Allison and Helen. Helen, we had a great time during your visit. Please come back again.

Helen and the Blankie!!! :)

Helen, Emily and Kevin.

How many teenage boys can you get in the back of an Amish buggy? In this case...3! Robert, Michael and Collin.

2011 German students visiting Ohio from Hennef, Germany. We love you!!!

Thanksgiving 2011

Another Thanksgiving was celebrated with family and a new friend. For the past two years our family has hosted a German exchange student via the high school German club. Working with a school in Hennef, Germany our coordinator finds host families to share an American Thanksgiving with these students. This year we hosted Helen and showed her Daffins Candy Store, Kraynaks Christmas tree lane, Wendell August Forge and Slovak Folk Center and of course Grove City outlets. We shared with her the gluttony that is Thanksgiving with all the trimmings: Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed potatoes (which were almost forgotten), sweet potatoes, wilted lettuce, green bean casserole, pumpkin and pecan pies. She also witnessed up close and personal the fiasco of Black Friday. Her group then took a bus trip to Washington DC ( a one day excursion that nearly did them in!). After some resting time it was back to the mall for Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch deals. Monday we went with her group to Sugarcreek, Ohio to learn about the Amish community. We had a unique opportunity to witness an Amish school day, ride an Amish buggy (those horses are amazing!!!) accompanied by more shopping and eating at an Amish restaurant. Tonight everyone will gather, hosts and visitors, for an American pot luck supper. I hope she enjoyed her stay in America and with us and will remember her time fondly.

November

It appears as though I only have a moment once a month to post to this blog. October was just as busy as September for our family and farm. I canned sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, cranberry apple sauce, and cranberry mustard. I never really liked cranberry because I have the image of this gelationous substance globbed onto a serving dish at Thanksgiving. I never really cared for the taste either. But Fresh Cranberries are wonderful and so are the cranberries that I preserved this year.

Our newest addition to the farm. ROSE our Jack Russell, Fox terrier and several more...mix breed puppy. She is adorable and smart.