Garden, Canning and Life

I am trying to get every last bit of food out of the garden and canned this year before the weather turns, which looks like it could be this weekend.  I had high hopes for this years canning, but with 100+ degree temperatures a good part of the summer it was hard to maintain any plants.

Our green beans did real well and I have been canning those throughout.  Tomatoes have not done well at all, like in years past, but I have been able to get some sauce, soup, and salsa canned.  I am still hopeful that all the green ones in the garden will turn, if not I may be bringing them to the basement or doing some green tomato recipes.  The kids pick all the carrots yesterday.  I was quite certain that they weren't going to be worth the effort but when all was said and done I got 22 quarts canned last night and a huge bag in the fridge to eat fresh!  I need to go back out today to make sure none were missed in all the weeds that have done well out there the last couple of weeks.  Squash and pumpkins were late going in after replanting twice so I think I will be buying winter squash from the farmer down the road and hope his year was better than ours.

School is in full swing and it seems good to get back to a schedule around here.  Eldest is doing well at college, and called the other night to thank me for making him learn how to diagram sentences (yes, I made him and yes I LOVE diagramming).  He has actually been helping some of the other students. I think some of his worrying about heading to college was if homeschooling was enough.  From what I can tell talking to him this week, he isn't having any issues with the work load and that makes this "no-college" mom feel pretty good!

Hubby and I are praying about a big change for our family also.  We are considering getting back into foster care again.  I have wanted to for a couple of years, but my wise and much more grounded Hubby thought better of it at the time.  He brought it up a few months back, that maybe now was the time.  There are SO many children in the system it is amazing.  Would you believe Michigan is number 6 on the list of children in the foster system?  We are right behind states like California and New York.  You can look up your state here I found this information from Dalyn She has an amazing story herself and was interviewed on Hubby's radio show a couple of weeks ago.

So as we possibly head on this journey, knowing there is a lot of work to be put into it, we are excited.  It breaks my heart knowing there our so many kids that just grow up in the system and never get out.  It becomes a generational problem, with many of their kids going into it years later.  I am thankful that we were both raised in loving homes with great parents and our kids know what that means.  I also know there is more than enough love to go around in this house!

All of my kids love to cook

Homemade jalapeno poppers.  YUM!

Youngest got confused when I told him to "Pick the carrots"...