Strawberry Jam

As I posted yesterday we went strawberry picking earlier this week, so today I will share my pictures from making jam. I was only able to make 5 pints so I'm hoping I get the chance to go picking again before the season ends here so I can make a few more pints.

 Cleaning the strawberries and removing the stems.

 Already mashed the strawberries with potato

 masher, added sure-jell and sugar and 

now bringing it all to a boil.

 Have my canner and my jars ready.

 Kaitlyn helped pour the jam into the jars.

 Bringing them to a gentle boil.

Gotta love that popping sound that tells 

you your jars sealed.

 Five beautiful pints of jam :)

Picking Strawberries

Tuesday we got the chance to go strawberry picking, one of the things we look forward to every spring.  It's actually been about three years since we've gotten the chance to go, so we were quite excited about going that day.  We loaded up and headed to Maryville to the Rutherford's farm only to find out when we got there they were closed.  They are only open M,W, F & Sat. So we headed out to the Knoxville Fruit and Berry Farm.

This was Joshua's first year getting to go and he was so much fun. He was so cute and excited running through the field trying to find strawberries and so proud of himself when he found some.  Kyle of course was on my back in the Ergo (hate I didn't get a picture of him). The kids described finding strawberries there to hunting for Easter eggs. It was challenging but everyone agreed that it was fun and so glad we went.

I'm hoping to get out to Rutherford's farm this weekend.  Rutherford's has about three weeks left and their rows are neat and clean.  The Fruit and Berry farm was almost at the end of their season and a bit grown up, as you can see from the pictures.  But we were able to get a little over 5 lbs of strawberries, which was enough for about 5 pints of jam. I will post pictures of that tomorrow.

Here are a few pictures from our outing on Tuesday.

Matthew and Micah

 Kaitlyn

 Our strawberry picking crew.

 Jonathan, Kaitlyn, and Matthew

 Christiana

Joshua 

(he was a hard one to keep up with to get a picture)

Wordless Wednesday - There's No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk, Especially When You Can Slurp It Up

Garden Time

We've been working today to put in a garden.  It's in a new spot from previous years and we are having to start from scratch.  I picked a hill that is closer to the house that will be more easily accessible and allow ease of watering from a hose from the house.  I've been putting off starting it until I could get a tiller, but no tiller yet and the season to plant will soon be past.  So I've decided to stop waiting and do it the old fashioned way, with hand tools and a strong backbone.

The kids and I headed out early this morning  to get started.

 This is the hill with tall grass 

before we started this morning.

Since it has been raining and the grass was wet we couldn't mow it, so we got out the modern day scythe and went to work.

Christiana using the scythe (aka-weed cutter).

With Josiah's help using the week wacker, until we ran out of gas, he was able to clear enough space to start one garden bed.

I measured out four feet and cut into the 

ground and then we began digging up the grass.

 Kaitlyn, Micah, and Matthew

 

 Jonathan with Josiah in the background.

 Jonathan, Matthew, and Micah

 Making progress

 Kyle and Joshua

(Kyle was smiling right before I took the picture)

 We found a baby snake while we were digging.

 Kaitlyn holding the snake.

(I would only allow the ones with gloves on to hold it)

 Josiah holding the snake.

Jonathan found a beetle bug.

(I think it may be a young June Bug, not sure though)

We also found lots of worms and some grubs that we learned are baby June Bugs (Christiana Googled it).

For now we have finished one bed and we have several more to go. I'm so glad to at least be started on the garden.  It's tough work but the kids seem to enjoy it as much as I do and of course all the creatures we find while digging is an added bonus.

I'll keep you posted on the progress of our garden and more pictures will follow.

You'll Be Tested on This

Last night I read something in my devotions that I thought was so good I just had to share it.  Maybe you need to hear it and maybe you don't, but it's good information either way.  The title was "You'll Be Tested on This" and it comes from the book Blessed Every Day: Wisdom Writings For Women.

     Decisions made in the name of the Lord should always be for the purpose of  kingdom building.  For example, if you must correct someone's behavior, will they be a better person when you leave them, than they were before you addressed the situation?  If not, then perhaps you told them too much about how you feel about the matter and not enough about what God's Word says.  Just maybe you were focused too much on saving yourself embarrassment and not enough on restoring the other person without losing face.

     Make no mistake about it, there will be a test and the only way to assure that you pass it, is to "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15)

I think this is good advice for any parent raising children and should be applied every time we discipline them. Are they a better person when you leave them than they were before you addressed the situation?  Do we use the same patience, love and forgiveness with our children when we deal with them that our Heavenly Father uses with us when He deals with us? We will be tested on this.

Just something to think about...

Our Newest Additions

Just a few days ago Christiana informed us that she wanted a bird for a pet.  My husband and I were a little skeptical and doubted it would happen any time soon.  Well, Christiana did some research and narrowed it down to wanting a love bird or parakeet, then finally down to a parakeet.  

Next, she went to Craigslist and came across a great deal on two parakeets only nine weeks old with their cage, food, and toys.  She called her Dad and the arrangements were made to pick them up.  

So meet our two newest additions: (names not certain yet).

On their way home.

 Meeting the family.

 A close up.

Wordless Wednesday - Kaitlyn, Micah & Jonathan Baptized