JEAN TELLS Of COLD TIMES !!

It's my week back this week and I may be doing next week too as Elmer and Anna will be just arriving in Pinecraft and I don't want them to have to do a post when they get there.  Seems like everyone is going to Pinecraft this year.

Grandfather Albert and Grandmother Olive are having a good time down there which I am sure Grandmother will tell you for tomorrow.  I will let Grandmother tell you, but they are thinking of doing something down there that would affect the whole family.  It is in the thinking stages.

Michael, Edward and Thomas want to go down there.  We put a hold on that for at least this year and we hope for a couple of years.  David and I think they are too young for the three of them to go down there.  Of course, they don't think they are.  They said they could stay with Grandmother
Olive and Grandfather Albert.  First, they haven't been invited and second my Grandparents are not down there to keep an eye on them.  They were going to ask my Grandparents if it was okay, but we told them to wait.  The boys are growing up so fast.

David and I also would also like to go.  We have never been down there.  When we got married Grandfather and Grandmother went, but no one else.  Then my parents would go once in a while during the winter, but we have never been.  So we think that we should go down there.  It would be hard to find a place that would take all eight of us, if we took all the children with us.  Maybe some year.

As Elmer said: Edward, Thomas and Michael have been busy plowing driveways and cleaning sidewalks in addition to their other jobs.  We finally figured out what the money was for when Michael pulled up one day with a new courting buggy.  Michael had done most of the work on it, but Kevin had helped him out.  They worked really hard on that.  All three of the boys had taken their money to help Michael pay for the supplies he needed.  So now we have three courting buggies.  Two Old Order Mennonite and the third is John's Amish.

Now the money they are making plowing snow is either extra money in their pocket or they put it in the bank.  Most of it goes into the bank.  They are saving up for when the time comes they can start their own farms.  We have land for two of them to start on, but we have to get land for the third one.  Time will come when we will have to have land for David Junior, but that is a way off, yet.

We didn't buy ski passes for Edward and Michael this year, because with the low snow we had the last two years, they didn't get their monies worth of it.  Of course, we should have because they have enjoyed going skiing.  They also have gone ice skating.  Thomas is not interested in skiing.  Says he spends more time sitting than standing.  Also, he is not interested in ice skating as he says he has lousy balance.  Thomas does go to winter activities that the other young folks have.  He is great when the snow melts at volley ball and soft ball, but winter sports are not his thing.

Thomas, sometimes, takes David Jr., Susan and Katie sledding which makes Michael and Edward happy.  I am not saying Michael and Edward wouldn't take the little ones, but sometimes they want to go with them and they are not old enough.  Also, sometimes Michael and Edward want to go with people their own age.

Thomas helps the little ones get all their equipment and supervises them going down the hills and back up.  Sometimes he rides down with one of them.  If there are parents there with their children, Thomas says it is funny.  He is the only teenager there with both little ones and parents.

With this bitter cold, David doesn't want the girls, David Junior or myself outside doing chores.  So that has ment the older brothers are doing more farm chores.  They are feeding the animals, bringing in the eggs and more.

What has been shocking is they have even closed the school a few times.  Bishop Joseph has said it was just too cold. Some of the children walk to school.  Even when school is open, some of the children haven't come because of the cold.  Also, at school, we have been asked to make hot lunches rather than have children bring lunches to school.

This means that one Mother makes the lunch for the students that day.  I brought a hot lunch one day a week ago.  With the cold, I think I will be doing it again pretty soon.  One thing is that no matter how cold it gets, at recess the children want to play outside.  Teacher tried to keep them on indoor activities, but they want to go outside.

Well, I hope all of you that are in the cold areas are trying to stay warm in these cold days.

Be With God,
Jean