Hello everyone! Yes, we're still alive - just very busy and still trying to figure out what we're going to do with the internet situation...I won't be able to catch you up on everything, but we'll get a good start -
One of the last Sunday's before we left, Aaron baptized a young man from our church.
We were unable to finish all of the garden before we left - for lack of time and also some things just weren't ready yet, but we can't complain! We were able to harvest quite a bit and our freezers are full and so are our canning shelves...and we were able to bring some fresh things along and Aaron's parents have given us some extra as well. What we couldn't take, we left for the people at the church there, and some of it we'll get at Christmas.
Above are the beets -
Esther loves to take things out of boxes!
She also loves Daddy's hat :)
Last year our corn didn't do very well, but between some extra fertilizer, warmer weather, and the Lord's blessing, it did much better and so we took lots of pictures :) Aaron and I took an afternoon to pick and shuck the corn and Esther hung out in her stroller.
Me -
Aaron with one of his favorite vegtables -
Esther -
All the corn in a corner of the kitchen. We didn't have time to finish it that night...
...so my sisters came over another day and helped us blanch and freeze it.
Aaron found his worst clothes and went over to the farm to help butcher some chickens we'd ordered.
As you can imagine, we've been eating lots of stir-fry! We also were able to can some tomatos and pickles. By the way, this picture is in our new home - I've never used a flat-top stove very much, but so far it's been pretty nice.
You probably recognize this place...in addition to all the packing and gardening, we spent part of our last few weeks saying good-bye to family and friends. This is at the maze on the day we took a family picture.
Sarah and Esther -
Sorry this picture is sideways! Grandma and Esther -
Some of the men visiting - Aaron, Grandpa, and Amos
Some of the cousins playing games in the family room - Miriam, Benjamin, Hannah, Joshua, Daniel, Jeshua, Jonathan. We were also saying good-bye to Reuben who's going to Asia for a year - I'm sure that's more of an extreme than MN to TN :)
Ellie and Esther - both have this thing for their middle two fingers :)
Hosanna and Esther with my mom's side of the family -
Aaron, Isaac, Grandpa, and Matthew - Matthew is going to Australia for two years, so pray for him too!
David and Daniel at the little picnic table Grandpa made for them.
Esther and Jeriah - they're only three months apart in age.
Aaron and Esther with the rocking horse that Grandpa made for Esther - she really likes it!
OK, on to the packing. Most of what took a long time was all of the sorting - even though you couldn't tell by the amount of stuff we took, we really did get rid of a lot before we left! Here's the library/office/misc. room shelves ready to be boxed.
Boxes in the hall waiting - I couldn't believe how many boxes and how much tape and packing paper (old newspapers) it took!
I was very grateful to Aaron for cleaning our shower - the iron in the water in MN turned it pretty much orange every few months!
Esther enjoyed all the piles of stuff everywhere as we were getting ready. My sister's came over a few days and helped watch her so I could get more done - they and Mom helped pack some as well, so thank you all very, very much - we couldn't have done it ourselves!
One morning, Aaron and I went to pick up the moving truck (stopped to say good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. B.) and that afternoon, my Dad and brothers and a couple guys from church came to help load up the truck. They did a great job and it went very well - this is Silas hauling things out from the garage.
Isaac hauling things into the truck -
It was quite a work of art getting everything in that truck :)
The guys also loaded up Aaron's truck on a trailor.
The whole rig! We spent Saturday and Sunday night at Aaron's parent's home, then on Monday, his parents and several men from the new church here came to help unload the truck. That also went faster than we were expecting.
Grandma and Grandpa came along to help drive - we were very grateful because by the time we left, we were both tired! Over all, the trip went well with no real problems.
Aaron in front of the sign at the church here - the first couple Sunday's have gone very well and we're enjoying getting to know all of the people.
We've been working on getting our house set up (we're renting one near the church), cleaning it, and getting all our new paperwork (driver's license, insurance, banking, utilities...) in order. The worst of it is done now though and I'm especially glad to have a kitchen set up again! Moving is quite a job! - hopefully we won't have to very often! When things get a little better and when I have time, I'll post pictures of the house. It's a little different living in town - We're not used to neighbors! - but so far the weather's been very nice and I'm enjoying having more than one grocery store to shop at!
Guess what one of the first things Aaron did was? Started tilling up a spot for a garden!
I hunted around for a Dr. and got several names and finally just went with one - it's a little more challenging around here than it is back home! So I have an appointment set up and I've already felt the new little one moving around :)
Esther's adjusted very well - she has her own room here and is sleeping better at night-time.
Thank you all for your prayers and we'll try to stay in touch better once we get a little routine in our life!
It's only been one month since Anna was born, but it seems like she's always been part of our family. She's wearing a newborn outfit in this picture that she's already outgrown!
Another picture of Anna - I think I took these when she was about a week old.
Just when I was getting good at doing things with one arm! I think the girls have it figured out how to keep me busy going from one back to the other :)
Sunday night is not the greatest time for us to take a family picture, as we're all tired, but this is us! Now we look like a real family and not newlyweds :)
I didn't mean to put this picture and the next on here, but since they are, I'll tell about them. Aaron had to be gone for a week, and so some of my family gracaiously came down to help out - it was so much fun to have them here, at least for me - they did all the work of running the house! We had a nice visit with some of the G. family and we also did some shopping in the area. This leather chess set was at a store featuring all kinds of things made by local "artists".
- as was this wooden bowl.
Daddy and his two girls! He's so good with them and He can get Anna to smile for him :)
I know this looks uncomfortable, but Anna's favorite position is her head back. When I try to hold her to my shoulder, she always trys to throw her head back and look around.
I've tried a couple times to get a good picture of the girls together, but it hasn't worked very well yet - when I do, I'll post it :)
Aaron always told me that spring in TN is beautiful and he's right! The dogwood trees are all in bloom these days and the other trees are getting leaves and it's been in the 70s and some 80s. Aaron has already planted about half the garden! I'll post pictures of that later....
The church people had a nice shower for Anna after church on Sunday night. She got a lot of cute outfits, but it's a good thing because it seems like I have to change her a couple times every day for one reason or another :) The people from church also brought us meals that first week and have been very good to us.
Someone gave Esther this little "lawnmower" their grandkids had outgrown. If you push the button it drives! She really enjoys it, but still needs Dad's help to keep it going.
Anna is just starting to get her days and nights right. She doesn't sleep for more than 4 hours at a time, but I don't mind her waking up during the night for a few minutes - when it was a few hours, I needed a nap during the day!
Anna in her "I Love Daddy" sleeper handed down from Esther. She really likes to be held!
I took this picture just today - One month old! The girls are starting to fuss though, so I better hurry and say good bye!
