Nostalgia

After visiting the salt mines,  we headed out west of Hutchinsons for good Amish cooking at the Dutch Kitchen!

Fried mac and cheese!

The fries and pie were to DIE for!

We went on a nostalgia tour -

first past the farm where my Dad grew up.

Whoever lived here made the house into a larger 2-story house.

Dad and his 3 sisters.

His 4th sister was born when Dad was 10.

Looks like Dad had already had his front teeth knocked out by this time.

He always liked to make us laugh by sticking his dentures out!

We drove into Pretty Prairie to see the houses I lived in when on 

furlough in the 8th grade and then when we moved here from Japan

during my last 2 years of high school.

This was the parsonage while my Dad was the pastor at the First Mennonite Church.

Al and I enjoyed swinging on the porch swing.

Next, we drove the kids out to the farm where their Papa grew up.

His brother and wife live there nonw.

They have added on to the house.  They made the kitchen larger and added a living room to the west side of the house.  The old living room became their master bedroom, and his parent's bedroom became the master bathroom!


Al's mother, Kathern.  My dad used to call her Kitty, which was her nick name when they went to school together.           
                                                                                          "Papa" as a little boy.



Grandma Graber with Jill.  How we loved to sit on that front porch!

I had told the kids I used to mow our "lawn" in Japan with a push lawnmower like this when I was growing up!  I don't suppose Al used one like this, but am sure his Dad did, and perhaps this is that very lawn mower.  This one belonged to my sister-in-law's grandfather..

The boys did a little target practice.

Papa teaching Eli.

 We all (including me!) were able to shoot the coffee can!

Emeri preferred reading her book.

Next we stopped by the First Mennonite cemetery to

 see the folks' tomb stones and some of our ancestors' too.

What a fun day of nostalgia!

"Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past."  Deut. 32:7

The Israelites were told to remember the faithfulness of God to the generations past, and Al and I remember our past, and our ancestors and how God faithfully led us through the years.  He has been so very good, even in the difficult times!  He never leaves us nor forsakes us.