Monday, January 5, 2015

JEAN'S FIRST POST FOR 2015

I know Elmer was suppose to be here today, but he forgot.  After church this Sunday, he and Anna were invited to one of the church member's home for dinner.  While there some friends they haven't seen in a long time stopped in.  Marilyn tried to call them, but she received no answer it kept going into voicemail where she left messages.  Finally, she called me.  David called Elmer and after a while got him on the phone.  Elmer explained what happened and could I do a post.  Marilyn had already asked.  So here we are at 8:45 PM coming up with a post.

We hope everyone had a Happy New Year.  New Year's Day to us is like a regular work day.  But one of our families had a dinner for the Old Order Mennonite courting age folks. Michael, Edward and Thomas went to the dinner along with Thomas' young lady who was staying with us for a few days.  The all enjoyed the dinner.  After the dinner, they sang.  After singing, there were snacks.  At midnight someone in the neighborhood had fire crackers, so they watched them and all came home.

This coming weekend, another set of parents are planning on having all the young folks for skiing and sledding at their house as they live on the top of a hill, if the weather cooperates, which is should.  Still another set of parents is planning on ice skating at their house, another weekend again, if the weather cooperate and the pond freezes solid enough.  All the young folks bring a snack.  At the skiing and sledding, we must provide some soft drinks.  We are going to make root beer.  Also, we will go to the store and pick up some other soft drinks.

Each of the boys want to go in their own buggy.  As we only have one Old Order Mennonite courting buggy that causes a problem.  John, Elmer and Anna's son, has loaned us his Amish buggy.  Which leaves our family buggy for the third one.  The first time one of them drove John's buggy, our people thought an Amish fellow was coming,, which if fine.  Sometimes the Amish young folks and Old Order Mennonite young folks get together.  Now, they are use to it being one of our sons.

If there is a fire call when the young ones are out with out buggy, we let either Bishop Joseph or Elmer know, so if there is a fire, one of them stops and picks David up.  We have the feeling that the fellows are saving up their snow plowing money for another courting buggy.  Either that or they are saving money for materials so Michael can build one.

We have the bathroom and some of the bedrooms done in the attic.  It is hard to try to figure who sleeps up there.  At first we thought Thomas.  Michael got upset and said Thomas was our favorite.  We told Michael everyone is our favorite.  We thought Thomas because he is the oldest.  The ceilings are lower in the attic.  The bedrooms passed building inspection, but they are lower.  Thomas turned down the attic as he is so tall, he has to bow his head every time he goes through the door up there. We heard Michael and Edward disagreeing over who went up there.  David finished two bedrooms up there and moved both of them up there.  They are happy.  We are happy.  Thomas is happy as he has his own room and he doesn't have to bow his head every time he goes into the room.

So right now Thomas, Susan, Katie and David sleep on the second floor.  There is also a guest room there.  Michael and Edward are in the attic that we now call the third floor.  David and I sleep in the first floor bedroom.  David can add three more bedrooms on the third floor.  Like he said before, when we run out of bedrooms, we are done getting children.  We are not getting another house.  Of course Edward said, we could always add on the side.

In reading to days paper, we see where there is going to be a law that all people that plan on becoming foster parents must have a back ground check.  Also, if a Foster Parent has a child leave their home for another Foster home - they must have a background check and investigation as to why the child is being removed.  We had one child leave here who had medical problems and was moved from us to a Foster Family in Rochester, as they were closer to the hospital the child needed to go to.  Michael was suppose to be here until the school year ended and then went to another Foster Home.  To make a long story short, he didn't like it there as well as our house, so he was moved back here.  We are glad he was.  We have had children who were only temporary until they could be returned to their parents.

I thought all Foster Parents were checked out before they became them.  When we applied, we had to take courses and they finger printed us for a background check.

Well, I better get going and pick out a recipe for Marilyn to put on this week.

There is someone new coming on tomorrow.  There was a request asking to be told about newly married lad;y.  Sarah, Elmer and Anna's son John's wife, will be on telling about her new married life.  She has agreed to put the post on tomorrow and answer any questions you may have. She will not be on every week, but will be on to answer your questions,  So please, welcome Sarah.

Be With God,
Jean

20 comments:

magnoliasntea said...

I enjoyed this post by Jean. It's so nice to hear that Christian young folk still get together to enjoy each other's company and sing. In our day with modern ways this is very refreshing.
I would like to hear how you make root beer if you've not posted on that before.
Thank you, and have a blessed week.

Vickie said...

Sounds like everyone is very content in their rooms at home.
Fun times are coming for the young folks!

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning magnoliasntea,

I will see that Jean gets your message. Can't remember if Jean told us how to make root beer or not. Either way, I will see if she will tells us again.

