New Years Eve

How many of you are planning on staying up until it is officially 2007? If you are will you be alone with your immediate family or will you be participating in a "party"?

Blog Titles

I must admit that I have puzzled over the amazing blog titles. I am sure their are long stories behind the titles or maybe not. For instance, where did Bool's Blog come from? I know there must be story behind that one. Another question, why (D)rivvel Supp? Is this PA Dutch or some form of German? What does it mean? It sounds like some kind of soup...

Long & Short Of It

Here is the deal. We are hoping to get a final inspection next Thursday or Friday. We are also hoping they will let us move even if they don't pass it. I must admit it slows us down to be trying to finish up around the holidays. Everyone needs time off so it drags on out. I keep telling myself "Hey man, what's a few more days..."

Slowly/Quickly

It feels slow but I believe it is quick. I am referring to my recovery. I feel quite a bit better this morning. I was not nauseas (sp?) while milking this morning. Now I am very tired and weak. I look forward to my nap. I believe this little big has been some what active. I am aware of three or four people who have been sickish. Rachel and Jackson have both made the bug feel welcome.

The Flu

I think I have the flu bug. I feel like I could, well, never mind...

Gifts

I am wondering what gift has meant the most to you? I can remember several that have been special. However, it wasn't the gift itself. The gifts that have meant the most to me have been the unexpected ones. Has this happened to you? I remember one time when two young guys from church brought me a gift. I was shocked. I didn't realize they liked me enough to spend money on me. It meant alot.

Quote Of The Day

Aleya went with me too get some milk a few minuets ago. As she was getting into the van she hollerd "MAMMA AND SIERRA, I AM SORRY BUT I CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE" She was sure they were sad she was leaving them for a few seconds.

Box

Boxes make grand houses...

 

House Update

Let me see, the upstairs is trimmed out except for the master bedroom. We had a fairly major misunderstanding concerning stain colors on the master bedroom trim. So we will be changing this. The electrician was here today and we now have a few lights in the house. The shelving guy was out today and roughed in the upstairs shelves. My cabinet man was here today as well. The base cabinets are set as are some of the vanities. He will be back in the morning to bolt the counter top together. Busy day...

Life

Sonny is heading for IN in the morning. He will be out their for a week. This means I will be taking care of the chores this week. We are slowly/rapidly moving towards moving. Some things are going really well and then some things are not. This whole thing is making me weary and I want to get it over with. I am currently listening to an album Jack Veazy recorded while he was singing with the King's Heralds. He is probably the best baritone I have ever heard. He must be really good at golf also because when he retired from singing he became a golf instructor. Anyway, enough about life for one night...

Tea Party

Grandma had a tea party with the grandchildren...

 

Town

The men are headed off to town to shop for a little . Not sure what this day will hold. Games, coffee, and discussions have been the agenda thus far. We are heading for home in the morning. I would have to say this time with family, in laws included, has been very good.

Light

In Sunday School yesterday morning we were discussing walking in the light. How do you procalim the light on a day to day basis and how are you procaliming the light this Christmas season? What does it involve? Is it more than living the quiet lifestyle that Mennonites have become known for? Have the Mennonites become to quiet? Have we moved from being the quiet of the land to being the silent of the land? This would then lead us into another issue and that is the issue of a Christians involvement in goverment or politics. Thoughts anyone?

Change Of Venue

We are headed to a Christmas program at my brother-in-law's church. I have some nieces and a nephew who will participating in this event. After this program we will be driving on over ro my parents place located in Guys Mills PA.

VOP

Last evening our first tenor, Josh, sent an email with yet another request for us to sing. In the past 10 days we have had more people ask us to sing at their church or church sponsored function then we have in the past year. Several of these contacts were a direct result of our singing at Pastor's Christmas Banquet. We are excited about these developements for several reasons. The first and most obvious reason is related to scheduling. When they call us we don't have to call them. This makes life much easier. The second reason is a direct realationship to our ministry and our goals. The busier or more active we are gives us confidence in what we are doing. That God is in our ministry and is blessing us. That we do have a place or ministry in this world regardless of the denomination. The third reason has to do with money. The more active a group becomes the healthier the groups bank account will be. We have some rather lofty goals for this next year which includes recording another album and our reunion tour. To make these goals a reality funds need to be available. Our basic goal is to draw people to Jesus the ONE who came to break our oppression.

Similiar Taste

We arrived in Middlefield last night about 4:30 and soon after entering the house we made a discovery. The light fixtures Rachel's parents purchased for their house are the same as the ones we are going to install in our new house. Rachel's mother made the comment "Yeah, we have similiar taste." Of course they have similiar taste, they find the cheapest thing they can and then they buy it.

Away

We are planning on going away today. We will be in OH, Rachel's parents, until Sunday evening. We will be in PA, my parents, until Wednesday morning.

Editing

For those of you who read this blog you are unaware that I have english skills. I do not know when to use these , ; : I also do not know if something is their or there or they're. Okay, so I do know they're is similar in meaning to youse or youins... But I digress. My motherinlaw, or is it Mother-In-Law is a world renown author. She has written four different books and is in the process of penning another. The book she is currently sweating over is a children's book. The characters in these stories will include her three daughters. For more information on her previous books click

here

Middle Of The Week

What is it??? Since we started remodeling the house I have had people tell me they will be their the middle of the week. If I'm lucky they will show up on Fri. but sometimes it ends up being Mon. What sense does that make? I had a fellow tell me he would be here to talk to me about my cows and the ration on Monday. He still hasn't come. Oh, by the way, the Monday he was talking about was two weeks ago. What sense does that make? Anyway, I have come to the conclusion that the middle of the week is Friday.

VOP

Tonight we were off singing at the Halifax Southern Baptist Association Pastor Christmas Banquet. First they fed us and then we sang. The meal consisted of steak and potatoes. The singing consisted of Christmas songs with a few other themes thrown in. An enjoyable time was had by all.

