This and That

Well, here I am TIRED again.  It’s a way of life, I think.

Today was a busy, busy day.  I’m pretty sure I only sat down to eat and nurse my baby… and that’s it.  When I’m tempted to grumble about how much I have to do or how tired I am, I try to be thankful that I’m able-bodied enough to work this hard.  How some people would love to have my health and be able to accomplish what I can.  (Not that I always accomplish all that I can:o) )

So what did I do?  This morning I made all of our cereal for the week.  Yep, lots.  Even if boxed cereal were nutritious, Josh would have to go out and get another job just for us to be able to afford it, the way my children eat.  So I make granola.  In a stock pot.  Then I store it in a bucket.  ‘s great for a quick breakfast with lots of blueberries and cold milk, and I don’t even have to fire up the cookstove several mornings a week.

Then I made five loaves of bread.  So now I have to introduce you to a new, very important addition to our family.  Meet:  the Assitent.  (Yes, that’s the way you spell it.  She’s a Swede.)

(She’s standing shyly over in the left corner.)  We purchased this sweetheart of a mixer so that we would be able to have a bread-making business, and to help us keep up with our own massive carbohydrate appetites.  She’ll hold up to 28 cups of flour, or make about nine regular sized loaves.  I have dreamed of this appliance for years.  Oh, how much easier it makes my life!

Now I know some of you are wondering how this electric appliance fits in to our off-grid ambitions.  That’s an entirely different post that I want to do, so… stay tuned.

Lots of cleaning today.  Putting away winter snow boots and accessories that were cluttering our mud room/pantry floor, cleaning out the refrigerator (well, not all of it, for that will take several days), mopping the kitchen, changing diapers, washing diapers, washing bed sheets, hanging bed sheets, feeding everyone…. you get the point.

I found these two in the yard deeply involved in acting out a very dramatic story, but they managed to pose for me anyway:

If you’re looking for Caleb, he’s with Josh.  All. the. time.

He was really working hard today.

What do you think of the greenhouse?  Oh, have I got a great story!  Josh wasn’t sure how tall he should make it this morning and was contemplating it for a while  before he started putting up the rafters.  He went ahead with the building and had a neighbor stop by and tell him he had a lot of old windows he might be interested in.  Josh agreed to come look at them, but wasn’t too optimistic that we’d be able to use them.  Well, of course they were perfect.  And of course they were six foot tall, just like the front wall of the greenhouse.  And of course there were enough of them.  And of course we were so surprised that we’d been spared the expense of buying the glass, but I don’t know why we were.  Our Heavenly Father does things like this for us ALL THE TIME!  From pianos to vehicles to king-sized beds, and a thousand other ways,  He’s been so kind to provide, often before we ever think to ask!

HalleluYAH!

Have a blessed evening!