staying busy........

The weather here is sooooo not like Florida. We have been enjoying 78 degree days with a few scorchers in between (like 85 or 86 degrees HA HA)! The kids have not been inside at all for most of the last two weeks. Of course, when winter time hits it will be a totally different story I am sure, but for now we are staying busy outside.

Since Joshua is unemployed and money can only stretch so far we have been learning how to garden and can from my mother. My parents have a small garden with all kinds of vegetables and the kids have been helping with that. In the last two weeks we have gotten green beans, lettuce, tomatoes and a few squash from it. We also went with my mom to pick blueberries. We picked over 60 lbs. of blueberries. We went to a farm and got a bushel of corn (approx. 50 ears) and a bushel of peaches to can (we got about 21 quarts of canned peaches from all those). We plan on getting more but not until we rest from all the canning and freezing and picking. We didn't get here in time for strawberries but maybe next year!!

It has been a lot of hard work, especially for my mom, but it is well worth it when we can look at the cupboard and freezer and see them all full with fresh fruits and veggies to last us through winter.........YUM!

Here are some pictures of the 'FRUITS' of our labor..................................

Jack, Eve, and Abby helped pick blueberries. They were really a big help and they seemed to enjoy it. This was only the first trip to the blueberry patch..........................................

Everyone is pitching in to shuck the corn. We had one bushel that we cut off the cob and froze but we will probably go to the farm and get some more........................................................This is only one bushel of peaches (it is really a lot) but my mom wants to go back and get another 1 1/2. Eve and Abby helping their Grammy make relish from all the cucumbers and onions in her garden.....................Grammy then canned it all.Sammy had his turn to grind stuff for the relish. He loved doing it sooooo much he stayed at it the longest out of all the kids...................................Only one row of green beans and still three more to go.........Not to mention that tomorrow there will be this much more in each row...............................After many long days of VERY HARD work, Farmer SAM found some nice quiet music to put him to sleep................No one even knew how long he'd been there......................

Random..........

OK. So I usually am good about posting at least something new fairly often. I have been so scatter brained lately I just can't think of anything to post when I have a free moment at the computer. My mind just goes blank................It probably has something to do with all the transition we've been going through lately. It never fails, we start to settle and then something happens and we are faced with the big question.......Now What?????
Sooooooo, I will elaborate on that one a little.....................
--As of August 1st we no longer live in Florida (ARGH!) (Another story for another day). We are temporarily residing in Pennsylvania waiting on a job opportunity. Hopefully we will know something soon.
--I have no idea how I feel on a daily basis about all this.......I am just trying to be supportive of Joshua and keep the kids from going absolutely nuts.
--I am 6 & 1/2 months pregnant and I now have no midwife or insurance. Who will deliver my baby?? Where will we be living in three months when the time comes??
I am trying to stay positive. Too many things are going on right now I don't even know what to say........We all just need prayer!

On a happier note, We did find out that we are expecting a boy!! We will have 3 girls and 3 boys! We are all excited for the new little one. Can't wait 'til he's here!

I do have some other things to post. Hopefully I can get to them soon.