Daddy took the night boys camping. Mommy and the girls were left home to play.

My baby turned one a few days ago. We decided maybe it was time for a new riding toy.

Garrison liked the idea.

Everyone wanted to help put it together. Garrison could hardly wait to get on it.

The next day, Mama and Papa brought some more fun. Tractor and ball and firetruck.

I think he's a happy boy.

Though they don't love pulling weeds...

They enjoy kale, spinach, strawberry, banana smoothies! :)  Fruits of our labor-minus the banana and the yogurt.

Growing up, Mom always gardened and canned and froze and cooked from scratch. Home grown and home made tastes so much better. Now with all the realization of what modern foods are doing to our bodies, for the sake of health, many of us are trying our hands at growing supper.

I have tried a garden nearly every year. Let me tell you, I am by no means a natural green thumb!  The first year, we lived beside a Mennonite family who took great pains with their garden. There was their garden- Large, perfectly manicured, producing much fruit...  A few feet away was mine- Small, more weeds than vegetables and producing little to nothing except maybe a few zucchini.
Over the years I have learned a few tricks of the trade-the hard way, by trial and error. In TX the final summer we were there, I was very diligent at tending my garden daily. It was beautiful and well watered until the summer refused to render temperatures less than 120. The garden bore big leafy plants but no fruit. Out of 6 zucchini plants I harvested 3 zucchini!!  Two rows of green bean plants produced 5 green beans! ''Here kids, here's your green bean for the year.'' Disheartening! 
So, despite my many efforts, as of yet, my gardening expertise has failed to produce more than a few things to eat.Last year we spent a year with my parents. I was pregnant and nearly bedridden, but my parents helped the rest of my family put in and bring about jars of green beans, tomato juice, applesauce, grape juice, bags of frozen corn, a cellar full of potatoes, freezer jam and frozen berries and my taste for homemade was renewed!  The final button pushing my desire to try the homegrown/homemade thing yet again was a book called Animal Vegatable Miracle by Barbara Kingslover

The first change in our habits and diet was from processed breads to homemade mostly whole wheat breads.

We also began baking homemade ''healthy'' cookies (similar to cliff bars) and homemade granola. We've always baked most of our own cookies and desserts.

This spring, a local strawberry patch provided a field trip worthy couple days of learning experiences. The results were good eating, bags of frozen fruit and jars of freezer jam.

We are still working on building up our supplies to put up a year's worth of good food, and are doing what we can to make this a reality this year. So far, our garden has provided yummy lettuce and spinach and is looking pretty for good eating later in the summer. Healthier eating, experience, exercise, knowledge, family time, memories, saved pennies... These are all benefits of the plan.

I just found out I can update my Blog on my phone. Hence the silence for a few months since we moved and don't currently have Internet access for our computer.

Summer has come and I have much catching up to do. Look forward to several new posts coming up. How does a family of six kids move quickly?  What does summer mean for homeschoolers?  Gardening - give me the basics.  These will just be a few!