Xanga

 

 

Day Six in Minnesota

Saturday

 

 

Aimee’s clothesline in the early morning light.

 

 

 Saturday morning the men removed the old deck at Bob and Doris’ house.  

 

 

 Their supervisors:  Wayne, Jaden, Jeremiah, and Loraine.  Japheth Jr. was also there, but did not get in a picture.

 

 

Finishing the new deck.

 

 

 Jeremiah washing his part of the floor.

In the afternoon Mother High, Doris, Aimee, and Judi went to a bridal shower while Mother Hershey and I took care of the children, finished their school projects, and prepared the house for their family night.  Japheth Jr. and Jeremiah took turns washing the floor and playing a computer game (fifteen-minute segments). 

 

 

Family Night at Japheth and Aimee’s

 

 

 Judi, Andre, and Jen

 

 

 Bob and Lynne

 

 

Mother Hershey’s birthday is next week, so after our supper of pizza, chips, and root beer floats, we had birthday cake.

 

 

 

Aimee and Japheth.  Japheth is Bob and Doris’ oldest son.

 

 

 Jen and Jon.  Jon is Bob and Doris’ youngest son.

 

 

 Doris giving Bob some advice on using crutches.  He twisted his ankle when removing the old deck (stepped in a hole) this morning.  He decided to forego the crutches and use a cane or just walk carefully.

 

 

 Judi and Japheth Jr.  Judi is Bob and Doris’ youngest daughter.

 

 

 Jaden and Loraine having fun with great-uncle Cerwin

 

 

 Jaden and Loraine

 

 

 Alisha and Wayne

 

 

 Jen, Andre, and Mother High

 

 

 Jon and Bob.  Singing is usually a part of their family gatherings.

 

 

  Japheth, Aimee, Jaden and Loraine

 

 

 Jaden

 

 

Mother Hershey, me, Alisha, Jeremiah, and Japheth Jr watching pictures on my computer.

 

  

Wayne and Jaden created a “marching band.”

  

 

 Loraine in deep thought.

 

 

 Alisha

 

 

We did not get to see Bob and Doris’ oldest daughter, Juanita, who lives in Michigan and serves in the office of IFM.  (This is a photo from Mother High’s 90th birthday party in 2007.)

 

 

 

Respect everyone

love your Christian brothers and sisters.

Fear God

respect the king.

1 Peter 2:17 NLT

 

 

 

Day Five in Minnesota

Friday

This was my day of total relaxation and vacation.  Bob and Cerwin asked if I wanted to go along on their fishing trip.  They didn’t have to ask me twice!

 

 

 My first photo opportunity happened when we came upon this porcupine.  I had never seen one up a tree.

 

 

Shortly after that two deer crossed the road in front of us.  If we had not seen them, we certainly would not have seen them in their natural camouflage.

 

 

 Our first fishing stop was at Gilstad.  They did not catch any fish, but I enjoyed the wildlife.

 

 

Cormorant

 

 

 Beaver

 

 

 Forster’s Tern

 

 

 From there we delivered a mirror frame (with mirror included) that Bob designed for this home.  Bob is a skilled cabinet maker, as well as pastor of Kitchi Pines Mennonite Church.

 

 

 These are cabinets he built.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The owner built this wood duck house to match his house.

 

 

 

 After lunch we went to the dock at Bemidji.

 

 

 I enjoyed watching the lesser terns catch fish

 

 

 

 

This female common merganser tried to join another merganser couple.

 

 

The male merganser did not consider having an affair with this lady and immediately chased her away. 

 

 

 

 

  

Our men did not catch any fish, but another fisherman on the dock hooked this nice bass.

 

 

He graciously held it for me before throwing it back in the lake.  Bass is not yet in season.

 

 

Sunset outside Bob and Doris’ window.

Toward evening the men went to the hospital to visit a church member, then back to the Bemidji dock.  Fishing is supposed to be better at night.

 

 

 Doris and the mothers played a game.

 

 

 The men were pleased with their catch tonight – seven nice-sized walleye.  The largest was twenty inches.  This photo was taken by Bob after midnight.

 

 

 

 

Day Four in Minnesota

Thursday

 

 

First thing this morning we went to Jon and Jen’s house because Judi had forgotten to take something along to work at the sewing machine shop.  Jon is Bob and Doris’ youngest son.

 

 

Jon was going to Bemidji and was able to save Bob or Doris from making the forty-minute trip.

 

 

Jen was pleased to show us baby Andre.

 

 

Andre and Great Grandma High

 

 

A cute picture of Andre.

 

 

Grandma Doris and Alisha

 

 

Alisha looking over some gifts from Great Grandma and Velma.

 

 

Jon and Jen’s new kitchen.

 

 

Cerwin was pleased to catch a twenty-nine-and-a-half inch northern pike today.

 

 

 Bob and Cerwin replacing the trim around this flower bed.

 

 

These violets are some of the first flowers I’ve seen in this area.

 

 

I was pleased to see the Baltimore orioles

 

 

 

 

We had northern pike for supper.

