September 20, 2008

A work in progess...

Hey everyone,

We have been getting alot of inquiries about the garden. So here are a few pictures on the progress. I picked out the fish...I think Christian would have liked to go fishing with his dad. I would have loved going fishing with him...I miss my boy.


A place to reflect....


Trying to even out the farmers tan...


Got a great deal on the cypress. Thanks Naples Lumber! I cut and sanded it, Leah stained it. She's a great helper.


We plan on growing Jasmin on the pergola for some shade.





We hope to have it done by the end of next week. We'll keep the pictures coming.


God bless,


Ryan


13 comments:

Mrs. Mother said...

It's lovely. It will be a beautiful place to remember your little boy when you are finished.

The Pittsburgh Hites said...

The whole thing is off to a great start, but i do have to say that I love the fish. What little boy doesn't love fishing? I can't wait to see how it turns out!!
God bless

AK Angel said...

Greetings from the last frontier of Alaska ~ I just wanted to say that your 'garden' is so Zen and reigns of peace and tranquility ~ it is a place where you will find His peace, which passes all understanding... thank you for sharing the photos ~ I also would like to say that Christian was so handsome and his hair, so beautiful ~ thank you for those precious photos... sending angel hugs from Alaska, Joellyn Douglass

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful retreat you have made to honor Christian. He is so proud!It will be a wonderful place for you both to reflect and remember the precious times with him, to pray and feel his presence when you talk with him. Can't wait to see the end results. with love, susan from CA

Becky said...

You have a lovely yard. Your garden looks like it will be delightful.

t~ said...

That is really beautiful. Such a peaceful place to rest a weary soul.

Laurie in Ca. said...

Oh Ryan and Leah,

This is just beautiful and what a place of tranquility for you both. And when you have the jasmine trailing all over the pergola, the aroma will add another heavenly touch to this wonderful place. Such a perfect labor of love for such a perfect little boy who is loved and missed so dearly. Praying for you guys this weekend and always.

Love, Laurie in Ca.

Anonymous said...

You've gotten off to a great start! It's gonna be beautiful when it's done!

Stacy@hiswaynotmine said...

It's looking beautiful! Thanks for the pictures. Can't wait to see the final result. What a special place it will be!

Judy said...

It looks fabulous! Every little touch shows how much you love your little guy! I can't wait to see the finished product! Thanks for sharing!

Deb D. said...

Wow!! That is beautiful and so professional in appearance. Terrific work, and really nice design choices. What an honoring garden for Christian.

Cathy said...

What a beautiful tribute in honor of your precious Christian. Thank you for keeping us posted.

Kathy said...

Dear Ryan,

Not only are you and Leah amazing, loving parents you are also landscape designers and a wonderful team! Christian's garden is so beautiful.

I think I will visualize you and Leah spending time in the garden when I am surrrounded by lots of snow.

I want to share something that came up in my devotions that just made me think of you and your beautiful wife and precious son.

From "Between Sundays" by Shawn Craig (of Phillips' Craig' and Dean).

"Jesus... Our Hope

When Jesus arose from the grave, so did hope for every man. On the cross, Jesus bore not only our sin but also every sorrow we might ever experience. He took all that pain into himself and triumphed over it. He descended to the lowest place, and today he stands on top of every mountain of despair that seems insurmountable to us.

And that, my friend, is hope.

You see, for Christians, hope rests in who we know, not in what our senses tell us. We may feel hopeless, but that feeling doeesn't change the truth that Jesus lives. God's truth triumphs over everything else. Hope returns, joy springs up in you once again as you realize that death could not defeat him, nor could the weight of of all the world's sorrow and grief - your sorrow and grief - destroy him. Jesus lives! He who has overcome the world lives in you.

Lord, thank you for the hope we feel as we remember what you have overcome - the hope that lets us face the future with confidence."

May you and Leah always feel that amazing gift of peace that passes all understanding whenever you venture out to sit in Christian's beautiful garden.

God bless,
Kathy