Howdy Folks,   Wow has it been a busy summer, as you all know I,m sure!  Well we found out a hard thing- homesteading and trying to juggle in a website too! We will be changing up a few things on our website, hopefully you all will like them.
 We are reading out loud as a family a book called "Forty Acres and No Mule" by Janice Holt Giles. It is an excellent book based on true stories and events about homesteading in the mountains of Appalachia Kentucky. You can order the book from http://www.cumberlandbooks.com/. They have wonderful books.
  We hope to be uploading great pictures of our bountiful onion harvest. They cured so good (300 of them) up in the barn hayloft this year. We are very excited.
                                         Well, that's all for now folks!
                                                            Many blessings to your homestead,
                                                                                 Vicki for the West Family

    "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works."
                                                                                                                                  Psalm 9:1
Well, summer is coming to an end and we are grateful for the cooler weather. But I have noticed how we are always so thankful for a new season when it begins to change around us. I reckon that's what happens when you live seasonally. Just the other day I heard an elderly lady talking to another about the heat of the summer. She mentioned how unbareable and exshausting the heat was and how she "just could not wait for the winter time to get here." The second lady agreed with her, but then added,
"You know, we always seem to want something other than what we have. Either it's too dry, too wet, too hot or too cold. We are never satisfied"
How true were her words, and I decided right then to try not to complain and bare out the rest of the summer with a joyful and gratetful attitude. And here we are! Autunm is just around the corner!!
   We have stayed very busy the past three months since we have blogged. Canning, gardening, harvesting, swimming and filming. "The Art of Crafting" was finished at the end of July, making it the 11th film we have made. The Lord has blessed us and we are thankful.
 This is just a quick blog to check in with y'all. And here are some pictures to share with y'all from our some of our summer projects.
                                          May the Lord bless and be with y'all!
                                                             Blessings,
                                                                    Cecilia for the West Family

Here are a few friends helping sort Red Wriggler Worms

Mama loves her worms!

Many hands make work light.

Our purple hull pea harvest

A basket full of garden blessings!

Georgia Peaches in a jar and water bathed for 25 minutes

Aren't  they  beautiful!

Pouring up ketchup

Ketchup is so much more fun to can over an open fire!

This is the way we wash the rugs!

Agitate with your bare feet, saves on your back!

We were able to make 16 pints of homemade ketchup!

Taking care of the hickory tree in the goat and sheep pen.

 On a farm we don't ride for fun, we get things done! Look closely, our friend Samuel is bush hogging.