plant.  I grow one in my house for when we get a burn.

 These two pictures (above and below) were taken in the Bunya Mountains.  This was a rainforest.  SO fascinating!  There were actually those vines hanging down like Tarzan hung from.  :)  And these plants below just start growing on any old tree.

 I've grown this flower (above) at home.  Love these!  These were in a garden at my Sister-In-Law's brother's home. 

And this was down by the Brisbane River.  This was an amazingly beautiful area.  We thoroughly enjoyed all the beauty of the country.  I feel like we barely scratched the surface, but sooner or later, you start missing home...

 So, 2 1/2 weeks after we left home, we came back to this! 

 And this...

 And my peonies even waited for us!

 So... lots of beauty at home too.  It was actually a really nice time to come home.  Stuff was growing everywhere.  I had planted my whole garden before we left, and it had all come up and was just needing a little weeding. But, I enjoy that.  It was a good way to beat the jet lag and a good way to witness little miracles up really close.

Swallowed up?

Each of my Sisters-in-law have done such a nice job of updating their blogs, and I enjoy them so much!  I don't know why I always have so many excuses in my mind not to post stuff... I take so many pictures - even beautiful pictures that I love! And then I don't do anything with them. Or I do something with them way later - which is what is happening now!

Anyway, I called this post "Swallowed up" because the main excuse at the time was our Australia trip.  These things happened BEFORE that!  So, here goes...

Lana had her last piano recital in April.  It's hard to see her friend beside her on the bench as they play their duet, but there are four hands!  And when the video zooms in you can see the numbers on the back of each of their left hands... they had a track meet together the day before!  I was happy to hear that they will play duets again for festival this year even though Lana is no longer taking lessons.

Speaking of track... That is Lana in green just passing the finish line at State in the 2 mile.  She qualified for State in three events.  She didn't place in this event, but gained a nice PR.  I was amazed at her self-discipline to hold back the first few laps, and then she started picking off runners one by one.  It was a fun race to watch!

And in other happenings, Evan drove his Rod and Resto' Beetle to school on the last day.  Needless to say, it was quite a sensation in the parking lot that day!  Even the teachers had to go out and check it over. :)

So, that was mid-to-late May.  Then we headed to Australia, and I already posted about that!  Yay!