Almost done...

It seems that as fast as I get these cabinets filled with jars of food preserved for the winter and coming spring months, they begin to empty!  So, knowing I still have 2 cases of pears coming in to can (which will go on the top shelf where the empty jars are currently stored on the left-most cabinet), here is the otherwise completed canning for this year :)

I had planned to do a bit more on the preserves (jams, jellies, and syrups) cabinet, but ran out of jars and berries, lol, so I guess that's done as it is for this year.

And just because it was cute, I snapped some extras with kiddos being sweet and creative with their lincoln logs... (now if I could just get pictures of their rooms when they are actually super clean!  Daddy's birthday is coming up, so I'm recommending that they make him colored pictures or cards, and have super clean bedrooms for his birthday surprise :)  *I* get to make a plethora of pies this weekend (tradition for his birthday, "pie is it's own foodgroup" as far as he is concerned, after all! :)

 

 

 

Older kids are reading or working on school, and I didn't want to distract them from their work with the flash of the camera - we'll get more pictures of them later. :)

 

Meditating on Psalm 127

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain."

Lord, build our home, keep our family - let us base our foundations upon You and not on other things...

"It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep."

Help us, please, Lord, to use our time wisely as You would have us use it - to use it wisely and to honor You.

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 
"Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."

Thank you for our children.  For the gifts and blessings that they are, that we have been so blessed with.  Please help us, Lord, to be the parents that you created us to be, to raise our children in praise and honor of You and Your great glory.

I pray for wisdom today, that the Lord would guide my words and actions, and thank Him for the many blessings He has so graciously given to me and to my household.  We need not worry about tomorrow, and I can thank Him for the trials and difficulties that draw us closer to Him.

Thank you, Lord.  I love you.

preggers pics - no, not me - our mare!

I went out yesterday and checked our mare - her milk bag is starting to fill in nicely, and she's still very round, but her belly has dropped some...  no waxing of her teats yet that I could see, but there are some back-end changes that tell me (based upon what I've been reading about equine birth and delivery) that she is nearing time.

Oh, and funny note - we were trying to place when the baby-Daddy got in with her last year - we thought she was infertile (that's what we were told when we got her, anyway) so I didn't think anything of it...  Well, question answered - he and his equine companion showed up at our front gate two days ago - as they do every year when they break out of their corral.  So she's "over due" by the typical 11 month horse pregnancy, but a local horse person shared with me that she has a breeding friend who said all of her prego mares are going late this year and while she has no idea why, it seems to be "the thing" for horses this year... 

Anyway, here's a picture of our extra large preggers mare:



We have the farrier coming out next week for routine hoof care (I was sure she would have had that baby by now, so I thought it was a safe time to get that done...  but the other horses still need it, and he's been around horses his entire life, so maybe he can give us some ideas if she hasn't delivered by then...  We'll see!

I'll post pictures again once her baby is here.  In the meanwhile, if you want to be praying for a safe and healthy delivery for her and her little one, we would sure appreciate it!