Happy Belated National Pound Cake Day!

I made my first pound cake today. It is a Chocolate Chip Pound Cake. It was very rich and tasted great with milk. My whole family enjoyed. it.

Ice Storm

Yesterday as a result of the weather our trees iced over. I thought it looked rather pretty so I took several pictures. I am thankful that we didn't lose our electricity. My mother's electricity went off last evening and didn't come on until the middle of the night. Yikes, I can't imagine how cold it got in her trailer.


This was from yesterday afternoon when it was sleeting and freezing.

I took this last evening. I thought this tree looked really pretty with the ice on it.

The sun shining through the ice covered trees this afternoon.

More trees with ice.

It Looks Like Spring is Just Around the Corner

Samuel saw a couple robins today and managed to get a picture of one through the window. I know it is not a good picture but I wanted to post this sign of spring.

Where I Grew Up!

Below are some pictures of the area where I grew up. There were many more pictures I would have loved to have taken but time was not on our side so we took a few and moved on down the road.

The house where I grew up. Our house at one time actually looked like the house in the second picture down from this one. Then my Dad added on three bedrooms along the side of the house and then he redid the front porch to make it enclosed. It is now a camp.

Across the road from the house where my sisters and I grew up. This is actually part of the Allegheny National Forest.

Our next door neighbor's house. This place was only a camp for some people from the Cleveland, Ohio area. It is still a camp but is now owned by the family of the people who owned the next house down.

This is looking down the lane from the house where we grew up. My sisters and I took many a ride down this hill on runner sleds. At the bottom of the hill are the mailboxes for those that live back the lane.

This is looking up the lane towards the house.

The sign at the end or beginning of the lane depending on whether you are coming or going. It was at the end for us as we were going when we were taking these pictures.

Another picture at the end of the lane looking across the highway.

We are heading down the highway here towards Tionesta.

Here we just took a shot looking into the woods along the highway.

The spring where we occasionally got water to drink.

My Weekend

My grandma (my Dad's mother) passed away a week ago today and her viewing was this past Sunday. So my sister Holly and I left our kids with our husbands and headed for my parents in Ohio on Saturday afternoon. We met up with our youngest sister on I-71 north of Columbus and continued our journey to Salem. On our way we stopped at the Amish Door restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meal. We reached Mom and Dad's shortly after 10 p.m. and had a good visit for a few hours. Then the next morning my sisters and I got up and headed to PA to visit our grandmother (Mom's mom) before going to the viewing in the afternoon for our other grandmother. While on our way to Grandma's we listened to a sermon by Darrell Lee Stetler. I am thankful for modern technology and the fact that we were able to hear the Word preached while we traveled. Below are a few pictures from our time in PA.



Lyndi and Grandma at the puzzle table.

Aunt Mi fixing creamed peas for lunch.

Aunt Mi cutting the ham. It was very delicious.

The table with the food on it. We had many a meal here at this table with Grandpa and Grandma when we were growing up.

Pumpkin Pie

My grandmother with me.

Grandma and Holly

Grandma and Lyndi

A Timely Quote!

Time is what we want most, but what, alas! we use worst; and for which God will certainly most strictly reckon with us, when Time shall be no more. - William Penn

Polar Bear Day

Today is Polar Bear Day. I have pulled a couple books for the boys to read plus I have a polar bear site for them to peruse. A couple of my favorite stories about polar bears for younger kids are Little Polar Bear , Little Polar Bear Finds a Friend, and Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home by Hans de Beer. Two blog posts containing more information about polars bears can be found here at Lesser Road Academy and at By Sun and Candlelight. Have a great day!

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice. (But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) You excel in: Leadership positions You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

George Washington's Birthday

Here we go again! I am sure you all are glad that Lincoln's Birthday, President's Day, and Washington's Birthday are finally over. Today we read The Story of Mount Vernon. It was a fascinating book that makes me want to go and revisit Mount Vernon now that I know a little more about it. Today Curtis read George Washington's Breakfast by Jean Fritz and George Washingington by James Giblin, Samuel read George Washington by D'Aulaire and Meet George Washington, and Alex read If you grew up with George Washington and A Picture Book of George Washington. Again we will leave this books out on display through next week and then they will be put back away in our library.

Recent Snapshots

Curtis sitting by the fire last evening.

Samuel sitting on his hands!

Alex

Briana and Julissa

Happy 3rd Birthday, Julissa!

It is hard to believe that my baby is now three years old. I had to chose her birthday and that was a hard thing to do. She was born on a Monday. The other four kids were born either on Sunday or Wednesday.

The cake she wanted!

Julissa looking the cake over.

Julissa checking out the candle!

The cake looks great!

The candle being lit.

The candle burning. I missed her blowing it out. She did it too quickly!

Julissa looking to see if it was okay to remove the candle!

The candle removed! I missed the next shot also. She licked all the icing off the bottom of the candle!

Julissa enjoying her cake!

She is now opening her gifts.

She loved her little doll!

Julissa with her new bike. When you asked her about her bithday she would tell you she wanted a bike and a a Strawberry Shortcake cake.