July changes

squash, nasturtiums, and marigolds growing

ah, the verdency!

sean, rock's partner, helping to renovate a storage shed

storage shed renovation

soon to be a cuke

Prayer Update #4

Summer is flourishing. We've had a great season of warm days, enough rain, and beauty all around. The first Board of Directors meeting of Lagom Landing will be held this coming Saturday, July 24, and we ask your prayers for that. It's exciting to be able to share this journey with others, and we give thanks for those who are so gifted in areas we lack! We'll take their photos this weekend and post bios and photos next week.

We've been working hard on the business plan, forming partnerships, and the legal and financial details of Lagom Landing. New terms and legal language is daily joining our vocabulary!

Rock and I have had quite a July in our family life. Mary, Rock's ex-wife, and our kids'--Jake (23), Rose(20), and Peach/Violet (18) mother--has been struggling for six months with a re0ccurence of breast cancer. She died in hospice on July 5, surrounded by family including all three kids. All three have been an inspiration, showing compassion along with strength, courage along with an ability to laugh, and a thoughtfulness to others, even as they have undergone such loss. We've interspersed mourning with celebrations: Jake turned 23 on the 8th, calling hours, service, and a reception honoring Mary's life were held on the 9th, Peach's high school graduation party was at their home on the 10th, Barry (Mary's boyfriend) celebrated his birthday on the 14th, Rose turned 20 on the 15th, and Rock celebrated his b-day on the 19th. The celebrations have been occasions to come together and celebrate life, and have been truly fun, even hilarious at times. So we give thanks, especially for all the beauty Mary brought into the world as an artist and mother.

The last five photos of our garden were taken by Peach, who has lately been exploring this form of art and receives a lot of life from it. She'll be starting at the University of Buffalo this fall, majoring in environmental engineering. Rose will continue studies for her speech pathology degree at SUNY Plattsburgh this fall and is up there this week moving into her apartment. Jake continues to build up his construction skills, and is up with Rock this week in Albany, helping some friends on an addition. Please be praying for all the kids as they work through this time. May they be surrounded by the support they need as they continue the process of grieving.

We'll share more about Lagom Landing in the next update, but thought that an update on our personal lives was in order, as it will definitely effect the future of everything!

These words from Psalm 84 echo through my summer days:

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts."

With "dwelling place dirt" in my fingernails and love in my heart,

Laurel