ELMER'S WEEK WAS BITTERSWEET

This past week has been a hard one.  We are so happy that John and Sarah are married and living in their new to them home.  For a while there, we wondered if John would ever get married.  He remained single for a while, at least according to Amish marrying age.  So glad that he met Sarah.

Sarah's Father's funeral was sad, but we realize that he has gone to his final place, we hope with the Lord.  It is so sad to lose someone, but look forward to meeting them again when our time comes.

Sarah's Grandfather told her Mother not to make any decisions for a year.  Her oldest son said she could move in with them.  Some have already asked her if she was selling the farm.  She hasn't even thought of that yet.  People have given her other ideas on what she should do. She still has children to support and take care of.  So, Grandfather stepped in and said what he did.  I agree with him.  All will help her keep up the farm.  It is not a good idea to make fast decisions after her husband's passing.  The final decisions should be hers and not someone else's.

John and Sarah's farm is not to far from our house or Sarah Mother's house, so he can help on her farm.  Sarah's Mother also has two sons home yet.  They are out of school and know how to work, but at that age they need supervision to make sure they do what you tell them too.  John can't understand that.  I told him, he was that age once.

Anna and I had decided, do to all that happened, that we would not ask Bishop Eli to renew our vows this year.  We would just renew them together between the two of us.

On our anniversary, we were invited to Bishop Eli's and his wife's house for dinner.  We knew something was up when we pulled up and saw several buggies parked in the driveway.  Inside the house were of course Eli, his wife, my parents, Anna's parents, our children their spouces  and our grandchildren.  They also had invited a few close friends of Anna and mine including David and Jean, and Olive and Albert,

After everyone got settled, Eli gave a sermon.  They he asked Anna and I to come up to renew our vows, which we did.  After our vows, Eli prayed, and we sang some religious songs.  Then we ate the dinner that they had prepared for us.  Anna reminded me that I told her when we moved into our new house that we were going to eat peanut butter on our anniversary because I spent so much on the new furniture.  Everyone laughed.

When dinner was over, we sat and talked.  Then Eli and his wife came out with a cake. It said Elmer and Anna 30 years.  We had that for desert and ice cream.  Some people brought us some gifts.  The best of gifts was a quilt that our children had made for us.  It had our parents names on there, our children's and our grandchildren. John and Sarah's name was on there, too.  It even had close friends names on there like Eli and his wife, Jean and David, Oliver and Albert and more.  There was one square that didn't have a name on it.  They told us that was for our future grandchildren that haven't been born yet.  I guess that was sort of a hint to John and Sarah.  In the center they had Anna and my name with 30 th Anniversary.  We didn't know what to say when we received it.  Of course we thanked everyone.

We had a great time and thanked everyone.  Eli said this was to show us how much we ment to all there.  He gave a short speech on what we had done for them all over the years.  Even had a list of things we had done.  We, again, thanked them and said we didn't do anything anyone of them wouldn't have done.  Eli led us in prayer and singing.  Then we went home.

Anna and I couldn't believe all that they did for us.  We talked of all the moves we made.  Some of the good times and the not so good times.  The best part was we married each other 30 years ago.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer