Well, we are off on our annual trip to Michigan/Indiana. On our way up we will be stopping by the Creation Museum in Kentucky. I’m sure we will have many interesting stories and pictures to share when we return! Lora Lynn and her fam are going to hold down the fort here at the homefront. We would covet your prayers for our safety and protection during our trip. God Bless!
We have been immensely enjoying fresh picked corn from Noah’s garden! (Coming soon-a tour through the gardens by the head farmer of 11 Acre Wood). In past years we’ve creamed some of it (in small portions) and then stuck it in the freezer to be pulled out in later months. But this year, there hasn’t been any of his corn left over to cream. So we bought about a hundred ears of corn from the farmer’s market and spent one evening creaming it. With everyone helping it only took about two hours from start to finish (and I bet we could beat our record next year!). The pictures below show the process:
1st step: Shuck the corn. The boys had it done in no time!
Pull hard!!!
What???
2nd step: Momma and Gracie scrubbing off the silks.
Side note: Bekah cutting up watermelon for a snack. LOL!
3rd step: After the corn has been husked and silked, it is now time to blanch them. We did them in batches of 25 ears. The method of blanching corn means to immerse in boiling water. We did it for five minutes. Then we quickly took them out and piled them in a laundry basket. Gracie’s job was to then spray them with cold water to stop the cooking.
Momma dear.
3rd step: Take the kernels off the cob.
Bekah and Gracie workin’ hard. Together we girls were able to get them done pretty quickly!
One of the corn creamers. Our life saver! In past years we just had a knife to use, but this thing takes the kernels off in record time.
Well, what can you say when three sisters are put in a kitchen together?
May I introduce to you our new Indian princess!
4th step: Bag all the corn. We found that approximately ten ears will make 1 quart bag of creamed corn. So for our 100 ears we got around 10 quart bags.
5th step: Label bags and put in freezer.
Our watermelon thief!
Right after breakfast, one morning this week, we went over to our neighbors who have a “U pick” blueberry grove. They’ve been working for several years on growing their blueberry bushes. This year they have a full crop and a picture perfect grove! Their blueberries are not only mouthwatering, but also gorgeous. So we grabbed our hats and buckets and were off…
Picture perfect.
Pickin’ in the grove.
Very intent little worker.
Isn’t that so inviting?
Momma visiting with our neighbor, Mrs. Tess. She is so cute-they are expecting their first child!
Partners.
Nehemiah decided my bush didn’t have enough berries for him.. so off he trudged. LOL!
Sir Gibbie with his harvest.
Faster, faster, faster..
“Ready…aim….fire!”
For this little guy, there were more blueberries in his stomach than in his bucket. LOL! What a cutie.
We found that a little bird had built her nest in one of the bushes. I quickly snapped a picture before she flew off.
Everyone had to come over and see the little eggs, but were careful not to touch them.
The faithful overseer.
Round ‘em up and head ‘em out!
(Post written by Noah, pictures taken by Daddy and Ethan)
Recently we had the blessing of an extra set of adult hands to help us work on our shop. My brother-in-law Andrew was kind enough to volunteer his services in framing and putting up insulation. It’s amazing how much one extra person can increase the productivity of a construction team. Thank you Andrew!
The insulation we put up was radiant heat reflecting and consists of thin foam sandwiched between two layers of aluminum foil. It is supposed to be pretty efficient. Daddy found a good enough deal on it that we decided to insulate the whole shop. The stuff is easy to put up compared to other types of insulation (we just stapled it around the building like a house wrap), but you will feel like you are in a solar cooker if you do it in the sun. The first day that we were putting it up Andrew and I were working on covering the peak of one of the gables. At this point a thunderstorm was approaching and lightning flashes were growing closer and closer. Subsequently Andrew and I began to speed up our endeavor to tack up the piece of insulation we had halfway on. Both of us were aware that we were on a hill, standing on ladders (one of them aluminum), holding aluminum insulation above our heads, and standing beside a large metal roof covering a building partially wrapped with aluminum insulation. Thankfully, we finished tacking up the piece we were working on before the storm hit (when we had to go save another part of insulation that blew off). We thank the Lord for all the progress we have been able to make.
Walls are starting to appear.
Andrew leveling studs for me to shoot in.
The first level of insulation on.
Attempting to attach insulation with 5/16” staples. (We got longer ones later.)
Daddy handling the roll.
It’s starting to look like a building!
A shop . . . or baked potato?
A sample of our barn siding on the shed gable.
Andrew, Ethan, and myself taking a break.
The whole group: Sanders, Fanning and Uncle Brooke (Thanks for the brilliant firework show!)
Off they go!
*Laughs*
Uncle and Nephew wrestling in the grass.
Yours Truly and little Ellen Rose.
Sweetness.
Our little chipmunk.
This isn’t a posed picture.
What a comical expression on Nehemiah’s face. LOL!
Lora Lynn, Daddy (or Grandpa) and the wittle Edden Rose (as the boys call her).
I shall leave you some pictures of “the posse”.
They go off on a mission… Looking forward to watching them grow up and see how all their “ever abounding energy” is used to Advance Christ’s Kingdom.
Just a quick update. Yes, I’m back from my trip to Virginia. I rode back down with Lora Lynn and her whole family. We got back last Saturday (6-23), but haven’t had time to post anything until now. We’ve been enjoying their company and getting tasks accomplished too! Last week there was a lot of progress seen on the barn. With Andrew helping, they were able to have two “crews” working (Daddy and Ethan then Noah and Andrew). That made it go a lot faster. They’ve got the exterior walls framed and have put up most of the insulation. Also, Lord Willing, the pond builder will be starting on our pond this week. Exciting times!
Right now we girls are deep cleaning the downstairs. So I’d better stop for now and lend a helping hand to my dear sisters. More updates later…
Here are some recent pictures of the growing Fanning Kids:
A family that purposes to serve the Lord with all our hearts with gratitude for what Christ has done for us. Gratefulness and faithfulness can lead to fruitfulness.
Looks like ya’ll had fun! Miss you!!!