Pumpkins!

So cute I almost didn't cook them...Almost

This was after our first picking.

 









   
     This year we grew pumpkins in our garden, and they pretty much grew like crazy and took control of the the whole thing.  Despite this, I found that my most favorite thing to grow was pumpkins. You plant them and they do their thing until the end of summer and then you get to pick them.  They come out in so many different colors, shapes and sizes.  I have been recently putting up my pumpkins so that we can have yummy pumpkin bread, muffins, cake, pancakes etc. all winter long.  One unexpected thing that came from growing the pumpkins is the spiritual lessons that arise.  Just yesterday my four year old daughter and two year old son were sitting looking at the pumpkins I had on the table.  Some were little jacks, some were baking pumpkins and so on.  I heard my daughter say, "Do you remember when were little and all we wanted was a little pumpkin? That's all we wanted huh?" "Yeah" said the little man. "Now that we're older all we want are bigger pumpkins" she said as they tried to stack them.  "Yeah" said her brother.

    I thought this was funny at first because of the "remember when we were wittle?"  But then I started thinking about how true this was for all of us.  Always wanting something more beyond what we have.  Just like when a little pumpkin used to be good enough and now we want a gigantic one.  I remember when I lived in a university apartment and all I wanted was a bigger apartment where I didn't have to walk to the laundry room to do laundry and I cook more than one thing at a time.  Then all I wanted was a house.  Now I can't wait for us to add on to our little homestead.  The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-12 "...for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need."  Even at four my daughter recognizes this in her own little way, and though I don't think she knew all the implications to what she said, it's like we recognize from early on that we are never quite content.

Just a little pic of the girls reading together

     I know that some of my circumstances have made me feel discontent.  Certain strains that happen, and feel worse with my bouts of insomnia.  My little man has recently had some issues with his ear as he was born with a preauricular sinus/pit and it got infected. He was born with it and I just thought that was how his ear looked but come to find out it is a genetic birth defect. From where or how I do not know.  Less than 1% of people have it, but we will be going to a children's hospital and he will most likely have surgery on it.  We also recently met with some nice ladies to help determine if he might need a little help with his speech.  They luckily found that he is great in almost all areas of development, which I knew he was but that he did need a little help with forming words.  This is really no big deal, but it came the same week as learning about his ear.  It was a little overwhelming though for a few days as I honestly was getting a phone call every half hour or so at times.  But I realized that I should be glad that we found a doctor that could help this condition and that there is a program that is of no cost to us to help the little man talk clearer.  The Lord never said that our lives would be without struggle or hardship, but He did promise to be there with us every step of the way.  And so I pray as we prepare for whatever happens in the future that I would grow from it and see as another opportunity to lean into Him.