i worked all day in the garden on saturday. but it was awesome. my body is so sore but quite honestly it makes me feel SO GOOD because i am helping to keep the garden producing. i weeded cucumbers & cantaloupe & tomatoes.....we picked squash & cucumbers & tomatoes & blackberries. i prayed over my corn, my peas, my cantaloupe, my grapes....we so want it to produce. this little rotten boy is anxiously waiting the cantaloupe & grapes that he "knows" we planted just for him!
now not to say that i worked all by myself. i did some but what i thought was funny is that clay couldnt stand it that i was outside working & he wanted to go in and rest from 2-4...which totally isnt a bad idea when there is a heat advisory out & the heat index is like 108. but i was on a roll.
clay, david asher & picked blackberries. we got about 1/2 a bucket full....which in reality is about 4 quarts. i thought that was plenty of blackberries for a first good picking. but david asher would have none of it when i said "ok enough" as i was being stuck like crazy from the thorns as this is the 4th year of blackberries & they are overgrown bad. he said "hey guys, there some ovuh he-uh". so we picked those few & disbursed. now david asher's big sisters love blackberries & thought they could willie-nillie eat at will the blackberries. we told them...uh no way since they didnt help not one bit outside on saturday. we made them ask asher for some. he readily agreed to share. baby esther likes them too but they tear up her tummy but she doesnt seem to mind.
david asher stayed outside with me all day. he is a trooper. abigail grace came out & helped me sweep the shed. she seems to find joy in certain things & sweeping is one of them. plus it helped that i was doing it also. i love when little kids take delight in helping. it's not perfect but they are trying & learning. why do we lose that desire to help & serve one another?
i will say this though, both my big girls did their bathroom cleaning chores, vacuumed, put away dishes, helped care for their little siblings. they also take care of all the animal chores. i seriously never have to do the animal chores unless they are sick or i want to do them. elizabeth takes care of the domestic animals {i.e....liberty & our new kitties, phinneas & ferb-y (as i call him)}. rachel takes care of all of the live stock/barnyard animals. (i.e....11 hens, 1 rooster, 13 ducks, 1 pot-bellied, cutier than ever, pig, & one spoiled rotten pgymy goat). they just dont like outside garden chores. & quite frankly that really doesnt bother me. elizabeth will come out & help. she gets me water & will tote veggies to the house. she is a good helper. but they are girls...still young & they have their limits. rachel is not outdoorsie at all. and that's ok too as she is such a big helper with the babies. she & esther have a definite bond that i love to watch.
rachel worked every day but one at clay's office last week. on thursday esther got a good shot at rachel finally for the first time that week (due to getting home & rushing off to karate) and man, esther just went nuts. they had a love fest like i havent seen in a while! it was way darling.
anyway back to swollen feet.....well because of my work in the garden...and then going to church yesterday...& sitting for 4 hours @ Freedom Fest 2010 last night....my legs & feet are way swollen - between the heat & the pregnancy. as clay said way back when i was pregnant with abigail grace....i have "fiona feet" (from the movie shrek).
i plan on taking a picture of my beloved garden & my feet that i will post this week. you will be amazed!
oh to tell you why my garden is so beloved....not only is my garden feeding my family with things we enjoy...but it fed 10 other families yesterday - between church & our neighbors. that doesnt include the people at clay's work who get the produce during the week.
so i will leave you with these scriptures as they resonating today:
(and i may be biased, but this reminds me of clay as i read it today).
"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalms 1:1-3
and this one...clay & i try to live by....
"....from everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." Luke 12:48 (i like that whole chapter too).
Have a blessed day!
i worked all day in the garden on saturday. but it was awesome. my body is so sore but quite honestly it makes me feel SO GOOD because i am helping to keep the garden producing. i weeded cucumbers & cantaloupe & tomatoes.....we picked squash & cucumbers & tomatoes & blackberries. i prayed over my corn, my peas, my cantaloupe, my grapes....we so want it to produce. this little rotten boy is anxiously waiting the cantaloupe & grapes that he "knows" we planted just for him! 
since this post is about abigail i will also add a few more nice things about her. one thing is she knows her own mind. she decided about 2 weeks ago that she didnt like nicknames. she realized that she was the only child we have that we dont call by their given name. she saw on her back pack the embroidered "abigail" and asked why it didnt say "a-b-b-y". i explained to her about nicknames and she started to cry this heartfelt cry & and said "i dont like nicknames because that's not my name". so after 5 years of being called abby grace...she is now abigail or abigail grace & that suits her just fine! i love that she knows her mind and doesnt suffer foolishness at all. she is also very much so an encourager. she finds opportunities to encourage her siblings. before clay or i can tell them "good job" or "hey we are proud of you" abigail is doing it without being prompted. she definitely has the gifting of exhoration. she also recognizes when she has wronged someone or has done something wrong and she makes it right almost immediately. it's fascinating to me to have a child that is only 5 in age but is more of a mature soul. anyway, she is a delight & i feel blessed that she is mine.
