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Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Matthew 6:33 (The Message)

Part Two of Five

Cousins’ Days at Our House

July 17-21

Continuing our walk to a neighbor’s farm.

Queen Anne’s lace brings back childhood memories of learning about this field flower from my mother.

Jared standing next to a lush cornfield.

Just before entering our neighbors farm lane, we met another neighbor (and her dog) who was walking around the block.

We were privileged to get an interesting tour of the inside the chicken house on the left.

If there were chickens in the house, we could not have gone inside and viewed how eggs move by conveyor belt/trough from a chicken pen to an egg flat, because strangers to the farm can carry diseases. I could not take photographs.

Our next stop was the wheat and corn bins.

The children were pleased when Kevin said they could go inside the corn bin.

Then it was to the large building that stores the combine.

Kevin patiently helped each one up the steps, into the cab, then down again.

They loved the view from way up there.

Jesse waiting for his turn to go up the steps.

Even though it looked big to us, Kevin said this is not large by combine standards – even for our area – and it would be considered quite small when compared to a combine used on the large fields in the midwest.

Thank you, Kevin!

Diana and Jana decided to rest in a shady area, so were far behind us. Can you see them on the right side of the road?

If I use my zoom, you can see them better.

This is what the rest of us saw when we turned around and walked toward home. These are my brothers’ farm buildings.

We were glad for a break from walking and a shady spot as it was quite warm. The children love feeding the heifers in this feed lot.

~~~

Tomorrow night: Crafts, Working for TFC, and Wet Time

~~~

As we keep his commands,

we live deeply and surely in him,

and he lives in us.

And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us:

by the Spirit he gave us.

1 John 3:24 (The Message)

Part One of Five

Cousins’ Days at Our House

July 17-21

We began this tradition many years ago when Jeff and Chris wanted to take a few days of vacation for their anniversary, and asked if we could keep their children. It seemed like a good idea to have Jere and Kristen’s children at same time so all our Pennsylvania grandchildren could be together.

We had so much fun, we now do it every summer, and call it Cousins’ Days.

Things have changed over the years: Jordan and Nate have graduated from high school and have fulltime jobs, and Josh and Jenna will be seniors, and have after school and summer jobs, so they were not part of our daytime activities. (You will see Jenna later in the week.)

I think most of our Maine grandchildren got to be part of Cousins’ Days at least once.

Jesse

I told their parents they could bring the children to our house as early as 6:00 on Tuesday evening (July 17). That suited Jere and Kristen. Jeff and Chris and their children went to watch a church baseball game, so brought theirs about bedtime.

Jere’s boys were in gear for Cousins’ Days, and wanted to work on crafts as soon as they walked in the door.

Ian

So I got out the paints and a long roll of coloring pages.

Shortly after Ian begain painting, he said, “I have only been here a few minutes and I am already having the best Cousins’ Days. Grandma, did we invent Cousins’ Days?”

I assured him that we didn’t invent it, but that I read about grandmas who did this – even before I had grandchildren – and decided that I wanted to do this when Grandpa and I had grandchildren.

Nobody wanted to share paints with Jesse because he couldn’t quite get it that you had to clean your brush between colors – so he ended up with everything being a pinkish brown.

Jared said he chose these colors because they reminded him of our cruise.

The two craft tables in our garage.

The crafts on top of the table are what we will begin working on in the morning. I took the six youngest to A.C. Moore a few weeks earlier and asked each one to chose a craft.

This is why the boys were anxious to begin working on something. They knew we had crafts for them.

Grandpa and Jesse checking the directions for Jesse’s birdhouse.

We began working on this because it needed to be glued together so he could paint it in the morning.

Jared preparing to microwave bacon. He and Diana were in charge of breakfast on Wednesday morning.

Diana with the pancakes.

I had previously paired the six youngest grandchildren in twos for preparing breakfast and supper, setting the table, and cleaning up after the meal.

They had given me their meal choices ahead of time so I could have the necessary groceries on hand.

Jana helped make scrambled eggs for those who wanted them.

Enjoying breakfast at the two meal tables in the garage.

After breakfast we went for a one-mile walk for a tour of a neighboring farm.

They stopped to skip stones at my brothers’ farm pond.

Making shadow designs.

Watching minnows in a small creek.

