Fruits of Our Labors

So I want to share a little bit of success that has been going on at my house and also thank my parents for being great teachers and examples. I live on East Mountain in south Provo. My back yard is about 50 feet across and 10 feet deep and then I have this steep weed infested rock filled mountain. Shaun had done some great work last fall making one 4 x 8 ft. area to plant a small garden. Well I wanted more, so we worked our heads off every spare moment of the spring to clear rocks and weeds and level out ground so we could plant. Then I prayed my brains out that something would grow.
Well let me just tell you what is happening in my backyard!! I have zucchini running out of my ears and we have spinach, yummy beats, squash, tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes, 3 kinds of peppers, cantaloupe, watermelon, and beautiful corn stocks. I am so excited. Just two nights ago we had a ward activity and I had forgotten that I had signed up to bring a salad and we had about 1 hour until we had to go. I knew I had some pasta and Italian dressing, so I ran out to our mountain garden and found 3 cucumbers and a big red tomato and Wallah we had a delicious salad. It was so exciting.
Now all is not perfect; my carrots didn't come up at all, my onions are the size of marbles, some of my spinach I waited to long to pick and it went to waist, my Anaheim and jalapeno peppers came on way before my tomatoes because I planted them at the same time (so I gave the peppers away cause I only eat stuff that hot is salsa). Oh and not to mention the few disagreements in prep. stages that Shaun and I had and not to forget the never ending complaining of my boys during the weeding stages. Needless to say it has been an adventure.

So I just want to tell my parents thanks for instilling me the great need to plant a garden despite difficult circumstances. Growing up we had an acre garden and I am only barely exaggerating. We planted every memorial day while everyone else was playing, and then we had to get up practically every morning of the summer and weed our 6 to 10 rows and there were 9 of us so that tells how many rows there were. I remember planting and working in that garden well into the dark of night. However despite the complaints I have many fun memories of being in the garden with my family and we ate the food from garden all year long and I know that sometimes our garden is what got us through. At this moment in my home our garden is not what keeps us from going hungry but I know it could be if needed. My kids are finding joy in the fruits of their labors. They love going up and seeing their plant all the food on it. So I just wanted to tell mom and dad thanks for teaching me about sacrifice and hard work and letting us see and experience the joy and rewards that come after.
They are wonderful to behold.