 

 

Aimee invited me to go along to a homeschooling tea at Hope Byler’s – next door.

 

 

I love this picture of Melody Sporre.

 

 

The little girls tea.

 

 

Left to right:  Heidi, Aimee, Julia, Delight, Hope, and Fayetta.

 

 

 

I liked these colorful hand bells.

 

 

The purpose of the evening was to encourage each other in homeschooling ideas.

 

 

I enjoyed learning to know these ladies better and listening to their ideas.

 

 

 

See then that you walk circumspectly

not as fools but as wise.

Ephesians 5:15  NKJV

 

 

 

Minnesota – Day Three

 

 

 Looking toward Bob and Doris’ house from “my current office” – the children’s school room.  Notice frost on the garden, the sun rising in the east, and smoke coming from the shed which houses the huge wood furnace that heats Japheth and Aimee’s house.

 

 

Mother High holding her youngest great grandchild – Lynne.

 

 

The hummingbirds were pleased when Doris put the feeder out the day after we arrived.  We saw this one within a few hours.

 

 

Bob and Doris decided to discontinue raising chickens, so were pleased when a friend was interested in buying their chicken wire.

 

 

 Japheth and Aimee are going to visit her parents in Virginia in a few weeks and purchased this trailer frame – to which he and Bob will build framework for storing suitcases for the eight people in their family.  Japheth put the frame together last night.

 

 

 My stepmother, Velma, hanging wash for Aimee.

 

 

 Aimee hanging laundry.

 

 

Aimee designs beautiful cards and sells them in several stores.  Since Japheth is off today, and Judi is tending the sewing machine shop, Japheth and Aimee are going to resupply a store where they sell the most.  Wayne is “helping.”

 

 

 

Jaden and Loraine walking out the lane.

 

 

 The children watch as Bob, Japheth, and Cerwin cut wood for the wood furnace.

Some of you thought these were our grandchildren.  They are Cerwin’s sister’s grandchildren.

 

 

Jaden and Wayne

 

 

The wood they are cutting today will fill this empty hole in the middle of the wood shed.

 

 

 The “beast” that eats the wood and heats the house.

 

 

 Their small greenhouse is in a room on the side of the furnace shed.

 

 

 Bob transporting the wood.

 

 

 Japheth, Bob, and Cerwin unloading the wagon.

 

 

 Wayne

 

 

 Loraine and Jaden

 

 

 Jeremiah

 

 

 The sandbox

 

 

Jaden

 

 

 

The late spring is making life difficult for the bees.  Bob keeps hoping the dandelions will soon bloom.  I never realized the importance of dandelions in supplying food for the bees.

 

 

 Japheth giving sugar water to his bees.

 

 

We had school in the afternoon when Japheth and Aimee delivered her cards and did a few other errands.  We worked with stickers while the two little boys slept.  Japheth and Aimee took Lynne with them.

 

 

 Jeremiah

 

 

 Japheth Jr.

 

 

 The boys can hardly wait until it is time for them to play a game on my laptop.  This one involves matching blocks.  When four of the same color are put in a square, they explode.  Each time they make a move, more blocks are added, so the idea of the game is to keep the board from filling up.

 

 

The little ones wanted to build a “house” with chairs and blankets.

 

 

Cerwin and Bob went fishing for a few hours this afternoon.  Cerwin caught a small, ten-inch Walleye.

 

 

 

A picture of Dawson and Hope Byler’s barn – a short distance up the lake. 

www.xanga.com/so_blessed_5 these pictures are for you.

 

 

Since it was a beautiful evening I walked to small group prayer service at Hope’s mother’s house.  These are Dawson and Hope’s cattle.

 

 

 

 Dawson’s barn up close.

 

 

 Dawson, Monica (their youngest), and Hope.

 

 This is a better picture of them, but a bit dark.

 

 

 So ended another day in the northwoods.

 

 

 

 

Day Two in Minnesota

 One of my favorite things to do when visiting the Stauffer’s is having “school” with Japheth and Aimee’s children – and it seems they enjoy it too.

Knowing I would be here to take care of the five oldest children, Aimee scheduled several appointments on Tuesday – taking baby Lynne with her.

 

 

While waiting for breakfast, the three oldest – Loraine, Jeremiah, and Japheth watched my Monarch butterfly slide presentation from last summer.

 

 

Walking to Bob & Doris’ for breakfast.

 

 

Morning devotions – Bob and Cerwin

 

 

A delicious breakfast of baked oatmeal.

 

 

Cerwin and Bob were off to install cabinets – while I walked back to Japheth and Aimee’s to be with the children.

 

 

The lilac’s are ready to open when warm weather appears.

 

 

When I arrived, Jeremiah was reading to Jaden and Loraine.

 

 

After Aimee left, our first school project was to make books.  Notice the blank note books.

 

 

The covers and a few inside pictures are finished.

 

 

Jaden chose one of my bird pictures for his cover.

 

 

 Wayne chose a picture of cows.

 

 

Playing memory.  Left to right:  Jeremiah (5), Japheth (6), Loraine (4), Wayne (3), and Jaden (2).  Loraine won!

