All the Apples
It’s my dream to have a garden someday. I would love to be able to head into the backyard, pick veggies, prepare a homemade salad, and know that my family is eating healthy and chemical free food! As we’ve been getting our backyard fixed up (Nate just put up a fence last weekend!), we’ve intentionally planned out a spot for my garden this coming spring. It’s happening!!!
Until then, we’ve had to rely on friends to give us produce from their homes (or buy it from the store… but that’s no fun!). This past month we had two families from church with apple trees invite us over to pick our hearts out! We absolutely took them up on the offer and ended up bringing home two huge laundry baskets full of apples! My little homesteading heart was overjoyed!
For days Caleb and I worked in the kitchen, turning apples into apple sauce, apple pie filling, dried apple chips, and so much more! It was such a special time with my little guy – teaching him how to work the apple peeler/corer/slicer, turning a blind eye as he popped apple chip after apple chip into his mouth instead of letting them fully dehydrate, and giggling as I continued to find apples all over the house – in bedrooms, toy boxes, and in every pot in the cupboard – hidden by a sneaky little dude.
Of course I had to share my apple goodies with my friends after we finished and they were amazed with how much Caleb and I had gotten done. They asked me how I found the time to process so many apples with two little guys and everything else I have going on in life. I realized that creating all these apple goodies gave me such a sense of accomplishment. As moms, we don’t often have things in our lives that have an ending. We finish our pile of laundry – washing it, drying it, folding it, putting it away – only to realize we have to start over again. We clean the kitchen to perfection and then it’s time to make dinner and get things completely messy again. (Anyone else want to get takeout and use paper plates for the rest of your life so the kitchen can stay clean? No? Just me?)
It was wonderful to have a task that I could complete. I could see the pile of apples diminishing before my eyes. I could see the jars of yummy goodness growing quickly! And, after days of hard work, the last apple left the basket, got cut up, and was transformed into applesauce. I was done. There was nothing left to do.
The pride of the accomplishment was amazing! I knew I had finished something and finished it well. I knew my family had jars of tasty treats in the pantry for months to come.
I realized for myself that I need more of that in my life. I need more tasks that have a completion. As moms, we need these tasks for our sanity. What are you going to add to your life to fulfill that need?
