Looking FORWARD to Autumn

Good Morning everyone!

How was your weekend?
Ours was pretty busy trying to clean up around here.

Our mornings are feeling a little cooler but by late afternoon it's still been pretty hot.
Because it's so dry; the trees are starting to look a little like Fall, so I've started setting out a few Autumnals. Then; Saturday, as I came around the side of the house to put the mower away; I found two wagon wheels up on our porch! A surprise left for me by my *beloved.* ;) I'm still smiling!
His sweet acts of love bless my heart so. ~Just this past week; I was talking with my Mil about "love." And together we marveled how love continues to keep growing over the years. It's hard to comprehend how it does isn't it?!! I've been thinking about it all alot. I don't want to take the love we have together for granted.

When I read in the Word about the covenant of marriage ... I'm so inspired and challenged at the same time. This morning I actually found my Love Dare book by Stephen and Alex Kendrick and decided to start going back through it. I wonder if or when Myguy will "notice," any differences in my words and or actions? The day one DARE says: "The first part of this dare is fairly simple. Although love is communicated in a number of ways, our words often reflect the condition of our heart. For the next day, resolve to demonstrate patience and to say nothing negative to your spouse at all. If the temptation arises, choose not to say anything. It's better to hold your tongue than to say something you'll regret." -- then in the journaled area it says: "Did anything happen today to cause anger toward your mate? Were you tempted to think disapproving thoughts and to let them come out in words?"

It's only morning ... but I can so far say from past experience that my words have often been my biggest regrets in life. And of course... how profound it seems to me, that the first dare says to "demonstrate PATIENCE," -the same word my AngelMother told me that it is important that I learn.*

Are any of you currently doing the Love Dare challenge?
Aside from that; my new bible study came in the mail: No Other God's by Kelly Minter. This is one I'll be doing on my own.

Tomorrow night, the gals are coming to the house and we start our new "Women of the Bible" study together. I'm getting excited and anxious to see what God has for us.

Not much else is going on around here. But I took a few more pictures outdoors to share.
This photo is our old chicken coop. Usually we let the whole flock run loose but we've started keeping them locked up again. They'd started hanging around the porch too much and you know what that "means." We still have 5? young chickens that are still small enough to get out on their own but they're kinda skiddish so they don't come up to the house and stand on the welcome mat like a few others did.
Our garden area was cleaned out early this year. I Pulled up all the dead tomato vines, and morning glorys and have alot of seed saved for next year.
This clematis is in full bloom and smells heavenly. We bought it at Lowes in the spring and I think it was called SnowQueen.
This fuzzybumble was sure enjoying it this morning.
The rose of sharon are on their way out as well. This one was sure nibbled on.
These hollyhocks are from Deena from the Singing Woods. There are more out in the garden but the ones here by our steps have done so well. She said they'll bloom next year.

I pulled all the marigolds out of the little washtub and will "patiently" wait until it gets cooler to fill it with yellow and purple pansies.
The oak trees are all turning brown and we wonder if Autumn will come earlier since it's been so dry? Time will tell!


That's all for now. I have another dentist appt to get ready for.
Have a wonderful day today!