Blessed week to you and yours,
Marilyn

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning Vickie,

Will see that Jean gets your message. Jean told me a lot of Englishers think that the Old Order Mennonite and Amish children don't have any fun or do anything. They are wrong.

Hugs to Mabel and Henry from,
Marilyn and Pierre

New York State Of Mind said...

Okay, this is a new year and a new week. Sarah will be on tomorrow. Recipe on Wednesday. The next three are pictures and I thought real hard on what to put on for the pictures this week being it's a new year. So I hope you like them.

I was thinking of maybe changing Tuesday around. Having Tuesday a picture day. Then either Friday or Saturday as a person's post. That way we won't have all the letters at the same too. Also, we might not have two people every week since Anna is leaving for a while.

Although, Anna might not be gone as long as we thought she would be. She already has an idea for another post that I think we would enjoy.

Just thought I would tell you some of my thoughts for here.

It is 19 degrees this morning. Took Pierre out to do his duties and he came right back in.

Marilyn

Anonymous said...

In 20's here, wind You+therefore wind chill factor in effect. Should only be in teens toward end of week.
I'm sure David+Jean's family solved the "room"dilemma. Anyone who thinks there can't be any problems in a Mennonite or Amish family- think again. No family or person for that matter is perfect and never will be while on this earth. And at the same time it doesn't mean one doesn't do ones best to be obedient+faithful to the Lord learning to live according to His will+way. Important lesson here.
Nice that all the families share and help each other out. .doing things God's way would make life on this earth better until we can be with the Lord for all eternity. Someday...Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Take care, Carol

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Carol,

I will see that Jean gets your comments. All children I guess give parents problems now and again. Some more than others. They also keep with the Lord which is most important.

Marilyn

Anonymous said...

Marilyn, ck ur email, plz. Carol

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Carol,

I just did and if you are suppose to be there - you aren't. Maybe it takes a while to get there.

Marilyn

Anonymous said...

Sent from my ph. Maybe it does take a little time. Let me know via email when it arrives. Txt+pics from Montana. Carol

Anonymous said...

Marilyn: Please thank Jean for the post. I'm looking forward to Sarah's post tomorrow as well. Your blog is a wonderful part of my day.
Thank you, Carol in SC

BTW: The deep South is going to get very cold by the end of the week. We aren't exactly used to it and I'd bet you guys up there think we are a bunch of sissies!!

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Carol,
I still haven't got it.

Marilyn

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Carol in SC,
I will see that Jean gets your message. So happy you enjoy it here every day.

You told me about your weather. When I lived in Florida, my brother was on city council in New Port Richey, Florida. One day it snowed. It was less than an inch of snow. They closed the schools. Knowing my brother was from the north they called him and wanted to know if they should call the state of Georgia and ask them to send some snow plows. My brother told them that by noon all the snow would be melted. People got all worked up. I went to work that morning. My boss was there, another lady was there and I was there. My boss laughed - we had all come from the north. Everyone Florida born was home. By noon - all the snow had melted. It made head lines in the news paper and everything. I still laugh when I think of that.

Marilyn

Countryside Reflections said...

It's so nice to hear about the young folks having fun, and how the different families host a get together for them on different weekends. It's funny to hear how Jean's boys each want their own buggy, but I can relate to that when my boys wanted their own cars. They weren't about to share.

It's always nice to hear from Jean, and I'm looking forward to hearing from Sarah.

Doreen

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Doreen,

Will see that Jean gets your message. I guess young folks are young folks no matter if you are Englishers or Old Order Mennonite regarding transportation.

Marilyn

Willow's Quiet Corner said...

Thank you, Jean, for this post. I appreciate taking the time to tell us more of how people do things there.

Interesting that you make your own root beer. Do you make any other drinks like cream soda or anything else?

Willow's Quiet Corner said...

Marilyn,

I forgot to ask if you also check your junk or spam folder in your email in case Carol's email got routed there in error by your email provider.

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning Willow's Quiet Corner,

I will see that Jean gets your messages and questions.

Yes, I checked spam. There is something about Yahoo that I have a terrible time getting pictures at for some reason. I finally gave her another e-mail and it came through fine. When we had the pet pictures last year, I had to have them come in on another e-mail. Yahoo does not take pictures well. At least mine doesn't.

Marilyn

Anonymous said...

Marilyn: I can relate to your story about Florida. I was raised in Mobile, AL. We could deal with a hurricane- but snow was a mystery. Here in SC, the danger is crazy drivers who think they can navigate the roads because we usually get ice first and snow falls later (covering the ice). Thankfully, it doesn't happen often.

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi,
People in the north and south don't use their heads sometimes in driving in ice and snow. Everyone is in such a hurry to get where they are going. They don't think of what ice and snow can cause.

Marilyn