abundance

It is often that I sit back and take in that which I have been blessed with in my life. The wonderful children who are so smart and sweet, the beautiful home (until I buy my forever home), the bounty always set before me even when times are lean. I have been gifted with abundance in my world. And I am so grateful for it all!

There is nothing like the thrill of getting the first red tomatoes from your garden (even if the plant was dying and they were all picked green). The joy of climbing an apple tree to get the gorgeous red fruits! Our apple tree is small and wonky but my what a producer! We have pulled 6 bags of apples (maybe more) from this one little tree and yet it still yields fruit fresh and sweet and as red as Snow White's own apple. I don't think I have ever purchased an apple (they are Gravenstein) quite as sweet or quite as satisfying as the ones we grab from our own little tree. We have even been lucky enough to have another tiny tree that gave us perfect little kid sized Golden Delicious apples; officially my favorite! Amusingly enough, apples have always made me feel slightly sick before (when purchased from the store all not ripe and sad) but this fresh plucked bounty has never caused me a moment of anything but glee.

It is in the midst of this yummy happiness that I have even more joy to behold. My Loki (all of 8.5 now) has taken to sewing like a fish to water. I actually had to drag him away from the sewing machine yesterday to go play outside for a little while. A mothers pride glowing out of the top of my head! My little crafting boy. He is such an inventive soul in every way already (he can't get enough of technology or science which is thrilling) I can hardly wait to see all of the fantastical creations that come from within him.

My youngest Bodhi, loves to take part in the household antics. He is the best helper (for a 2 year old) and always comes barreling through the yard when it is time to pick apples or water tomatoes or check on the thyme. He takes great pride in his findings of ripe foods. And if many of them have tiny nibbles taken out of them well those will be pie or apple sauce! He is simply sampling his wares. My littlest blessing (especially after all that we have recently been through) we are more than grateful for the life we live!

And though this year we only managed to get tomatoes and apples from our little 1/2 acre, and while the coop is about to be pulled apart and rebuilt for the umpteeth time (my plans were less than perfect but hey I am new at this...at least the girls aren't laying yet  *fingers crossed*), and though the gophers and moles are making it difficult to figure out how best to utilize our sweet little piece of land (we have decided not to kill any of them because as Loki says they have as much right to be here as we do...point well taken) the abundance that comes from the little we have (and shared gifts from the bounty of the gardens of friends) we have more than enough.