Dilly Carrots and Beans

We harvested the remaining carrots from our garden last week.  Troubles had a great time pulling them. He was so excited each time he got a big one!  We got one that looked like a person walking that made him laugh and one that we called The Octopus Carrot because of it's many small points.  I forgot to take pictures of them, though.

We can't eat all these carrots before they go soft, of course, so we saved a big bag of them for crunching raw, and set about preserving the rest.  We topped, washed and cut them up and made Dilly Carrots!  I haven't had them before, but I am hoping that they will be a tasty snack for the kids a couple of months from now.

I purchased some green beans to try Dilly Beans, too.  I can't wait for green bean season!  We still have some of last years but I'm not sure if we'll have enough to make it until late summer.  I made 68 quarts last year, figuring that over 1 quart a week would be enough but we enjoy them SO much! I often use 2 quarts for a meal.

You can always find more canning ideas at my recipe blog: Feeding the Crew, and there's lots of other recipes, too.  Here's hoping that all of your harvests are going well and that your summer garden is growing well, too.

This post is linked at the current Carnival of Home Preserving.

Joy in the Morning!

I'm so happy to announce that Abbott's fund has grown!  He's up to $2311 and needs just $189 shy to get to the Moving Mountains page!  Please pray for Abbott; for safety and health while he's in the institution and that a family would choose him soon!









In other good news, Silas has found a family!  He's waited for so, so long!  Hopefully his family will get their blog set up soon, so we can follow them on their journey to their son.



Kristopher, too, has been chosen!  He's such a little cutie and trapped in that bad orphanage....you know the one.  The b.a.d. one.  Pray for a fast process for his family so he can be home as soon as possible!

Keith, Ahnja, Nicholas, Paula and Anjelina's family has finally been given a court date.  They will be in front of the judge on June 12th.  Pray for a good judge and that they will be home by the end of the month. 

Rummage Sale Totals and Other Opportunities

We organized a rummage sale last month for Abbott and Michelle and had it on the 7th.  Abbott doesn't have a family yet, but we are praying that someone will choose him soon.  Michelle has a family working hard to get her and they have recently chosen another girl to be their daughter!  Felicia will soon be a Cooper, too!

Our sale began at 7 am and we were cleaning up by 6 PM.  There were people digging through the clothes as we were trying to put them away!  We had a lot of good items donated and many of them sold in the first few hours. All day long, though, people bought small things and even things that I thought would likely not sell.  Thank the Lord for His blessing on our efforts!  After the sale, we were able to send $200 to Abbott and $200 to Michelle!

There are many other opportunities to help families who are adopting or children who need a family still.  Soon I will announce a new fundraiser for Abbott; I'll give more details as it gets closer.

The giveaway for Bernadette and Mason ends today.  Hopefully you can get over there and enter.  There are few people playing, so your chance of winning is really good! 

Here's a chance to win an iPad and bring Ava home. 

There are gift cards, beautiful dresses and more available here, to benefit the adorable Claudia.

This is an online auction that will benefit Jaxon and help him come home. There are tons of beautiful bows for that special little girl in your life, along with others great items.

Hidden Treasures will be holding the week-long Mission: Makayla auction beginning June 1. There is always a wide variety of items donated to this auction and they are of such great quality!  Don't miss out helping dear Makayla get out of "the very bad place" she is in and get home where she belongs!

Miles is a newly-listed child and so, adorable!!

Gabby hasn't much more time to be available for adoption.  She desperately needs to get out of the orphanage she is in and see a doctor!  Please pray for her!












Dear Mabel is longing for a mommy to cradle her and love on her!

Little Jolene is so sweet and needs daddy and mommy to cherish her and a brother or two to look out for her!

Ransoming Bernadette and Mason

Sweet Bernadette, whose new name will be Jessica, and little Mason are being adopted by the Rogers family. Time is critical for this adoption because Bernie is already 15 years old.  They are working desperately hard to get them as fast as possible, however, money is tight.  They've only been home about 5 months from adopting the last time!  From Renee's blog:

They still need the following (in US dollars):

5625     rent/food/transportation per day ($125/day x 45 days)
  600     train tickets (2 to region, 4 back to capitol after adoption)
1600     airfare for the parents over to EE
3200     airfare for the parents and Bernie and Mason back to the USA post-adoption
2000     2 one-day visas ($1000/ea) for Bernie and Mason
2000     USCIS i600 fees ($720/ea x 2, $225/ea x 2 for required Embassy medical exams for kids)
1000     miscellaneous


Please, please, please go read that link to Renee's blog.  Rene has been in this orphanage. She has spent time with Bernadette and knows how the Orphanage Director is reacting to this incredible, unbelievable adoption. 

Let's come alongside the Rogers Family and help them raise the ransom for these dear children!  They need the church right now!  Another friend is graciously hosting a giveaway.  I have donated an item, as have several others.  It's not a huge, flashy giveaway, but a chance to do the hard work of James 1:27.  


"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."


Please go visit Mandy's blog and contribute to the Chip-In.  Leave a comment letting her know that you did.  You'll have the chance to win a prize, but much more importantly, you'll show the Rogers that they are not alone in this.  That others are praying and caring about dear Jessica and Mason. They are NOT forgotten!