Produce & Sleeping Children= JOY!

Oh the joys of harvesting from our own land. This week, we've begun getting tomatoes that I've canned as stewed tomatoes for chili this winter, and just harvested my first ever zucchini. Never got it to grow until this year. Beans were ready to be picked just for an addition to our supper meal, and I accidently pulled out one onion, but added it to our supper as well. I also cut off some fresh mint to add to our mid day snack of mint chocolate chip shakes. Oh, and peppers, which I've been chopping up and freezing. Am always glad to have those on hand when the prices go up during the winter. And my new produce basket that was given to us by Jonathon's mom, Linda. She sure does provide us with some very useful items for around our farmstead, for which we are very thankful for!

Summer days sure are tiring. That's the way we like it around here. As we continue to struggle with having such a small house with our 4 children, it's nights like this one that causes me to realize that they have a roof over their head, are clothed, have warm blankets and a soft place to lay, and are building great memories with their siblings, so what's the struggle really about. Because we live in a society that says, "live the american dream with a huge house, a bedroom for each person, garage, fancy cars, and name brand clothing", that's what the struggle is. It isn't something that is biblical. It is something that is of this culture in this day and age. Things of this world are only a distraction by the enemy of what we should really be focusing on for the Lord. So, as I contemplate on that while I eat my dinner that was made from mostly things out of our garden, I will choose to let all those distracting trends and cultural beliefs go by the wayside while I live simply and focus on only what HE wants of me. That's really all that matters in eternity.

And just for the record, we don't just have 2 beds. We do have 4 beds for the children, but I guess it's more fun to sleep together, at least as long as they are on the top bunk. And Benaiah was quick to climb up into Josiah's bed while it was free. Fun to be a kid.