 

 

Yogurt popsicles for snacktime.

 

 

I love this picture of Jaden, as it captured his personality.

 

 

 

 

Wayne and Jaden’s favorite school project was cutting paper and putting it into bowls.

 

 

If cutting didn’t work for Wayne he kept trying until he figured out how to cut.  If Jaden couldn’t cut it, he tore it!

 

 

 

 

At “Grandpa Stauffer’s” Doris is reading a book to everyone – especially her mother – because it is a true story written about the area where Mother High grew up.

 

 

Loraine and Aunt Judi listening.

 

 

We had Walleye for supper.  Yum!

 

 

We were invited to Japheth and Aimee’s for dessert.  Finally the sun is beginning to come out.

 

 

 

 

Let me introduce you to baby Lynne – age six months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So ended our second day in northern Minnesota. 

Don’t you feel sorry for us having to endure this kind of vacation?

 

 

 

 

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

to

Bemidji, Minnesota

 

 

We had been looking forward to this trip with our mothers since our last trip to visit Cerwin’s youngest sister, Doris, and her family, two years ago, so it was good to see the lakes and trees of north central Minnesota as we approached the Bemidji airport.

It was a great day with good flights and easy connections.

 

 

Our first stop was Japheth’s Stitch in Time shop in Bemidji.  Japheth is Bob and Doris’ oldest son.  This is the area where he does repairs.

 

 

 

 

A few of the sewing machines he sells.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The room where he gives classes on how to use the machines.

 

 

This sweatshirt was hanging over a chair.

 

 

Japheth’s wife, Aimee, designs beautiful cards and has a display in the shop.

 

 

 

 

Cerwin’s mother, Japheth, Cerwin’s sister Doris, and my stepmother.

 

 

It still feels like winter here, so I suggested that he may want to take down this sign!

 

 

Cerwin and our brother-in-law Bob displaying their feeling about the sign.

 

 

Japheth Jr. and Jeremiah were our welcoming committee when we pulled up to the house.  Bob and Doris and Japheth and Aimee’s houses are on the same acreage, overlooking a lake.

 

 

We are sleeping in Japheth and Aimee’s guest room, so after unpacking our things, Loraine showed me her “treasure box.”

 

 

Big brother, Japheth, came to the rescue when she couldn’t figure out how to open it.

 

 

One of her treasures.

 

 

 Wayne enjoying popcorn.

 

 

Chloe is my traveling companion when I walk from one house to the other.

 

 

This is the view we will have to “endure” for the next six days. 

 

 

 

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Galatians 5:14 NLT

 

 

 

I began entering this post last night, but didn’t finish because I needed to get to bed early – we were getting up at 3:30 this morning.

I did a bit more work on it at the Harrisburg Airport a few hours ago.

Now I hope to finish it, as we have a three-hour layover in Minneapolis before flying to Bemidji (north central Minnesota), where Cerwin, his mother, my stepmother, and I will spend a week with Cerwin’s sister, Doris.

~~~

If I don’t post for a week – I am okay – but without Internet access. 

 

 

Sunday’s 

Make-a-Wish Parade

 

 

The morning paper says there were 381 trucks in the parade.

 

 

 

 

Bunny O’Hare, Cerwin, and granddaughters Jenna and Diana setting up the steps to the chapel.

 We arrived at 8:00 a.m. to get our spot and be set up for those who wished to attend a worship service. 

 

 

 The girls enjoyed helping.

 

 

 Trucker Ron (sharing his testimony) and Bunny O’Hare, TFC Director of Chaplains (seated, left, front) were in charge of the morning service.

 

 

 We enjoyed telling visitors about the ministry and showing many of them what a chapel looks like inside.

 

 

It was fun for me to meet a Xanga friend –  http://www.xanga.com/raycindy93.  We don’t live very far apart, but had never met.

 

  

 I always enjoy seeing the stuffed animals in Jeff Brown’s cattle truck when he is in parade.

 

 

 

 

 We had about an hour wait from the time the parade started, until it was our turn.  Jenna enjoyed blowing the air horn – in preparation for the parade.

 

 

 I took this picture of Diana looking in my truck window, not realizing I was also getting the reflections.

 

 

 My cousin, Joan, was one of the clowns.

 

 

 The scene as we left the parking lot.

 

 

People watch this parade from all kinds of vantage spots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I like when we approach this area where the hillside is full of Amish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 The underpass at Brownstown is a fun place to take a picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Do you think these people know us?

Our friends, Gene and Rose Gehman and John and Judy Lentz.

 

 

 

 

 These are our most faithful parade watchers!  Jere, Kristen, Josh, Jana, Ian, Jared, and Jesse watch the parade from her mother’s (Betty – center) front porch.

 

 

 Our son, Jere, and youngest grandchild, Jesse.

 

 

 Our grandson, Jared, and daughter-in-law, Kristen.  Jared wasn’t sure what he thought about seeing us in a truck.

 

 

 Kristen, Jere, and Jesse.

  

 

 

 

 The end of the parade.