The Joys Of Family and Hearth

4 peppers, combination of red, green, yellow, orange~sliced chop up a large red onion 2 baking potatos diced olive oil large can of tomato puree or chopped tomatos 1 1/2 C chicken broth Put olive oil in bottom of pan, add onion, wait till translucent, then add peppers allow them to cook down until soft. Then add potatoes, tomatoes and chicken broth and cook on low for an hour or more. This will produce a thick wonderful mixture that tastes great over some italian bread!!! Or would make a wonderful addition to your sausage sandwhich!! :)

While away Memorial Weekend, we hit a local strawberry patch to pick some berries. In total me, Wayne and Anna picked 16lbs of wonderful, red berries!! We made four straberry pies and 24 jars of jam, then froze the last 5 lbs. The jam making was super easy, although I do think I should have made many more jars of jam! :) Blessings Carrie

We went camping again for Memorial Weekend, out in PA. Just love that place. We had the most relaxed time ever. No picture tho, because our resident photographer was back home. She had a wedding to shoot with a friend of ours. Ashley was so excited for the oppertunitity to shoot and from what I've seen so far, she's done a great job!! :) We went to a HUGE barn sale!! Oh what fun!!! Only got little stuff this year. But had a wonderful time, talking with the Mennonite family that was running the sale. Also went and picked 16lbs of strawberries!!! More to come on what I did with those. Got a lovely visit from a friend from NJ who was out in PA for a soccer tornament. In the meantime the weather was sooooo hot, we swam, fished, chilled in the creek and sometimes hid out in the camper! :) Blessings Carrie

While folding laundry today.. I asked my older son if he had outgrown a sweatshirt, he said yes, it can be passed down to son #2. It reminded me of how much I wanted an older brother when I was younger. I was raised an only child. While in school they would send home flyers to adopt an older child, and I would BEG my mom to adopt me an older brother.. I think I was around 10 years old at the time. I longed to feel that security of an "older" sibling. I longed to be comforted by a male. Now as I watch my oldest daughter, relate to the next in line Her brother...It's funny how God gave me her first, but with him second..and growing as much as he has this past year, He is about even height with his sister, and outweighs her! All this to say, while we were out one night.. My daughter complained she was cold and her younger brother..offered her his hoodie. It made me smile! Among the common sibling rivilery is the bond of siblings. Blessings Carrie

Wow, what a wonderful night of fellowship~Will Graham gave a great message. The floor soon crowded with people who gave thier life to the Lord. It was amazing. I love watching all the people flood the floor. Tears streaming down their faces, arms raised up to the Lord. If I had to guess I'd say maybe around 200 people, became family that night. The Lord is so good, he watches over us..even in the midst of our trials, he is there even when we don't "feel" him. He is our constant. I am so grateful for him. The concert was amazing!!! Newsboys were fantastic, and full of energy!! Flame was cool too, it was youth night and he is a christian rapper, but I loved it! :) Matthew West-didn't sing much on our night..but fantastic as always. My daughter and I were both counselers, but were not needed. More counselors then souls being saved that night. But that is good as well. That means a lot of Christians stepped up to help support Will Graham and this journey! Blessings C...

Thanks to my daughter Ashley, who is our resident photographer, and a mighty great one at that!!! :)

I can't think of an appropriate name for what to call my little parcel of land that we have. Other then a postage stamp. It's small. Very small... A sacrifice of living by the Ocean. While that has many benefits in it's own right, when you are trying to have a self sufficient garden for 7, it's not enough land. So we do what we can, with what we have. So each winter I read: Mel Barthlowmuel's Sqare Foot Gardening. Excellent book, that gives you all the info you need to square foot/container garden on a small parcel of land. I use old whiskey barrels, and containers in the front yard. That is where we get the most sun. Last night after Daddy came home, we got the rototiller started and then proceeded to rototill. Then we started to plant. So far what we have planted is, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, green beans, mint, eggplant, basil and rosemary..and a cute container of snap dragons. After planting we sat outside and enjoyed some chicken corn chowder for supper, then...