Rythmn

Early mornings, looking out over the wheat fields,

the words Jesus spoke thousands of years ago quickly come to mind,

"the fields are ready unto harvest but the laborers are few".


And my heart turns to the application of these words in my own life.
Am I up for the work of a laborer?

Are there enough moms willing to take up the work

of hard labor in the fields around them?
I won't lie.
I'm tired.
The days are looong,

potty training two toddlers,

after visitation toddler aggression...
and the nights seem even shorter with trips to the bathroom

and pillows cushioning my round middle.

But again, am I up for the job of a laborer in the position God has called me to?

Many times I want to shake my head no, and many times during the day

I fail at being a diligent laborer.

These six kids are the field God has given me to invest in.

This home, this marriage, this life, these friendships

- all surrounding me are the field I'm to be laboring in.

Am I doing the daily work of a laborer,

sowing into their hearts goodness and strength

and the discipline that will make them strong, steady adults?

I want to.

But like any farmer with good intentions, follow-up in live actions has to take place.

The wheat languishes in the fields around us;

I cannot follow this example in the lives of our children.

And so I strive to be diligent in the small things,

tender in voice,

attentive in care,

patient in discipline.

And major in the big things,

time for me and God in the morning,

generous love,

quick forgiveness.



On my chalkboard in our dining room is my daily reminder.

Annaliese has it memorized now and someday,

no doubt, she too will rely on it as a mother.

"Come to me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden

and I will give ye rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me,

for I am meek and lowly in heart

and ye will find rest unto your souls

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Hot Weather, Cool Relief

We met friends at a local park that has the side benefit of a creek flowing through it and after lunch - everyone had a blast, as you can see. :)

Goofballs

This is why I am thankful for the age of digital photography - just look at those six expressions passing for smiles!!

Praises

For a little one wiggling in the womb...

For home - shelter, joy, life, love and all else that it encompasses...

For the little blogger in our house...

For an estate sale find to cushion and fluff and prepare...

55 vintage patterns for $7 and the *trouble* of deciding which to keep and which to sell, the joy of sewing for my family...

For lesson plans nearly completed, little hearts eager to learn...

Time spent talking and sharing and tidying...

I have much to praise Him for.

Motherhood

I never once sat back and thought to myself, "I think I'll aim to be lonely and tired in motherhood" but lately I am admitting to myself that this is true.
I have no regrets about this life that has been clearly God-wrought and God-established and I know that these feelings have nothing to do with our children but more with the current rotundo stage of life I'm in and the Christian culture we live in, which, as a whole, is not welcoming to large families. I never thought we'd be "that" family, but here we are.

1.) Two weeks ago we went to a playgroup at a park where we were not the largest family and no one once asked, "how do you do it" or looked at me like I should be institutionalized.

2.) We have a lot of fans in DSS (department of social services).

3.) Last week two friends brought their children over while the mamas and I worked batches of peach jam and casserole dishes of peach cobbler.

4.) This morning another friend (newly Christian - woohoo!) texted a message to my phone about a playgroup at the park and can we *please* come.

I write these out to remind myself that I am not completely friendless and am surrounded by some incredible women, who don't mind making six extra p-butter and jelly sandwiches in addition to the two needed for their own children, or having a family of eight over for dinner or coming over to simply give me some adult interaction so I really don't need an institution. :)

The truth is though, that the unspoken negativity often speaks louder than the gifts of friendship and affirmation. Why is that? Why, when we're blatently uninvited, does that hurt more than the gifts of genuine hospitality bless?

I'm thinking because it brings cause for me to protect my children from the hurt and I remind myself that half-hearted hospitality is appealing to no one. Our home is full. There are usually guests here at least twice a week, laughter, crazy kids with snails for temporary pets, who go out to the garden to graze off peas and herbs and give me cilantro scented kisses.

Lord, help to have a greatful heart for the true gifts of friendship you've placed in my life, for the blessings of hospitality offered to us, and help our home to carry an atmosphere of Your grace and welcome always,

In Jesus' name, I pray,

Hannah

Blessings to you all and a week of beautiful hospitality given and received to you!

