Yes, I Labored on Labor Day!

Except it wasn't the kind of labor that brings forth a baby!  ;-)

It was, however, the kind of labor that begins with this...

...except I wasn't the one doing this labor.

Jeff and the kids were, as you can see.  :)

Anyway, it starts like this...

...and ends up with the fruit of the labor being 15 pints and 6 half-pints of grape jelly made and canned and 4 half-gallons and 6 quarts of grape juice made and canned (to add to the 10 half-gallons and 7 quarts of juice that I made last week).  That's certainly nowhere near as awe-inspiring as a newborn baby, but it does give me a pleasant sense of satisfaction to see those purple-filled jars of deliciousness lined up on the kitchen counter, waiting to be taken down to the cellar tomorrow.  :)

I know at least a few members of my family were hoping I would go into labor on Labor Day, but this little guy didn't get the memo, and he's still cozy and content to be kicking around inside me.  To be honest, I'm perfectly content to still have him there!  Each day that goes by without me giving birth means that I get to add a few more items to the Completed side of my mental to-do list, and what's not to love about that?  :)

When we were preserving peaches a week or so ago, I wondered if I would make it through that entire task without giving birth--and was relieved when I did.  I had even stronger doubts that I would finish the grape harvest before this baby's arrival--but once again, am greatly relieved that I did.  A few days ago, Jeff wondered aloud if I should maybe give up the idea of a second day of harvesting and canning grapes (here was the first, last Wednesday); but I REALLY wanted to hold out for today (knowing this would be a good day in our family's schedule to do grapes) and see if I could make it without having the baby.  I think a little of the stubbornness (the good kind) ;-) that ran through the veins of my mother and grandmother and great-grandmother also runs through mine.  :)

I was so grateful for Jeff's help--and the boys' help, too--this morning with harvesting the grapes and then beginning the task of picking each one off the vine.  When Jeff, Josiah, and David needed to leave around noon or so to head into town, I thought my progress would slow considerably and maybe I wouldn't be able to finish (and oh, how I crave FINISHING tasks these days!) the grape project today.  But then as I was making the jelly, I realized that I was falling woefully short of sugar, even though I had stockpiled what I thought was an adequate amount.  A quick call to my neighbor meant that my sugar shortage was fixed; and a few minutes later, her 15-year-old daughter breezed in my house, carrying a huge bag of sugar and announcing, "I'm here to help until I have to go milk this evening!"

Problem solved!  :)  With her good help and cheery chatter, we zipped along steadily; and before she needed to leave, all the grapes were picked off each cluster, and all the jelly was made, leaving me three large bowls of grapes to turn into juice after supper--a relatively small job in comparison to all the other steps that had been involved.  Once again, I gave thanks for kind, generous, sacrificial neighbors.  :)

And tonight I'm giving thanks that this little guy stayed put, giving me the pleasure of another day of feeling his kicks inside me and giving me the satisfaction of using up what God so graciously makes grow right here in our own yard!

Now that the grape harvest is over, what more can I get done before I pause to have a baby??  :)