July 17, 2010

The birthday girl opens her presents.	Tim Groff from Burkeland was here on Sunday and preached for us on "Being Lights to Those Around Us".  A challenging sermon.  We came home for a dinner of sarmales, cucumber salad, and fresh tomatoes.  After trying to tire the children out for a while we all went down for naps.  In the evening the Barnwell Mens chorus gave a really good program for us.  I was asked to lead the songs so I took care of that with my usual aplomb... :(
Savannah's birthday cookie.	We got up at good time on Monday.  I made breakfast and Ina Sue started wiping out the laundry.  She took time during the day to make Savannah's birthday cookie.  After I got home from work we had a new butternut squash recipe for supper (very good), then celebrated our little duchess's 2nd birthday.
Apples from our tree.	I went in to work at the normal time on Tuesday.  Ina Sue go the children all ready and packed up then met me in at Enos Yoder's pool for a pool party in honor of Savannah's birthday.  Norma Hochstetler volunteered to keep Claudia for us so that made things much nicer.  We had a great time.  I had brought chicken burritos from Taco Bell so we had a little picnic there too.  Ina Sue took the children home while I went back to work.  We had BarBQ over rice with field peas for supper.  After supper we dropped the children off with Nelson Hochstetlers while we went to a Govan town meeting about the water department.  For all the complaining we hear from the customers, the meeting was very poorly attended.  Mike Epperson did a good job explaining why we have had some of the problems and what was being done to fix them.
Claudia has almost outgrown this stroller.	I had a normal day at work on Wednesday.  Ina Sue said she spent her day on lots of odds and ends.  She made a big batch of granola, picked apples and made apple dumplings, and grilled hamburgers, squash & onions for a delicious supper.  After supper I mowed the front yard then we all worked together to pick another basketfull of apples from our tree.  We came in for a bedtime snack of apple dumplings then after the children were in bed Ina Sue & I worked on finances.
Uncle Howard & I helped Andy on Thursday.	I went over to Andy Korvers by 8:00 on Thursday.  He has been trying to get a number of projects done on their house this summer but is having a hard time getting it all done.  Uncle Howard and I tried to help him a bit.  We worked on hanging some doors, insulating, and putting up vinyl soffit around his new boot porch out from the basement.  Mary fixed us a delicious lunch.  Ina Sue was there with the children for part of the day and worked on cutting up apples.  She came home around 3:00 and canned 12 quarts of spiced apples.  I stayed until about 4:30.  After supper we played some Dutch Blitz with Carolina Sue.
They served us lunch in their basement.	Friday was a full day of work.  I was busy at the shop all day.  Cousin Carl very kindly took the children for rides in their corn chopper.  They just love that kind of thing.  I met Ina Sue at the church for the annual church cleaning.  We were responsible for the bathrooms and vestibule.  After we got finished we helped some of the other groups down in the school.  After the cleaning was done we all joined in a snack.  Then I went back in to work for several hours while Ina Sue took the children home and put them to bed.
	Ina Sue fixed us quiche for breakfast on Saturday.  I worked on closing up the access holes under our house.  Also mowed the yard and trimmed up a bunch of our trees.  Ina Sue cooked and cleaned.  We had BLT's for supper.