Dirty, happy children holding hands

We spent Wednesday gardening. After all the thought and preparation that went into "going stealth" with our soil enrichment plan, a compost bin appeared, unannounced, at the top corner of our raised bed garden....a garden comprised of 13 plots, and covering over 600 square feet (converting to more than 1200 cubic feet), which took all of 3 hours and the sweat of 20 men and women to fill with dark, heavy soil.

It was campus day on the 9th, and we were out, en masse, to beautify and tidy up the seminary. What a brilliant taste of what's to come! Hard work, yes, but great community--and our little ones black from nose to toes from helping too. My 17 month-old helped the most (if you adjust for size) of anyone. After studiously observing others around her, she began lifting huge lumps of clay out of the beds to keep them from turning to burdensome rocks in our garden. She, the youngest helper, was only one of about 10 children who assisted the adults that day. To work hard, and yet be near your loved ones, THAT is satisfying work.