Our farm is going crazy. In a good way. We’ve been processing all sorts of fruits and vegetables and every time I turn around there’s something else ripe!

I also ordered peaches and pears so those had to be processed as well. I’m so excited to see the shelves in my cold cellar filling up. But it’s all a lot of work too. And of course it all comes right when we need to start school!

I have to remind myself of how wonderful all these food vegetables and fruits all be in January! And I have to remind myself that harvesting, canning, and moving jars around is all part of learning!

Last night I took a walk down the driveway while the little boys ran down the driveway. The sun was shining as it set, the breeze was light, and there were lots of giggles. I looked over and noticed my favorite bush on my property. A couple years ago a friend excitedly pointed this bush out to me and at the time I didn’t realize what a treasure it was. Now I baby it!

It’s a large, gorgeous elderberry bush! And, of course, it was heavy and full with ripe berries! Kids, grab the bowls and scissors!

If you’ve never processed elderberries, it’s so tedious. It’ll take us a week of evenings watching movies and picking berries off the branches to just get the berries ready. You can’t have any little sticks or green berries because they are toxic, so it’s a long, arduous process. Then we have to boil them with all sorts of other good things to make a syrup. But my, oh my! What a blessing elderberry syrup is in the winter when colds and flu abound. We stayed so healthy last winter taking it regularly.

Now the tomatoes are going crazy, the apples are almost ripe and the beets are waiting to be harvested as well. I’m going to try pickled beets this year, which I’ve never done before. I’ll probably be the only one to eat them, but hey, we’ll give it a try.

It all makes me feel so blessed but also so overwhelmed! It’s exactly like when I look at my kids! I feel so blessed and so overwhelmed. There’s kids everywhere and they all need me. All. The. Time. And yet, it’s so good.

The harvest we reap each fall reminds me to keep going with my kids, even when it’s overwhelming and I’m exhausted. Even when I have no idea what to do with them or if it’ll work.

I have to remember that in the end, the harvest I reap with my kids is more important than anything else I do in this life. And just like those canned peaches and pears will be so so sweet and wonderful in January, watching my kids grow into adults who prayerfully love Jesus will be the sweetest blessing.

When I look at a family photo my heart swells. I feel so abundantly blessed with all these beautiful, wonderful, uniquely made people in my life! I’m so thankful God trusted Andrew and I to raise these children. And I’m thankful for those who help us along the way, just as kids help me with the garden. None of us are meant to do this life alone.

Happy Harvest season!