8.2.24 Fair prep and FFA selling

Fair prep was a little more intense this year. Addie was worried her pig wouldn't make weight so she took to feeding it alone. This was a nice opportunity for the other kids to pet and touch the pig. Her and MIllie did put some effort into getting to know their pigs. Unfortunately, Livy and Reed were very busy elsewhere. 

This is a picture of my being a very mean mom making them finish their dinner and milk one evening. Food prices are sky rocketing everything is up .25 cents of more since June. The economy is shakey and we must learn to not waste. 

Sweet corn season has arrived. This was a new manifestation of smut. I'd never seen that before. 

Unfortunately, these two aren't very well trained for car riding this is their normal vantage point.  So many things to work on getting kids trained to be responsible citizens. 

Addie is good at getting cute pictures with kids. I'm thankful for her skills and love of her siblings. Teenage daughters have been my saving grace. 

The yearly bean picking. Because the FFA was coming to pick sweet corn for a fundraiser my two strong sons were also bean pickers. We are very blessed with adundant produce thanks to my dads farming abilities. The no or few weeks really makes a difference. My garden effort is hampered by the massive weed corruption. Tender plants like beans, corn, and beets who are for some reason challenging to get growing get hoed out when hoeing or pulled out with weeds so we are truly thankful for this patch to go pick and get what we need. 

The FFA picking crew. There were quite a few hard workers in this bunch. I love the dynamic of FFA kids selling agricultural commodities. 

Summer rolls on hot, smokey, and full of activity and problems to solve. Learning to endure and work together are important lessons. Millie enjoyed some afternoon time watching movies and snapping beans. I stayed up late this day canning beans. It feels good to put food back in empty jars and begin the process of filling my shelves for another year. Our life is so seasonal and cyclical. That is a blessing to be stable. I was listening to podcast about the weeks Come Follow Me and they were talking about Shiblon Alma's son who was just stable doing good things Alma 38:2 " I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God... for blessed is he that endureth to the end."

This chapter is full of good counsel as we finish up the crop growing year where the days are so long there are constant break downs and we have watched the price for the crop drop steadliy all summer making it really hard to keep believing it's all gonna be alright.

This verse has showed up several times to me in the last few weeks

Alma 38:5 " I would that ye should remember that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials and your troubles and your afflictions and ye shall be lifted up at the last day." 

So We work to keep our trust and eye on God and believe he will keep His promises if we do our part. Life is good and we are blessed in more ways than we can count,