I love photographing old fences and gates.

~~~

Tomorrow night you will see pictures from our tour of the neighbor’s farm.

~~~

We must focus on Jesus,

the source and goal of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

So What’s Cerwin Been Doing in July?

This trailer will be the new chapel for Rochelle, Illinois. It arrived at TFC’s International Shop on July 5.

Using the skid loader to make sure the trailer walls line up. (If a wall is ‘bulging’ it needs to be pushed in a bit.)

The trailer’s back doors have been removed, and you can see the door that has been cut into the trailer wall. The one on the left is the emergency door. The entrance door is on the other side.

Scott Rohrer of Rohrer’s One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning delivered the ductless air conditioning and heating unit. There are two chapels that use ductless air conditioning, but this is the first time Cerwin is having one installed during construction.   

Parke Lefever and Clarence Martin preparing lumber for the floor.

Floor framing and insulation

Plywood floor is finished.

Wall sections

Installing wall sections

Glen Miller watching as Clarence Martin and Glenn Fahnestock measure for wall alignment.

Glen and Glenn making the back wall closure to replace the rear trailer doors.

Parke and Glenn just after they finished putting the back wall in place.

The cabinets from Signature Custom Cabinetry, Inc. arrived early and are waiting to be installed.

Painting the ceiling paneling.

Larry, Don, Ray, and John – construction volunteers from Living Waters Chapel, Lebanon, PA.

Cerwin must have said something funny!

Cerwin was impressed with the ‘apparatus’ Ray brought to run the electric wires for the trailer. A chapel takes almost 500 feet of wire.

All this was done in three weeks. Cerwin took this photo yesterday, July 26.

~~~~

In early July a driver backed into the brand new steps at the Frystown, PA, chapel

The damage was not too serious, but they had to be taken back to PBZ Fabricating for repair.

While they were being repaired, Cerwin put these temporary steps at the chapel.

The repaired steps were put in place earlier this week.

Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 (The Message)

Hershey Reunion

Sunday, July 15

I always miss my dad at this reunion, as it is made up of the offspring of his parents, Milton and Nancy. I especially missed him on this day as it would have been his ninety-second birthday.

This pavilion is in the woodlot where we live.

Isn’t it amazing how a family multiplies. My grandparents were married about ninety-three years ago. Until my dad was born there were only two of them. (Grandma and Grandma had a total of five children.)

There were probably about fifty people at the reunion – and I expect there were that many who did not attend.

I love covered dish meals, not because there is a lot of food, but because there is a nice variety.

Caleb taking a big bite of hot dog.

Ben, Diana, Jana, Gloria, and Regan playing Bocce

Ben is a great-grandchild of my grandparents. The others are their great-great-grandchildren.

The sandbox was popular with the little ones: Heidi, Lindsey, Kelci, Bella, and Molly.

Bella and Lindsey

“Did you know that we are second cousins?”

Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Romans 12:2 (New Living Translation)

Forty-Nine Gifts For Roy’s

Forty-Nineth Birthday

Roy & Deb’s Amish Friends

Saturday, July 14

The first gift was a cornhole game from Jake & Rachel’s family.

Opening gifts

Someone should not have given Roy silly string.

Because Mrs. Rachel came to the party a bit late, she did not know what all the “stuff” was on the patio. She should not have asked just as Roy opened another can!

Posing like this candy popsicle.

A cute talking card.

These two have a surprise up their sleeves.

They gave him $10.00 in pennies – all placed in balloons.

I wonder how long it took for them to get 1,000 pennies in a few balloons?

However, this balloon (his last gift) is filled with something else.

Glitter!

Now close your eyes. No peeking!

Miss Rachel presented him with his birthday cake.

It was made and decorated at our favorite local bakery – Lititz Family Cupboard Bakery.

Because Rachel went to stay with her father just before supper (see previous post) no one remembered to turn on the stove where the corn was supposed to be cooking, so we had corn for dessert. Oh, yum.

I thought it was better than cake and ice cream.

The married son and his wife headed home after the birthday cake.

Others got in a corn bag battle.

Even Jake!

Roy looks like he is just trying to avoid flying corn bags.

Emma was blowing bubbles as we prepared to go home.

~~~

A relaxing, fun evening was just what I needed!

~~~