For Today - First Monday in August

FOR TODAY

Outside my window…  Sunny, blue skies and fluffy white clouds
I am thinking…  Lots of thing rolling around in my mind….  first I need to tackle the mess in our kitchen and plan our lunches for this week. 
I am thankful… Thankful for a good morning during our first morning at VBS.  I have a great group and we all had fun!
In the kitchen… No much, except lots of dishes need washing….
I am wearing… Denim skirt and red tee shirt
I am creating…  At the moment I don’t really have any sewing projects on the go, although I have things I’d like to sew!
I am going…  To work on some chores here in the house and we need to pick beans and cucumbers.
I am reading…  Just the Bible right now, I just finished a book by Jennie Allen called “Anything”  Gave me lots of ponder and think about!!
I am hoping…  For for a few things…. 
I am looking forward to… tomorrow morning at VBS!
I am learning….  that I need to continue to keep pressing on and that Jesus will give me wisdom and strength even when I feel so insecure and inadequate to filful my calling as a mommy.
Around the house…  children are playing for now and baby dear is napping.
I am pondering…  Just finishing up planning for this coming school year. 
One of my favorite things…  A tiny voice saying, “I love you!
A few plans for the rest of the week: VBS each morning and gardening in the afternoons.    Plus school planning for this coming school year and whatever else comes my way.    Keep up to the housework and laundry.
A peek into my day…

First time experience!!

He thought having the clothespin in his hair was funny! He didn’t want me to take it out. Not sure which of his older siblings put it in….

Summer.....

I know it has been some time since I've last updated here!  The days turn into weeks and the weeks into months and I still haven't taken the time to post.  I need to change that!  This is my journal of sorts and I don't want to forget these precious, yet very busy years.  So I must schedule time each week for my humble blog.  :)

Trying to grow potatoes in a bin this year, I'll let you know how this works come the fall.  :)

 Where to start?????

Well our garden is doing well, thank you Lord!  We have been harvesting beans and pickling cukes.  I have peas, but here's a very honest moment from me...  I know the peas are ready, but I haven't even taken the time to pick them.  They fell over and that is the only patch of the garden that is weedy.  I've come to think that peas are not worth the time it take to pick and shell and then you have just a tiny bowl to show for it.  So next year I'll just plant a row and trellis them right away and just enjoy them for eating.  That all said, I'm hoping to pick them tomorrow.  :)  I just have a couple rows.....

Beans are doing really well, I have many large ziplock bags full in the freezer and I've also pickled a few.  Yum!!

Pickling cukes have doing well and so far I have close to 60 jars.   No signs of dying back yet.....

Right now as I write up this post I'm up cooking a large pot of relish!

Everything else is growing well and we are staying up top of the weeds.

So that is a garden update....

Garden from the front porch.....

I'll save other updates for the next few posts.....  For now I must take care of the relish!

Fall Harvest

We were blessed this year with a bountiful crop of potatoes.  These are not just small potatoes, they are medium to extra large.  I'm so thankful for this blessing.  It was such a dry summer, but the potatoes did very well.  Thank you, Lord!

My potato diggers.  We enjoyed a great time digging up the potatoes together.

 

This was just the first couple rows, we had about 7 rows total and we have dug up about 7.5 bushels.  We will be enjoying these all winter! 

Bountiful Corn

We picked our first big picking of the summer!  I was surprised and so very thankful on this blessing.  It was so dry for so long, I did water the garden where I could, but still that is not the same as a good rain.  Anyways, surprisingly we are harvesting a good crop of corn.  This was just a start, we have more to pick tomorrow!  Thank you, Lord!

I also picked basil and made a batch of pesto.  I am hoping to make a few more, I'm freezing it and looking forward to enjoying it all winter.  :)  It is so delicious on tomato sandwiches.  :) Here is the recipe if you are interested.  :)

Pesto Recipe



2 c. basil leaves


1 c. almonds


3/4 c. olive oil


1 tsp. salt


2 Tbsp. lemon juice 


1 lrg. cloves of garlic (or to taste)


parsley & oregano (optional)



Process in blender till smooth

Tomorrow I hope to make more pesto, freeze more corn and pick tomatoes to make salsa.   Sounds like another busy day!  The Lord is good!