Prairie Learning Center

On Sunday, after church and lunch with my parents, we headed to the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge by Prairie City. They had a special presentation on burrowing animals.

Here are the kids "petting" the pelts.


On a walk, looking for burrows.

The boys were pretty smart with their animals. I think the wildlife guide was impressed.

In the distance, right in the middle, you can see brown specks. That's the bison. We'll get a closer look later on.

Emmet (and Eden) by the Elk exhibit. There's elk in the refuge too, but we didn't see them.

By the bison exhibit.

And the badger!

Pretending to be a prairie dog!

Now, it's Eden's turn!

Of course, it's Eliza who is petting the snake. Eden's looking up because it is an underground exhibit and it shows how far down in the ground the snake is.

My attempt at a group photo. Emmet didn't want to be in it and the girls were complaining that the "sun's in my eyes."

There's a drive-through path to view the bison if you're lucky. Well, we were lucky. They were out and about and they were close to the road.

We'll definitely go back! The kids had a great time with the exhibits and watching the buffalo. Oh, and the best part is that it is free! Okay, we'll not totally free-your federal tax dollars pay for it. So you may as well go there and enjoy since you're paying for it.

Oh DEER! Oh DEER!

Do you ever wonder what goes on in the woods? Seth's father was curious about the woods on their property and bought a wildlife camera. When it senses movement, "click" it takes a picture. These pictures are a glimpse of the deer in their woods from the first part of March. I've saved the best picture for last!!!!

These three pictures are from one incident.

And four days earlier, on 3/4/2011, these two pictures were captured.

"What are you lookin' at?"

Pictures of the Week, March 6-March 12

We've had another great week!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Our first calf. By the end of the week we'll have three total. All are doing well, so that's a huge blessing and a big relief. The mud is always an issue in March, but so far so good. Seth had to carry one calf out of a muddy spot, but all is well now. We're anxious for some sunshine. We are glad that they all have access to the barn, if needed.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Seth's Birthday!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

"Are we gonna eat Delilah?"
Yes, we are. And yes, we did. And yes, she was delicious!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Our 2nd calf, laying down by mama.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

I was hoping to remember to take a picture of my mom and I making my Supper Swapper meals, but amidst the busyness, I forgot. So, you'll have to settle for a picture of the boys playing Legos before bed.


Friday, March 11, 2011

One of my Christmas presents was a birdhouse. It has glass in the back and suction cups on the back, so you can place it on your window, and Lord willing, have a view of a bird making a nest. We've placed it on an East window, per the instructions. Now we just wait!


Saturday, March 12, 2011

We've waited a long time for a new mower! And it came today. The grass will be growing before we know it!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday Seth!
The words from the card I got for him:

My husband

Sometimes there just aren't enough words

for the most amazing things

that happen in our lives--

for prayers

that are answered

far beyond anything

we ever dreamed possible,

for joys

that surprise our hearts,

and miracles

that could only be

gifts from heaven . . .

Even when I can't find the words

to tell you,

I want to show you--

with every look, every touch,

every kiss we share--

you are the miracle

who has made my life happier

than I ever imagined it could be.

Happy Birthday

God Bless You and Our Love!

Today is Seth's birthday. He's 32! The kids gathered around for him to open his presents after supper.

Mater's Tall Tales Wii game! Ephraim's standing on the couch armrest, thus you can only see his bottom half!

Seth with his presents. Other than the Wii game, I got him a calculator. One that plugs in. Hopefully that will be a deterrent from the kids. Our biggest frustration is that the kids will carry off our little calculator and then we have NO IDEA where we might find it next or if we'll even find it.

Seth asks Eliza "What's this?"

"A calculator."

Seth: "No, it's 'Daddy's calculator'. Can you say that?"

"Daddy's calculator."

But since I'm going to take over his checkbook and the farm books, I think it will be "Mommy's calculator."

Teaching Sunday School

Seth enjoys teaching large group Sunday School. The kids are pre-K to 2nd grade. Last week his lesson was on Rahab. He brought some of our building blocks from home and built Jericho. And he built a house for Rahab out of Legos. Complete with a Lego Rahab, Lego spies and Lego soldiers. And there was even a place on top of the wall for the spies to hide. He sure kept the children's attention!
The pre-K class is building Jericho.

The finishing touches on Rahab's abode.

Not a very good picture, but you can see that kids are listening attentively. Seth's turn to teach comes around once a month and he enjoys the challenge of teaching the lesson to the kids in a way that will stick with them.

Pictures of the week, Feb 27 to March 5, 2011

Sunday, February 27, 2011

This is a picture of my Aunt Karen and her daughter. Karen is being surpised with a trip to Holland. We were at a party for her 50th anniversary and Uncle Dean & Aunt Karen's 70th birthdays.



