This was supposed to be a June post, but it has now become a July post. Somehow we always have too much going on around here, but as Steve said recently, “That’s just how we roll.”

It’s good to remember that your own crazy life will look a little different (or maybe a lot different) from anyone else’s. God isn’t in the comparison business; He knows you, and He made you and your family unique.

So here are my ponderings and ideas for this month (updated from June to July!), along with a few happenings, for whatever they’re worth!

Thinking: The Gift of Being There

I hear the door open and a family member enters the house. I may be in the kitchen cooking, or in the back room folding laundry, or working at my desk. After a few moments I inevitably hear the words, “Where’s Mom?” And I call back, “I’m in here!”

My husband or big kid comes to chat for a few minutes about wherever they’ve been, or whatever they are doing next. What a gift it is to be able to simply be there, to be a grounding presence in the lives of my people.

As women we may often feel inadequate. We may not always know what advice to give or how to respond to various situations, but let’s remind ourselves that just being there, lending a listening ear when needed, and providing a steady foundation goes a long, long way.

Gifting: Two gift ideas for Dads

Alas, Father’s Day is over for this year, but dads also have birthdays and may need a few Christmas gifts… so here are two items you may want to consider.

Corn Toss Bags – Take your corn toss game up a notch with bags representing teams your family loves and/or hates. I got these from Etsy as a Christmas gift for our boys. We’ve been enjoying them this summer.

Door County Coffee {affiliate link} – this is Steve’s new favorite coffee. I have to admit it is QUITE delicious.

Cooking: Chicken Fried Rice

A favorite with our crew, this Chicken Fried Rice cooks up pretty quickly in a large cast iron skillet, and pairs well with egg rolls and a salad. (We like the frozen egg rolls from Sam’s Club.) I use this rice cooker {affiliate link} to prep the rice early in the day, let it cool off, and then refrigerate until the time comes to make dinner. Freshly cooked rice is not recommended for this recipe. I will at least triple the recipe, and cut way back on the pepper. Canned chicken is a convenient option to throw into the fried rice mixture.

Podcasting: Two new episodes

June Episode of Real Science, Real Bible, Real History, Real World: There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon. On this episode, we read a simple children’s story and then draw some analogies from it. We discuss four reactions to uncomfortable realities.

July Episode: Understanding the Pillar of Fire. The science behind the pillar of fire is pretty fascinating, and has never been explained before. This is one of my favorite biblical accounts, and I’m thrilled to have a part in presenting this information.

Working: Projects on the Farm

A little extra help this summer enabled us to get some long overdue projects done. We cleaned out some buildings and fixed up an outdoor patio, all with the help of our oldest son (Joshua) who has been home for a few weeks this summer. It’s a great feeling to check some extra things off the project list!

Gardening: A few vegetables and a huge pumpkin patch

We tilled up the entire enormous garden space, and decided to devote almost all of it to this year’s pumpkin patch. We have over 350 pumpkin plants of all varieties! You can follow along with “Toby’s Pumpkins” here. Some of the patch will be pick-your-own this year!

In one little corner of the enormous space, we planted 8 tomato plants, 4 eggplants, 4 peppers, and one hill each of zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers. Some critter has been stripping the upper leaves off our tomato plants the past couple nights. Hmmm. Gotta figure out what to do about that. There is always so much to figure out! We just survived a saga of getting the tiller functional again. Life is a never-ending learning process.

Recommending: A helpful app

This app is helpful for tracking Bible reading. It’s a motivator to read more, and fill in little moments of your day with an extra chapter here or there.

Happenings: The end of an era

Sam finished his 10th grade year, and thereby my journey of homeschooling him came to a conclusion. He will be attending our local public school this fall, where he is already very involved on the sports teams. This is a tough transition for me, but one that I also see God having planned out for us beforehand.

From the Archives

How to keep the kitchen reasonably clean: 15 Minutes in the Kitchen. It’s a lifesaver!

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