Iowa...............

   Last week we (the little guys and I) were in Iowa.  I stayed with my great-grandma and the little boys stayed with my grandma and grandpa - who actually live right across the street from my great-grandma!

   I would have posted more while in Iowa but I could not access my blogger dashboard - so you will have to put up with a  l - o - n - g  post and a lot of pictures  -  ENJOY!

THE FIRST DAY:

Grandpa and the little guys went fishing!

MY DAY:

I spent the day with my cousins, particularly Madison!

Madison's "self-portrait"

Getting a well-earned drink after a very long run at the park.

THE SECOND DAY:

Christian and Jonathan with some of the cousins.

Running to catch up with the boys.

We went to the park down the street from

grandma and grandpa's house to feed the ducks.

Paige got tired on the way up the hill so grandpa gave her a lift!

That night, we had a fire and the kids cooked hot dogs

 for our dinner - and they did a pretty good job too!

ALL OF THE OTHER DAYS:

I just HAD to post this picture...

...and this one!

I snapped this picture while they were watching

 the guy who came to trim the trees.

(It is probably my favorite one I took during the trip.)

To God be the Glory

Isaiah 44:23-24

 Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it!

Shout, you lower parts of the earth;

Break forth into singing, you mountains,

O forest, and every tree in it!

For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,

And glorified Himself in Israel.

 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,

And He who formed you from the womb:

 I am the LORD, who makes all things,

Who stretches out the heavens all alone,

Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.

I hope to do a post with pictures from my trip

later this week but I do not have the time today.
( These pictures are from my trip.)

Today..........

   Dear Mama, Papa, Elijah and Jeremiah,

   I miss all of you - and so do the little guys!

   Here's an overview of our day:

   The little guys went out to Coralville to go fishing, though, somehow, Grandpa ended up doing most of the fishing! :)  Grandpa caught a large-mouth bass and was able to keep it, as well as two catfish - Grandma got some really cute pictures that I hope to post tomorrow.  The little boys wanted me to tell you that they saw some beaver tracks around the pond and that they actually got to keep a piece of wood that they found with beaver chewing marks on it.

   My day:

 

   I went to Uncle Nick's house today and made pumpkin bars with the girls.  They turned out really well and it was fun to work with Madison and Paige in the kitchen.

   I colored with the girls for a while and then, while Paige was napping, I took Madison to the park - all by myself!  It was really fun to spend some time with her.  We had races to and from the slide, the swing set and the water fountain.  We also spotted a red squirrel and were able to get some really cute pictures. (I think that you, Elijah will especially enjoy them)  

   I am currently becoming accustomed to being called - Phyllis, Rosemary, Cheryl, and , my favorite - Jenny!  (By Grandma Great!)

   While I am here, I am allowed to eat whatever I want, whenever I want it - I'm beginning to feel sort of, well, "grown up"!  :)  Of course, I don't take advantage of that privilege - except in the fruit and vegetable categories!

   I am missing all of you and I hope that you are all missing me too - just because I'm not there to make dinner and to wash the dishes, of  course! :)

   

   May the LORD bless you all!  I am praying for you.

   Love, in CHRIST,

   Hannah

   P.S.

   I didn't know what all of you were doing for Bible reading so I read out of  Romans. 

   I love you all!

Hunting

   Yesterday, Elijah and I went deer hunting with Mr. Richter and Amanda.  We left the house at 5:30 and drove to their blind which was about an hour away.  We hunted until mid-morning but we didn't see anything - except for a mouse, a chipmunk and a whole lot of squirrels that made a terrible racket, rustling VERY noisily in the leaves and running to and fro! :)  We left the blind after some "reconstruction" and went to Mr. Richter's brother's house.  While we were there, Mr. Richter took us out into the woods to inspect the stands.  That was interesting and I got to see the stand that Elijah and Papa will be using later this fall, when the gun season begins. The scenery in the country is SO extremely beautiful and I was able to get some pictures, though they do not do full justice to the beauty of God's creation.

- The "reconstruction" -

 - "Chippewa trail" -

- Amanda -

 - Elijah -

Mr. Richter and Elijah were off "inspecting" the stands

while Amanda and I stayed behind at the truck - that's when I snapped this picture!

As we were driving down the road,

(Amanda, Elijah and I were riding in the bed of the truck)

Elijah's hunting license somehow blew out of its holder. 

We had to stop and Elijah was able (thankfully!) 

to retrieve his all-important license! 

We didn't see anything until it was just too late to shoot but,

despite the fact that we were not able to get a deer,

I thoroughly enjoyed my time.

Elijah, practicing the day before the hunt.

God's Mercy and Provision

WARNING:

This post is NOT for the faint of heart! :)

Proceed at your own risk!

-----------------------------------

ELIJAH HAS GOTTEN HIS FIRST BIG BUCK!

The Richters said that it is the biggest buck taken from their property!

(This photo was taken on the night that the buck was killed)

Look at that shot!

The deer went down about thirty yards

from where Elijah had originally shot it.

The LORD is SO good!

We've got meat! :)

Elijah and his GIANT 8 pointer!

We are having the deer mounted,

so that means that I can't see the real thing until FEBRUARY!

 - That's when we get the completed mount.

Butchering the deer:

(or a small part of the process!)

There's the spot where the arrow went in!

Here is some of the meat that we got

 - (just the scraps!) -

hamburger and stew meat etc.

A Blessing

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17; 3:16

A Blessing

May the LORD Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father,

who loves you and by His grace
gives you eternal encouragement and hope,

comfort and strengthen your heart in every good deed and word. 

May the LORD of peace give you peace continually

and in every circumstance. 

And may the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ

be with you now and forever.  Amen.

Before I Speak

  
   Today my aunt and my cousin took Mama an I to a "ladies event" that they had at their church.  The theme was on "the use of  your tongue" - I sure needed that!  It was a great reminder that what comes out of my mouth is what is really in my heart.  You see, I can write anything that I might want to - I have time to think over it and to "make myself look better than I truly am in real life"... seriously, I do that too often. When I'm speaking I need to do the same thing, namely, think before I speak, so that what I speak "may give grace to those who hear."  I have a problem with just "saying the first thing that pops into my head" and not thinking about the consequences - "will what I am going to say hurt somebody else?"  -  "will my words magnify the LORD?"  -  "are these words that would encourage others in their walk with God or will they tear others down?" - those are the questions (among others!) that I need to ask myself  BEFORE  I speak!

- Sarah -

 - (My cousin) -

BEST BUDDIES

I thought that this picture was just too cute
and I wanted to share it with y'all.