I sometimes find random pictures of the older kids. Aliza is on the left buried under chips. I asked why all the junk food? She said it was for the mountain crew which Anna and Harold worked on. She is so good at keeping track of everything and everyone. Each of them truly enjoys the responsibility and nature aspect of their job. Aliza that she is in the kitchen, and Anna and Harold out in the wide open spaces.
Mark helped Merle and Alia vacuum after a large funeral last weekend. I love how he helps people do more than they have done previously. He is patient and clever how he comes up with adaptations. They did a great job.
I just love this group all gathered surly after church waiting for the next thing. We have a family testimony meeting on fast Sundays. In hopes this will teach the kids how to bear testimony and how to be comfortable sharing the thoughts of their hearts. After these Greg gave each father's blessings for the school year. That was tender and spiritual. Few give so many blessings in a row. The spirit is thick and Greg gets a peak into the divine worth of each of his children. I'm thankful he wanted a big family it has taught me much.
Bruce had a very late birthday read late past the day and late at night. These are quick and my favorite dessert. After being so careful for weeks with my sugar intake I did freely eat these, no ice cream though, they were good but it was enough for a while. The changes though challenging are probably for the best and should be my new normal. Exercising twice a day, lots more vegetables, a lot less carbs just whole forms like potatoe, and or rice I actually feel pretty good with the changes.
It's a constant fight to get the lawn mowed here. I have been threatening to just let the cows eat it, well when moving from one pasture to the next- rotational grazing works well!- they stopped for some munching on my 3 weeks tall grass. They nibbled it nicely and I took a picture to show the kids the possibilities.
A picture of John from the most recent Zone conference. He just seems very comfortable with missionary life. I'm so thankful for that.
And attempting to make enough peach jam for Reed and Bruce. Reed loves biscuits and jam is a must side dressing for hot biscuits. But with our big crew a jar of jam doesn't last through more than one round of biscuits and then some toast and jam- the kids favorite snack. Such problems to have I guess.
We take for granted so much our health, our togetherness, our excess, and our opportunity to have and do what we want. I've been studying about the beginning of the persecution of the saints in Missouri and it is heartbreaking. One memoir recounted they left all their possessions and 100 freshly canned jars of blackberries. The historian today said she calculated they had spent 1 million work hours in two years in Missouri to then be driven out by a mob with guns and very ill intentions and actions. 1 million hours! At a time when they had given all they had to continue building the money alone would have been devastating let alone all the time they spent building what they hoped would be a peaceful place to come to know God. We work a lot here and I know that would be very hard on our resolve to have to leave what we had invested so much into. Because it is our canning season and we are filling jars left and right this really struck a cord with me. So today I am thankful that my family and I will 95% sure eat what we have preserved in our home safely and securely in the next few years. The gift of abundance is one we have always enjoyed. Life is good.
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