Christmas Tree

In most conservative Mennonite circles Christmas trees are shunned. I am wondering why this is. Is this opinion biblical? I am of the belief this idea is based solely on the appearance of affluence. In other words, people who take the time to decorate a tree are spending to much time on the monetary or materialistic side of Christmas. Basically, someone who has a tree is missing the true meaning of Christmas. If this is your opinion I must respectfully disagree with you. I have this dream of taking my family deep into the woods and finding the perfect tree. We would then fell this tree and carry it back to the house. (In some parts of the world this would be done in a foot of snow. However, this is highly unlikely in our part of this world.) We would then put up this tree and spend the evening decorating our tree. I found this article concerning the Christmas Tree.

By William V. Rauscher

The Christmas tree comes to us from Germany. Martin Luther is credited with being inspired by the starry heavens one night, and expressing his feelings to his family by bringing a fir tree into his home, and attaching lighted candles to its branches. Fir meant fire, and fire is an ancient symbol for spirit. The tree also pointed toward the heavens.

Evergreens were thought to represent the ever-burning fire of life. The color green signified the life force through the year. Eventually decorative balls represented the planets, while the star that radiates from the top reminds us of Bethlehem. The entire tree and decorations teach us that the universe is witness to the Incarnation.

Red at Christmas reminds us of the fire of the Spirit. Green affirms nature, and the ongoing life. And in the Incarnation, Spirit unites with nature.

In fact, the Christmas tree symbolizes to us a further appreciation of Jesus' birth. It is a means of retelling a miracle in a colorful and beautiful way so that we can further understand and appreciate Jesus' entering our world.

Actually, the tree is a reinterpretation of pagan rites, along with the use of other greens and decorations to commemorate in ancient times a celebration of the feast of Saturnalia - the birth of the Sun in the sky at the Winter Solstice. Along with the giving of gifts, the feast was later Christianized with the selection of December 25th to announce the birth of the Son of God to the world.

The tree also tells the story of a cosmic event - a mystery. In personal celebrations of Christmas the tree begins its use in the 16th century, and is later brought to America by German immigrants.

The heavens and earth rejoice in the coming of the Lord of Life. Our decision must be either for our Christmas tree to represent the celebration of the birth of Christ, or simply an acknowledgment of the pagan festival of the Winter Solstice.

What does the beauty of the Christmas tree say to you?

In my opinon, not having a Christmas tree will not keep you from missing the true meaning of Christmas. Neither will having one cause you to have a pagan Christmas...

Day Off

After several weeks of hard labor I have the privilege of a day off. Sonny had hernia surgery on Nov. 13 and was laid up for several weeks. This past week he started working again, however, he was still in considerable pain and needed to gradually work himself back into shape. Anyway, he feels well enough to be in charge of things this weekend. So today I am going to use my school sale golf passes. I need to see how many trees I can hit. Two of my cousins are going along, Lowell and Eldon Yoder. We are planning on having a very good but chilly time. After this exuberating activity I believe we will be going to town to purchase a few more housy items.

Merry Christmas

This is for those of you who are not on our mailing list.

Merry Christmas

I have slowly come to the realization that this merry letter should be written. I will try to give you some of the more interesting facts from the past twelve months. Like most years this one began in January but since the writer is unable to recall what actually happened in January… He will indeed need to jog his memory for any facts that may interest the reader. It appears that this letter may be rather short. Hmmm let me see….
Ah yes, lets begin with work. My long time employee, Lyndon Yoder, decided to pursue a different occupation. This caused me great pain and stress in two areas. One, he was a great employee and two; I had to find a replacement. This turned into quite an ordeal. After several months of searching I found the best replacement possible. Lyndon’s father, Ernest Yoder, better known as Sonny, agreed to come and work for me. However, he was unable to start working until July 1st. Lyndon’s last day was February the 28th. I found myself working alone until June when school ended and my brother Jon was able to relieve me of some chore duties. In July Sonny started and I have found him to be extremely helpful. He has worked on a farm all of his life and knows more about it then I do.
Let’s see… Oh yes, I almost forgot. Okay that’s a lie, I didn’t forget. I am still singing with Voice Of Praise. In July we recorded another album. 2007 is VOP’s 20th anniversary and we thought it would be fitting to do a Reunion album. We are also planning to go on a Reunion tour in July.
Oh my, I almost forgot this, seriously. We have been remodeling the home place. This project began in May and we are getting so close to finished I can taste it. We are hoping to move between Christmas and New Years day. This project has brought me very close to an emotional melt down. Well, that is an exaggeration but it has been a lot of work. I am really good at demolition but rebuilding is not one of my strong points. So I did the demolition and several fellows from church have done the rebuilding.
I think that might be all… No wait… I think I forgot my family. No, I didn’t forget them I just wanted you to think I did.
Sierra: Wow, she turned six this year. I find this hard to believe. She started school this year, home school. She is very sharp and picks things up easily when she wants to. She doesn’t enjoy math but does find science and social studies very fascinating. She has found birds very interesting creatures.
Aleya: My energetic three year old. She is an amazing imitator and does everything her older sister does. She is definitely a girl and loves to play with dolls but she is also an animal lover and gives our cat, Cup Cake a very rough time occasionally. The other day she was trying to hit the calves with a stick and yet couldn’t understand why they would not let her pet them.
Jayden: Jayden turned one in May and is our cuddle bug. Jayden is also an animal lover and enjoyed the dog, Blackie, until Blackie got to close to our van wheels.
Jackson: Jack is quite a bit like Aleya when it comes to the energy department. Jack loves to race around and appears to be going close to 100 mph at times. Jack turned one in June and his most recent hobby is singing. He will sit and sing and I must say he is very good for 1.5 years old.
Rachel: I find it very difficult to cram all of her amazing accomplishments into one small paragraph but alas, this I must do. She is my wife, which takes quite a bit of time and energy, then we must add school teacher, home maker, mother, Dr./nurse, taxi driver, diaper changer, and a host of other things. I fall in love with her more every year.
Well, I have run out of room and must bid you adios. I trust that you will find peace in the One who came to break our oppression.
Shalom

Kitchen Floor

The children are playing on the new kitchen floor.

