The Cough that Wouldn't Let Go

                                              In past posts, you see that I totally

enjoy garlic.

I enjoy cooking with it.

I enjoy growing it.

I especially love the health benefits of it.

Recently, I again saw it's "powers"

at work.

Jordan, our oldest, has always been like me, in that,

if he gets tired, he gets sick.

In May he started working full time days.

In June he went to junior camp with our boys

followed by a week of teen camp.

The weekend in between the camps he started hacking

and coughing.  He kept saying he felt like

he was getting sick.

He rested over the weekend, trying to get enough energy

for teen camp.

He decided the morning we left for teen camp to go.

I knew he didn't feel well but also didn't want him to miss

out on the week he was so looking forward to.

He grabbed the Vit C bottle and went to camp.

While he was there at camp, he didn't seem better.

I could hear him sneezing and coughing during the meetings.

Each time I'd hear him, I pray he'd be feeling better soon.

As a Mom it's so hard seeing your kids not well but also

know these are the times that cause them to grow on

their own.  Many lessons can be learned from

sticking it out even though you don't feel up to it.

After camp, the cough continued and got worse.

Monday and Tuesday he went to work.

By Tuesday, the sickness caught up to him and the cough

got deep into his lungs. 

Each time I heard it, I thought to myself
"That does not sound good."

When he got home from work Tuesday night, he said he was sick.

He went right to bed.

Wednesday he called in sick to work.

I knew he was real sick as he doesn't like

skipping work, especially as he'd taked two weeks off

recently to go to camp.

Red Clover plant

All day Wednesday I pumped herbal

teas into him.  I made ones that with herbs that are good for

coughs.

I also gave him three garlic capsules every hour or two.

Garlic is said to be a natural antibiotic.  If he has some

sort of infection, the garlic would help.

I also know that consuming it WON'T hurt so why not load him up.

With lots of herbal teas & honey, Vit C, and garlic being

pumped into him and LOTS of sleep, Jordan

went to work the next day.

The cough lasted about a week but was sounding

less deep in his chest.

The week after Jordan got this, we found out there were

others with similar illnesses.  In the other cases,

it was diagnosed as broncitus and pnenomia.

The doctor's remedy was antibiotics.

I try  to avoid antibiotics.

I'm so thankful to the Lord that none of our children have

been put on them.  God has given

natural remedies that I try to implement first and they've

always done their job.

Mullein plant

(I'm not opposed to doctors and their medicines.  There

are times and cases they are truly needed and are so helpful.

But, I do feel that natural is best, when it can be done.)

It's now three weeks after camp, and the cough

still shows it's nastiness at times.

I've praised the Lord again and again for His goodness

in providing garlic for our home.

Peppermint plant

The herbal tea I made contained:

Red Clover-  good for preventative of health problems

Mullein- used in respiratory problems and pulmonary diseases

Peppermint- excellent for fever and flus

(Taken from THE HOW TO HERB BOOK)

Other books I constantly refer to are

PRESCRIPTION FOR NUTRITIONAL HEALING

and

HOW TO RAISE A HEALTHY CHILD
IN SPITE OF YOUR DOCTOR

I just asked Jordan what vitamins he took while he was

sick and he told me they were:

Vitamin C, Alfalfa, Garlic,

Cod Liver Oil and my tincture.

Rest, healthy eating, lots of fluids,

herbs and vitamins.

I personally get our family vitamins from a company

called Beeyoutiful.

I get nothing for promoting them here but thought

if you were interested in getting good quality

vitamins/remedies, I'd mention my supplier.

This is where I get our garlic capsules, cod liver oil and

alfalfa.

It's also where I get our boy's vitamins.

The How to Herb Book

http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/01/herbal-medicine-chest-herbal-salves.html

Building, Badmitton, Bread and Butters and Blessings

A week in review. 

It's funny when you look back at the week,

the littlest things make the greatest memories.

This week has been VERY hot and humid!

It reminds me of when we lived in VA. 

The days there were even hotter than this week has been

and much more humid.

It wasn't a week of it there, but months.

I'm thankful for where we live now but love the memories

of the past places we've lived.

Monday was the cake day.

Our church is having a cake decorating class given

by a lady from our fellowship.

She's a very sweet lady doing this for us!

This was our second lesson.

It's always such a sweet time when you can get together

with friends and learn something new and

laugh together.

One poor friend dropped her finished cake as she

was loading it up. 

*****

I followed my sister's directions for her

yummy zuchini bread and butter pickles another day.

They were SO very yummy!

I'm already thinking I need to do another batch,

one jar was devoured.

*****

The project continued this week on our home.

Two days this week a youth group and a few

men came and gave of their time and labor.  What a blessing

to see people give of themselves

for us.

It's rather humbling!

It's beginning to look like a room.

We go out and stand in the room picturing how big the dining

room will become.  Thoughts of Thanksgiving

and us ALL fitting around the table is so nice.



*****

Because it's been so hot this week,

my fella has been working lots in the early morning or real late

at night to avoid the heat.

It also makes him able to help when the workers are here

working on the addition.

The afternoon the workers didn't come, he took

 us to a friend's house to swim in their pond.

The friend's have left an open invitation to come as we please.

