I've been canned....

You know how the story goes in the Scriptures about the Fishes and the Loaves of bread being multiplied??... Well that is how it has been for me with my canning this season.

In between being sick... I have managed to can over a hundred jars of jam this year.  Our neighbor gave us some blackberries a couple of times and we picked them and paid for them a couple of times in Sandhollow.... I was very disgusted because one of the containers we picked the berries went moldy on me and I was going to make more jam and couldn't... that very same morning that that happened, Raelene came home with a small bowl of blackberries from our neighbors down the road.  I was able to can 20 small jars of blackberry-rhubarb jam out of that small bowl and only 2 small stocks of rhubarb!!  Can't tell me that wasn't a miracle!! 

Then a good friend of mine texted me last weekend and asked what I had been up to, I said making jam and she asked if we needed plums.  I was so excited to get plums!  Ross and Jerry came home with 2 bushel of plums....!!!  I juiced a bunch for syrup and made a bunch of jam...

So here are the kinds of jam I made this year so far....
blackberry
blackberry-rhubarb
strawberry-rhubarb
apricot pineapple
strawberry-apricot
plum
plum-blackberry

I made 15 pints of Blackberry-rhubarb syrup and will make strawberry-rhubarb syrup next...
and plum syrup is coming up as well.
Also made zucchini relish.... ( at least I know that if we had to we could live off the jam,and pickles....he he)

I have given away some already... I don't know how not to.. honestly!

Then Ross wanted dill beans... which I have never done before.  So here is another miracle.  I had less than 7lbs of beans and after packing the jars as tight as possible I ended up with 16 pints of dilled beans and was only supposed to get 6!!

Thanks to a dear sweet friend of mine for letting us borrow her nice camp stove and huge canner ( btw, where did you find one that big??)... I have been able to get more done in half the time!  Thanks Heather!! 

Now I am dilling zucchini instead of cucumbers... I found a really good recipe.  So I have 21 pints of those and of course I have given one of those away and a couple more in a few days. 

I haven't even gotten to the tomatoes or the pears yet.... But I am so thankful that I have been able to do this!!!  I feel good knowing that I am learning new things and building up our food storage.  And besides, they look pretty in their jars!!  Plus I love giving them to family and friends for gifts, Christmas is coming up before we know it.....

Happy Canning Y'all!!

Wii games and earplugs....

So to preference all of this, we have the best neighbors anyone could ask for!!  They are a young couple with an almost one year old and they help with everything!!  We take care of one another and they love our family and vice versa.  They especially get a kick out of Brayden.... you see, Brayden feels comfortable enough to go over to their house in the early morning hours and ask if he can play their wii.  They are very nice about it and have never gotten upset or asked us to keep him home, they just sweetly bring him back home.

Yesterday morning while I was on my way to take Jerry to get all 4 of his wisdom teeth cut out, Brayden goes down to their house and jiggles the door handle.  They open it and Aaron asked him what he was doing.... he answered finally a direct answer and asked if he could play their wii.... then Aaron asked what were the earplugs for??  Brayden answered in a honest and sincere way..."so you and Kina can sleep and not hear me play"... they laughed so hard and so did I when I was told what happened... honestly, what 4 yr old thinks about those things??  To be so concerned about the other person and wanted to make sure that they could sleep and so he wouldn't wake them.... that is too cute in my opinion.  I love that little guy!!  He truly is very sensitive, just like his older siblings.  I am so blessed to be their mother!!!

My Cowboy.... and Amos

We had the privilegde of showing Amos our Mammoth Jack Donkey at the Western Idaho Fair on Friday night.  It was so much fun!!  IT was also fun for me to show off my stud, my own handsome cowboy!!  He looked so good!!  I always wanted to marry a cowboy and I did, a handsome one at that!!!

It was also fun to let others get on Amos and to explain to them that he is not a mule... and the differences between them and horses... how they are the smoothest to ride and that he has a sweet temperment.

We were so thankful that Ross' Mom and Aunt Joyce and Uncle David and some of their grandkids and one of their sons could make it.. I know it was hard on Mom but it was such a pleasure to have her there!!

In these next few pics I rode Amos down to friends of ours just down the road ... the Stiles.  They loved Amos and were amazed at how big he is!!!  She took these pics for me and Rae. 

I would have been just as happy if not more so to have been off of him and just had her take a picture of Amos....  But Rae looks amazing!!!!

Today she called me up and asked if they could bring their grandsons down to see the donkey... so they got to ride on him and loved it!!! They even want one of their own!  I am so happy to share him with others!!

(oh and to make my day even better....I got asked if I was Raelene's Sister!!!  anway just having fun!!

Affection

We are a very affectionate family... we love to hug and be close to one another.  My children are affectionate as well... my boys are more so than my girl...imagine that!! I did not grow up in an affectionate home, it was just the opposite.  But I was always so willing to show and receive it though.

I married a husband who thankfully has made up for all those years!!  He loves to show affection in public which I deeply love.  I know that it embarrasses our kids but I know that deep down they appreciate it.  It is very healthy for them to see their parents show love in public.

