Reflections

We had the fun of hosting a Rotary Foreign Exchange student these past four months. Ben is a Dutch boy from Germany who chose to come to the USA for the year.  He went home yesterday and left a hole in our home and hearts. Ben is a fine young man with a heart as big as all outdoors and  who gives his all to every endeavor. He has a loud deep voice with a lovely accent that charms all the babies that come to our home (and the big people as well!) He was sad to leave and we were sad to see him go. We pray God's richest blessings on him and hope to see him again soon!

I have been thinking lately about my life and how blessed I have been to be able to stay at home and raise  my children. I have been a mother for 34 years now and have absolutely loved being a homemaker! I honestly don't think I have been bored for one single day being home. Homemaking is my chosen career, not something that I settled for. As such, I have given it my all, developing my skills as I went along. There are such a large variety of skills a woman can develop at home. There are, of course, the basics of housekeeping, cooking and cleaning, but these are only the beginning! Over the years I have learned to bake breads, make jams and jellies, freeze and can food from our gardens, sew my and my children's clothing, quilt, knit and crochet, make all kinds of crafts, make soap, garden, paint and wallpaper, lay flooring, homeschool my children, and all kinds of different things. What fun I have had! It seems to me that homemaking is becoming a lost art that needs to be revived. Young mothers need to be encouraged to bring their very best to their home for the sake of their families. I may sound old-fashioned, but I believe that the home is where true fulfillment lies for a woman. I love the old saying,"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." I really believe this is true in the sense that we as mothers shape the future. I am going to continue to think on this and sees where it goes.

Last week in the garden, we had our initial harvest of ...zucchini!! I fixed my favorite recipes and had Luke take pictures so that I can share  them with you. So, get ready in the next few days for recipes that you will really love using that prolific vegetable of the summer!

Our oldest grand-daughter turned seven years old this month! She is growing into such a sweet young lady and we love her so much! Happy Birthday, Eloise! It is also Luke's, Sam's and our daughter-in-law Sara's birthdays in July. Birthdays are such happy days!

May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Diana