Of course, I wish they lived next door :)

but each time we come, they're soooo gracious, sweet and

hospitable!  They're DEAR friends!

I just love being in the water!

The boys are all great swimmers and have learned to love the water

as I do :)

"Here comes the Mule, who wants a ride!?!?!"

What a great afternoon/evening with friends!

*****

And of course, our badmitton games.

I try SO hard to whoop my fella

only to lose in the end!

Our relationship started with competition

(ping-pong) and it hasn't ended!

What a great week!
I hope your week was filled with blessings and fond memories

with those you love most.

May the Lord bless you!

The Garlic Harvest

Last evening, my fella and the boys

were moving the last big pile of dirt.  I was weeding and

fiddling in the garden.

I noticed the garlic were looking done.

I pulled one out and checked.

Yup, they're ready to be harvested.

I began to pull them out.

I noticed there were a few garlics with scapes.

A few weeks back, I cut the scapes off.

You're supposed to do that and I was curious to see

how much of a difference there was.

Sure enough, the garlics

with scapes I missed were half the size of the rest.

After I pulled them out, I bundled them up.

Because of the work project going on with the back

porch, I couldn't hang them out there as I have

in the past.

I thought of another spot.



They're hanging nicely in the hall downstairs.

When I woke up this morning,

I could smell the aroma of garlic.

I love the process of harvesting the crops!

Staff at Camp

Our church decided to send a group of juniors

to camp this year.

We have three that fit the age group- ages 8-12.

They worked hard all spring to raise the money to go.  

We have never allowed our boys to do over night

activities or peer group activities

without us being there.

Because my fella was already giving up a week

of work to attend teen camp , he decided

 not to go to the junior age group.

We asked Jordan if he would mind going and keeping

an eye on his younger brothers.

We're SO thankful for an older brother who is a good example

and who we can trust do be responsible with watching them.

Brendan decided he wanted to work on staff the same week

Jordan and his younger brothers would be there.

He filled out the applications, our Pastor sent in a

required form and then had a phone interview with the camp director.

Pastor Krohn then told him he was hired.

This was a sacrifice for us in many ways.

My fella would lose his work partner for the week,

we had to drive him to the Pastor's church to get to the camp,

Brendan had to pay to work there but we felt it was

going to be a very good experience for him.

Brendan is more quiet in crowds. 

He's always had Jordan with him and Jordan tends to be more

out-going.  This would be good to be on his own and step out some.

The Sunday before camp started,  we drove out to the

church that runs the camp.

Brendan had to be there to ride with the rest of the staff to help

set up for camp.

After the church meeting, the group of teens going to camp

started gathering their belongings into  vans and were

all laughing and fooling around. 

They all know eachother.

We all watched as they loaded and I instantly wondered

how Brendan was feeling.

I began to fret inside worrying he was feeling

left out, feeling insecure, etc.

We said our good-byes and left him there.

My fella told me to stop fretting, he would be fine!

The next day our younger boys left with Jordan.

I sent my phone with Jordan and told him to call me when he got there.

I especially wanted to know how Brendan was doing.

Jordan didn't call until Thursday night!

Man,  I was wondering and wondering!!

He said Brendan seemed fine but doesn't seem him much.

He was working and helping with the games.

Brendan and his fella staff workers.

Friday morning the group was coming home.

Brendan originally planned on coming back with our juniors.

Early Friday morning Brendan called and asked to stay the weekend

with the staff and then would be there already for our teen week.

I was so pleased he was having such a good time!

When we all arrived at camp, I was so anxious to

 see my red head.

He was sitting with the staff eating lunch.

I ran over and gave him a huge hug and kiss.

He seemed so grown up!

Brendan had a wonderful time working with the staff and

actually preferred working than being a camper.

We plan on bringing him back to camp the last week so he can work

again there.  What a wonderful blessing to have another

outlet for our boys to be sharpened and be with

godly young people!

My Mother came the week so we could attend

teen camp with the teens from church.

She's such a wonderful Grandmother!

They had so much fun with her and made great memories!

I love you, Mom!!!

Many girls could not of gone to camp if it weren't for you!

Hard Work Mulching

I love gardening but one job I don't

care for is mulching.

I so value the results of it but it really bothers my back.

It's the one job that I can guarantee a sore

back the night I'm done with it!

We're going away to teen camp next week.

 The garden has been very neglected and over grown with weeds lately.

I was determined to get it mulched today.

My fella got me a load of mulch from the lumber mill

down the road from us.

Most of the crew is off to camp and

my fella took Hunter to do a window job with him after they got the mulch.

So it was all me today. 

Oh man, I knew it was going to be an all day job.

So I took it slow.

When I got all done with spreading it,

I was so disappointed that it only covered about half of the garden!

I knew a week away would be real bad!

The weeds would take right over.

When my fella got home from his window job,

he commented he was going to mow the back field as it was very long.

YEAH,  I could finish my mulching job!

As he mowed in neat rows for me,

I began filling wheel barrels and spreading it on my garden.

It's a bit of a walk to the field and back to the garden but

it felt good to get the job done!

I finished the big vegetable garden before dark.

I hope to get the potato garden and the side garden done in the

morning. 

What a blessing to get the job done and

it was free.

The only bad thing is the grass stains  your hands....



and your feet!