Category Archives: Fun

A new home for Billy!

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Back in August I did a post about the kittens: Bill & Sandy.

Here are some pics of them with their namesake – the “real” Bill and Sandy, not too long after I had done that original post…

Here are some more random pics…

Sadly, Sandy (the kitten) got sick, so Bill has been on his own for the last month or so.  Even though the other cats tended to shun him, he got plenty of attention from us! 🙂

And today, we are OVERJOYED because he’s been adopted by some friends of ours. They needed a barn-cat for their new barn, and fell in love with Billy!!!

Oh, we’ll miss him because he’s been fun, but we know he’ll be well taken care of as the “king” of his very own barn. 🙂

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Ross Family Hike 2012

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A couple weekends ago was our annual “Ross Family Hike”. This hike has been happening since before I married in to the family. Mike’s Mom’s maiden name is Ross, and we are the 7th generation to farm here. (I’ll put a pic of a genealogy paper at the bottom of this post. Our cousin, Ernie Ross, created it for us before he died in 2011.) For me it seems, the older I get, the more interesting history is becoming… Sure wish I would have paid more attention to the stories from my grandparents before they passed…

Every year, the four of us talk about blazing a new trail for the Ross Family Hike during the summer months so we can use it & enjoy it all year. And every year we are scrambling at the last minute to cut one right before the hike, lol. Why spend the time to cut a trail you may ask?? Well, ever since I got a group lost in briars and spider nests five years ago or so, it was decided we needed a defined path for “non-natural hikers”, like myself… 🙂

We all look forward to this hike – and this year was no exception! We begin with a family prayer and share a potluck meal in Mike’s parents’ garage. Then we take a hike through the woods, and the guys usually end with “shooting” – clay pigeons, squirrel targets, etc…

This first pic shows the yellow ribbons that mark this year’s path. I’m happy to report I was “allowed” to be the “ribbon girl” again this year! 🙂

I briefly lost my “title” last year because of using too much ribbon…we ran out before we were done with the trail, lol! I went a little more conservative this year, and won back the approval of all three of my boys… 🙂 ;

Michael is our “extreme adventur-er” – can normally find him doing ANYTHING other than cutting briars, lol…

Found this cool squirrel-table-stump…

Love finding old fenceposts in the woods & trying to imagine how the old pasturefields used to look…

Now the pics change to the actual day of the hike. We went on a “trial run” hike in the morning because there was a steep part we needed to add a rope to. We tied a rope to a tree on the top of the dry creek bed so that we could use it to climb up the bank. Felt like Indiana Jones, lol! 🙂

FINALLY – these next pics are the “actual” hike… 🙂

Not kidding: ROPE WAS FUN!! Brought lots of smiles & laughs…

Uncle Bill, on the other hand, didn’t need any rope! 🙂

Every year we take this same pic… 🙂

Yes, Michael’s holding half of a dead rat – long story – crazy boys… 🙂

It was a wonderful day for all – “Blake” (our oldest cat) says it all right here… 🙂

Algonquin Mill 2012

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Thought I’d share some pics from this year’s Algonquin Mill Festival. Every year, we look forward to this festival. The autumn setting is just beautiful, and the air is full of the scent of steam engine smoke! 🙂

Mike’s mom quilts in the farm house on Thursdays during the year. During the festival, the ladies dress in costume and enjoy demonstrating what they do to the families who come through the house. Recently, Mike and the boys have been joining Grandma on Thursdays to work with the men where needed. Mike has always wanted to learn how to work the steam engine powered flour mill, and he is getting to do that. Hopefully, the boys will follow suit as the next year progresses. It’s such a wonderful learning experience for all – the passing on of knowledge from generation to generation.

The festival lasts for 3 days. Today, Mike worked in the flouring mill, and the boys & I worked in the Apple Butter house. We had a steady stream of sales, and enjoyed talking with the other volunteers and customers. 🙂

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Packing lunches…

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Since we are all together most of the time, it is not very often I get to pack lunches…so when I DO get to pack them, it’s a pretty big deal, lol. 🙂

Today, Mike & Michael are attending an all day workshop in Zoar about the basics of blacksmithing.

They needed to bring a sack lunch, which translates to: cooler full of food, in “my” vernacular, lol…

It was fun filling up the cooler! Fried (in coconut oil) meatloaf sandwiches (on sourdough bread w/ lots of butter), some of our home canned pickles + dilly beans, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies (made from doughballs I made & froze), one raw cookie doughball for Michael (of the 4 of us, Mike is the only one who prefers the “baked” cookie, lol), and 2 glasses of sorghum milk (I just added a spoonful of sorghum to each cup & mixed it up – a healthy, energy drink – an idea we learned from one of our customers…thanks, Collette!) Topped the cooler off with some Scripture, napkins, & ice packs and ta-da… Lunches complete! 🙂

Lord, I pray today will be a day full of growth for each one of us. For Mike & Michael as they begin to learn the basics of blacksmithing together, and for Paul and I as we hold down the fort here. May the physical food we eat give us the energy we need to focus our efforts on the tasks before us. And may the Spiritual food we “eat” keep us keenly aware of who You are, and that ultimately, we are working for You IN EVERYTHING WE DO. Amen

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Grand Prize Winner = a Cleveland Indians game!