 

Master Bath

Here is a glimpse of the master bath floor. Not that you can tell much from this but we like it....

 

Flooring

The vinyl flooring folks are suppose to be here in the morning to start laying the flooring. The painting is done except for trimming out four basement windows. We are weary but feel very good about our accomplishments this week.

On a different note. My dear one and only sister, Juanita, came this morning to watch the children so my wife could work at the house. She then made our supper and mixed up some christmas cookies.
Thanks so much...
From the Zehrs nearest the bridge....

Master Bedroom & Bath

I don't know if you can see the colors or not. The light color is Globe Thistle and the dark is a purple color. I can't remember what it is exactly...

 

VOP Christmas Banquet

Tonight is our second annual Christmas banquet. We are paying two families to take care of the meal. This means we are able to relax and enjoy our time together. Aside from steak I am not sure what is on the menu. Last year it was seven course meal so I assume this one will be the same.

Christmas Concert

This afternoon VOP had their first Christmas Concert. They announced it as a Christmas Concert. I always feel uncomfortable with this term and I am wondering why. Are concerts generally viewed differently than a program? If so, why? Should I feel uncomfortable with this terminology? If so, why?

HMMM???

We are hoping/planning on reusing this toilet. I needed to get it out of the way of the guys doing the dry wall. The fireplace was the most obvious place to put it. I have tried to come up with a good caption but so far it has escaped me...

Paint

One of my aunts took my post Iffen Ya Want literally and came to help us paint this morning. I want to publicly thank her, Kathleen Gilbert, for her help. Also, my wife's parents came to help us out as well. We should easily finish the upstairs tomorrow. Well, it will be a big day but we should get it finished.

Library

How many of you go to the library and how many books do you check out when you go? This may vary depending how big your family is. In times past we used bags to carry our books back and forth. These bags didn't hold up very long and we have begun to use a box. Some folks have been seen leaving the Library with an apple crate full of books.

Iffen Ya Want

Iffen ya want sumpin two do in the next several days youn's can come on down to de home place an give us a han. Hit peers like we dis gonna haf a gran ole time. Sum of us will be rollin an others will be brushin. We wuld luve to see ya stop in an give us a han, iffen ya want. aPeers to be bout fiddy galluns or so thet need to spread all roun da house. Ya can take yor pick as to what ya wanna be a doin. Whether ya be brushin or rollin dis stuff roun. As for me, I ten to slop it roun kinda like I'm feedin dem der hogs I use to have back yeers ago. Well, dat's bout all I's got to say dis time. Before I sign off a here let me remine ya dat dey is gonna be some paint a flyn da nex couple a days or so down on de ole home place. You can stop in an help us aiffen ya want...

Loving It...

Sierra was rubbing Rachel's back tonight with this back rubber thingy... After Sierra was done, Jayden decided it was HIS turn. He laid here on the couch and waited until Aleya came and rubbed his back. He laid there and smiled the whole time, when she quit he would wiggle his back begging for more.

 

House Update

The dry wall fellows are coming to do the final sanding today which means we should be able to paint tommorow if we want to. I must say this crew of mexicans did an incredible job. I was assuming we would be scraping dry wall compound off the floor but these fine people did it for us. They spilled, or splatted, very little on the floor when they were texturing the ceiling. When I thanked them for cleaning up they acted surprised. I told them in my little expierence they were the first crew of any kind that cleaned up after themselves to this extent. The guys that hung the dry wall carried all the extra pieces outside and then swept the floor. Is this unusual? I was assuming I would need to clean up after them.

Da Boys

What fine young men...

 

Attic

When I realized remodeling the house I grew up in was going to be a reality I decided I wanted to sheet the attic. My decision is based on the fact that it is a complete waste of space if it is not used. Also, you can never have to much storage space. However, when a certain lady discovered I was spending the money to sheet the attic she was somewhat skeptical. I believe her exact words were something like this Honey, we are not going to put anything in the attic!!! But if you think we should sheet it then you go ahead I don't mind... If I am not mistaken her mother was in agreement with her and everytime the sheeted attic was being discussed they seemed to find it highly amusing. What I find highly amusing is how many items I have hauled into this sheeted attic in the last couple days. My wife told me at lunch today, while I was snickering at her pickup load of things for the attic, that she had the ability to Admit when she is wrong. I am wondering how many of you have an attic you can tread in heavily. In other words is your attic floor sheeted or do you tip toe around on the rafters hoping you don't slip.

Jackson

Jackson enjoys wearing this hat...

 

Hunting

How many of you spend time deer hunting?

