A job well done

I have talked before about our goal of growing more of our own food this year. One way people can help reduce the burden on the food industry and combat higher priced food is to grow their own. It's healthier and we like what our kids learn by growing their own food. So on Friday evening the weather was nice and we were all getting over being sick. Everyone was feeling a little housebound so we went out to the yard to work on our spring plans. Here Steve is beginning to show the kids where our Strawberry bed is going to go.

We make strawberry jam and freeze strawberries for strawberry lemonade every year. We realized that we have room for a nice strawberry bed so why not grow our own? The kids were into it and got started on the bed and other yard work. There are simply not enough hours in the day for Steve and I to get all of things we like to do accomplished so we are willing to compensate the kids for a job well done. These jobs fall under compensation.

Bub dug out the trench while Lij attempted to help.

Els worked on the placement of the scalloped stone while Elijah picked rocks out of the dirt. We had pulled it out of an old flower bed a couple years ago and had set it aside for this project making the supplies free.

The bed mimics a flower bed on the other side of the firepit making everything symmetrical. For you math folks my six year old would tell you that it is mirror symmetry. The strawberry plants will be here in a week and I can't wait to get them into the finished bed. Lil worked on removing some overgrown climbing rose bushes along the back fence.

Daddy showed her where to clear out while Em worked on picking up garbge out of the yard and collecting yard toys and garden tool to be put back into the garden shed.

Look at that tough girl and her clippers. She loves this kind of work. Honestly my kids are happier when they work and have purpose. They may tire of folding laundry and loading and unloading the dishwasher but this kind of work just makes them happy.

My hubby hurt his shoulder and has to have it immobilized for awhile. We are hoping to get his MRI results later today to see if surgery will be needed. Please pray he doesn't need that. At some point during the outside time Lij hurt his arm so he "needed" a sling like daddy so a kitchen towel and some clothes pins did the trick.

It was a nice evening in the sun. I worked on restructuring a flower bed while Steve supervised the projects and kept them going. It felt so good to be in the fresh air and to get something new accomplished after a couple weeks of sickness, injury and lots and lots of laundry. Maybe I'll get some before and after photos of our yard together and post them. And maybe not. My yard is still calling.

Enjoy your day!