SO this leads us to what happened last night....  I am not sure how it came up but Ross was sitting next to Brayden who was sitting next to me and he asked if he knew that Daddy loves Mommy. Brayden said yes, then Ross said how?  Brayden said, well, dad because I am a smart boy!  Yes you are Dad said, but how do you know, what does daddy do to show you that I love mom?  Well.... you kiss her.  But I don't like you kissing mommy, daddy, I can kiss her but not you.".... So Ross goes to kiss me and Brayden runs out of the room as fast as he can into our bedroom and shuts the door and says yuck!    Ross said he was done and Brayden opens the door and says, phew... I am glad.... Too funny, he finally agreed that both him and dad could kiss mom!

I love my husband more than words could ever begin to express.  I love the fact that he loves me and loves to show his love for me in public and behind closed doors,... I am so thankful that every day he tells me that I am beautiful and I am starting to slowly believe him....( it melted my heart that when we first started dating he told his mom that he wanted to love all my hurt away)... I was told every day of my life that I was ugly and would never amount to anything.. but look at me now...( I wasn't saying look at my physical side....) I have everything anybody could ever dream of, a gorgeous, loving,eternal husband and 3 beautiful, sweet children.  I have a testimony of the Savior and am working on having good health...a family who loves me and friends who accept me for who I am,  what could be better than this???!!!

I love my children with all my heart.  I am blessed to have such a special family and to be called Wife and Mother are the greatest callings on earth!!

Out of the mouths of babes....

Oh, how I got a good chuckle out of this one!!  So.. we were sitting in the chapel in Nampa at Ross' great uncles' funeral and it was a beautiful service.  Brayden was sitting next to me and I would say about a half an hour or so into the service, he lets out a sigh and says with all sincere seriousnous"  I'm tired, I'm hungry and I am bored."....LOL   I laughed so hard and Ross asked me what he said but I really couldn't answer him so I told him to ask Brayden what he just said and he said the exact same thing and Ross chuckled so hard it was cute!!!  Anyway... just wanted to jot this down while I still thought of it!!

IT's always darkest before the Dawn....

After experiencing the worst pancreatitis I have had in my life during wed night/thursday morning and trying to get over a kidney infection which was caused by bacteria that started and is finishing up in my stomach, I have never felt so sick and helpless in my life!! 

With the help of friends, we got the pancreatitis under control, using oils and garlic oil to fight off bacteria, and testing with whole food supplements to rebuild my kidneys for right now, and testing to find out that my body cannot in any way handle any sugar in any form, carbohydrates, starches, cooked oils, saturated fats and grains... (so you are probably thinking, is there anything left to eat???)... I am on a new adventure to restore my body and health.  I am feeling better than I was Thursday and still feel weak and a bit nauseaus, I am making improvements.

Our bodies are smart.  They know what they need to have in order to heal.  I have lost almost 8 pounds in just 3 days... but I think I can maintain.  I feel that I need to do this so I can avoid another attack.  Besides, it is pretty much sticking to the word of wisdom except for not eating any whole grains, but I am sure in time I can add some back into my diet( at least I can have wild rice and quinoa).  This is a small price to pay in order to restore my health.

I thank you for your understanding and support.  I will need it.  I know others who have a very strict diet as well and I know that they appreciate the support.  I am grateful for a  second chance to be able to heal my body properly.  I am thankful for my family and friends sticking by me thru this very challenging ordeal and being there for me when I needed them most.  I love you all so very much and wish that The Lord blesses you beyond measure.

As the saying goes, it's always darkest before the Dawn.... and it's like deep cleaning a house, it's always worse before it gets better!!

These things shall be for your good...

I was reading the New Era today and came across an article that said these things shall be for your good.  I know deep down that is true.  I never question why things happen to me.  Honest..

But, I will say that I think or I would like to think that I have been learning from my trials.  I have had a lot of health trials this year and I am honestly ready to be healthy for a long long time.

I have struggled lately with my back, I know, its nothing new but it has been very bad.  Then I hurt it really bad trying to do something nice for my husband while he was away at Scout Camp last week along with JErry. 

Then I ended up in the hospital for a bit saturday night with Severe back pain, couldn't move back pain and I have a bad kidney infection.  Hence why I am up right now... both kidneys hurt.  But like all other times I will triumph from this.  I will be the better person because of it, but it has taught me alot of things.

1. I need to swallow my pride and ask for help even when I don't feel like others want to help because I know that they have helped so much already.... but also to pray about who I should ask because even just one time asking someone could be one time too many and I don't like to burden anyone at all
2. rely on my help at home
3. Things really don't need to be done as badly as I think they should... or at least some of them don't... so prioritize and then let those who are capable of doing it do it
4. Stick with the things that I CAN do that don't hurt me or hurt very little
5. My kids are learning how to serve and do things that alot don't have to learn at such an early age

I am always so very very thankful for anyone who offers their help.  Its always easier to be the one giving it than to be the one receiving it but I don't want to deny anyone blessings either.  I thank those who have helped so much and our neighbors have been that huge help lately....

I know that I will have good health one of these times, but I will continue to focus on what is right with my body.. or should I say I will continue to work at focusing on what is right with me instead of what is wrong.

I am thankful that these things are helping me be a better person and also blessing my family to become better and stronger and have more compassion.