Thanksgiving

I must admit I spend most of my time wishing I had more instead of being greatful for what I have. For instance, this morning when I was getting in the cows I noticed a new calf in my prefresh lot. I go investigate the situation and discover three things. One of which was that this heifer decided to have her calf in the mud. (I would guess we had at least three more inches of rain yesterday.) The second thing I discovered was that the calf was a heifer which was going to cost me some time. We have instituted a heifer calf protocol. Which consists solely of feeding the calf freeze dried colostrum as soon as possible. We purchase this product from an AI company. This product has saved many heifer calves but it is time consuming and I hate it when I get started milking late. The third thing I noticed was that the mother was partially paralyzed. Her back legs were very floppy. She would try to get up but would just fall over. I moan silently. After milking and feeding calves I take the skidloader down and roll her into the bucket. I then carry her to sick pen. I gave her a shot for the pain but I must admit I am rather doubtful she will ever stand up again. So, I was tempted to feel sorry for myself. I would like nothing more than to not have to work today but that isn't an option. Not only do I have to work I have something that is out of my control happen that costs me lots of time and makes my job harder and more tedious. So, what do I have to be thankful for? Well, I milked 84 healthy cows this morning. I fed about 20 healthy calves. I then came home to a happy family. I have help this afternoon which will all0w me to come home early and have supper with the family. There are many things I am thankful for but I must mention my hired man. Sonny underwent hernia surgery on Nov. the 13th. This has made me more aware of how much I depend on him and his wisdom in helping me make decisions. God Bless us all as we remember to be thankful for the things that are most important in life.
This has gotten very long and I don't know if I have said much of anything...

Deja Vue (sp?)

My day was rather uneventful, at least till supper time at which point several interesting things occured. I was unable to arrive home in time to eat with the family so the table was laden with used dishes and cups half full of water. When I sat down at the table I calmly knocked Aleya's cup of water over onto the floor.
I have this ritual of taking a final drink before I leave the table. I had begun this ritual and had my glass half way to my mouth when it slipped out of my hand and crashed onto the table, spilling water over everything in my general area. This little incident reminded me of my first official date with my wife. In that particular incident I had a glass full of Ice Tea slip out of my hand and cover our table. I was somehow able remain very calm and collected. By the way, how do you spell Deja-Vue???

Discipline

Sometime ago I posted a few thoughts on spanking children or, if you prefer, disciplining your children in such away that causes them to have some physical pain. I realize this topic is one that people are scared of because we don't want to be charged with abuse.
Last week while listening to the radio, ESPN, I learned that Bobby Knight had slapped one of his players in the face or jaw hard enough to make him rub his jaw as if he was in some pain. What I find ironic is the fact that no one involved in this incident thought it was a problem. The player, his parents, the school president, or Mr. Knight. Some people seemed to think it was fine for him to discipline his player this way. Apparently Mr Knight was telling his player Look at me when I am talking to you!!!
My question is this: Why is it okay for Bobby Knight to pop a player in the jaw? Yet some parents have gotten into trouble for spanking their children. In the past Bobby Knight has used some very bazarre methods of discipline. Appearing to wip a player with a horsehide wip as well as swinging a metal chair. Here is another interesting thought. If Bobby Knight wasn't winning at Texas Tech would this have been more of a problem? I think so. If they would be losing lots of Basketball games I guarentee Coach Knight would have been suspended or fired. Our society is in the process of becoming very twisted. I wonder why Social Services didn't step in when they discovered Coach Knight had once again struck a player?

TV

I was listening to ESPN radio today and the host, Colin Cowherd, was talking about watching TV. Specifically a big screen TV. He mentioned the fact that he didn't see his family all weekend because he was watching college and professional football. My first thought was, I wonder what his wife thought... While I was thinking this he said that 90% of people that have a big screen TV end up divorced. I am not surprised. If I had a TV of any kind I know I would be watching sports all the time. Evidently time isn't the only downside to owning a TV. He said he was given a really good to TV that was worth about $4,000. I believe the company gave it to him for advertising purposes. I am assuming this but I have no idea why else they would give someone a $4,000 TV. So it appears that money would also be an issue. I must admit I was surprised that the percentage was that high. Are you?

Family Portrait

 

Dry Wall

A crew of five mexicans showed up this morning. They were very interesting to watch. They didn't look like they were working hard or fast but they sure got a lot done. They made every move count. The upstairs is three fourths hung and they started hanging the basement ceiling. It is starting look like a house with rooms. Like a house nearing completion. One of these days I will take some pictures but I don't know when...

Mid Life Crisis Group

Some folks in our church started a young marrieds group several years ago which we were part of. As time went on the group got larger and some of us didn't feel so young any more. Thus was formed another group of people. I think everyone in this group has at least three children. Their was a lot of discussion concerning what we were going to call ourselves. I thought we should be called the Mid Life Crisis Group. I was the only person with this idea because we are call our selves the Young Family Group. This is really not accurate because when you get married you are a young family regardless of children. Anyway, this group is coming over tonight. Two or three of the families are gone so here are the numbers. Tonight we will have nine adults and nineteen children.

Appliances

I am wondering what brand of appliances you think are the best. Maytag, Hot Point, GE, Frigidaire, or a different brand. We were told this evening that Maytag appliances are junk. What is your opinion?

Insulation Part II

It's finished... Hip hip hooray... We have scheduled an inspection for the insulation in the morning. Our drywall people are planning to have all the drywall hung by Sat. evening. How cool is that???


Today while I was bringing the cows across the road (The field they are grazing in is across the road. I put a fence up when I am bringing them across.) I noticed there was a vehicle parked in the road. When I went down to drop the fence and let the vehicle pass I discovered it was a Fed Ex truck. The driver was out with her cell phone taking a picture. She told me she was taking a picture to show to her manager. This way she could prove why she was being delayed. I bet her manager would found it hard to believe she was held up by a herd of cows in the road...

Insulation

They started insulating the house today. Should finish tommorow. We are hoping the dry wall fellows, a crew of mexicans, can start this week.
It has been a long day and I am weary.
Sleep good.

Time

Christ's Life is in us, and that makes it all possible, but we MUST CHOOSE IT. I must CHOOSE to put my book down, get up off the couch, and make cookies with my girls helping. I must choose to let the dishes wait a minute and go pretend to be a bear and chase my boys down the hall.

The funny thing is, it's so HARD to choose to get down there with them, but when I'm with them, cracking up so hard I'm belly-laughing, and looking into their eyes and down into their hearts, and just enjoying them, I am so greatful I got off the stinkin' couch! No matter how relaxing that book was to me, it can't beat being WITH them. The book is nice to my flesh, but being (really BEing) with my children brings Peace and Rest to my heart.