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We love Wednesdays… That’s the evening we head to the Stark County Library‘s Bookmobile at a local parking lot in Waynesburg. We enjoy requesting books & dvd’s online on their website, and picking up + browsing the items they have on the bus each week. When it comes to additional reading to compliment our homeschooling curriculum, they have been SO helpful!

At the end of August, we learned that Mike won the “grand prize drawing” of the summer reading program: a bag of fun baseball themed trinkets/snacks + tickets to a Cleveland Indians baseball game!! Wahoo, lol! 🙂

I know, I know – not such a great season for “our” team this year… But we are no fair-weathered-fans around here… a game’s a game! 🙂

Just like a couple weeks ago, we planned for a “super rushed” day on Monday, so we could make the hour and a half drive to arrive in time for the first pitch at 7:05pm.

The last time we went to an Indians game (several years ago), we were caught off-guard with the expense of parking. THIS TIME, we did a bit of research, and are happy to report it was a complete SUCCESS! Stumbled on ParkWhiz.com during an internet search, and decided to give it a try – paid only $5 for a RESERVED parking spot! It was a couple blocks from the stadium, but we “country bumpkins” didn’t mind the city walk at all – so different than the country scenery, lol.. 🙂

Our seats were behind home plate, all the way at the TIPPY TOP of the stadium – section 556. It was fun to turn around and peer through the fence to see the view of Cleveland at night. Praise God, all our legs & joints are functioning properly – can’t tell you how many steps we climbed up! 🙂

After about the 6th inning, the cold breeze on our faces prompted us to check out the stand-up area behind left field. We were able to stand right at the fence for the rest of the game…even got to see a GRAND SLAM…too bad it wasn’t for OUR team, lol!! The boys were pretty excited about seeing it, though – the ball landed not too far from where we were.

Sadly, the Indians lost IN A BIG WAY, but it was a fun family outing, just the same. Lots of laughter had and memories made! 🙂

THANK YOU STARK COUNTY LIBRARY!!! 🙂

Here are some pics:

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16th Wedding Anniversary – September 28, 2012

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Sixteen years ago this morning, we were married at Bethel Lutheran Church, in Bath, Ohio.

(Our scanner doesn’t work, so I took some pictures of our pictures…)

It was a misty, rainy day…but cleared up enough for a few outside pictures.  Our reception was at Stan Hywet Hall in Akron, Ohio.

We drove to the Adirondack Mountains for our honeymoon – 9-29-96 thru 10-5-96.  Stopped & stayed at Seneca Lake – Belhurst Castle on the way out, and on the way back.  Visited Lake George – Alpine Village/Prospect Mountain, Lake Placid – Whiteface Mountain/sites of 1980 Olympics/High Falls Gorge, Fort Ticonderoga, Albany, Ithaca – Buttermilk Falls, and Watkins Glen – state park.

Father, it’s hard to look at these pictures from 16 years ago without feeling a “tinge of regret” – a regret for not recognizing the darkness we were walking in.  A regret for promoting a false illusion that we were “better than” we really were.  Thank you for allowing us to still feel that “tinge of regret” – may it keep us humble – may it continue to drive us to seek comfort in You, not one another – may our marriage bonds strengthen each day as we seek to serve You together – may it burden us to tell others of our journey, to tell of where Your Hand has been both then and now… BUT, may we not dwell on that “tinge” – remind us of Your Words in Romans 8:1-4 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.  How appropriate that the verse emailed & txted to us today from Ron Hutchcraft Ministries was Romans 4:7-8 “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”  I look forward to each new day that You give me here to live.  There are not enough words for me to express the feelings of thanksgiving I have for my salvation, for my marriage, for our children, and for our journey.  May our worship be our walk, and may our walk increase Your Flock.  AMEN

Thought I’d end with sharing a favorite anniversary card I have in my “scrapbook”.  Shouldn’t be a surprise why I like this one, lol… 🙂

So excited – Selah concert!!!

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Ahhhh – can finally relax. Made it…

Been waiting for this day since Christmas! FREE Selah concert in Canton tonight! We worked at CRAZY speed today so we could finish chores, school, garden harvest, & milking EARLY to make it up here by the time doors opened at 6.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! 🙂

Even had enough time to eat a picnic pizza in the parking lot, lol…

Thank You, Lord, for opportunities like today – for churches who sponsor free concerts – for talented musicians who share their gifts & sing for You – for workdays without calamity – for schooldays without difficulty – for harvests despite droughts – for family who allow us to borrow comfortable vehicles – for time to blog while we wait for the doors to open – and for phones to capture these moments & share with others. May this concert uplift us & fill us with joy through the harmonies & lyrics of Selah’s music. Amen.

Meet “Bill” and “Sandy”…

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I’ve been hesitant to blog these cuties… The last time I did that, we never saw the kittens again! 😦

But, it seems these guys are here to stay… So needless-to-say, the Boys are VERY excited! 🙂

You may be thinking, “Wow – I can’t believe they didn’t name them some kind of food-themed name…they actually picked NORMAL names for these kittens?”

LOL, Yes, since the boy & girl kitten were found in our good friends’ hay that is upstairs in the milking barn, both boys decided appropriate names would be after them: Bill & Sandy.

🙂