Our Fourth

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day for our fourth of July. Knitting, lunches and fishing gear packed we headed up to our little cabin in the woods, bushwacked our way through the beaver field and came out at one of our favorite family spots.

Every year the swimming hole takes on a slightly different look, depending on the course of the spring flooding and ice build ups and if there are beaver building in the area.

The older children swam, including four year old Ella with a noodle. She figure out she could walk as far as she could upstream (still within sight) and float downstream and she got such a kick out of doing that over and over.

All of the kids are participating in swim lessons in our little town and this is Ella's first year. I'm always amazed at the different giftings God gives each of our children and fearlessness in one of Ella's.

We began building up our little rock dam that we have to rebuild every year to keep the swimming hole swimable.

Ella caught Mr. Toad from (Frog and Toad, she said) carried him around, watched him swim, built him a house and then decided it was time for him to say goodbye and released him into the stream, watching with fascination as he swam away.
Mr. Toad seem none worse for the visit with his gentle giant friend.

A parade in another little town finished off our day before we headed home for red,white and blue desserts, a bonfire and fireworks in the distance.

Family days are my favorite days, and now, as my household is awaking, I'd better get going on breakfast,

Enjoy your family day,

Hannah

Vintage Simplicity Sewing

In honor of Independance Day, I wore red, white and blue to the parade tonight.

vintage (1940's) Simplicity #1954

Blue and navy dot print on a cream background, fabric from Joann's, with navy piping at neckline, sleeve and pockets. :)

Peaches

Our church's food thrifts store that sells food to raise money for our food distribution center had boxes of peaches for $8. I bought one box yesterday, and was delighted to find that they were freestones and sweet and juicy. This afternoon, after processing one box, I went back and bought four more so I think this will be the week of peaches in our home!

I must share that this was such a blessing as I was unable this year to pick all the strawberries I usually pick every June (big belly and all) and it was sort of a sad realization that we'd be wintering without jars of strawberry jam put up.

So what to do with ninety or so pounds of peaches?

The first batch of jam I made was Peach Wine Jam. It is oh-so-good.

My friend Jenn requested the recipe so here it is:

8 cups peaches, chopped and pitted (no need to peel)

cups sugar

2 boxes of pectin

2/3 cups dry red wine

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves cloves

6 tbsp lemon juice

10 cups sugar (less if using low-sugar pectin)

Bring chopped peaches, wine, lemon juice and pectin to a boil in a very large pot, stirring constantly. Add sugar, return to a full boil and boil hard for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in spices.

Ladle into sterilized pint jars and process in a hot water bath for ten minutes.

Pears can also be substituted in this recipe (yum) and I'm sure you could also halve the peaches, leave out the pectin, lessen the sugar a bit and have a delicious wine/simple syrup to can peaches in.

My two favorite preserving books are these:

Next I canned quarts of peach pie filling and made another batch of jam, this time Lemon Peach Jam, basically made as regular peach jam with the zest of a whole lemon added in.

And that took care of one box of peaches. :) The oldest two helped me peel, pit and halve a few pot fulls of peaches which are drying in the convection oven overnight.

I'd like to put a few pans of peach cobbler in the freezer, make lots more jam and dry a lot more of the peaches.

Any other great peachy recipes to share with me?

Saturday morning Meditations

"Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless Jehovah, who hath given me counsel; Yea, my heart instructeth me in the night seasons. I have set Jehovah always before me: Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; My flesh also shall dwell in safety. For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:6-11

Meditating this morning while preserving loads of peaches, watching toddlers, and all the other Saturday morning activities, to this peaceful place God has brought me to. While my earthly heritage may not be "goodly", my heavenly one is and Sean and I are blessed to see this heavenly heritage pouring over into our family.
I've gone through a lot of emotional "moving" this past year, pouring out heartache to God, being prayed over by my husband and because of all this, I can say that God has brought me to a good and pleasant place. The extenuating circumstances of life still may be in a twist and tumble, but Jesus is the calm in the midst of the storm.
This morning, I am so thankful for His peace and joy!

(photos are peas from the garden and loaves of rustic raisin walnut bread)

New Blog!

Our eldest daughter has joined the blogging world! Please welcome her at Happy Homemaking Lessons (her day would be made if she received a comment!).