But it doesn't start out like that. At first, it's you making the choice via sheer will-power to do what you know you OUGHT to do. God is responsible for changing your heart, but YOU are responsible for changing your actions.

This is not original with me. My wife found it on the internet. I must admit this is what I struggle with. I don't seem to have energy to BE with my children. I try to tell myself that when my children are 14 I want to have a relationship with them. But I forget so easy. It is much easier to say no... I am tired and don't have the energy to play hide and seek. But when I do it I have fun and they have fun. Isn't that what family is all about? Learning to have fun together?

A Thousand Words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So I guess you have your thousand word post for the week...

 

Tragedy

Yesterday evening my wife was leaving for town. While she was leaving Blackie was traipsing along beside her. When Rachel turned at the end of the drive the van felt like it had gone over a rock. She then heard this yipping sound and Blackie was running for the farm house like he was shot out of a cannon. Naturally she assumed all would be well. I was unaware of these events when I backed my truck up to the farm house porch. I noticed the dog was lying beside the steps but was far to still. I nudged him with my foot and he took no notice. I was surprised and wondered what had happened. I called Rachel to break the news to her. She then told me what had happened. Sierra was somewhat distressed. This is the first death she has had to deal with and she shed a few tears on her mother's shoulder. While we were working in the house she would tell me she was "Thinking about Blackie". This morning she is singing away and said that she slept well last night. I am sure cupcake will be very happy to have such a thorn in the flesh removed from his life. Blackie found much joy in harrassing the cat. Sierra says she wants another dog but I think we shall wait and see...

Prayer

The last several days Aleya has started to "mmhm" while I am praying. I don't know what started this or where she got the idea. I also heard that her first cousin, Alyssa, was doing the same thing only she was doing it in church. Her parents found it quite amusing. At one point she said, "Yes Lord" in a very reverant and respectuful tone. In a lot of ways this sounds funny, which it is, these girls are not yet four. Are they listening and agreeing or are they just doing it to do it. The funny thing is; no one else in our family does this, at least not on a regular basis so I don't know where she learned it or why she is doing it. Makes me wonder if I really pray when other people are praying. To my shame I don't think I do. Maybe I need to start vocalizing my agreement with the one who is praying to help me pay attention...

Cider

A lady, Wendy, stopped in to visit Rachel yesterday and brought with her a gallon of HOMEMADE Cider. Her parents made it from apples they picked off of their tree. This Cider is very good. Cider in general is good in moderation. Once,when I was a child, I drank as a child and the result was a very serious. This serious condition causes one to occupy the restroom much more frequently then one would desire. It is most commonly referred to as Montezuma's Revenge. I now use better judgement when partaking of this nectar.

Grazing (Sort Of)

I have this lovely field of Matua hay growing beside my house. It has gotten too late in the year to attempt making hay. So this morning we put a fence around it and chased the cows towards it. The biggest draw back was when we were trying to get the cows to cross the road. It took them awhile to make up their minds but when they did they all took off at a gallop. Once they calmed down they spent most of their time nibbling at the incredible hay. We are intending to put the cows out their every day for several hours. We are still feeding them a TMR in the barn. We are just cutting it back a little and hoping they will fill up on those tender green shoots. I must say herd of cows grazing is a beutiful thing.

Housing Update

Saturday the electrician was here and began to pull wires. I believe he has the upstairs half finished. We are hoping to be insulating and doing the drywall by the end of November. We may be able to move before Christmas after all. I am not going to hold my breath. I must say the contractor is doing a great job at keeping things moving and calling the people that are not doing what they said they were going to do. The rough in plumbing was finished last week. Maybe I will post some pictures in the next day or so.

Tour

Tommorow we will be leaving for a short weekend tour. We will be in Floyd Fri. evening. The great thing is we are planning to come back home for the night. Sat. evening we will be at Faith Mission and Sunday morning we will be singing at Believers Fellowship in Waynesboro. Sunday afternoon we will be participating in a mens choir in Harrisunburg. I am unsure how many groups will be their. I believe this event is promoted by the Virginia Conference. We are planning to be home Sunday night.

Photo Prints

Are you still going into Wal-Mart and dropping off your film or have you upgraded to online photo print ordering? We have upgraded and really like it. We will like it more when they finally get DSL in our area.

Decor

We, the school sale committee, asked a young lady to decorate the premises. I thought she did a lovely job.

 

Quilt Rack

 

Quilt Rack

Randy Martin had a brilliant idea for a quilt rack. He took pvc pipe and screwed it together.

 

Auction Items

This is a shot of some of the items we auctioned off. The black clock in the center sold for $170. I paid $10 for it at the flea market.

 

It's Off To Bed I Go...

Due to a lengthy drizzel yesterday we had roughly 3 inches of water standing in our auction tent. We decided to get some sawdust and throw it in the tent. So at 3 this morning we met and put plastic down before covering it with a six inch layer of green sawdust. It rained until close to 7 this morning before we began to see the clouds departing. The sun came up and we had a glorious day. The auction went very smooth and we sold all of the grilled chicken and hotdogs. Some of us only got two hours of sleep last night and I am hoping that all of these folks will be able to sleep soundly for the next twelve hours or so. So, good night...

Happy Birthday

Today is the birthday of our first born. I am amazed at the rapid growth of our little girl. Yesterday she was 21 inches long and lying in my arms. Today she is 40 inches tall and helping her mother in the kitchen. Tommorow she will be married with children of her own. Our prayer is to show her the Father in these few short moments we have with her...

Musicians

Who is your favorite musician or group of musicians?

