The Bounty of the Harvest

Okay, so I have a love/hate relationship with my garden!  I love to see the new sprouts in the spring popping up out of the dark, rich, moist soil, but I HATE all the soil prep, tilling and hard work that goes into getting the garden ready.  I really hate the months of weeding without much else happening with the plants.  I love to pick peas right from the vine and pop the little, green pods open and eat them fresh.  I love and hate my raspberries that produce so much that I don’t know what to do with them after I’ve made double batches of freezer jam, had raspberry shakes for breakfast and dinner, and used them in every possible way I can think of, yet still have bowls full left over.  I love Spencer and Chris singing, “sometimes we have to work hard in the garden!” after an FHE lesson on hard work and since just about every Monday night through the summer and fall is spent weeding or picking veggies.   But most of all I LOVE the harvest at the end of the year!  I love to see bags of freshly picked tomatoes bursting out of their skins.  I love to eat tomatoes and cucumber salad.  I love to see the beautiful jars of canned vegetables and fruits sitting on my counter ready to be stored for the winter.  I love my wheelbarrow filled with the onions that will store in my cold storage for the winter.  I love the smell of tomato sauce simmering on the stove that took all day to create.  But truth be told I hate all the work that goes into canning, freezing, saucing, jamming all those veggies!  It truly is a love hate relationship.  But worth it in the winter when I can use all those yummy veggies we prepared together, Chris and I, and know the love and work that went into it!