Just an Update

Melvin does well with flower arrangements

July 19
Today is one of the hottest days we've had yet this summer. It has been quite warm and humid a lot of the time but for the next few days they're predicting it will be very warm. Thank God for AC! With pregnancy the heat is even harder to bear.

My strength has returned to a greater degree and I've been able to do more than I had earlier. I still tire easily and my brain hatches up more things than I can accomplish. 

Sister Joanna has been around since the middle of June and has occasionally come to my rescue when I've "bitten off more than I can chew". She is in the states for a few months, looking for ways to pay off debt before returning to Poland. She stays with my parents and relieves the rest of us by taking them places they need to go.

My parents both have very poor eyesight and are hoping to be able to get cataract surgery done sometime this year yet. I hope it will help their sight! 

June 21-24 was the biannual Miller camping in Ohio. That is Thomas' mom's siblings and descendants. We missed the gathering four years ago so it was good to catch up with everyone who came. Traveling was uncomfortable for this pregnant mother but we made it.

Following us home were Thomas' brother & wife from Haiti as well as his sister & family from Oregon. We had some time together for about a day and a half. Short but sweet.

Our garden gets planted little by little when the guys have time to work on it. I'll be happy for whatever they can turn out. Things seem to be growing well. This is our second year with the "Back to Eden" gardening method and we're pleased with the results so far. The earthworms are really making fertile soil.

One reason we're late with the garden is because the chickens were in there and needed another place to go. One hen hatched six chicks and we moved them into a chicken tractor. About the time we were ready to move the other hens in with them, three more started setting. Only one of them was successful and she hatched two chicks. Yesterday one of those chicks was discovered dead in a bucket of water. Sad day.

The blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are producing some fruit. Blueberries are pretty much over with at this point. 

We got a few strawberries this year too. Any little bit helps! 

A small harvest of sugar snap peas was so delicious. 

A few banana peppers have found their way to the house too.

A friend gave us some pie cherries. I didn't know how to quickly pit them so I did a bit of research and can now tell you. The easiest way to pit cherries with regular household tools is to use a stout drinking straw. Punch it in the stem end and the pit will come out the bottom end! Presto!

My sister has also shared a few garden goodies with us. Nothing compares to fresh home-grown produce! 

July 21
The heat continues today but tomorrow is forecast to be cooler. Praise the Lord! We are not accustomed to heat like this. I think in earlier years we had longer periods of this kind of heat but I'm thankful that this is only for a few days.

This week I'll need to go visit my midwife who usually comes to my house. She is pregnant as well and is developing pre-eclampsia so she needs more rest. She is due a few weeks before I am but she says she always goes early. She seems confident that she'll be up and running when I need her.

Joanna has a friend coming to visit her this week. She will be here Thurs through Mon and we'll provide lodging. So beginning Thurs there will be company in my house until August 19. A lot of coming and going to say the least. I counted seven trips we'll need to make to BWI airport to pick up or return family members. My sister's family will help with that.

Austin and Matthew have been planning a rafting trip on the Potomac river with some friends from MD. They leave Wed evening and come back Saturday, Lord willing. 

Melvin has been struggling with a stuffy head this week. I think it's his allergies kicking in. Lots of hay being made the last while. Last evening he had earache. We washed his ear out with peroxide, put a few drops of silver in and he took a pain pill. Thankfully that took care of the pain. He's still plugged up and hard of hearing.

Hay field behind our house

I'll share a few snapshots of what we've been eating this month. We've had a few grilled meat meals and Christopher is perfecting his grilling skills. He does an excellent job!

Pork chops

I tried a one month meal plan and shopping trip again this month. I did get more fruit, veggies & eggs halfway through. It definitely takes planning!

I made some progress on getting our room ready for baby this month. We have no extra bedrooms so we'll have to play it by ear to know where to include a girl. I don't like to have baby in my bedroom too long as neither of us sleep well then.

Just since I'm writing this the wind has kicked up and the temperature has dropped way down until it's very pleasant outdoors. 

Until next time....

A Pictorial View of Our Lives

Christopher has a knack for finding unique bugs- can you find the beautiful moth here?

 Stephen has begun a donut business. He employs his brothers and cousins. This Mama is so happy there is at least one female involved! (Cleanup issues) And that the cooking has moved to an outdoor burner!

Matthew

Austin

Mervin

Sylvia

We had a very successful week of Summer Bible School in the town of Romney. Peak attendance was 80. A busy, happy week.

 Fence work for the garden and orchard has been happening this summer. Tear down the old, install the new. It has not yet been completed but it is exciting to see it progressing.

 Lots of canning going on this summer. Lots of green beans. Some peaches. Not as many peaches as usual because of the price this year.

 The boys enjoyed getting to know more of my cousins' children on the Summy side of the family. We had a reunion at Wilda Lake in VA.

 My sister Doris and family followed us home from the reunion and were with us for a few days. Here is one of her cutie pies.

 Speaking of pies- we made 100 for the Romney peach festival. After that ordeal, the weekly 16 or less seems puny. We made 50 crusts two days in a row, then 50 pies two days. They are asking me to do 120 next year. I'm having a hard time making up my mind!

 The boys and Grandpas did the bulk of the corn while I did other things. Not a super duper crop but enough.

Melvin

Grandpa

Grandma

Christopher

 My co-teachers and I took a couple of the girls from Kid's Club on a bike ride- the few that earned a treat. Sixteen miles of biking. Thankfully it was a continual slight downgrade. Even so, it was hard to sit for a few days.

 We took a trip to TN for a Troyer/Schwartz family reunion. It starts with a list, you know. We stopped in Gap Mills for lunch and business. All five boys were sitting on the bank eating lunch but one moved before the picture was snapped. Aunt Katie is 95 years old and has a large family. The family graciously invites other relatives to their annual reunion. I met relatives I didn't know I had this time around- my dad's cousins and their children. The aunts stay young by playing Scrabble. And the boys decided that this is a reunion worth going to again though they balked about going (as usual).

Aunt Katie

Cousin Barbie Schwartz looks on

Aunt Fannie

 Our latest venture was going camping with the church youth group.

 Peppers anyone? We harvested 3 (5 gal) buckets this week.

 I've been listening to a lot of webinars, helping me to understand the best ways for schooling our sons. One screenshot. Have you ever heard of a commonplace book? A wonderful idea for a profitable avenue of writing. Donna Goff has a lot of helpful webinars at her Mentoring Our Own site. Check it out if you are homeschooling.

 The men so graciously put up a laundry line for me this spring. If you've never been able to step out the washroom door and roll your laundry out on a line, you don't know what you're missing! It has been such a tremendous blessing.

Photo of first post set (taken from laundry room door)

Second post

In use

We are so rich! 

Luke 16:19-31 is my challenge for myself.