The Past

What do you do with past? The good the bad and the ugly. Is it necessary to look at the past? How much should one look at the past. Why look at the past? I have some opinions on the matter and I will try to briefly lay them out here. I am of the opinion one should use the past as a vehicle or mode of transportation to find healing. Try to find a few things, surely you can find one, that were good. Thank whoever for doing good. Sometimes we put so much emphasis on the bad we can't find the good. I have found the past to be very enlightning. It has helped me realize who I am and why I react the way I do. Knowing these facts has helped me work through the issue. What are your feelings?

Final Meeting

Tonight we had our last committee meeting so now it is all or nothing. You know how it is? You wonder if it the whole sale/auction will actually come off or happen. It has in the past and I assume it will this saturday. I have been chairmen of this planning committee for two years and I am amazed at how great these people are. Everyone has mutual respect for the other and everyone listens with sincerity. It has been a joy and a privilege to work these fine people. This is our last year on the committee and I will miss spending time with these hardworking people. I have been on some committees that I longed to be off of and was very relieved when my term was up. How often have you been glad your term was up?

Your Story Hour

How many of you listen to the radio program Your Story Hour? We have begun purchasing some cds over the past several years and I find them very interesting and informative. These stories touch on lots of topics. They tell historical stories and biblical stories. The historical stories are not only of great political leaders but also of people who made an incredible impact in the early church. I have learned a few things from these stories and am wondering how many other people have.

Returning

Well, after onlygetting about two hours of sleep on Thurs. evening we were all very wore out by Fri. evening. We feel really good about the trip and are hoping that the benefir auction will be a success. We got home last evening around six thirty. We would love to have you come spend all of your hard earned money...

Leaving

Rachel and I are headed to Lancaster PA for a couple of days to shop for our school sale. We will be shopping for hand crafted items to fill out our auction. The only down side is the hour in which we are leaving. 3 AM.... Till next time....

Amazement Square Part II

Amazement Square has this cow. As this picture shows children are able to milk this cow. When you squeeze the cows teats streams of clear liquid make singing sounds in the bucket. As a dairy farmer I see two problems with this picture. First, I have never seen a cow the color of an orange. I realize I am being nit picky and this is suppose to be a cow from the Jersey breed. Second, the milk is the wrong color. I have seen to many cows in the past come down with choloform (sp?) mastitus. When this happens the milk will turn a very nasty brownish watery color. I would say this cow is definitely in the last stage of her life. Their is no way she will survive such a mammary infection as this. Poor lass, may she rest in peace...

Amazement Square

Down on old Main Street, or their abouts, is a remodeled building that has been converted into a childs playground. It is about five floors of science projects. The center of the building is a huge playground that goes up through all five floors. THis picture was taken when we went to Amazement Square for Aleya's birthday.

 

Things In Common

My wife and I went on a date the other evening and our conversation revolved around things we have in common or do we have anything in common. We came to the conclusion that we do not have anything in common as far as hobbies are concerned. Do you and your spouse have anything in common? Of course their are children/church/ministry and things of that nature. Funny thing is, we both took an online personality test and we, apparently, have alot in common. Maybe that is why we don't think we have anything in common. We are both Phlegmatic Melancholy people.

Movin Out

Several weeks ago the girls and I were over at the house piddling. The girls were out side hollering and making a lot of noise and Jackson decided he wanted to be on our side of the road. He and the dog were movin out.

 

Question

I was wondering this morning if it is better to have family devotions or personal devotions. This may sound like a silly question because you should be doing both. However, the fact of the matter is most people don't do either, or do they? Which one is best for the family. Personal devotions would help me be a better parent/father/husband/person. It would increase my love for the Savior. I believe family devotions would do this as well only not in the same way. Yet family devotions would be best for the family as a unit. I think you should do both, I have been missing my personal devotions lately and I have lots of good excuses. We have been having family devotions but I can find myself using that as a basis for not needing to take the time for personal devotions. Oh the devil is always at work.

Mexican Train

Sierra wanted to play a game tonight and she wanted to play Dominoes. I don't know how to play Dominoes the old fashioned way but I do know how to play the Mexican Train. So I taught her how to play the Mexican Train. She picked it up very quickly and we had a grand time. She was getting tired of it, we only played two rounds, but she said it was fun. I feel really good about the evening. Seems like it has been months since I have been home and had any kind of family time. One really cool thing about Sierra is that she can't stand winning. Well, likes to win but she hates it when I lose. I don't know where that came from and I tell her I don't care if I win or not but she still wants me to win. In a perfect world we would both win.

Yankees Part II

It appears that Steinbrenner has decided not to be an idiot after all. Torre said in a press conference the other day that he will be back to manage the Yankees next year. He has been the manager of the Yankees for 11 years and has never missed the playoffs. Not bad. (For your information, I am NOT a Yankee man. I cannot stand the Yankees.) Now I would like to make few comments about another manager, Bobby Cox. Bobby Cox has been managing the Braves for as long as I can remember. This is the first year the Braves have not won their division since the early 90's. I believe they had won their division 13 years in a row. In todays world that is very good. The only negative thing I can say about Cox is his inability to win the World Series. I remember game 7 (I think it was) against the Twins many moons ago. A game they should have won but the Twins faked a double play which caused the baserunner to stop in confusion at second base. If he would not have been confused he would have scored and the Braves would have won. I don't understand how the Braves can win so consistently in the season and never win 0n the worlds biggest stage. Sadly, the Braves were awful this year. (I am a Braves man. I am also an Orioles man.) Anyway, enough about sports. Maybe my next post will be more worth your time...

Who Am I

Here is something I have pondered over the last several months. I wonder what kind of a person you think I am. I realize this could be a very risky question but I ask it anyway. Those of you who do not know me have developed an opinion concerning my personality, honesty, marriage, work, my whole life. So who do you think I am? Then are those of you who know me and have talked to me once or twice. You have formed an opinion of me also. Then their are those of you that know me very well. You are the people I work with, go to church with, live with, extended family, etc. I wonder what you think. Is the image this blog portrayes accurate? Or have I painted a false picture of who I am? I wonder....

