Our week

Our week has had its ups and downs. First let's start with the ups with some pictures from our outings this week. We went blueberry picking again last weekend. It was probably our last trip for the summer but I think we have a well stocked freezer. The heat has really kicked in here and so we're spending as much time indoors as possible. (Except for every 15 minutes that I have to take the puppy out!)With the intense heat here we have been taking advantage of the little pool we got for the puppies. Carson has even found me sitting in it just to cool off.


Our garden is also doing well, and we have been having a lot of bruchetta with our basil and delicious red tomatoes. I also discovered how to make mint tea last week. It is so refreshing and will be a staple in our refrigerator now.

On Monday our friends, the Wylies, invited us over to enjoy some homemade ice cream. It was delcious and we had a wonderful evening. Their little almost-two-year-old Lydda Grace got to play with Rylie. It was funny that Rylie actually weighed more than she did. They had a great time playing together. Rylie also made another friend that evening; another puppy the same age. They must have played for over an hour. Needless to say Rylie slept very well that night.

Not to be too negative but our week went down hill from there. Carson found out the next day that his graduate assistantship will end next week. So come August first we have no jobs. I already had a couple applications out that I should hear back on soon. Carson jumped right in and has been contacting people about jobs in the area. He has gotten a few positive responses but nothing concrete yet. So that is our focus at the moment. Every spare moment is spent on a job search or working on the jeep but we know that God has a plan for us and He will reveal it in His perfect timing.

Poor Jeep

I have always heard people talk about taking the plunge and being a one car family but have never been brave enough to try it. We are blessed in that we have two cars and no car payments so we have never needed to do this. However, Monday we woke up to this:

So we're doing the one car family thing for now. We don't want to rush out and get a new hood in case his turns up at a scrap yard. It has been interesting to see how we can function as a one-car family. I really admire those that do it on a long term basis. We are thankful that more was not taken (it looks like they were planning to steal the front grill and radiator too) and thankful that we are at a place in our lives where we can deal with just one car. I am able to stay home and spend time with the puppies and focusing on getting the house in order.

Happy 4th!

Happy Independence Day everyone! We celebrated yesterday and had a great day. We spent the morning berry picking trying to stock up on the blackberries while they are still in season. I think we got 13 pounds yesterday and that wasn't our only trip! I have so many plans in store for these delicious berries. The ones that weren't frozen were turned into jam this afternoon along with some peaches that we got yesterday. I now have about 15 cups of jam in my freezer.


Jam. I love it. Not only do I love the taste of it and put way too much on my biscuits, but I love the memories that come with jam. My dad's mom always used to make strawberry jam for our family (well mostly for me because I consumed the majority of it - sometimes I would share with my dad.) She made wonderful strawberry jam. Even though she lived far away and we didn't see each other very often, I loved that we had that connection through strawberry jam. Fast-forward a few years when we were on our annual summer trip to Alabama. My mom and her mom decided that it would be fun to take the kids (me and my brother) berry picking. Well, I had plans of my own and decided it would be fun to make it the most miserable trip possible for them (I was a little terror child- just ask my family). While the berry picking wasn't enjoyable to me, I did enjoy going home that afternoon and making jams of all different flavors!

[Helpful Note: We got some pretty bad blackberry stains on our clothes while picking them. When I got home I began looking for the best natural way to get it out. I was worried when the first few things I read said that they were the hardest stains to get out. You'll never guess what worked: boiling water. Whoever said you need harsh chemical stain removers was wrong!!]

Last night we made our own pizzas and then went to see some fireworks at Clemson. Our friend Lynn joined us for the evening and she had just purchased her first Digital SLR camera so Carson was able to teach her a lot about her camera. It was a very fun and festive evening!