Strawberry Fields Forever...

There's just something about picking your own strawberries that makes them taste that much more delicious.

And, WAY more affordable than buying them in the store! We went picking twice this season, and the second visit was right at the end of the season, so the berries were super cheap.

We used these berries to make Strawberry Rhubarb jam and Strawberry Rhubarb pie...sooo good!

Wardie was especially helpful in the baking process. He really pushed himself to make sure that the entire kitchen, not just some of it, was covered in flour. Luckily, I don't care because he's so darn cute:)

And, the finished products. I ended up with 14 jars of jam...

And 3 lovely pies:)

I can't wait for blueberry picking time...maybe later this week or early next. I'm thinking some blueberry basil jam is in order. I'll make sure to share the recipe, too!

Comments

In waiting

I can wait. I'm really good at waiting. For example, each year that my husband and I exchange Christmas gifts, we manage to wait until around December 15th (give or take) to exchange gifts. And every morning, I wait until the last possible second to roll out of bed when I have to be up. And I've waited to get in a decent, consistent workout routine for years . Bad examples? Fine. I can't wait. I'm notoriously bad at being patient and letting moments 'be' without thinking about what's coming next or what I should be doing. Sit and watch tv? Sure, while I sew or copy recipes or plan a grocery list. Enjoy breakfast? Sure, after emptying the dishwasher, scrubbing the highchair and wiping down the counters. A nice road trip? Sure, I'll pack my books, magazines, 7000 piece puzzle (ok, maybe not). But, you get the point. Anyway, waiting is not something I'm good at, and this Advent season, I've finally gotten the message that h...

letting go

I just didn't think it would be this hard. I thought I'd have years to prepare for these moments...graduations, going to college, moving away, getting married. I never realized these sorts of moments would come so quickly. I was watching Wardie at the playground recently and he was trying to talk and play with some bigger kids. The kids were totally ignoring him. They weren't being mean, they just had their own agendas, their own plans. And he wasn't in them. And my mama heart hurt for him. I mean, come ON!? Why weren't those kids noticing him? He was just trying to play! And, why didn't they think he was the cutest child on the planet? And, didn't their parents teach them manners and how to be kind to younger and smaller kids!? I mean, look at this face... How could someone not want to hang out with that kid!? But, I resisted the temptation to jump in and reassure him. And, after trying again and getting the same response from the bigg...

Real Heartache

The first cut is the deepest. Isn't that how the song goes? I saw it tonight, and it shocked me into a new mama reality. Ward and I were talking about his school and how his friend, Gabrielle, is moving away next week--her dad got a new position in Alabama and they will be leaving right away. And even though he knew it was coming, he was suddenly overly concerned. "But we can go see her, right?" (Well, honey, I doubt we'll go to Alabama, but if we do, I promise we will see if we can get together with her). "But we can fly there, right mom? It's not that far!" (Well, dear, I know it sounds easy, but it isn't that simple. We have no reason to go to Alabama and mommy and daddy both have to work and we can't just pay for plane tickets to go on a vacation." "But why can't we build a house in Alabama right by hers!? It's warm there and I like to be warm!" (Well, sweetheart, we live here and we love t...

Swinging on Birches

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