On another more earthy note. We finished hauling chicken litter today and are hoping to start disking and planting in the morning. I managed to get the manure truck stuck twice in a row how distressed I was....
Anyway and so forth this is who I am, I think...

Da Yankees Loose

I must say it was some what of a struggle to decide what the title of this post should be. It could also be George Steinbrenner May Be An Idiot but that doesn't sound very christian and is definitely judgemental so we will stick with Da Yankees Loose, DAAAAAA Yankees Loose. Need I say more? Oh yes, in this case I do. George Steinbrenner has an immense amount of money and has spent billions of dollars over the past 5-10 years to establish a championship team. He went and got Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Gary Sheffield amd others so he could win the pennant. However, in the last 6 years the Yankees have not won the World Series, Baseballs biggest stage. I was to young to care but evidently at some point years ago Steinbrenner was thrown out of baseball. I am not sure why but while he was gone an incredible team was established. The basic team that was established won, I believe, four out of five championships in the 90's. When Steinbrenner was allowed back in as owner of the Yankees he was to big headed to accept the fact that he had nothing to do with the players on the team and he wanted to put together his team to make a run for the championship. Thus he began to dismantle and rearrange the team. Their baseball prowess has steadily gotten worse. Five years ago they were losing in the World Series in game seven in the tenth inning. Now they can't make it through the first round of the playoffs. Here is what I do not understand. A New York paper, I believe it was the Post, published an article stating the Yankees were going to fire the manager Joe Torre. Why would he fire Joe Torre? In his Eleven years as managing this franchise he has at least four championships and has made it to the playoffs the last six years. Why fire the manager? It seems to me the owner should be taking some of the blame for the old worn out players he has given the manager to manage. (If I am not mistaken Randy Johnson is getting very close to 45) He spends big money for big time players that have been pampered and babied every where they have played and now they are all in the same locker room trying to get along. Seems to me Steinbrenner should consider firing himself instead of Joe Torre.

National Church Attendance

We sang at Crystal Hill Southern Baptist Church this morning. They had a carry in after the service. In the past these meals never quite live up to the traditional Mennonite carry in. The food is cold 9 times out of 10 and today was no exception. However, it was much better than most and the desert table was heavily laden.

On the way home my mind was wandering and I asked my brother this question. I wonder what percentage of the people in our nation attend church Sunday morning?" Of course we don't know the answer. I also mentioned that a lot of people go to church. He responded with "Their are a lot of people who don't go to church." So, this conversation wasn't very helpful in answering one of life's persistent questions... (I stole this last line from Prarie Home Companion)

Snap, Crackle, Pop

No, I am not talking about Rice Krispies. I am talking about something a lot people do. This concerns the art of knuckle popping. Are you one of the humans who have turned this pastime into a fine art? I have found people either do this little activity gleefully or they are filled with horror and their skin crawls when they are in the presence of one who is performing a snap on his knuckles. I personally am one of these people and I am wondering if you are a snap, crackle, pop kind of person?

Jayden Learns To Walk

Jayden is begining to walk. He seems a little afraid of the idea but it is coming.

 

Chicken Litter

We have been trying to haul some chicken litter from a chicken farm about five miles from our place. We have been putting roughly ten tons on the truck. As you can see the truck wasn't up to the job. I was dumping a load and the box fell off of the truck. I thought it was kinda funny... The girls were with me when it happened. The truck rocked some but I didn't think it was very scarry. However, Sierra told me later that her legs were shaking. Evidently the rod had bent at the pivot point and the rail slid off of the rod. The rest of the welds had broken over the past 30 years and because the load was heavy to the drivers side the box leaned over. I was totally helpless, there was nothing I could do, it just fell off of the truck...

Twisted Mess

 

Oops

 

Jackson

I went in to check on the boys the other evening and this is what I saw. Looks miserable to me.

 

Plumbing

We have been trying to locate a plumber. This has been rather trying for my kind contracter Jerrill Schrock. The first option was a very good option but they had another job under contract so option one turned into a bad option. Option two arrived, glanced around and left. They then told Jerrill they would be glad to do the job for $25,900. WHAT!!! SAY IT ISN'T TRUE... Option three came out this afternoon and looked around for an hour or so. Very nice fellow who was recommended by option one. After some discussion he gave us two choices. The first choice was doing it by the hour and the second choice was him giving us a price. He told us how long he thought it would take and his hourly rate. So we did some quick math and discovered he would fall into the $6-7,000 range. (WHEW...much more better) This evening option four stopped in. After I led him around and showed him what he was up against he gave us a price, $16,000. However, he could start tommorow and cheap guy can't start for two weeks. After pondering this for roughly 10 seconds we decided two weeks wasn't worth 10 grand...

49 years

I find it hard to believe but it is true. Today was our annual hymn sing. (I am unsure if this would be the baptist version of a home coming or not.) Forty-nine years ago today this tradition was begun. The program revolved around or paid homage to familys that have been influential in the musical developement of our church. Next year will be year number fifty, it tends to follow forty-nine, and hopefully we can have something very special. Time will tell...

Not needed

My family and my brother's family are having a yard sale today. I took the children up about 9 and discovered they didn't need my help. This was fine with me. I drove back home and did some major clean up over at the house. I still need to sweep all the floors and make a trip to the dump. I had the joy of starting a lovely fire and proceeded burn many things. (I love playing with fire!) I will feed this afternoon before going up to help them pack up. Then I will be dropping tables off at various locations and doing other odd jobs. I told Rachel last night that it seems like I have not been able to do my share of wining and complaining this time around...

