Well, our garden is going a little crazy. That basket is filled with potatoes and a layer of tomatoes on top - only a small portion of our tomatoes at that. Produce from the garden is filling every available cranny of my kitchen and we are eating tomatoes with every meal! What a sad, sad problem to have, I know everyone feels so sorry to hear that have fresh, red, ripe jumbo cherry tomatoes three times a day. We planted sunflowers for the first time this year and they are G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S. Some beautiful crimson ones and some yellow Mammoth ones. I am hanging some of the wilted ones in the kitchen window so they dry and will try to get the seeds out when they seem ready. I always try some new idea with the expectation that it won't work and am then pleasantly surprised if it does, so we'll see!
This morning I strapped my ankle splint on ~ I sprained my ankle while walking between the pepper field and orchard across the road the other morning. I am thankful it's not broken and also thankful that it's not the extreme heat of midsummer while I wear the thing ~ and pulled out the stroller. I settled the baby in the stroller and the other two girls followed me as I pushed her out to the wild jungle that is our garden. Millie entertained Rosie with talking and giggles while Lyddie helped me dig up some potatoes and pick tomatoes and zucchini until lunch. It was so nice to get out in the sunshine and spend the quiet time out there together. I was mostly on my knees in the raised bed so it didn't put any real strain on my ankle and now I have to figure out what to do with all these tomatoes. The dehydrator may see several of them and I will do some research on how to put them in jars and apparently you can freeze them whole like a berry and use them in soups! Who knew!? As a side note, I am currently loving the Food in Jars blog and found great inspiration in using up the last of my peaches last week in an improvised smallish batch of peach-plum jam that is delicious.
For any who might wonder, that is the Sunday sweater Lyddie is wearing above. We were trying to get a good picture of it and I may have a few to share in my next post.
Last but most importantly, I have been so overcome with thanksgiving by God's provision for us once again this month. At the beginning of the month I was scratching my head about how our budget was going to come out even. I won't bore you with details, but mainly it's because Jesse's substitute teaching income hasn't started yet for the year. Two incredible pieces of mail came today that were clearly the Lord's direct and tangible provision for us. I sat there at lunch alternately laughing and tearing up. During the girls' naptime I glanced back through my prayer journal and saw that I really have daily lifted this to the Lord and sought to trust Him to meet all our needs. Without missing a day, I have, with thanksgiving, brought my worry and wonder over our needs to Him and am thankful to Him for providing just what we need (and no more, - really exactly what we need!). The incredible thing is that He is good when the numbers come out right for the budget and He's good when they don't. Either way we learn to rely on Him to be our refuge and shield. I am still praying for the same kind of provision for a friend who was robbed earlier this month. Won't you join me in praying for her and her family?
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