Monday, February 28, 2011


Ah, the red van. It has had issues with the back window and the battery. The back window blew out on Christmas Eve several years ago. We patched it with plastic and duct tape for a year before replacing the window. Then this summer, the back window blew out again. Likely from a tree limb during the fierce June thunderstorms. And then the van sat. And sat. We haven't driven it in 6 months or more and it was time to get rid of it. We called a scrap dealer and could have probably gotten $200 or more out of it. We toyed with the idea of selling it and maybe getting $1000. But in the end, we made the decision that may not make sense to some. We donated it to Teen Challenge of the Midlands in Colfax. We charged the battery with the hopes of getting it started but when Seth turned the key there was a big "kerplunk" and then silence. Yes, definitely time to get rid of it.

They came to get the van and we get the tax donation. We made this decision even though our tax man told us it wouldn't make that much of a difference to us. But we felt it was the right decision for us and for a ministry that can use the van. They may repair it or they may scrap it and keep the money. Either way, we're rid of it.


Tuesday, March 1, 2011



This is the book I'm currently reading. Very good! It is written by two sisters. One of whom I heard in Rochester at the Hearts at Home conference. They also have their own website.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

I enjoyed a shopping trip to Cantril and Drakesville with my good friend Stephanie. We planned it in advance so that we could have babysitters for the kids and truly enjoy the day! These are some of the things I get in Cantril. Lots of gelatin, stuffing, pasta, apple cider, mini marshmallows, etc. And a book! They have a huge selection of books and cookbooks. We enjoyed lunch and then one stop at a variety store by Drakesville.


Thursday, March 3, 2011

One of Ephraim's stories. He loves writing and drawing.

Friday, March 4, 2011

This is Delilah's "before" shot. Seth says that I cannot post the "after" shot. But you can picture a naked bird on a cutting board. I did not get a good picture of her feet or the lack thereof. It's been good to know you, Delilah. And if you must know, Eden still thinks about you often and wants to know what happened. She continues to check on you since you're in the fridge just chillin' for a day or two.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Eighteen twice-baked potatoes. I've made this recipe once before and wanted to make them again, but was waiting for the large bags of potatoes to go on sale. Saturday morning was the morning to make them, I decided. You make them just like you would twice-baked potatoes, but before baking them for the 2nd time, you wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze. Very delicious. The kids don't really care for them, but that's okay with me. More for Seth and I!

Saturday also included a trip to the ER with Eden, but only for a simple ear infection. She's on antibiotic and was never really in pain. I'm pretty quick to take them in at the first sign of ear infection. This is our first in at least 2 years! We've been pretty lucky this winter to have escaped all the nasty flu, strep and crud that is going around.

I promise that next week's post will include pictures of the kids!

From the cage to Kalona to the crock pot

Delilah, one of my four beloved chickens, took a fatal field trip on Friday.
She's only laid a few eggs for me and she's nearly a year old. So, we decided that she needed to go. Also, in just the last few weeks, her feet were turning black and falling off. Gross, but true. I figured it was frostbite, although I'm still puzzled by it since we had a heating lamp on her through the brutal winter months. And her breed is supposed to be winter-hardy. Anyway, she wasn't doing well.

I had found an Amish gentleman by Kalona who would butcher her. I packed up the kids and Delilah and off we went. We arrived around 9:30 am. The man comes from the house. I ask if he could butcher one chicken.
"Yes . . . and I'll grab a few of my own to do at the same time."
"Oh, well, I can come back or make an appointment if it's not a good time."
"No, no. We'll just do several at the same time and make the mess worth it."
I also take this opportunity to ask him about her feet. His response was "Froze, eh."
"Okay. When should I come back."
I'm instructed to come back in 20 minutes. He also asked if I wanted the chicken skinned or scalded. Not knowing, I safely replied, "Um, whatever you usually do is fine."

The kids and I tour the country block and stop at a county general store. Lots of groceries and housewares, etc. And it wasn't long before Eden found the baby dolls and the pacifiers. She proceeds to start throwing a major temper tantrum. Thrashing on the floor and crying. (This is not an exaggeration). We purchase our few items and get out of there. We stop at another store, but everything was pretty expensive and breakable so we get out of there pretty fast, too. By now, Delilah should be done.

There are more customers at the butcher shop and they have Illinois license plates. I'm not sure what they were there for. The gentleman comes out of the shop and goes to the house for our chicken. He brings it back out and shows it to Emmet.
"She looks a little different, eh?"
"Thanks. How much do I owe you?"
"$1.50"
"That's it! Okay!"
And then we left. Eden seems to be the one most fascinated with Delilah's transformation. All the way home, I fielded her questions about the chicken's feathers and beak and blood.

We get home and weigh her. A measly 1 pound 12 ounces. I cut it up and put the pieces in the crockpot. Eden was constantly coming to the counter "to check on Delilah". And she would say "She got dead."
And then today, the cooked chicken pieces are in the fridge and Eden asked if she was cold.

We got a small meal from her and the kids are getting a real lesson in where their food comes from.