Finally

Well, I am proud to announce that we have finally finished the fall harvest. As of seven this evening we will be finished with the corn header and chopper for the season. Ah, what luxury... Now we move on to the next project. Hauling manure, working the land and planting small grain. Hopefully this will only take a couple of weeks. There are not near as many moving parts on a disk as on the chopper so their should be less break downs...
Tommorow we will be having another yard sale to help offset adoption costs. If you are traveling Wisecarver rd. stop in and see us. We may even cut you a good deal but I doubt it....

Aleya

Due to technical difficulties I was unable to post yesterday. Yesterday was Aleya's birthday. She is now three years old and proud of it. She was thrilled with her few little gifts. I think the thing that thrilled her the most was the phone calls she received from all three of her grandmothers. How cool is that?

Odd Man Out

I have been a member of VOP now for almost ten years. Over the past ten years members of the group have slowly attained modern forms of communication. First it was cell phones but more recently it has been the portable version of the PC, otherwise known as the laptop. This past weekend I discovered that I am now the only bloke that does not have one of these helpful devices. Maybe someday soon I will be able to find a really good reason for spending money on one.

Nascar

I will just say it right up front, I am a Nascar fan. Whew, got that out of the way. We were listening to the race while we were driving yesterday and we got to talking about things that would really irritate us if we were driving in a race. One fellow thought it would be better to wreck in the first ten laps then to wreck in the last ten laps. I disagreed, I think it would be so disappointing to wreck in the first ten laps. Here you are planning on driving four hundred miles and you end up only driving twenty and have last place money to show for it. Would you kindly help us settle this argument? By the way, Matt Kenseth ran out of gas with three laps to go. That would be very annoying. He was in second place at the time...

David

Last night at Snow Hill we met a fellow who had down-syndrom and his name was David. He was an interesting fellow who was very bright in certain areas. He seemed to have a very good sense of humour. He was continually informing us that we had dirt on our shirts and in our hair. The amazing thing was his ability to tell you a road name or number and tell you what states it goes through. He knew where I95, PA Turnpike, and 297 went. I don't know whether he is a veteran of travel or if he is a long lost relative of Mr. McNally.

Goat Island

Yes, their is a Goat Island. Their is also a Goat Island Rd. This road, however, is no where near the island. Apparently a fellow raised goats on this island years ago. I have no recollection of this but these are the facts that have been relayed to me. This island was farm land at one point in history. After the goats were removed from the island it slowly became a forrest. This summer the owner of the island cleared it and asked the neighbor, Dwayne, to farm it. He agreed and planted close to 18 acres of corn. It is some very fine corn, the best I have seen in a long time. Now, this all sounds well and good but you still need to get to island. Yesterday, Sonny and I made this trek in my 4X4 F250 pick up. I was a tad nervous about attempting such a thing but I steeled my nervous system and forward we went. To get to this Island you have to cross the Staunton River. I would say the river is at least 50 yards wide. The place where we crossed was solid rock and the water was sloshing around the floor boards. The rock was very rough also. In retrospect, it may have been the dumbest thing I have ever done, but I doubt it. I felt somewhat like an explorer but I don't think I will be fording this river on a regular basis...

Tour

VOP has a tour scheduled for this weekend. We will be in Snow Hill MD on Fri. eve. Harmony Sat. eve. Central Mennonite in Dover area on Sunday AM and in Catlett Sun. PM. We look forward to seeing you at one of these churchs.

Sweat

Sweating is something we all do. However some of us tend to sweat much more than others. When I sweat it will appear that I have been standing in the rain. I will literally be soaking wet. My face will have rivers of salty water tracking down my forehead before gleefully slinking into my eyes. When Sierra was two she was able to witness this amazing feat. She looked at my face and said; "Daddy what is wrong with you? Your head is leaking...

Stress

How do you combat stress? Do you go for walks, read, mow the lawn, ride bike, or play football? Maybe you read blogs to help you realize you are not the only person who is stressed out!

Employers

I am wondering who was, or is, the best employer you have ever had and why?

Silence

What is silence? Have you ever expierenced it? Is silence the total absence of sound? Or is silence the absence of noise? Is their a difference? When you are longing for peace and quite does that mean their is no sound?
I was lying on the couch this afternoon for slight siesta. The house was quiet except for the ticking of the clock. This reminded me of my grandaddy's house. The house is located in the middle of some huge oak trees. When the lights are off in the living room it tends to be rather dim. A nice quiet room, except for the ticking of the clock. If that clock wasn't ticking it would be a rather uncomfortable room. It would be to silent. Grandaddy's house would not be the same if that clock would be removed from the premises. So, when I am longing for peace and quiet I long for a room that makes me comfortable. A room with a ticking clock...

Dylan

Dylan climbed this ladder by himslef. Notice Papa's watchful gaze...

 

Uncle Rod

Uncle Rod frying up some Jimmy Deans...

 

The Tale Of The Serpent

Two days ago I noticed a nice long skin lying on top of the block wall of the other house. This made me a little uneasy but my soul was comforted when I remembered I had killed one earlier that was similar in length. However, deep in my trembling heart, I knew the length of the two was not a good match. Their must be another slippery critter in our midst. That same afternoon the young man who was framing in some basement windows glanced up at the floor joists. Wooptydodaday what did he see!? A serpent that was at least six foot long. This causes much distress and I was awake half the night, trying to figure out away to eliminate the snake from my future dwelling. Apparently I was not the only person who was thinking. The fellow working in the basement, Karlin, had a brilliant idea and we acted upon it. We took some old paper seed bags, tore them up and stuffed them into the block wall. Then we took cans of expandable foam insulation and filled the top of the blocks. This should seal the top of the walls and not allow them to sneak into our humble abode. The purpose of the paper was to hold the foam up until it hardened. I think we will have a very tight house by the time we are finished...

One Year Old

L-R Jayden, Dylan, Jackson