I wrote this months ago on a different blog before we moved into our new house.

Our Garden, our Home, our "Pueblito"

When we woke up this morning the sky was bright blue, but now I see the rain clouds rolling in over the Sierra Norte mountains. It is obvious that rainy season has officially begun here in south Mexico. I love this time of year when the brown, brittle plants, scorched from the dry season, begin to sprout new buds and green leaves. In our garden I have planted hollyhock, cana, watermelon, canteloupe, tomatoe, and okra seeds. So far the canteloupe are the size of my fist, and the hollyhocks are a few inches high. The canas are growing very quickly, and I have already eaten my first tomato straight from the vine. My okra has been a big disappointment, but mom told me I had needed to soak them overnight beforehand. Ooops, no wonder. This is my first "real" garden, and I am excited to see how it goes. We have also planted from seed a pomegranite tree and avocado tree. The passion fruit vines that the brick layers planted from seeds are growing quickly and I need to transplant them next to the fence so they will spread. The buganvilias are growing strong and are full of blooms, and I think the banana trees are really going to take off with the new rainy season.

Last week we worked on a brick patio and walkway outside the diningroom at the South of the house. I think it turned out quite nice. The neighbor told us she decided to "steal" our design and is quickly making her own brick path to her house just in time for mud season. I can´t wait to plant grass on either side of the path, and in the backyard. Something we haven´t yet been able to do because of all the construction rubish. We hope to get rid of the last part of it next week. God willing we will be in our house by early June. Each time we go to see it and check on the workers, we stand in awe of the great blessings the Lord has given us. It will soon be a place of family activity, a haven to us all, and a laboratory in which we will learn and grow.

I am especially excited about our homeschool loft. It is above our mainbedroom, and has access to the terrace. There I will have all homeschool materials effectively organized along with craft and sewing items. I also hope to arrange a reading center in a corner and Jorge plans to put the computer and his desk there also. I think this will be the main hub of our daily activities, and think the terrace will give a nice alternative to hold homeschool on nice, "hate to be indoors" days. God is too good to us!

I really think Sta. Maria del Tule is going to be a healthy place for the kids to grow. It is "world famious" for its Tule (Sabino or Ahuehuete) tree, but still has a small pueblo feel to it. As soon as we get organized and moved in, I would like to offer free English classes to the children in their small library down town which is only about five blocks from our house. There are always tourists visiting the Tule tree from all parts of the world, and I think it will be interesting for the children to meet them and learn a little about thier part of the world. There are learning experiences around every corner of Oaxaca, and we hope to use them to teach the children about the vastness of God´s creation. Last month we were camping in the Sierra Norte mountains when out of a forest path came a tourist guide and two tourists. They stopped at the creek where we were chasing fish, and we had a nice chat. The soon to be married couple met in Germany although she was Irish and he was Croatian. It was neat to hear their story and know a little more about European life from their perspective.

So, this is a little about our life here in south Mexico. God has blessed us with lots of interesting, learning experiences, and we pray for wisdom in taking hold of them.