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Hello Reader,

We visited the Dallas Arboretum this week, hoping to make it while the tulips were still in bloom, but we were too late this year. They were already spent by the time we were able to make the trip.

Nevertheless. the grounds were still breathtaking. Visiting that place always puts us in the mood for working in our own flowerbeds, which is what we've been doing ever since we returned home.

Gabriel and Aiden planted. Abby and Sawyer weeded. And I painted some more bright blossoms on our backyard garden mural. Zinnias. Right behind a prolific patch of real-life zinnias that are already sending up an abundance of new sprouts.

So, since gardening is top of mind, gardening is what you get in this week's link list. Enjoy!

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Garden of Eden Coloring Page - Gen. 2:5-16 provides a backdrop for these beautiful blooms
• ​Bloom Where You're Planted - make the most of the gifts and circumstances God has given
• ​Easy Scherenschnitte Bouquet - use our paper cutting pattern to craft a sweet card
• ​Cultivate Faithfulness - another floral coloring page, this one featuring Psalm 37:3
• ​Paper Flower Bouquet - my daughter Abby gives step-by-step directions in this craft tutorial

What I'm reading this week:

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My daughter and I are nearing the end of E.B. White's Stuart Little this week. She reads a page, then I read a page. Neither of us like it as much as Charlotte's Web, but the book still holds a special place in my heart. It's the book I was reading to our first two children one day 30 years ago when my husband came home early from work. He got so drawn into this tale about the meticulous little mouse born into a loving human family that he asked us to wait to read any more until he could get home and listen, too. By the time we finished the story, he took over the nightly read alouds and a wonderful family tradition was begun of sharing great books together, which we've continued to this day!

What we're eating this week:

Our fourth-born is visiting this week from San Antonio, so I whipped up a batch of Easy Egg Muffins yesterday for breakfast. They're very tasty, are fast to make, and feed a crowd.

This week's reader request:

I've gotten several requests for Spanish translations of my head-to-toe prayer guides, and I finally got the last two uploaded this week.

If you are having trouble finding a particular resource you've been looking for, hit reply let me know. I'll do my best to help if I can.

On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 39 ​SHOULD A MARRIED WOMAN HAVE CLOSE MALE FRIENDS?​ How should husbands and wives navigate individual friendships with the opposite sex? That’s our podcast topic this week, prompted by an email I got from a concerned husband. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I already mentioned the fact I ✅ visited the Arboretum, ✅ painted another panel of my wall mural, and ✅ welcomed my son's family who will be with us for a few more days.

We also ✅ saw two films at the planetarium before we ✅ viewed the solar eclipse. Thankfully, the cloud cover parted long enough for us to view the two minutes of totality. I ✅ sent my family the details for our monthly memory challenge just before writing this letter to you. The only thing I haven't finished (yet) is the dinosaur puzzle I planned to do with my grandson.

Personal goals for next week:

• pre-record four podcasts (so I won't have to think about it while traveling in a few weeks)
• finish current crochet project and start a new one
• update personal prayer journal
• let out the hem in a pair of my 6'6" son's dress pants